Tibet Overland Tour to Kathmandu

Lhasa is the spiritual center of Tibet. We will visit Norbulinka Palace early in the morning. The colossal Palace sparkles as jewel in Lhasa. Pretty garden of wild flowers adorns the premise. Norbulinka served as the summer palace for seventh to fourteenth Dalai Lama, the most revered spiritual priest of Tibet. Our next stop will be at Sera Monastery. You will immediately feel the spiritual sensation awaking inside you once you step inside this Monastery. Soothe your ears with the rhythmic humming of words from scripture by the monks. Take close observation of statues, scriptures and murals. Circumambulate around the sacred Jokhang Temple along with other devotees through the pilgrimage circuit around old street. Take the tour of Barkhor Bazaar before returning to hotel in Lhasa.

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will start the second day of Lhasa Tour by visiting Potala Palace which is the residence of Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans. Explore its halls and chapels before heading towards Dreprung Monastery. This is the largest Monastery in Tibet which was established in 1416. This is also the richest monastery in Tibet. From Dreprung Monastery, we will return to hotel where we will stay overnight.

Namtso is the biggest Lake in Tibet and the second largest saltwater lake in China. In fact, Namtso is the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world. This lake holds religious significance among Tibetans. It takes about 4hrs of driving to reach Namtso Lake which is one of the five most beautiful lakes in China. Namtso in English is translated as heaven and this is definitely the heavenly lake that exists at an elevation of4720m. The lake is spread over 1961 sq.km. of an area. It is a great delight to observe the clear blue water of Namtso Lake. From Namtso, we will return to hotel in Lhasa for overnight stay.

Leaving Lhasa, we will proceed to Gyantse which is located 261km far from Lhasa. Gyantse is the pretty tiny town that exists near to the Friendship Highway. The route to Gyantse from Lhasa stretches through Himalayan Passes. We will stop by the holy turquoise blue lake of Yamdrok Yumtso and continue driving to Shigatse which is the second largest city in Tibet. This city is located 90km far from Lhasa. We will stay overnight in Shigatse.

Early in the morning, we will visit Tashilhunpo Monastery which is the big monastery of Gelupga sect. This Monastery is located at the base of Drolmari Mountain. We will visit Maitreya Chapel and then begin our drive to Shegar. Enroute, we will visit Sakya Monastery. This Monastery is divided into two sections by Trum River. We will explore this 13th century built Monastery before heading towards Shegar (New Tingri). We need to cross High Passes of Tropu La (16236ft) and Gyatso La (17122ft). We will visit Shegar Dzong and take the tour of this historic fort. Stay overnight in Shegar.

Leaving Shegar, we will head towards Zangmu which is the town located in Friendship Highway, near to Nepal- Tibet bridge. Our first stop will be at Rongbuk Monastery. The Monastery is located near to Everest Base Camp. We will enjoy the close-up views of Himalayan panorama. We will pass through Tingri. Crossing Lablung La and Tong La Pass, we will arrive at Nyalam. Following the road along river, we will reach Zhangmu where we will stay overnight.

The small Tibetan town of Zhangmu is located few kilometers far from Friendship Bridge. The bridge exists over Bhote Koshi River and it links China with Nepal. After custom and visa formalities, we will enter Nepal and follow Araniko Highway to Kathmandu. Upon your interest, we can arrange for Bungee Jumping in Last Resort.

Full Day Kathmandu Tour will be organized on this day during which you will be exploring different UNESCO sites in Kathmandu. There are altogether 10 UNESCO sites in Nepal and you will find it amazing that seven UNESCO sites exist in Kathmandu Valley alone at mere radius of 20km distance. We will begin our tour with visit to Pashupatinath which is the most sacred Hindu temple of Nepal. We will witness Hindu cremation ceremony on the Aryaghat that is located at the edge of Bagmati River. We will visit Nepal’s largest Buddhist stupa of Bouddhanath. We can see rich Tibetan culture in Bouddhanath. Our next stop will be at Kathmandu Durbar square which is the ancient Royal Residence of Nepal. Kumari Ghar- the home of Living Goddess, Kasthamandap Temple, Kal Bhairav Statue and Hanuman Dhoka Museum are places of interest in Kathmandu Durbar Square. We will take leisure walk in the tourist hub and ultimate shopping destination of Thamel via notoriously busiest Ason market before returning back to hotel for overnight stay.

Enjoy a leisure day. You are on your own. If you wish, we can arrange for short tour in Kathmandu. You can also go for shopping in Thamel, a tourist hub where you can buy souvenir items like handicrafts and arts to your family. Farewell dinner will be served in the evening.

This day marks the end of Tibet Overland Tour to Kathmandu. You can either choose for extended trip or depart for your onward destination.