Days 1-2 KathmanduYour Tibet Xplorer Tour begins in the capital of Nepa, amazing Kathmandu.
You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting at 6 pm. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where the meeting will take place. Please ask at reception for this information. It is very important that you arrive in time for this meeting, as there are formalities to be completed for our Tibet entry permit.
Please note that your leader will collect your local payment + visa fee in cash at the group meeting today. Please bring new notes/bills in large denominations.
After a brief orientation walk of the area surrounding the hotel, the day is free to explore fascinating Kathmandu. This city is a mixture of ancient architecture and modern development and, with its rich artistic and cultural heritage, it remains the legendary destination it has been for decades. Crowded markets and bazaars are the centre of Nepali life and the narrow streets are home to holy men, monks, bicycles, incense, goats and sacred cows. There is so much to do here - one option is to walk through the heart of the old city to Durbar Square, home of the palace of the 'living Goddess', Kumari Devi. Other possibilities include a bike ride along the city ring road to the ghats by the Bagmati River, a stroll around the city's ancient streets or a cold drink at a rooftop garden restaurant, complete with traditional musicians.
Our comfortable hotel in Kathmandu has a great location, just a short walk from both Durbar Square and from the busy shopping streets of Thamel. The hotel has a bar and restaurant and ensuite twin-share rooms.
Back to the top
Days 3-7 LhasaOn day 3 we fly to Tibet's capital, Lhasa (approx. 2 hours). This historic city is situated in a small valley 3,700 m above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the world.
Lhasa rose to take an important role in the administration of the country over 1,300 years ago. At this time, the grand temples of Ramoche and Jokhang were built to house priceless Buddha images and religious artifacts brought into Tibet as dowries from China and Nepal.
The 17th century saw a second stage of renovation and development, which included the building of the Potala Palace. Perched on Red Hill overlooking the town, this massive structure gracefully dominates the landscape and is a true architectural wonder.
We have four relaxed days here to allow for altitude acclimatisation, so be sure to head out and see the sights.
We visit the Potala Palace to inspect its many marvellous pavilions, stupas and Buddhist artifacts.
We can also visit either the nearby Drepung or Sera monasteries to observe an evening debating session with the monks - a highlight of any Tibet trip.
The Jokhang Temple especially buzzes with activity and is the spiritual heart of Tibet. Pilgrims circle the temple day and night, some of them having traversed the extremes of the Tibetan landscape on foot to get here.
The Barkhor, a holy devotional circuit, surrounds the Jokhang and houses a market bazaar where people bargain for Buddha images, woodcarvings, carpets, prayer wheels and the odd goat's head.
The Dalai Lama's New Summer Palace at Norbulingka is also a pleasant place to relax.
In Lhasa we stay at a basic hotel, centrally located, with twin-share accommodation decorated in the traditional Tibetan style.
Back to the top
Day 8 GyantseOn day 8 we continue on to Gyantse (approx. 10 hours), a small town southwest of Lhasa that retains a feel of 'old' Tibet. The drive is long but rewarding, with spectacular views and plenty of photo opportunities.
Gyantse was once a major wool-trading centre on the routes between India, Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet and China. The town is dominated by its imposing hill fortress, Gyantse Dzongn, and is the site of the impressive Pelkor Chode Monastery. Founded in 1418, the monastery houses a room full of monumental golden Buddhas and other bodhisattvas. The town is also notable for the unique Gyantse Kumbum (meaning '100,000 images'), so be sure to see it during your stay. This monument was designed in layers as a three-dimensional mandala (a model of the Buddhist universe), with its five storeys representing the five steps to enlightenment. The pilgrim circuit up the 15th-century stupa is a dizzying journey that winds up and around increasingly narrow passages, leading into an endless series of tiny chapels full of technicolour Buddhist images - red, green, orange, blue and then gold, only half-visible in the dim and smoky light.
In Gyantse we stay at a basic hotel, centrally located, with ensuite twin-share accommodation.
Back to the top
Day 9 ShigatseAfter exploring Gyantse, we drive to Shigatse (approx. 2 hours), Tibet's second-largest town. Shigatse is also the seat of the Panchen Lama, who ranks second to the Dalai Lama and who is considered a reincarnation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light.
Considered a second Potala Palace by many pilgrims, the Tashilhunpo Monastery is visited daily by hundreds of devotees armed with yak butter to fuel the monastery's lamps. Worshipers prostrate themselves around the stupas or walk up to the room that houses a 26-metre-high, gold-plated statue of the future Buddha. Joining the pilgrims on their evening kora (prayer circuit) around the perimeter of the monastery is an option.
Shigatse bazaar also buzzes with life. Stalls sell everything from slabs of yak butter and yak wool to prayer wheels and rosaries. Be tempted by antiques, jewellery and fur hats with elaborate gold brocade, or simply watch as Tibetans vie with each other to win a sale. Alternatively, you could visit the carpet factory where hand-woven carpets are made to traditional designs.
In Shigatse we stay in a business-class hotel, centrally located with twin-share accommodation and ensuite bathrooms.
Back to the top
Day 10 SakyaOn the morning of day 10 we depart for Sakya (approx. 4 hours), the base of the once-powerful Sakya sect of Buddhism.
In our free afternoon here in Sakya you can visit the Sakya Monastery for some unique local interaction. The Sakya Monastery's medieval Mongolian architecture is quite different from the temples we've seen in Lhasa. It contains some of the most magnificent surviving artwork in all of Tibet, which is relatively undamaged.
Founded in 770 under the guidance of the great Indian Tantric master Padmasambhava (who reputedly flew here from India using his Tantric powers), the monastery has withstood invasions and fires to remain one of the most significant sites in Tibetan culture. As Tibet's oldest monastery and one of the most beautiful, it saw the ordination of the first Tibetan monks and also became a translation school unparalleled in Asian history.
The monastery is designed on the plan of the Odantapuri Temple in India (present-day Bihar) and mirrors the structure of the universe according to Buddhist cosmology. The main temple represents Mt Meru, the mythical mountain at the centre of the universe. The four 'lingshi' temples at the corners of the main temple represent the four continents which surround Mt Meru.
In Sakya we stay in a business-class hotel, centrally located with twin-share accommodation.
Back to the top
Day 11 Everest National ParkAn exhilarating drive (approx. 8-9 hours) along what is little more than a yak track brings us to Rongphu - 5,000 m above sea level and a mere eight km from Everest Base Camp. The view from here is utterly spectacular!
Rongphu Monastery is one of the highest monasteries in the world, standing at a lofty 4,980 m, and its panoramas are astounding. This monastery was first built in 1902 by the Nyingma Lama and originally housed more than 500 monks. Today, only about 50 monks and nuns remain, sharing the same prayer hall, but staying in separate residences. The nuns here are great fun and will be delighted to have you join their evening prayers.
The monastery guesthouse offers very basic accommodation, but the scenery that surrounds us more than compensates - be sure to lie in bed at night and watch the moon illuminate the mountains. The following morning, the energetic can wake early and make the two-hour hike to Base Camp.
Our monastery stay in Rongphu is in very basic twin-share accommodation with no showers and toilet facilities located outside.
Back to the top
Day 12 Lao TingriToday, we take a four-hour drive to the Tibetan village of Lao Tingri. The journey is long but truly memorable as we traverse high mountain passes, featuring spectacular views of the Himalayas. In the tiny settlement of Lao Tingri, we have time to take in the vast landscape and get a feel for rural Tibetan life. Look beyond the prayer flags to Mt Everest, standing magnificent yet forbidding in its cloak of snow, which is a startling metallic blue.
In the village of Lao Tingri we stay in very basic twin-share accommodation with outside shower and toilet facilities.
Back to the top
Day 13 DhulikhelAfter an early morning start from Lao Tingri, we stop at the meditation cave of the famous mystic, Milarepa. Between Nyalam and Zhangmu, the Tibetan Plateau abruptly ends. The colours change, there are a lot more trees and the humidity relatively skyrockets as the harsh mountain landscape transforms into green jungle valleys. Have your camera handy because this drive is full of photo opportunities!
Also known as Khasa, the border town of Zhangmu clings precariously to the cliff face, 10 km inland from the Friendship Bridge that soars across the Bhote Koshi River (Sun Kosi River). This small town has become a major trading post between Tibet and Nepal and the subtropical oceanic climate endows it with warm, humid weather as well as beautiful scenery throughout the year.
Crossing the border at Zhangmu, we wind our way further down the valley to Dhulikhel (approx 5-6 hours total driving time today). Situated at the foothills of the Panchkhal Valley, old Dhulikhel is a traditional Newari settlement studded with four- and five-storey brick mansions, built in a style that very closely resembles Victorian. However, their exquisitely carved doors and windows - fine examples of Newari craftsmanship - distinguish them.
Arriving at Dhulikhel, you may wish to retire to your private balcony, with its panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, to contemplate the wonders of the past weeks. Alternatively, you can spend our full free day here hiking to nearby Newari settlements.
Our accommodation in Dhulikhel is villa-style with ensuite bathrooms.
Back to the top
Days 14-15 KathmanduCrossing over 5,000-metre-high mountain passes into Nepal, our journey comes to an end where it all began, arriving back in Kathmandu (approx. 1 hour drive) in the early evening of day 14. We'll check back into our hotel and head out for an optional final group dinner. Beckoning with a delicious array of international and local cuisine, Kathmandu is the perfect setting in which to chill out and reminisce about our adventure across the roof of the world.
There are no activities planned for day 15 and you may depart the hotel at any time. Check-out time from the hotel is 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.
Back to the top
Itinerary DisclaimerPlease note: occasionally our itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travellers' comments and our own research and may change with no prior notice.
Back to the top