Lhasa and Everest Base Camp Tour

Our journey begins by driving from Kathmandu to Gyirong Port. The drive will pass through spectacular waterfalls, dense old forests, and river gorges to reach the Nepal-Tibet border, Gyirong Port is a gateway to Tibet from Nepal. Upon arrival in Gyirong County, our Tibet representatives will receive us and take us to our hotel.

We travel from Gyirong Port to Old Tingri crossing Thong La Pass (5050m) and Lalung La Pass (5082m). Also visit Milarepa Cave which was used by the ancient philosopher for meditation. Driving with a spectacular landscape of waterfalls and patchy green hills, we arrive in Old Tingri. The view of the Himalayas including Everest, Makalu (8481m), Lhotse (8516m) and Cho Oyu (8201m) is breathtaking from Tingri.

We move from Old Tingri to Everest Base Camp, located in the northern side of the mighty Everest (8848m). There is a facility of going to Everest Base Camp on vehicle as the gravel road stretches all the way to the camp. We will visit the Rongbuk Monastery (4980m) which used to be an important pilgrimage site for the Sherpas in the Khumbu Region. The monastery is claimed to be the highest Monastery in the world. Reaching Everest Base Camp, we can enjoy the view of the giant while resting in its lap.

Early in the morning, we will relish in the spectacular view of sunrise amid the mountains. We can observe an unobstructed view of Everest from the Base Camp. We can never be satisfied looking at Everest, but we must leave. We will head towards Sakya, leaving the beautiful Mountain View behind. We follow a bumpy road, en route to Sakya.

After breakfast, we visit the ancient Sakya Monastery, which has a huge collection of preserved Buddhist scriptures and large, vivid murals. It is also the principal monastery for the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. From Sakya, we will move to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we will visit the famous Tashi Lhunpo Monastery which used to be the seat of power of Panchen Lama. We also explore the local market of Shigatse in our free time.

Leaving behind Shigatse, we head on to the capital of Tibet—Lhasa. On our way, we will visit Palkhor Chode Monastery and Gyantse Dzong which house thousands of Buddhist sutras, script, and artifacts. We will cross Karo La Pass (5010m) and Kambala Pass (4794m) as we continue driving on the Friendship Highway. We will be accompanied by a view of Karo La Pass and the crystalline Brahmaputra River until we reach Lhasa.

Today, we will visit Potala Palace and Jokhang temple. Potala Palace is famous for its gigantic structure and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama until 1959. The palace is now a museum and full of different statues and thankas. We will also visit Jokhang temple. It is considered to be the oldest and holiest temple in Tibet. The temple houses a life-sized statue of Sakyamuni from when he was just 12 years old which is adorned with precious gems. Later, we can circumambulate the temple through Barkhor Street and buy authentic Tibetan souvenirs from street side vendors.

Today, we visit other prominent sites of Lhasa like the Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Drepung Monastery is the former residence of the Dalai Lama before moving to Potala Palace and is the largest monastery in Tibet. The monastery is vibrant with intricate Buddhism art and the thousands of monks that reside here. Later, we will visit Sera Monastery which is also one of the largest monasteries in Lhasa. We can observe monks debating under a tree in the afternoon, here in Sera Monastery.

Today, we will depart from Lhasa and drive back to Kathmandu. We will enjoy the greenery and sights of various rivers on our way. Upon arrival, feel free to check out the local markets nearby.