Key Features
• Explore fabulous monasteries at Lhasa, Gyantse & Shigatse
• Travel high passes & switch-backs on the “Friendship Highway”
• View the mighty Himalaya including Everest
Included
13nts hotel, 1nt guesthouse - all hotels graded standard except Tingre which is basic; 14 breakfasts & 1 dinner included.
Transport
Bus or Jeep/Flight/Ferry.
Group Size
Approx. 12 to 16.
Tour Staff
Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s) and interpreter guide.
Tibetan Plateau & Potala Palace
From Kathmandu, we fly across the Himalaya to Gongkar, on the high Tibetan plateau. We visit Yumbulagang Palace, the oldest dwelling place of Tibetan kings, and take a ferry across the Brahmaputra to the monastery of Samye. Arriving in Lhasa we have three days of extensive sightseeing in the Dalai Lama's medieval capital. The Potala Palace walls seem to grow directly out of the rocks, soaring and glistening in the crisp, dry air. We visit the sacred Jokhang Temple and listen to eerie, sonorous monks chanting.
Over the Karo La Pass
Leaving Lhasa, we drive over the 5010m Karo La Pass to beautiful Gyantse. Here we admire the extraordinary paintings and sculptures of the Kumbum stupa and Palkhor Choide monastery (15th century). We expect to encounter nomadic herdsmen as our journey continues over high passes on our way to Shekar.
Sunrise on the Himalaya
As we continue, immense vistas of snow-capped peaks dwarf tiny settlements where hardy yak herders tend their stock. After watching the sunrise colour the northern flanks of the mighty Himalaya we begin our descent from the Tibetan Plateau (5000m). A series of steep switch-backs bring us back to the terraced landscapes of Nepal.
Comment
An exciting journey through a remote region some, of our road journeys are long and bumpy although infinitely rewarding. Although primarily a cultural tour with no particular level of fitness required, the very high altitudes to which we travel can have a debilitating effect until you have acclimatised. It is not suitable for those with heart or respiratory conditions.