Tibet Overland Tour

A good night’s sleep will prepare us for today’s tour. A delicious morning Tibetan breakfast is followed by a scenic drive to Lhatse. We will start by climbing on the road to the top and then drive on the flat land. As we move forward, we will get the opportunity to have a first up-close view of the snow-capped peaks. The road passes through Lalung La at an elevation of 5050 meters. The view is amazing and provides us with lots of photo opportunities. 6 to 7 hours drive will leave us exhausted, so first, we check into the hotel, freshen up then explore the place.

That breakfast will fuel us for today’s journey to Shigatse. Shigatse is 244 km away from Lhatse and it will take us around 6 to 7 hours to cover this distance. The drive begins on the smooth road beside arid landscapes and small villages. In a few hours, we will be in one of the most popular landmarks in Tibet, Sakya Monastery. The mesmerizing architecture, monuments, and shrines are sure to take your breath away. After dwelling in this beautiful plaza for a while, we will continue our journey to Shigatse. A few hours of drive-through Tsola Pass at an altitude of 4,500 meters and the flat scenic road will take us to Shigatse. It is a beautiful city housing several monasteries including Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Explore the monastery, stroll around the city, learn about the local life and have dinner before calling it a day.

After leisurely morning breakfast, we will get ready for our today’s destination Gyantse. Since it is merely 90 km away from Shigatse, it won’t take us more than two hours to reach today’s destination. The road is smooth and the farming lands beside it make the trip interesting. Discover the beautiful Tibetan valley and enjoy a comfortable ride. Like every other village and town in Tibet, Gyantse to holds some of the most attractive stupas and monasteries. We will explore the Kumbun stupa and then head out to discover this small settlement.

Today’s journey will be quite hectic as we will be covering 259 km of distance. This easy ride will give us the opportunity to witness several Tibetan villages along with vistas of a majestic glacier named Nojin Kangtsang. The road passes through Karo La. We will come across a small town named Nangkartse and then drive beside a pristine lake called Yamdrok Tso Lake. A brief drive through Kanga La will take us to the bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River. From here it will take us a few minutes to reach our today’s ultimate destination. Lhasa is the heart of Tibet. This beautiful city holds lots of wonders. If you want to take a rest, you can do that but if you are willing to explore the city briefly, we will head out after refreshing. Enjoy the hospitality of local people, eat the most delicious dinner then take a rest.

Today we will explore the heart of Tibet, Lhasa. The city has lots of wonders on display. The important part of the country as well as our tour, Lhasa’s visit begins right after a delicious breakfast. Today we will visit major places of this city; Potala Palace, the former adobe of Dalai Lamas and Jokhang Temple. Both of the plazas are quite massive and it will take a lot of time to explore, so today we will visit only two palaces.

Potala Palace: The adobe of former Dalai Lamas, the palace is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is now turned into a museum. The beautiful plaza sits on the hillock at an elevation of 3,700 meters. The gigantic plaza houses two major palaces: White Palace and Red Palace. The white palace was constructed in 1648 whereas Red Palace was built between 1690 to 1694. The complex reflects the Tibetan arts and culture. From the top of the monuments, we can see a very beautiful view of Lhasa city below and the Tibetan plateau in the distance. If you are a photography enthusiast, you will get a lot of picture opportunities in Chakpori III, Potala Palace Square, and Zong Jiao Lu Kang Park. After strolling around the palace and delving into its architecture and beauty, we will head to Jokhang Temple.

Jokhang Temple: Spiritual world to every devotee, Jokhang Temple sits in the heart of Lasha. Incepted in 647, the plaza is a perfect blend of Nepali, Han and Tibetan architecture. Apart from the magnificent temple, the plaza houses other cultural relics. The beauty of this complex is enhanced by exotic rooms, shrines and statues of King Songtsan Gambo, Padmasambhava, Chenresig, Wen Cheng and Bhrikuti, Avalokitesvara Hall, The Maitreya Hall, Tara Hall and Grandparent and Grandchildren Three Princess of Dharma hall. Stroll around the complex, take pictures, and learn the history of the temple before marching back to the hotel.

The seventh day of our Tibet Tour is reserved to explore the two prominent historical and religious heritages in Lhasa. We will start our tour by visiting Sera Monastery and then the later part of the day is for exploring Drepung Monastery.

Sera Monastery: Popular among the monk as a Buddhist university, the plaza holds three major colleges teaching Buddhism. Constructed in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey Sakya Yeshe, people visit this place to experience Monk Debate and get insight into the Buddhist culture. Thanka painting, arts, and other precious relics make the visit more interesting. The complex is made of Choding Khang, Ho-dong Khantsang, Ngakpa Dratsang, Sera Je College, Sera Me Dratsang, Great Assembly hall, and multiple nunneries and hermitages. Sera Bengqin Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm every year in the month of February. In August, we will get to witness another major festival of Tibetan Sho Dun Festival. Explore every nook and corner of this heavenly place, delve into the peace and beauty it has to render and offer prayers before treading to another major monastery in Tibet, Drepung Monastery.

Drepung Monastery: The complex built in 1416 holds a great significance among the Tibetans and Buddhists. The magnificent plaza is popular among tourists for its exotic architecture and remnants of history. Rich in arts and crafts, the plaza features attractions such as an assembly hall, a debating courtyard, Ngagpa College, Ganden Palace, Gomang College, Loseling College, Jamyang Choje Meditation Cave, Jampelyang Temple, Lubum Kangtsang, Deyang College, Lamba Mitsang, Jurche Mitsang, and Samlo Kangtsang. Wander around the plaza, enjoy the view of architecture, arts and monuments and immerse in the peace then trace our footsteps back to the hotel. After a delicious local meal, take a rest in a hotel room.

Today is our last day in Tibet. We will rise early in the morning, pack all the belongings, have Tibetan breakfast then hop into the vehicle. We will drive to the airport and board on Trans Himalayan flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu. The flight above 1,300 m will give us an opportunity to witness the amazing view of Lhasa city while floating above it. The exclusive view of the majestic Himalayas and the entire Lhasa city from Trans Himalayan Flight will mark the end of the 8 days Tibet Overland Tour package. After we reach Kathmandu, you will be transferred back to the hotel.