Tibet Adventure

Nihao! Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Your tour begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm in your hotel lobby. Your guide will go over more details about your trip including meeting up with your guides in each city. This evening take an orientation walk around the hotel area followed by a Beijing Duck dinner.

Accommodation:
•Chongwenmen Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• Peking Duck dinner

Travel about 2 hours out of Beijing to the Mutianyu Great Wall. This is one of the best-preserved and restored sections so it is easy to climb, but you can still appreciate the difficulty of its construction. A picnic lunch on the Wall is provided.
Return to Beijing in time for a fantastic acrobatic show.
Accommodation:
• Chongwenmen Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

There will be a lot of walking today as well as using the subway to get around some of Beijing’s most famous sights. Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, is home to the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great hall of the People. From here enter the Forbidden City (built 1406-1420), the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government for more than 500 years. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
After the Forbidden City, we will stroll through the alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyards known as Hutong and experience the local lifestyle of Old Beijing.
This evening transfer to train station to board the train to Lhasa (almost 41 hours). The main town you pass tonight is Taiyuan as you head across the north of China.

Accommodation:
• Overnight on soft sleeper train Beijing-Lhasa (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

The train to Lhasa is one of China's greatest engineering feats, traversing some incredibly mountainous and remote terrain. Today pass through Lanzhou, the crossroads of routes along the Silk Road and the Tibet-Qinghai plateau and on to Xining. This is the start of the Qinghai-Tibet line. On this second night, you’ll climb in altitude, and your breath with likely be taken away by the landscape outside the windows – snow-dappled black cliffs and mountain peaks illuminated by the moonlight.

Accommodation:
• Overnight on soft sleeper train Beijing-Lhasa (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• There are no meals included today

Wake to find yourself well inside Tibet as you travel the world’s highest railway across the Changtang Plateau. The passes may be covered by snow at any time of year and in summer the lakes are surrounded by vast grasslands and are host to numerous bird species.On arrival at Lhasa station, on the outskirts of the city, you are warmly welcomed with a white katak (prayer scarf).

Accommodation:
• Thangka Hotel or similar (4 nights)
Meals Included:
• Dinner

Start the day with a visit to the Jokhang; the spiritual heart and most sacred temple of Tibet which always attracts steady waves of pilgrims. Spend some time exploring this large World-Heritage listed site and learn of its rich history. According to legend, the temple was built over a lake after many failed attempts to build monasteries in other nearby locations. Feast your eyes on the huge golden Buddha which stands in the center. After the visit join the pilgrims walking around the Barkhor Street (in a clockwise direction) considered a sacred kora by Tibetans.
In the late afternoon visit the great university monastery of Sera where you will witness lively philosophical debating (except Sundays).

Accommodation:
• Thangka Hotel or similar (4 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

One of the most iconic structures ever built; the Potala Palace was the seat of government and winter residence of the successive Dalai Lamas. A visit is an awe-inspiring experience. Perched 130meters above the city, it is divided into two parts, the White Palace (secular) and the Red Palace (religious - home to chapels, shrines, and tombs of Dalai Lamas). Although you must stick with your guide whilst exploring, this in no way lessens the impact of seeing what is a true architectural wonder.
Free afternoon to explore the city.

Accommodation:
• Thangka Hotel or similar (4 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

Free day to explore Lhasa. Your tour leader can arrange an optional trip to Ganden Monastery or Drepung Monastery.
Ganden Monastery was built in the early 15th century. Upon the Tibetan New Year in 1409, Tsongkapa, founder of Gelug or Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, gathered over 8,000 Lamas to hold a Grand Summons Ceremony at the Jokhang Temple of Lhasa to commemorate Shakyamuni. The Kora around the Ganden Monastery is amazing.
Drepung Monastery is located on the foothills of the western outskirts of Lhasa. The name means “prosperity.” Since its establishment it has been one of the most important Buddhist university monasteries in Tibet. At its height there were more than 10,000 monks living and studying here.
Accommodation:
• Thangka Hotel or similar (4 nights)
Meals Included :
• Breakfast

Today we will drive to Gyantse. There will be many photo stops as this is a spectacular route. From the top of the Khamba-la (4750m) the views of the beautiful turquoise lake, Yamdrok Tso, are superb. Descend to skirt the lake before climbing again to the Karo-la (5045m) for a close-up view of NojinGangzang glacier.
On arrival in Gyantse take a walk to the Dzong (fort) from where you will have fantastic views of the town and surrounding countryside.

Accommodation:
• Gyantse Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

This morning visit Pelkhor Choede Monastery, founded by the King of Gyantse in the C15th. It does not belong to a specific tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and whilst much reduced from its original size it remains a very active center. Within the complex stands Gyantse Kumbum (meaning 100,000 images), it is an eight-story structure containing a seemingly endless series of tiny chapels full of Buddhist images – Buddhas, demons, protectors, and saints.
A short drive through small villages to Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city. Here first visit Tashilumpo Monastery, home to the Panchen Lamas. Tour the buildings, each with their own intricate decorations, legends and religious imagery. After that, you can opt to do a “kora” around the monastery or visit the local market.

Accommodation:
• Tashi Choe Ta Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

This morning we will drive 3 hours to the Tibetan town Sakya, here visit the famous Sakya gompa and main seat of the Sakya-pa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also known as the “second Dunhuang,” for its huge collection of over 40,000 books - thousands of volumes of sacred Buddhist scripts; just one single, long bookshelf holds around 10,000 ancient scriptures!
After the guided monastery tour, we can go for an optional hike and visit one of the only nunneries of this trip. Then we will continue on to Lhatse and overnight in this small town.

Accommodation:
• Vienna Hotel Lhatse or similar (1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast, Lunch

Follow the Friendship Highway west via Shegar before turning south and climbing into the Himalaya toward Everest.
The world’s highest monastery, at 5000m, was first built in 1902 by a Nyingma Lama and originally housed more than 500 monks. Today, only about 50 monks and nuns remain, sharing a prayer hall, but maintaining separate residences. The nuns here are great fun and will be delighted to have you join their evening prayers. From here the view is directly up the valley to Base Camp and Qomolangma/Mount Everest (8849m) beyond.

Accommodation:
• Rombuk guesthouse ( 1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast & lunch

After watching the sunrise over the Himalaya set out on a long days’ drive of 350km, but one of the most scenic of the trip as you cross the grasslands around PaikuTso (lake) with views of Xixiapangma (8013m) before descending to Kyirong to spend the night before crossing the border to Nepal.

Accommodation:
• Kerung Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

This morning after breakfast, we will cross the border from China to Nepal. This can be a slow process, especially the Nepal side.
Namaste! Welcome to Nepal. It is a long day’s drive to Kathmandu, much of the road in bad condition. Explore this alluring city on a walking tour with your local leader. Check out the Newari architecture at Durbar Square, the vast plaza opposite the old Royal Palaces.

Accommodation:
• Mulberry Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

Your adventure comes to an end today. There are no activities planned for the final day, and you can depart the accommodation at any time.

Meals Included:
Breakfast