This
short trip is ideal for those wanting to see
the highlights of Tibet and Lhasa. Everest Trekking,
Trekking in Everest, nepal everest trek, everest
trekking in nepal You fly or drive across the
Himalaya to Lhasa, where you have plenty of
time to visit the main sights in and around
the town including the Potala Palace, the Norbulingka
(the Dalai Lama’s summer palace) and
the Jorkhang Temple which contains Jowo Shakyamuni,
the most holy statue to all Tibetan Buddhists.
You also visit the major monasteries in the
Lhasa Valley including Samye, Drepung and Sera.
You then drive along the Friendship Highway
to Nepal, one of the most spectacular road
journeys in the world. You visit the towns
and monasteries in both Gyantse and Shigatse
and then have a spectacular drive across the
Tibetan Plateau with great views of Everest
from the north side and Shishmapangma, the
only 8,000m mountain situated totally in Tibet.
Finally you drive through the Himalaya and
down into a spectacular gorge back to Nepal
and Kathmandu. You can also fly back from Lhasa
to Kathmandu.
Outline Itinerary
Day
1
Fly
from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Early morning
you are transferred to the airport to board
the plane for the flight over the Himalaya
to Lhasa. If the weather is clear there
are wonderful views of Everest, Nuptse,
Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and other
peaks en route. On arrival at Gonggar airport
(which is 90 km. from Lhasa), you meet
your vehicle and drive east along the broad
Yarlung Tsangpo valley to Tsedang (3400m.).
After checking in to your hotel, you drive
south to see the reputed oldest building
in Tibet, the Yumbu Lakhang, a beautiful
castle-like dwelling and monastery, dramatically
perched on a spur looking out over the
fertile valley below. If time permits you
may be able to visit a small monastery
close to Tsedang, or an interesting carpet
factory where you can see the whole process
of carpet making. Stay overnight at hotel.
Day
2-4
Enjoy
sightseeing tour of Potala & Norbulinka Palace,
Drepung & Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple
and the Barkhor Bazaar.
One of the highlights is the visit to the symbol of Tibet; the Potala Palace
set high on Red Hill, the winter home of the Dalai Lama until 1959. The most
sacred temple in Lhasa is the Lokhang, where people come from all over Tibet
to visit and pray in this spiritual heart of the country. It was used as a military
kitchen during the Cultural Revolution but has now been beautifully restored,
with many priceless thangkas and statues adorning the chapels, and magnificent
gilded roofs.
Another great treasure is the Norbulingka – the old summer palace of the
Dalai Lama, which his is alleged to have preferred to the Potala as the rat population
was less!
Now you visit Jorkhang temple, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred
land of Buddhist followers where innumerable pilgrims come for worship every
day. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still
existing in Tibet. Surrounding the Jorkhang Temple is the bustling Barkhor Street
which is the religious and social focus of Lhasa. Around the Barkhor there are
numerous stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts: brightly coloured boots and
fur-lined hats, silver and turquoise jewellery, rosaries, prayer flags and charms,
as well as beautiful Tibetan carpets and all manner of ordinary household ware.
Next you visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419, has always been an
important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery,
it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas
live in there. On the other hand, Drepung monastery, is the world’s largest
monastery with about 10,000 monks. Stay overnight at hotel.
Day
5
Fly from Lhasa to Kathmandu. The flight
from Lhasa to Kathmandu takes one hour
and during your flight, you can see Yarlung
Tsangpo River, Yamdrok Tso (Lake), Mount
Kanchanjungha (8,586m.), Mount Makalu (8,463m.)
and Mount Everest (8,848m.). But the visibility
depends on the weather condition. Your
Tibet Tour ends on your arrival at Kathmandu
Airport.