Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to the Gonggar airport of Lhasa (90 kilometers from
the main city). This afternoon remains free for acclimatization. You
stay overnight at hotel in 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 kilometers 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.
Day 02-03: On
these days you will visit Potala Palace, Norbulinka Palace,
Jorkhang, surrounding of Barkhor Street, Drepung and Sera
Monasteries. You stay overnight at hotel in Lhasa. 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.
Now you visit Jorkhang temple, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of
Buddhist followers where innumerable pilgrims come for worship
everyday. 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 colored boots and fur-lined
hats, silver and turquoise jewelry, rosaries, prayer flags and charms,
as well as beautiful Tibetan carpets and all manners 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
Day 04: Drive
from Lhasa to Gyantse (3,950m.). You stay overnight at hotel in
Gyantse. Today is a full day picturesque drive crossing over a colorful
Yamdrok Lake and Kambala Pass at 4,794 m and Karola Pass at 5,010m. In
Gyantse you spend time visiting the Pelke Chode Monastery and the 35m high famous Kumbum Stupa inGyantse packed with exquisite Tibetan sculpture and paintings, a stunning architectural wonder in Tibet.
Day 05: Drive
from Gyantse to Shigatse (3,900m.). You stay overnight at hotel in
Shigatse. With Gyantse just fades away from your sight, Shigatse
becomes clearer because it's just one and half hours driving (98
kilometers). Shigatse is situated near the junction of the Ngang and
Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) rivers, with many traditional low
ceiling, flat roofed, mud brick Tibetan houses, but quite a lot of ugly
modern Chinese buildings as well. It is home of the Tashilunpo Monastery,
traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, and one of the great centers of
Tibetan Buddhism. Shigatse also has an interesting bazaar, where
various traditional items can often be found at more or less reasonable
prices. Shigatse has always been an important trade and administration
center and also has political and religious significance, once being
the seat of the Panchen Lama. The town is essentially divided into two
parts: the old Tibetan style area in the city and the concrete, modern
Chinese part of the town. The older streets and alleys here are very
pleasant to wander and there are a few sights of interest to warrant a
stay of a day or two.
Here you go to Tashilunpo Monastery and Tibetan market. Tashilhunpo (Heap of Glory) Monastery is seat of
the Panchen Lamas. Built in 1447, it is the head monastery of Yellow
Hat sect (Gelukgonpa). It is today one of Tibet's most active
monasteries.
Day 06: Drive from Shigatse to Xegar (4,350 m.) which takes approximately 8 hours. You stay overnight at hotel in Xegar.
Day 07: Drive from Xegar to Zhangmu. You stay overnight at hotel in Zhangmu.
You drive to Zhangmu crossing Lalung la Pass (5050m) and Nyalamu Pass
(3800m). This drive offers fantastic view of high mountains including
Mt. Everest (8848m).
Day 08: Drive
from Zhangmu to Kathmandu. Drive downhill to Friendship Bridge where
transportation awaits for your journey to Kathmandu.