Lhasa is a land of mountains, spirituality and Buddhism, a truly mystical place! And, Adventure club trek’s Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour (fly in-drive out) takes you to this land of Buddhist monks, Tibetan palaces, and breathtaking sceneries. We take one of the most scenic flights in the world from Kathmandu to Lhasa with glimpses of the world's highest peak Mt. Everest along with the views of mountains like Kanchenjunga, Yandruk, Pumori and Makalu among others. The flight lands in Lhasa located at an altitude of 3,650m, one of the highest cities in the world.
Known as the administrative capital of Tibet, Lhasa has fantastic landscapes and rich culture and history. Lhasa means ‘‘Land of the Gods’’, it has numerous monasteries and temples. On the Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour-7, you can experience the way of life of the local people and visit historic monasteries, cultural heritage, and nunneries among other architectures. The most popular attraction in Lhasa is the Potala Palace.
Another exciting part of this trip is the drive from Lhasa to Kathmandu on the Friendship Highway that extends to the Nepal-Tibet border at Zangmu. While enjoying the regular twists and turns of the mountain road, we pass through meadows in the Himalaya surrounded by the fantastic views of Mount Everest, Xispangm and (So you mountains). After crossing the Friendship Bridge that joins Zangmu and Kodari, our representative from Nepal will pick you up and drive you until Kathmandu. Adventure Club Trek has some Tibet trekking packages including Tibet to Kathmandu Tour 6 Days and Lhasa and Everest Base Camp Tour- 8 Days among others.
Today, you fly to Lhasa via China Air. A representative from Adventure Club Trek will drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport with your visit and Tibet permit. The one and a half-hour-long flight take you over to the world's tallest mountain, Everest, with views of other snow-capped mountains in the Himalaya. Upon your arrival at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA), you will be welcomed by our representative who will take you to your confirmed accommodation where you can rest and acclimatize.
Overnight at hotel. Breakfast Included
Today you will explore the landmarks of the city of Lhasa and our guide will accompany you. First, we visit the Potala Palace. It was where the Dalai Lama used to stay before the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. The 5th Dalai Lama started building the palace in 1645 over the remains of the White Palace built by Tibetan King SongtsenGampo in 637. As of now, it is a museum and also a World Heritage Site. Next, we visit the Norbulingka which translates to ‘The Jewelled Park’’- a palace popular as the summer home for Dalai Lamas from the 1780s till the 14 Dalai Lama's exile in 1959. Built by the 7th Dalai Lama, it is considered the largest garden made by man in Tibet. Our final stop for the day is the Tibetan Museum which was established on October 5, 1999. It is the first large, modern museum in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Overnight at hotel. Breakfast Included
The second day in Lhasa, we start our day by visiting the Drepung Monastery, one of three great Gelug university Gompas of Tibet, the other two are Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery. We will then go to Sera Monastery popular as ‘’Wild Roses Monastery.’’ Our next destination is the Jokhang Temple located in Barkhor, Lhasa. It is a Buddhist temple and is regarded as the most important and sacred temple in Tibet. It's a mixture of Indian Vihara, Tibetan, and Nepalese architectural style. From the temple, we make our way to Barkhor Bazaar where you can indulge in shopping artifacts, handicrafts, and traditional Tibetan gifts.
Overnight at hotel. Breakfast Included
Full day picturesque drive along the turquoise lake of Yamdrok, crossing over Kampala Pass (4794M) and the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo). Today is a full day a picturesque drive crossing over the colorful Yamdrok Lake and Kambala Pass at 4,794m and Karola Pass at 5,010m. In Gyantse, you spend time visiting the Pelke Chode Monastery and the 35m high famous Khumbum Stupa in Gyantse packed with exquisite Tibetan sculpture and paintings, a stunning architectural wonder in Tibet.
Overnight at guesthouse. Breakfast Included
We drive from Gyantse to Shigatse (3,900m.). You stay overnight at a hotel in Shigatse. When Gyantse just fades away from your sight, Shigatse becomes clearer because it’s just about 02 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 to the Tashilunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, and one of the great centers of Tibetan Buddhism. Shigatse 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, the modern Chinese part of the town. The older streets and alleys here are very pleasant to wander around and there are a few sights of interest to guarantee a stay of a day or two.
Hereabouts, you go to Tashilunpo Monastery and you stroll around the Tibetan market. Tashilunpo (Heap of Glory) Monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lamas. Built-in 1447, it is the head monastery of the Yellow Hat sect (Gelukgompa). It is today one of Tibet’s most active monasteries. Overnight in hotel Shigatse.
Overnight at guesthouse. Breakfast Included
Our scenic drive through the highest point of Gyatchu La pass at (5,220m) brings us en-route to Lhasa via Shegar. Overnight at hotel with twin sharing rooms on a BB basis.
Overnight at guesthouse. Breakfast Included
This is a day drive to the highest plateau in the world with typical rural landscapes offering the utter feeling of being on the roof of the world as we cross over the 5,050 meters LA LUNGA pass, from where you can view the breathtaking mountain range of Mt. Cho Oyu at (8,201m) Mt. Shishapangma (8,012m) dwarfed by the vastness of the Tibetan plateau (these views are only possible if weather permits). One can also get a magnificent view of Mt. Everest at (8,848m) from Shegar.
Overnight at guesthouse. Breakfast Included
Drive downhill to the Nepal-Tibet border that’s Khasa & Tatopani and after completing our immigration formalities; we drive 6-7 hours through beautiful Nepali countryside on the Arniko highway, making our way to Kathmandu. And this is where our Tibet holidays formally conclude. Overnight in Kathmandu, the valley of the gods.
Overnight at hotel .
Note: Your safety is of the utmost concern whilst you are traveling with Adventure Club Trek. We will make every effort possible to follow the original itinerary but we reserve the right to change that itinerary if a segment of it becomes a safety issue. Certain mountain regions are remote, natural disasters can happen, weather conditions can decline and there can be illness or an injury. To avoid dangerous situations we may occasionally have to make changes to the itinerary to ensure everyone’s safety. That having been said, Adventure Club Trek will strive to provide you with the best possible trekking experience and to keep your safety our number one priority. We thank you for your understanding.
Note: Your safety is of the utmost concern whilst you are traveling with Adventure Club Trek. We will make every effort possible to follow the original itinerary but we reserve the right to change that itinerary if a segment of it becomes a safety issue. Certain mountain regions are remote, natural disasters can happen, weather conditions can decline and there can be illness or an injury. To avoid dangerous situations we may occasionally have to make changes to the itinerary to ensure everyone’s safety. That having been said, Adventure Club Trek will strive to provide you with the best possible trekking experience and to keep your safety our number one priority. We thank you for your understanding.
Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign travelers traveling to Tibet from territory China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.
The weather in Tibet is similar to that of Mainland China, though with lower temperatures due to higher altitudes. Summers have warm days with strong sunshine and cool nights, but summer days can even be chilly at higher elevations. Winters are cold but there isn't all that much snow. Lhasa enjoys much sunshine even in winter. Most of Tibet experiences frost at least 6 months of the year. Some high lakes are frozen from October to March. The weather varies a lot from region to region. Lhasa is an ideal destination because it is in a valley area of lower elevation.