Himalaya Overland Adventure Tour

Today you will pass the Nepal-China border on your own. Before entering Tibet, please confirm that you have got a China visa and the Tibet Travel Permit. Your Tibet tour guide will be waiting for you outside of the customhouse and holding a placard with your name on it. Your guide will take you to the hostel in a private car and an experienced driver. Due to the limited conditions, the roads can be a little bumpy. After your check-in at the hostel, you could have a rest or stroll on the nearby street to experience the local life in Gyirong.

After your breakfast, we will transfer you to Dingri. It takes about 4 hours from Gyirong to Dingri. Dingri is about 270 kilometers southeast of Gyirong. It’s a long drive, but you can enjoy the stunning views along the way. Alpine meadows, Tibetan antelope, snow-capped mountains in the background, and blue sky and white clouds overhead, how many people have dreamed of this scene? On the way, you could have a picture stop to shoot Mt. Shishapangma in the distance, whose altitude is 8027 meters. Even if you don't go inside the scenic area, there will be many photo opportunities. If you're lucky, you'll see the golden sunlight spilling over the top of the mountain. Upon arriving in Dingri, your tour guide will help you check in your hotel, and you can have a rest and look forward to an exciting trip tomorrow.

Mt. Shishapangma

Mt. Shishapangma

After breakfast in your hotel, we will drive to Mount Everest (Qomolangma), whose height is 8848.86 meters according to the latest measurement (2020). Mount Everest is about 100 KM to the southwest of Dingri, and it takes about 3 hours. According to legend, a long time ago, the vicinity of Mount Everest was a boundless sea, and the land at the foot of Mount Everest was fertile with dense forest. One day, a five-headed demon came and wanted to dominate this beautiful place. When the local people were desperate and waiting for death, a colorful cloud came from the east, turned into five charming goddesses and subdued the demon. Since then, life here has returned to peace, and all the beings living here are very grateful. The five goddesses became the five peaks of the Himalayas, stationed in the earth. The highest, most beautiful goddess became Mount Everest. Before 2019, people went to Everest Base Camp to see the view of Everest. Due to environmental protection, Everest Base Camp has been closed to tourists indefinitely.

Today, we will go to Rongbuk Monastery to admire Mount Everest. With an altitude of 5154 meters, Rongbuk Monastery is the highest monastery in the world. It is 2 kilometers away from Everest Base Camp and is recognized as the best place to see Mount Everest now. If you are lucky, you will be able to see the golden snow mountain and banner clouds. Rongbuk Monastery belongs to the Nyingma school (one of the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism) and is a mixed monastery of monks and nuns with local characteristics. 

Mount Everest

Rongbuk Monastery

After your breakfast, we will transfer to Shigatse. The whole trip will take around 4 hours. Shigatse is about 238 kilometers northeast of Dingri. On the way, we will visit Sakya Monastery. Sakya Monastery is not as large as the Potala Palace, but the halls inside are not inferior to the Potala Palace. There are more than 3,000 exquisite murals, with a wide range of subjects related to religion, history, culture and social life. Every summer and winter there are big religious assemblies here. Monks and other believers will make pilgrimages to Sakya Monastery. Today, you will overnight in Shigatse.

Sakya Monastery

Sakya Monastery

This morning we will first visit Shalu Monastery. It was built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Shalu Monastery is famous for its combination of Tibetan and Han Chinese architectural styles in Tibet. The emperor sent many Han Chinese artisans from inland to Tibet to reconstruct Shalu Monastery after an earthquake in 1329. Therefore, Shalu Monastery formed a unique Tibetan-Han Chinese architecture style.

After that, we will visit Tashilhunpo Monastery. With an area of 150,000 square meters, Tashilhunpo Monastery is the largest monastery in the Shigatse area. There is a prayer road along with the monastery. This road is full of golden prayer wheels, and many devout Tibetans come here to pray every morning and evening. It will make you touch the authentic Tibetan’s religious life.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Gyangtse. The whole trip is about 95 kilometers and needs to drive for about 2 hours. Gyangtse is located to the southeast of Shigatse. After arriving in Gyangtse, you could visit Gyangtse Ancient Street. It has a history of more than 600 years. You will have a sense of tranquility and ease when you walk on the streets. Here you can buy blankets with traditional Tibetan design as a souvenir. You can also savor authentic Tibetan food, such as buttered tea, roasted barley flour, and highland barley wine. You will stay at the hotel in Gyangtse tonight.

Shalu Monastery

Tashilhunpo Monastery

In the morning, you will first visit Pelkor Monastery. Pelkor Monastery was built in the Ming Dynasty (1427) and took 10 years to complete. The most important part of the monastery is the murals. The murals include three types of themes: Exoteric Buddism, Esoteric Buddhism, and famous historical figures. Here you can learn the quintessential religious culture in Tibet. After the visit, the guide will take you to have lunch at a recommended restaurant.

After lunch, we will drive to Lhasa. The whole trip is about 260 kilometers and takes around 5 hours. Lhasa is located northeast of Gyangtse.

After 70-minute driving (about 72 kilometears), you will enjoy the beautiful view of Karola Glacier. Karola Glacier is one of three major continental glaciers in Tibet. One of the reasons why Karola Glacier is famous is that many movies have been filmed here. Standing under the ice tongue of Karora, looking up, the glacier is like a shy girl with a white handkerchief covering her face. The layer of white snow is like a young girl's skin. The white clouds floating down from the ice peak, tightly wrapped around her body, like a white coat. At the foot of the mountain, her white dress embellished with colorful prayer flags. The whole glacier gives you a feel of pureness and peace.

Then we continue to drive for about 100 minutes (90KM) to see the breathtaking Yamdrok Lake. The lake water source from the snow water of Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains. According to folklore, Yamdrok Lake was transformed by a goddess. Therefore, it is also called “Holy Lake”. It is the main habitat of the water birds in Tibet, where you could see lots of swans and gulls every summer. After arriving in Lhasa, the guide will help you to check in at your hotel, and you could enjoy your free time.

Pelkor Monastery

Karola Glacier

This morning we will go to visit the Potala Palace. It is definitely a symbolic building of Tibet. In the seventh century A.D., Tibet was then under the Tubo Kingdom. In order to establish friendly relations with the Tang Dynasty, Songtsen Gampo (the first king of Tubo Kingdom) proposed marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. Princess Wencheng was endowed with both beauty and talent, so lots of princes of other countries proposed to her at the same time. In order to marry Princess Wencheng, Songtsen Gampo built a 999-room palace on Mount Mabri, the Potala Palace. On the palace wall of the Potala Palace, there are murals describing the story of Songtsen Gampo's marriage proposal. Now, Potala Palace is a holy place for all pilgrims.

And then we will visit the Jokhang Temple. Jokhang Temple is the endpoint of the Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage, and it is no less sacred than the Potala Palace. Upon entering the temple, you will see two rows of willow trees. It was said that the willow trees were planted by Princess Wencheng in person. You will walk inside the temple and climb up to the third-floor platform, which is the best place to look out over the Potala Palace and overlook the Jokhang Square.

After visiting the temple, you will walk along Barkhor Street. Barkhor Street is Lhasa’s most famous circumanbulation and commercial center. Here you can buy a variety of Tibetan clothing, handicrafts, as well as goods from India and Nepal. After today’s Tibet city tour, we will drive back to the hotel.

Barkhor Street

Potala Palace

Today you will visit two monasteries. The first one is the Drepung Monastery. “Drepung” means “rice pile” in the Tibetan language. The white buildings of the monastery spread all over the hillside, looking like the shape of a huge pile of rice. That is why the Drepung Monastery was so named. If you are lucky, you could watch the scriptures debate in the monastery. Drepung Monastery debate is the most famous. Even monks from Qinghai and Gansu provinces come here to debate the scriptures with local monks. The debate is to deepen the understanding of the Buddhist scriptures for the monks. During the debate, they will shout, applaud, waving the rosary. Even if you can't understand the scriptures, it will be very attractive.

After lunch, we will visit the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is one of the six main monasteries of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Legend has it that before the monastery was built, it was a place where wild roses were in full bloom. The Tibetan pronunciation of wild rose is "Sera", so the monastery was named "Sera Monastery" later. During your visit, you will see rows of small shrines. Locals will jut their heads into the shrines and touch the bases of the statues inside to pray for business, for health, for having a son, for have a girlfriend and everything.

Next, we will visit Norbulingka. Norbulingka is commonly known as Lhasa’s Summer Palace, and it was the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas. With more than a hundred species of plants, many of which are Tibetan valuable flowers, it is known as the Botanical Garden on the plateau. After the city tour, the guide will take you back to the hotel.

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Today is the last day of your Tibet tour. You can enjoy a free and comfortable morning at your leisure and have a late breakfast in the hotel. Your guide will escort you to the airport according to your flight schedule and help you check-in. Along the way to the airport, the splendid views along the Yarlong Tsangpo River will present themselves to you. Look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Yarlong Tsangpo River

Yarlong Tsangpo River

Editor: Summer Hou

Proofreader: Betsy He