TIBET TO NEPAL OVERLAND

This tour of Tibet spends several days exploring the city of Lhasa and then takes a stunning drive across the Tibetan Plateau to the Nepalese border at Zhangmu. Visit Gyantse and Shigatse en route. Accommodation is in hotels/lodges throughout.

Day 1	Depart Hong Kong by air
	Arrive Chengdu
	Transfer to the hotel.
	Hotel: EVEREST or similar.
Day 2	After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport.
	Depart Chengdu by air
	Arrive Lhasa
	Transfer to Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region
	(80 km. 90 minutes drive)
	Hotel: LHASA GOLD GRAIN (formerly Holiday Inn)
	The city of Lhasa is situated at an altitude of 3607 metres (11,808 feet) and lies on the north
	bank of the Kyichu River in the province of U (Central Tibet). Two high craggy hills stand
	up in isolation from the valley floor. The Potala Palace tops one, Red Hill, and the other, a
	trail antennae crown Chokpori or Iron Hill.
	Lhasa consists of two distinct parts consisting of different architecture, population and
	lifestyle. Old Lhasa, the Tibetan section, centres on the Jokhang Temple. Its streets are
	narrow, between whitewashed stone whose walls slope inwards as they rise. Windows are
	framed in black trapezoids, with protruding fan shaped eaves above. Many houses have
	brightly painted woodwork.
	New Lhasa, the Chinese section, was built in the last 30 years around the base of the Potala.
	It is characterized by straight, broad streets and utilitarian buildings that house Chinese style
	department stores and all kinds of government houses. A Revolutionary Museum below the
	Potala displays evidence of Chinese wrought economic and social change during the past 30 years.
	In spite of its forced pace of modernisation, Lhasa has not lost its soul. It is a friendly city
	where a Tibetan will always return a smile.
	In the afternoon visit Jokhang Square, the heart of old Lhasa, to see people at Evening Prayer
	- circumambulating Barkhor or Linkhor, the inner and outer street circles.
Day 3:	Sightseeing in Lhasa. Visit the Potala and the Jokhang Temple.
	POTALA PALACE - This architectural wonder - a spectacular edifice whose gold roofs
	soar high above the town and rise more than 300 metres above the valley floor, can be seen
	from all directions for miles around. The present Potala was built mainly in the Fifth Dalai
	Lama's reign between 1645-1693 and it remained the centre of political and religious power
	for the Dalai Lamas.
	With over 1000 rooms, it contained the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas, and their
	magnificent golden tombs when they died. Regents, tutors and other high lamas had
	apartments in the palace too. The Potala held the offices of government, a huge printing
	house and a seminary run by the elite order of monks who surrounded the God-King to train
	government officials. Hundreds of elaborately decorated chapels and shrines, halls and
	corridors contain thousands of gilded statues - Tibet's pantheon of Buddhas, Boddisattvas,saints and demons.
	Today the Potala is a state museum with 35 caretaker monks, but to many thousands of
	Tibetan pilgrims it remains a beloved shrine.
	JOKHANG - The Jokhang is the spiritual centre of Tibet. Its most holy place, the
	destination over time, of millions of Tibetan pilgrims. Its oldest part dates back from the 7th
	century AD. Legend says that Songtsen Gampo, who built the temple, threw his ring into the
	air, promising to build a temple wherever it landed. The ring fell into a lake and struck a
	rock where a white stupa miraculously appeared - an auspicious sign. Even today a pool
	exists under the Jokhang's main courtyard.
Day 4 :	Further sightseeing in Lhasa. Visit Sera and Drepung Monasteries.
	SERA- meaning "Merciful Hail" lies on the northern edge of Lhasa. Its name denotes its
	rivalry with the "Rice Heap" (Drepung) since hail destroys rice. Founded in 1419 by one of
	Tsongkhapa's eight disciples it became famous for its tantric teachings. The warrior monks
	of Sera, the dob-dobs, were admired as athletes but feared.
	A central lane and fairly simple layout make Sera easy to visit. Stalls by the main gateway
	sell soft drinks and snacks. A long driveway leads up to the monastery. Sera had three
	colleges but the chanting halls and chapels seem dark and more demonic. Today it has about
	300 monks and some of its buildings house a farm.
	DREPUNG - Drepung lies eight kilometres west of Lhasa on a main road, then three
	kilometres north on a steep, unpaved road. Its name means "Rice Heap", after its jumble of
	white buildings piled up against Mt. Gyengbuwudze.
	Drepung was the biggest and richest monastery in Tibet and housed the Nechung, the State
	Oracle. Founded in 1416 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa it had over 10,000 monks and
	governed 700 subsidiary monasteries.
	The monastery was divided into our Tantric Colleges which, at the highest level specialised
	in different branches of knowledge. Each had it own chanting hall, dormitories, kitchens and
	offices. The entire monastic community assembled only for special ceremonies and festivals.
	The chanting hall is adorned with hanging thangkas and murals decorate the walls. Today,
	about 400 monks and novices live here, and their orchards make them a profit.
Day 5:	Drive to Gyantse.
	GYANTSE - Gyantse, altitude 3,800 m (12,465 ft), is about 210 kilometres from Lhasa and
	was once Tibet's third most important city. In former times it was a fort, the centre of Tibet's wool trade and
	a gateway to the outside world. A high rocky ridge topped by a ruined fortress runs through the middle of Gyantse,
	dividing it into two parts. On the west is a large monastery complex and part of the original city with a main market street.
	There is a major crossroad at the southeast edge of Gyantse. The right hand turn leads into
	the suburbs and the left hand road turning southwards leads a traveller either to Shigatse and
	Nepal or to Yadong and India. Overnight in Gyantse.
	Hotel: GYANTSE
Day 6:	Drive to Shigatse.
	SHIGATSE - Altitude 3,900 m (12,800 feet), is Tibet's second largest city and the
	administrative centre of a vast area. Shigatse stands near the confluence of the Yarlong
	Tsangpo and Nyangchu rivers and is one of Tibet's richest farming areas.
	Shigatse was previously both a stronghold and a monastery city and forms a horseshoe
	around a rocky prominence that was formerly topped by an awesome fortress. At the
	western tip, beneath Mt. Dormari, lies Tashilhunpo monastery, seat of the Panchen Lamas
	and one of Tibet's greatest monasteries. Visit Tashilhunpo monastery.
	TASHILHUNPO - meaning "Heap of Glory", the seat of the Panchen Lamas, lies at the
	foot of Mt. Dormari and is today one of Tibet's most active monasteries. Founded in 1447,
	its enlargement took place mostly under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Panchen Lamas.
	Tashilhunpo once had over 4000 monks and was organised like Lhasa's great monasteries. It
	had four tantric colleges, each with its own abbot. After the death of the Panchen Lama, the
	abbots led the search for his infant reincarnation, under the control of the Dalai Lama in
	Lhasa. Tashilhunpo was disbanded as a monastery by the Chinese army in 1960 while the
	Panchen Lama was absent. Today there are 610 monks in Tashilhunpo.
	Overnight in Shigatse.
	Hotel: SHIGATSE
Day 7:	Drive to Shegar (13,800'/4,312m) for overnight.
	Hotel: EVEREST
Day 8:	Drive to Zhangmu (6930'/2112m) for overnight.
	Hotel: ZHANGMU
Day 9:	Continue to Kathmandu.

This suggested itinerary is only a guideline. It is occasionally subject to change in order to suit local conditions.

This private tour includes all meals and accommodation. Sleeping bags and liner are provided for your comfort. Depending on the time of year, routings may be reversed. One full day is necessary before departure to process visas.

Important Notes:

1. All departures are subject to agreement by the Chinese authorities.

2. Road conditions between Nepal and the Tibetan plateau may deteriorate during the monsoon months (June-September). We may therefore have to reverse the routing on some itineraries, which could involve some additional costs.

3. The Chinese authorities with whom we work reserve the right to:

a. Change the itineraries due to reasons beyond our control.

b. Alter the length of the itinerary if necessary.

c. Increase cost as a result of changes of itinerary. Any such increases to be borne by the participants and are liable to be collected directly in Kathmandu.

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