Upon reaching the airport, our amiable Tibetan guide will extend cordial greetings and present you with a Hada, the customary Tibetan ceremonial scarf.

You will then be transported to Tsedang, where you will rest for the day and prepare for the tour.

Overnight at Tsedang.

After breakfast, the guide will take you to visit the younger Palace and monasteries. Firstly, we will see the Yambulakhang Palace, which is believed to be the first building in Tibet as it was the Palace of the first Tibetan King. The major highlight of this Palace was the 11-meter-tall watchtower with three levels.

Then, we will visit the Tandruk Monastery, the oldest monastery in Lhasa, displaying a decorated Thangka with 29026 pearls. It was built concurrently with the Jokhang and Ramoche Monasteries. This monastery has the five Dhyani Buddhas and the statue of Tara, also known as Drolma Sheshema, as its main attraction.

Then, we will visit the Tombs of Kings in the Chongye Valley, about 27 km from Tsedang. Chongye Valley is referred to as the “Valley of the Kings,” where we can see eight green round hills, which are not precisely hills but the 8 tombs of the Kings. Those hills are believed to be filled with the remains of the significant Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty.

As we visit these historical places, we learn about Tibetan history dating back to the 2^nd century BC.

Overnight at Tsedang.

After breakfast, we will drive to Samye Monastery, Nginma Order’s first Buddhist monastery, which is shaped like a mandala. King Trisong Detsen built it in 775 A.D. to revive Buddhism. He brought two Indian monk masters to Tibet to consolidate the Buddhist faith by translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Later, the Sakya tradition took control, and more recently, the Gelukpa began to have an impact.

At the heart of the monastery is a great Utse Temple that represents the ethereal Mt. Meru. It has three floors, each reflecting three different styles: the first floor is decorated in Tibetan style, the second is Chinese, and the third is Indian.

Also, when you go to the top of the monastery, you will have an incredible view of the entire monastery complex.

After finishing the visit to Samye monastery, we head back to Lhasa.

Overnight at Lhasa.

Today, we will visit Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will also visit Barkhor Square market. Potala Palace, the winter home of the Dalai Lama, is a 13-floor building with more than 1000 rooms, several statues, artifacts, murals, and stupas.

Later, we will visit the Jokhang Temple, named Jo for Jowo Buddha and Khang for Chapel. It was built in 642 by the first King of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, to place the image of Akshobhya Buddha, the gift of a Nepalese wife, Bhirkuti. Later, the temple was known for the gift, a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, by the King’s second Chinese wife.

We will stroll around the Barkhor market that encircles the Jokhang Temple. Pilgrims usually do the kora(circumambulate) of Jokhang temple in a clockwise direction. Also, you can buy gifts to take home, as numerous artifacts and cultural items like Buddha relics are available in this market.

Overnight at Lhasa.

After breakfast, we will drive towards Namtso Lake, referred to as “Heavenly Lake”, a 4-hour ride from Lhasa and one of the most beautiful lakes of Tibet at an altitude of 4718m with a surface area of 1900 square kilometers. It is also the highest-altitude saltwater lake in the world.

You can stroll around the lakeside and Tashi Dor Island. Later in the evening, we will drive back to Lhasa.

Overnight at Lhasa.

After breakfast, our guide will take you to two great Gelug monasteries in Tibet, Drepung and Sera Monastery.

Drepung Monastery is one of Tibet’s “great three” Gelug Monasteries. It was established by Jamyang Choge Tashi Palden in 1416. Before the Fifth Dalai Lama constructed the Potala Palace, this monastery served as Tibet’s political hub and the residence of the Dalai Lamas.

Later, we will visit the Sera Monastery, built in 1419 by Tsongkapa. This monastery’s most significant architectural features are the 3 Buddhist colleges, 29 monk dormitories, and Coqen Assembly Hall. If you visit between Monday and Friday, you can witness Monks debate in the monastery’s courtyard. Also, watching the 9-meter statue of Maitreya, constructed in 1419, is one of this monastery’s fascinating features.

In the evening, we will visit the Norbulingka Palace, also known as the “Jewel Park.”, built by the 7th Dalai Lama and the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama.

Overnight at Lhasa.

After breakfast, we will drive to Gyantse. On this journey, we encounter two high passes: Kamba La Pass(4794m) and Karo La Pass(5045m). For about 72km, we will travel through the tranquil, turquoise-toned Yamdrok-tso Lake bank. Yamdrok-tso Lake is among Tibet’s three holiest lakes and is believed to be the metamorphosis of the Goddess encircled by snow-capped mountains.

After hours of driving, we will reach Gyantse. Gyantse is the third largest historical city of Tibet, where we will visit the famous Khumbum Stupa and Pelkhor Chode.

Khumbum is a spectacular 9-floor Buddha stupa with beautiful carvings and paintings and is home to a massive 35-meter-tall gold-domed stupa. The combined efforts of the Chinese, Tibetans, and Nepalese resulted in a masterwork, as the eight doors of this Stupa open and are decorated with sculptures of dragons, elephants, and lions.

Then we will visit the Pelkhor Chode monastery, built in 1418, situated in the Nyangchu river valley, encircled on three sides by the mountains, and a unique blend of stupa and temple. The red-walled Pelkor Chöde was formerly a compound of 15 monasteries that united three orders of Tibetan Buddhism. Three monasteries were Sakyapa, nine were Gelugpa, and three were part of the little-known Büton suborder.

Overnight at Gyantse.

Today, we will travel to Shigatse, the second-largest town in Tibet, and visit the Tashilimphu Monastery, the traditional home of Tibet’s second-holiest man, the Panchen Lama. There, you can view the enormous Future Buddha, the most massive statue of its type on the planet. It is adorned with priceless pearls, turquoise, coral, and amber.

Later, we will visit the local market and explore the Tibetan Buddhist culture, traditions, and lifestyle. We can also buy some artifacts to take back as souvenirs.

Overnight at Shigatse.

After breakfast today, we will go to Shegar, now known as the New Tingri. Before reaching Shegar, we will cross the two high passes: Tong La Pass (5130) and Gyatso La(5259m).

During the travel, capture the stunning views of Shishapangma(8013m) and Mount Everest(8848m), the world’s highest peak. Then we will reach Shegar. As part of your acclimatization, you can rest the remaining day.

Overnight at Shegar.

After breakfast, we will drive to Rongbuk, a famous location with the Rongbuk Monastery, the World’s highest monastery. Built by the Nyingmapa Lama in 1902, the monastery has several caves where monks performed their meditations on the cliffs.

Overnight at Rongbuk.

Today, we will wake up early and drive about 8 km to Mount Everest’s North Base Camp (5250m). On the way, we will witness the three thousanders: Mount Everest (8,848m), Cho Oyu (8,188m), and Shishapangma (8,027m).

After reaching the base camp of Mount Everest, we will witness the Rongbuk Glacier along with the snow-capped towering peak. These are once-in-a-lifetime memories and unforgettable ones.

The Tibetan tradition believes that offering Lungta at temples/stupas and high passes brings good fortune and a long life. So, if you want to offer Lungta, the guide will provide you with information.

We will stay there for a while and then continue our journey towards Kyirong, Nepal-Tibet Border.

Overnight at Kyirong.

Today, we will wrap up our tour. While we are having breakfast, the guide will take care of the formalities. Once the border formalities at Kyirong are completed, we will travel to Kathmandu through Syabrubesi-Trishuli-Kathmandu.

You can stroll around Kathmandu’s best places in the evening, such as Durbarmarg and Thamel.