Tibet To Nepal Kathmandu Cultural Discover

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Lhasa, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport Transfer (Lhasa), A Free CH cell phone package

- A Free CH cell phone package: A Free CH cell phone package includes free rental for the cell phone and SIM card and at least 30 free minutes, delivery and collection in China. Return the phone to your guide when you depart. A recharge at standard rate is available if the free minutes are used. Note: Our rental phones do not work in Hong Kong. You must return the phone to your guide before leaving for Hong Kong. * Free minutes vary from 30-60 mins depending on the destination of the calls. Ask the travel advisor for details. For more about the cell phone rental service, please click cellphone rental information .
Note: You may receive text messages in Chinese on your cell phone. These messages are advertisements or possibly weather information. We cannot block or turn these off. If anyone in China needs to contact you, the message will be in English. If you are concerned, please ask your guide to read the message.

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy) 

Day 2

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today's Activities: The Carpet Factory, Norbulingka, Sera Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Lhasa Kitchen

- The Carpet Factory: The highland of Tibet is the actual home of the oriental carpets. By visiting Carpet Factory you will have a general idea how carpets are produced.
- Norbulingka (2.5 hours): Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden". Constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama, it later served the whole government administration. It was built by the 7th Dalai Lama and served both administrative and religious purposes.
- Sera Monastery (3 hours): Located in the northern suburbs of Lhasa, The Sera Monastery is a complex of 4 structures; the Great Assembly Hall and three colleges. It was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey of Sakya Yeshe of Zel Gungtang (1355–1435), a disciple of Tsongkhapa. 'Sera' means wild roses and was called this because the monastery was surrounded by wild roses. One of the three main monasteries of Lhasa, it is here that the monks "famous daily debates" take place.
Tips: Every day (except Mondays) at 15:00, there is a debate about Buddhist doctrines among the monks at Sera Monastery. The debating is held in the grounds and is a necessary way of learning sutras and scriptures. Visitors can watch the debate, but it is advised to keep quiet.
- Lhasa Kitchen: Lhasa Kitchen is near the Jokhang Temple. It is decorated by merging Tibetan style with Indian, Nepalese, Chinese and Italian architecture. It serves a variety of styles of food.

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy) 

Day 3

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today's Activities: Barkhor Street, Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Kechu Hotel

- Barkhor Street (2 hours): Built about 1,300 years ago, The Barkhor (pilgrims’ circuit) is found in the heart of Lhasa encircling the Jokhang Temple. In the past, it was a designated circumambulation circuit, "a saint’s road" in the eyes of Tibetans. Many people call the Barkhor “the window of Tibet” as it exhibits typical Tibetan life. Watch the pilgrims, wearing their local dress from many different parts of Tibet, as they circle clockwise around Jokhang Temple with prayer wheels, or prostrate them near the front gate. Join the locals and visitors to shop for local goods at the colourful stalls, or relax in a coffee shop or tea house to enjoy the passing parade.
- Jokhang Temple (2 hours): Smaller and more manageable than the Potala, this 4-storey, golden-roofed temple is at the heart of a rich and living Tibetan Buddhism. Many locals pray here regularly; the Temple is surrounded by Barkhor Street and thronged with pilgrims and visitors. Yak butter lamps burn in front of rich statuary that includes the Sakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng in the 7th Century.
- Potala Palace (1 hour): Former winter home of the Dalai Lama, a vast, awe-inspiring maze of corridors and stairs leading through countless rooms of richly decorated statues, tombs, murals and antiques. You will climb past the White Palace into the Red Palace, where the file of pilgrims offering silk scarves, coins or yak butter to burn in the shrines combine to make this an unforgettable experience. Note: you need to be fit for the long stairways.
- Kechu Hotel : Located near Jokhang Temple,The Kechu hotel and restaurant has a beautiful garden and provides Tibetan and Nepal food.

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy) 

Day 4

Place & Transport: Lhasa to Gyantze
Today's Activities: The Palgor Chorten, Our guide and driver will escort you from Lhasa to Gyantze, Yomdrok Lake
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Local Restaurant

- The Palgor Chorten (1.5 hours): Pelkhor Choede (Kumbum), also named Palcho Monastery, is very different from other monasteries. Built as a Tibetan monastery, its structural style is very unique, reputed as the lord of Tibetan stupas. In addition, it is famous for the architecture, sculpture, and mural painting art. It lies about 270 kilometers (168 miles) south of Lhasa and 100 (62 miles) east of Shigatse at the foot of Dzong Hill.
- Yomdrok Lake (2 hours): Dotted with a dozen islands and abundant in natural resources, Lake Yamdrok has the highest power station in the world, and is also the largest habitat for water birds in Tibet, attracting countless swans and gulls every summer.
- Local Restaurant: The limited restaurant options mean that there is no choice available however our guide will organize the best available based on the season and the surroundings.

Accommodations: Gyantze Hotel (Economy) 

Day 5

Place & Transport: Gyantze to Shigatse
Today's Activities: Our guide and driver will escort you from Gyantze to Shigatse, Tashilunpo Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Local Restaurant

- Tashilunpo Monastery (2 hours): Tashilhunpo Monastery was founded in 1447 by Gyalwa Gendun Drup (1st Dalai Lama) and is a historically and culturally important monastery. Its name means “heap of glory” or “all fortune and happiness gathered here”. Painted in red and white, the buildings in the kloster stand closely together in terraced rows, offering a grand and majestic view. Tashilunpo Kloster represents the Tibetan super architecture art in the Last Tibetan spirit.5 story temple which contains a 26 meters (86ft) sitting statue of the Maitreya Buddha (Jamba Chyenmu) id inside the grounds of the monastery. The statue was cast from 6,700 ounces of gold and over 115,000 kg of copper, making it the biggest copper Buddhist statue in the world.
- Local Restaurant: The limited restaurant options mean that there is no choice available however our guide will organize the best available based on the season and the surroundings.

Accommodations: Shigatse Shandong Hotel (Economy) 

Day 6

Place & Transport: Shigatse to Dingri
Today's Activities: Our guide and driver will escort you from Shigatse to Dingri
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Local Restaurant

- Local Restaurant: The limited restaurant options mean that there is no choice available however our guide will organize the best available based on the season and the surroundings.

Accommodations: Dingri Zhufeng Hotel 

Day 7

Place & Transport: Dingri
Today's Activities: Rongbuk Monastery(with Mt.Everest), Everest Base Camp,
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Local Restaurant

- Rongbuk Monastery(with Mt.Everest) (1.5 hours): Rongbuk Monastery is the highest on earth at an altitude is 5,100 meters (16728 feet),. Visitors will get a great view of Mt Everest depending on the weather.
Mt. Everest, called Mount Qumulangma in the Tibetan Language, is the highest peak on the Earth and probably the most coveted mountain in adventurous travelers' eyes. A journey to the Mt. Everest Base Camp is a both physical as well as psychological challenge to visitors, but it will definitely reward them with the most unparalleled views – a panorama of Himalayan peaks - and never-forgotten beautiful memories. On May 8, 2008, the Olympic Torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was taken to the peak and lit by a group of Chinese mountaineers, making it the first time ever for the Olympic torch to be lit on the "top of the world".
- Everest Base Camp: Mt. Everest, called Mount Qumulangma in Tibetan Language, is the highest peak of the Earth and probably the most coveted mountain in adventurous travelers’ eyes. Journey to Mt. Everest Base Camp is a both physical as well as psychological challenge to you --5200mt (17000ft), but it will definitely reward you with the most unparalleled views – a panorama of Himalayan peaks - and never-forgotten beautiful memories
- Local Restaurant: The limited restaurant options mean that there is no choice available however our guide will organize the best available based on the season and the surroundings.

Accommodations: Dingri Zhufeng Hotel 

Day 8

Place & Transport: Dingri to Zhangmu
Today's Activities: Our guide and driver will escort you from Dingri to Zhangmu
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Local Restaurant

- Local Restaurant: The limited restaurant options mean that there is no choice available however our guide will organize the best available based on the season and the surroundings.

Accommodations: Zhangmu Hotel (Economy) 

Day 9

Place & Transport: Zhangmu to Kathmandu
Today's Activities(Group Tour): Our guide and driver will escort you from Zhangmu to Kathmandu, Kathmandu Durbar Square,
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner

- Kathmandu Durbar Square (2 hours): The Durbar Square lies in the heart of Kathmandu. Locally also called as Hanuman Dhoka Palace Square-an ancient seat of the Nepalese Royalty. The Duibar Square Complex consists of a huge Royal Square is imposing with tremendous variety of temples dedicated to different Hindu gods and goddess. Most of the buildings seen here date from 15th to 18th century. Some of the important monuments to be seen here are: Taleju temple-, Jagannath temple, Kal Bhairav, Kumari Ghar, Kasthamandap - built from the timber of a single tree.

Accommodations: Gangzong Hotel 

Day 10

Place & Transport: Kathmandu
Today's Activities(Group Tour): Swyambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple), Boudha Nath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Patan City
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner

- Swyambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple) (3 hours): Located about 3k.m. west of down town Kathmandu, Swoyambhu Nath Stupa is one of the most fascinating architectural jewels of the world. This great Stoup is said to have been built around 250 B.C. The Stupa of Swoyambhunath stands on a typically stylized lotus mandala base-a long time ago believed to have originated from a legendary lake of Kathmandu Valley.This holy site in fact is the massive stupa complex ever built in Nepal. When you reach the famous site of venerated Swayambhu Stupa, you will get magnificent view of Kathmandu Valley and the breathtaking panorama of the north eastern Himalayan range.
- Boudha Nath Stupa (3 hours): Located on the trade routes between Tibet and Nepal and one of the oldest and the biggest Buddhist monuments ever built in Nepal, Boudhanath is an imposing structure standing some 36 meters tall. The Stupa stands on the massive three level mandala style Platforms surrounded by colourful private family houses. The basic feature of this great stupa is very much like that of Swoyambhunath stupa except for the final display. It is much bigger than Swoyambhu stupa and lies on the valley floor whereas the former stands on the hill top. This stupa is said to have been built in 5th century A. D.
- Pashupatinath Temple (1 hour): Pasupatinath with an area of 281 hectares is considered one of the holiest shrines of all the Hindu temples. The temple has remained the presiding deity of ruling Nepalese Royalty. Located on the banks of the Bagmati river, this two tiered magnificent golden temple with four triple silver doorways is unique example of the Nepalese temple architecture. It is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in South Asia with hundreds of Shiva lingams, shrines icons of various Hindu god and goddess insides. Non Hindus are not allowed to enter this temple.

Accommodations: Gangzong Hotel 

Day 11

Place & Transport: Depart Kathmandu, Flight not included
Today's Activities(Group Tour): Hotel to airport Transfer (Kathmandu)
Meals: Breakfast