1 We will begin this wonderful trip from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Kathmandu is extraordinarily amazing with all its ancient monuments and the lovely sights of streets adorned with myriads of temples. We will be visiting Lhasa and all the wonderful places around it. We get a wonderful view of Lhasa city from the roof of the Potala Palace. The Palace has serious historical and religious implications But there are also other places that are a wee bit more than just exciting. We will be visiting the town of Gyantse which is incidentally the third biggest town in the whole to Tibet. Gyantse is famous for its Pelkar Chode monastery. You can visit the most important monastery here, the Gyantse Kumbum. The monastery is supposed to have been built by Newari artisans of Nepal in the 15 th century and you can very well see such influences in its mandala shaped structure. That is the most unique feature of Gyantse. Underscores This trip begins from Nepal and later moves towards the best parts of Tibet. We will have to move across Nyalam Pass and the Lalung La. all the while amazing views surround us. Later we will be moving towards Shigatse and Gyantse. We will also be visiting Lhasa. The tour ends at Kathmandu Trip Details Trip Duration: 12 days / 13 nights Trek Grade: A - Easy Minimum group size: 04 Maximum group size: 12 Arrival Transfer Airport transfer to hotel Fully Escorted By the trip leader Transport: Private vehicle and Jeep Flight: Lhasa to Kathmandu Activities: Hiking/Walking, Sightseeing Accommodation: At modest hotels for 11 nights Meals: Breakfast included each day in Tibet. Allow US$10-15 (subject to change) per day for other meals Entrance Fees: Not included. Allow US$50 (subject to change) for all sites listed as part of the itinerary Included All accommodation which is usually twin share and sometimes multi share. All transportation Not Included:Most meals, entrance fees Single Supplement:This is applicable to single travelers who wish to have their own room. This is usually available but not compulsory. Single supplements do not apply on all boats, overnight train journeys and while camping/trekking.
2 Detailed Itinerary All Land Costs includes: All accommodations in Tibet All meals that have been mentioned in the itinerary. The services of the local guide and driver. For the hikes and tours with English-speaking guide. For the Transport by private car or mini-bus. For the entry fees for activities as described. For Airport transfers as noted. Land Cost does not Include Day 01, Kathmandu, Nepal On your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be received at the airport and transferred to your Hotel. You will be given a small briefing about the whole trip. This will give you a complete overview about the entire trip. There are a lot of interesting places in and around Kathmandu. From example, the old city of Bhaktapur where the ancient Newari culture still flourishes in all the magnificence and grandeur is a wonderful place to visit. The city is said to have been built in the shape of Lord Vishnu s conch shell. The Durbar square and the Nyatapola (a five storied temple) are a perfect example of Newari Architecture. Later you can also visit Patan in Lalitpur which stands today as a mark of religion and tradition of Nepal. You will also be able to visit the famous Durbar Square which was the hub for hippies in the early 70 s. Today there is a wonderful museum that might amuse you. Day 02, Kathmandu Sightseeing After breakfast you will also be invited to visit Bouddha Nath and Swayambhunath Stupas, held holy by both the Buddhists and the Hindus equally. The Swayambhunath Stupa is situated on the top of a high hill from where the whole city of Kathmandu is visible in a dismal light of the dust and glow of the sunshine. There are a lot of monkeys around the place and this 2000 year old temple is home to these beautiful creatures. The sightseeing will continue till the evening. Day 03, Zhangmu We will drive from Kathmandu towards Kodari which is situated on the Nepal/Tibet border. The trail will take us across the beautiful lush green fields on Nepal with little hamlets where smiley and cheerful people live. These landscapes are different from what we are going to see in Tibet. Visa Cost Entrance Fees International airfare For meals not specified in the itinerary For alcohols or soft drinks, alternative activities, airport departure taxes, on optional tipping for guide, For the restaurant services, porterage and baggage handling and for room service For extra hotel nights due to airline schedule changes or other factors, pre-trip expenses such as medical immunizations (if required), travel insurance, or passports and visas; and other expenses of a personal nature like laundry. Air Transportation We will help you with all your air travel preparations. We will readily provide you with an Arrival & Departure Logistics memo for each program. Nepal Single Entry You need US$30 in cash which is also payable in any major currency and 2 passport photos to purchase a Nepal visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport. Tibet It is not necessary to obtain a visa for Tibet / China in advance to join this tour. Our local office will arrange a group visa and permit for Tibet at the start of the tour. You will have to supply your full passport details while booking. Entrance Fees Entrance fees are included for all sites listed as part of the itinerary. Nepal also has a lot of historical sights and monuments which you can visit. If you intend visiting a wide range of different sights you should allow US$20 for this.
3 In a while we will have to cross the Bhote Kosi River on the Friendship Bridge which was built by the Chinese to commemorate its friendship with Nepal. After we have driven for about 6 hours, we will soon reach the border town of Zhangmu where you will see a lot of Chinese and Nepali items for sale on both sides of the road. Day 04, Nyalam Pass Lalung La Xegar In order to reach Xegar we will have to drive for a full day. On the way we will have to cross two passes namely the Nyalam Pass and the Lalung La Pass respectively. Once we begin driving from Zhangmu, the road meanders gradually along the Bhote Kosi River. The flow of the River creates many a waterfall on the way. We will meet the plateau that of Tibet in a short while. From here the views and landscapes immediately changes. Now there are barren fields to be seen with the magnificent backdrop of the Himalayan Range. There are spectacular views of the Makalu, Cho Oyu and the Shishapangma. The first pass that we will have to cross is the Nyalam. The name means "the path to hell"! However this name should not be considered seriously because this name was given in the old days when this path was very difficult to tread upon. This pass is situated at a height of 3,800 meters. A little later we will encounter a second pass called the Lalung La which is situated at a height of 5,050 meters. From here the path starts to descend gradually. Soon we will reach Xegar which is a small town also known as the New Tingri. We will halt overnight here. Day 05, Xegar In the morning we will drive towards Rongbuk. The 8 hours drive will be very exciting as you pass through Tibet's barren lands set across the back drop of the Mount Everest which can been seen clearly from the village of Zonpu. Once we reach Rongbuk we can visit the monastery here. This is a Travel Documents You will be requiring a valid passport for the trip. All citizens of U.S.A require a visa for Tibet. We will assist you while arranging your visa for Tibet. If you are of any other nationality, please check out with a local consulate or tourist office for entry necessities. Immunizations Please consult with a medical doctor for travel immunizations. You may require vaccination like the hepatitis vaccine and tetanus or typhoid boosters. Entry necessities and global physical conditions are very likely to alter. Please check it out from the Centers for Disease Control for the latest updates. Caution The tours that we make could be situated at high altitudes. A headache is common and can be treated with aspirin and other minor medication. If you have a heart problem it is necessary that you confer with your doctor on the suitability of such trips. Trips Cancellations Insurance We recommend that you get trip annulment insurance. You will be provided a travel insurance application in your confirmation packet. All the premium of the insurance must be paid on time Cancelled Trips Discover Asia Tours reserves the right to call off any trip preceding any departure for any reason whatsoever, which includes all rational troubles that may obstruct the operation of any trip. The refund of all land payments received shall release Discover Asia Tours from any further liability.
4 beautiful monastery which is supposed to be the highest in the world. It is situated at an altitude of about 4,920 meters and was constructed by Newant Tenzing Norbu who is supposed to be the 5th incarnation of Lama Sagwa Dorje. There is a beautiful view of the whole valley from here and the Northern Side of the Everest can be seen clearly from here. In the evening we will drive back to Xegar. Day 06, Sigatse Today we will drive towards Shigatse. This drive is quite long (about 7 hours) and on the way we will have to cross a pass known as the Gyatso La Pass which is situated at a height of about 5252 m. Shigatse is the second largest town of Tibet after Lhasa and has been the political and trade hub of the Western part of Tibet. Day 07, Gyantse In the morning we will visit the Tashilumpho monastery which is dedicated to the Panchen Lama. The beautiful gold top structure of Tashilumpho is set right at the foothills of the beautiful Nizer Ri Mountain and the temple is home to lots of monks dedicated to fulfilling the teachings of Lord Buddha. The monastery was built in the 15 th century and stands today as the most vibrant religious centers in the whole of Tibet. We will then move towards Gyantse. The drive will take us two hours across the beautiful landscapes and right into a green valley where there is a small town. Gyantse is situated at a height of about 3,800 m. It's a splendid mix of the urban and the rural. There are some interesting places that you can visit. You can visit the most important monastery here, the Gyantse Kumbum. The monastery is supposed to have been built by Newari artisans of Nepal in the 15 th century and you can very well see such influences in its mandala shaped structure. It is gold covered and has the eyes of the mystical deity protecting the place on its upper walls. There is another monastery close by. It is called the Pelkor Chode monastery which also has been conserved very well. This was supposed to have been built in the year 1418. Day 08, Lhasa From Gyantse we will move towards Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. We will drive via Karo La. The drive is a wonderful one with nature being in its greatest charm upon the places on the way. On the way we will have to cross a pass called the Karo La situated at a height of about 5045 meters. This place has been registered in the pages of history when the Tibetan army was able to repel the British forces in 1904. We will now move amidst friendly little villages with cheerful people all around and across cultivated fields of barley and mustard. The road moves down and we will meet one of Tibet's largest lakes called the Yamdrok Lake. A little later the road starts winding and we reach a second pass called the Khamba La situated at a height of 4,900 meters. The road then descends gradually from here and starts winding. In a short while we will reach Lhasa. Transport Internal Flights Sometimes due to the occurrence of roadblocks on some routes in Nepal which disturb traffic, we use internal flights on this tour to and from Pokhara. For traveling between cities by road we will be using all public bus and other comfortable vehicles. In some journey the road conditions are generally not good and the journey at times could become quite slow. For the comfort of all the other travelers moving with us there is a NO SMOKING policy on all our tour vehicles. Since there are a lot of tea and toilet breaks this notice will not be difficult. The only exemption from the rule is for the driver. Meeting Points For all travelers All the important details about the meeting point hotel will be printed and issued on the trip vouchers that we will be providing just one month prior to your departure. Free Arrivals / Departure If you have reserved your flights disjointedly from your tour please make sure that you inform your tour booking agent of your flight details immediately. Preparing to Travel Before you plan to travel or book this trip we advice you the carefully scrutinize all the information that we have provided on this trip which includes the country fact file and other documents.
5 Day 9, Lhasa In the morning we will visit the Sera Thekchenling Monastery which is situated in the North East side of Lhasa. This monastery was built in the year 1419 and its main purpose was to teach about 10,000 monks who studied there at one time. This Monastery has beautiful interiors but most of the decorations have been destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. a lot of it has been restored but the older glory now no more exists. We can also visit another monastery called the Drepung monastery. The Drepung Monastery is by far the largest monastery in Tibet and for along time this has been an extraordinarily interesting place to explore. This was constructed in 1416 by a devotee of Tsong Khapa. This is situated at about 8 kilometers to the west of Lhasa below Mt. Gambo Utse. Day 10, Lhasa Lhasa has exciting and exotic places where the next two days will be enjoyable for you in each and every way. So we use the next two days walking around the place held holy by Buddhists all over the world. Lhasa has a mix of both the modern and the spiritual. We can also see pilgrims gathering around the candle-lit places if devotion at the Jokhang. The Jokhang temple is incidentally the most sacred temple of Tibet. You can also walk around Barkhor which is a pilgrimage course that surrounds the Jokhang temple and once you are here you can visit the most colossal as well as ancient monasteries in the whole of the Lhasa Valley. We can also visit many of the miniature temples placed that is usually ignored by most travelers who visit Lhasa. There is a sense of spirituality in Lhasa and pet as the pace of modern life with thousands of tourists flocking day in and day out. Halt overnights at hotel in Lhasa A tour around Lhasa is incomplete without visiting the massive Potala Palace. It was the residence of all the Dalai Lama s including the present. It is a beautiful structure which has one thousand rooms and for once it seems that the monument seems to dominate the skyline at Lhasa. We get a wonderful view of Lhasa city from the roof of the Potala Palace. The Palace has serious historical and religious implications Tipping: To avoid embarrassment and save you money all tours operate a tipping kitty. Please allow US$20-30 per week Local Payment There is a local payment of US$ 199 on this tour. This must be paid to the Tour Leader in US Dollars cash on arrival of the tour. Government Restrictions Travelers should be aware that it is obligatory for every tour operator to reserve numerous services through the central tourist authority over which they may have no control. Although unlikely to affect your enjoyment of your tour, we advise you to approach your travels with a degree of flexibility and acceptance of the local way of going about things. Day 11, Kathmandu From Lhasa we will take a flight to Kathmandu. Day 12, Kathmandu The Tour ends here. Note: The itinerary and additional travel information provided have been composed for your information only. They could be changed at any given time and should in no case become a part of a contract between the client and Discover Asia Tours.