11 Days Beijing - Lhasa - Kathmandu Tour Via Flight

Welcome to the capital city of China! After your arrival at the Beijing airport or train station, your local tour guide will greet you and escort you by private vehicle to your downtown Beijing hotel. After we help you check in at your hotel, you will be free to rest up from your long trip or begin exploring the city on your own.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

China has more than 4,000 years of history with its Imperial Social System, and Beijing is the best place in China to experience this magnificent history and the culture of ancient China. Today your guide will pick you up at your hotel after your breakfast to begin the wonderful ancient China culture and history tour!

First up on your visit to Beijing is the world's largest plaza - Tian'anmen Square. The grandiose Tian'anmen Gate is the place where Chairman Mao Ze Dong announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China to the world in 1949. Passing through Tian'anmen Gate, you will enter the ancient and splendid Forbidden City, the home of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties for nearly 600 years. Magnificent architecture, intricate ornaments and touching legends make this a must-see site while in China.

After lunch, you'll visit the stunning and exquisite Summer Palace, where you'll be amazed at the vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, temples and palaces that together make up a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. During the Qing Dynasty, the Summer Palace was the personal summer retreat of the royal family. The overall layout of the Summer Palace consists of a front hill, back hill, and Kunming Lake. The front hill area contains splendid halls and pavilions while the back hill provides quiet, natural beauty.

After visiting these sites, we will take you back to your hotel to relax.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

Hiking on the Great Wall of China is just a dream for most people, but today you will make that dream come true. We will escort you about 70 kilometers from your downtown Beijing hotel to the world-famous Mutianyu Great Wall, which has fewer tourists than the often over-crowded Badaling Great Wall. Mutianyu is also the best section of the Great Wall to view the expansive and beautiful scenery while appreciating the grand scale of the Wall. After we purchase the entrance tickets at the ticket office, we will take the cable car up to the Great Wall for about 2 hours of hiking along the lengths of the Wall.

After hiking the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu, we will take you back to downtown Beijing, but along the way we will stop at the solemn Ming Tombs, the final resting place of the ancient emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Here you can wander along the Sacred Road, a tranquil path that in the past was reserved for royalty. The road is lined with statues of devine animals and officials as it leads to the mysterious Underground Palace, which we will also visit. One last stop before returning to your hotel will be at the Beijing Olympic Village, where you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the outsides of the instantly recognizable "Bird's Nest" stadium and the Water Cube.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

After breakfast at your hotel, we will take you to visit the charming Beihai Park where you can see the ancient White Pagoda and the Nine-Dragon Screen. After visiting the park, we will explore some of Beijing’s famous hutongs, which are ancient alleyways of traditional architecture that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 A.D.) Many local Beijingers still live in the traditional manner in these ancient hutongs, and during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 A.D.) many members of the royal family resided there. You can wander around leisurely through these narrow alleyways to get a feel for old Beijing, or travel around by rickshaw to see even more. Before leaving the hutongs, we will have a traditional lunch of Chinese dumplings in the home of a local family to complete the hutong experience. If you like, you can even learn how to cook this delicious Beijing specialty by yourself.

After your hutong lunch experience, we will move on to a masterpiece of Chinese architecture, the iconic Temple of Heaven, where for centuries the ancient Chinese emperors prayed for a good harvest nationwide every year. Today the outer areas of the Temple of Heaven are a public park where the locals gather to practice Tai Chi, fly kites, play mah jong and chat, while the inner area of the temple is a historic site for visitors to learn about Chinese history and culture.

After visiting the Temple of Heaven we will take you back to your hotel to relax and prepare for your flight to Lhasa tomorrow.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

After a nice breakfast at your hotel, we will escort you by private vehicle to the Beijing airport for your flight to Lhasa. Upon arrival at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport, your local tour guide and driver will meet you to take you on to your hotel in downtown Lhasa. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and acclimatize yourself to the higher altitude of the Tibetan Plateau.

Tips for High Altitude Acclimatization:
1) Go for a leisurely walk in the fresh high altitude air, but avoid any strenuous activity after your arrival.
2) It's better to avoid taking a bath to avoid catching a cold.
3) Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and eat some fresh fruit.
4) Get plenty of rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Start your exploration of Lhasa today with a visit to a world-famous landmark - the Potala Palace, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world. Climb up the palace along zig-zagging stone paths alongside the white and red walls to the top of the palace where you can gain a greater appreciation of the exotic Tibetan-style buildings as well as for a great view of Lhasa's entire urban area. After admiring the sweeping outside views, explore the inner spaces of the Potala Palace to find the stately chapels and learn more about the fascinating history of this special place.

From one historic landmark to another, your next stop will be at the Jokhang Temple, considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet and other places to the temple to worship the Buddha. The Jokhang Temple is also known as the "House of Buddha" because it houses the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (1.5 meter/5 feet) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkor Street, the wide, circular street that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Local residents enjoy walking on the street, completing several circuits around the temple as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many small shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handicrafts.

Tips for today's tour:
1) There are 1,080 steps to the top of the Potala Palace, so it's best to take it slowly to avoid high altitude sickness.
2) Taking photos is not allowed inside the Potala Palace.
3) Most of today will be spent outside, so please bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and some water with you to protect yourself from the more intense sun at the higher altitude.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the beautiful Norbulingka Palace and Park, the location of the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until 1959. It features the famous Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai Lamas built in the grandiose style of traditional Tibetan architecture.

After visiting the palaces and park at Norbulingka, we will travel around 5 kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit the Drepung Monastery. The word "drepung" in Tibetan language means "prosperity". Since its establishment in 1416, Drepung Monastery has served as one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. During its prime, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders studied at this monastery, including the Dalai Lamas. Accordingly, Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, we will escort you on to another famous monastery in Lhasa - the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is famous for its spectacular “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the various Buddhist doctrines with exaggerated gestures, which is thought to be helpful in facilitating a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhist Debates", we will take you back to your hotel with the rest of the day and evening to relax or explore on your own.

Tips for Proper Etiquette While Visiting Monasteries
1) For clothing, shorts and/or bare shoulders are not allowed.
2) Hats and sunglasses should be removed before entering the chapels.
3) Taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Today we will begin our exploration of the more rural areas of Tibet, with an 8-hour drive to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. Although it is a long drive, it certainly won’t be a boring one – there is much to see and do along the way. The first stop en route from Lhasa to Shigatse will be the holy Yamdrok Lake (elevation 4400 meters). As the largest fresh water lake in the northern Himalayas, the lake reaches about 675 square kilometers from north to south, shaped much like a teardrop lying amidst the giant snow-capped mountains. Beyond the lake, you can see fertile pastures dotted with yaks and sheep along with small Tibetan villages along the shores of the lake. A little bit further on from Yamdrok Lake we will see the Karola Glacier (elevation 5045 meters) as it towers imposingly above the right side of the road.

Continuing on our journey, we will reach the historical city of Gyantse, where we will have a nice local lunch before visiting the mysterious Palcho Monastery (elevation 4040 meters). At this monastery, monks from three of the main sects of Tibetan Buddhism – Sakyapa, Zhalupa and Gelukpa peacefully live in harmony. The monastery’s Kumbum (multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels) is 35 meters tall, consisting of 76 small chapels with hundreds of images of Kriyantantras, and it is believed to be the largest such structure in all of Tibet.

After visiting Gyantse, we will drive the remaining 3 hours on to Shigatse (elevation 3800 meters) and check into the hotel for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Overnight in Shigatse

After breakfast, we will take you to see the officlal seat of the Panchen Lama – Tashilunpo Monastery. This important monastery is the largest and most influential Gelug Monastery in Shigatse Prefecture. It contains a giant statue of the Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind in the world, standing 26.2 meters tall and 11.5 meters wide and decorated with precious pearls, turquoise, coral and amber.

After our visit to Tashilunpo, we will travel on to our ultimate destination – Mount Everest. Although this is another long drive of 7 hours, the views along the route are absolutely incredible. On clear days you can see the faces of the mountains in the Himalyan range, including several famous peaks that reach more than 8,000 meters into the sky, such as Makalu, Lhotse, Gyachung and Cho Oyu. Once we reach the isolated Rongbuk Monastery (elevation 4980 meters) and get our first look at mighty Mount Everest, it’s a fantastic feeling that will make you realize that all of the effort that went into this long journey was not made in vain. Located about 5100 meters above sea level, Rongbuk Monastery is the highest monastery in the world. This is also the best location to take the best photos of the front face of Mount Everest. You will have the rest of this day free to visit the Rongbuk Monastery and explore the natural scenery of the surrounding area.

Overnight accommodations:
If you visit Mount Everest during the off season (November to April), you will stay at the Rongbuk Guesthouse near the Rongbuk Monastery; if you visit during the peak season (May to October), you can stay at the Tibetan Tent Camp, located about 4 kilometers from the Rongbuk Monastery. Please note as this is a very remote area, only very simple and basic accommodations are available with dormitory beds and communal squat toilets. Duvets, heated blankets and hot water are provided but it is recommended that you bring your own sleeping bags and toilet paper. There is no running water so there are no sinks or showers in the area. The dining room only offers a basic breakfast and dinner with no menu provided. Remember to dress warmly no matter when you visit.

Tips for this trip to Mount Everest:
1) Bring plenty of food and drinks for the long drive;
2) Bring a warm, heavy coat for the lower temperatures in the Mount Everest area;
3) Avoid strenuous activities to help prevent high altitude sickness.

Accommodation: Overnight at Rongphu Monastery Guest House

This morning, wake up early to see the incredible sunrise as it shines upon the peak of the world. If we have stayed overnight at the Rongbuk Guesthouse, we’ll drive to the Tibetan Tent Camp (elevation 4900 meters) to enjoy a closer view of Mount Everest. Of course the peak of Mount Everest is covered by snow year-round, so when the sun shines on the peak it looks like a giant white pyramid. This is one of the most famous views of Mount Everest in photographs, and if the day is clear enough you will be able to witness it with your own eyes. On bright days you may also see a wisp of a cloud hanging just above the tip of Mount Everest, which flies eastward in the fast-moving westerly wind, creating an effect just like a flapping flag. This unique effect is known as the “Cloud Flag” and it is spectacular as it changes from surging waves into a thin wisp of smoke, or from something resembling galloping stallions into the mysterious veil of a goddess.

After plenty of time to take in the spectacular sunrise on Mount Everest, we will drive on to Gyirong Town. The views along this road are amazing – on clear days you will be able to see the clear face of Shishapangma Peak and enjoy the beautiful view of Pekutso Lake. We will stay overnight at Gyirong Town.

Today’s trip notes:
1) To protect the fragile environment of Mount Everest, Everest Base Camp is currently not open for tourists, but the Everest landscape can still be enjoyed at the Rongbuk Monastery and the Tibetan Tent Camp. The Everest Base Camp marker, a tablet reading “Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp” has been transferred to the Tibetan Tent Camp. We suggest that you take a photo with this marker to commemorate this wonderful adventure tour;
2) Sunrise usually begins around 6:30 to 7 a.m. on Mount Everest;
3) Please remember to dress warmly for the cold mountain temperatures.

Accommodation: Overnight at local hotel

Today you will be leaving Tibet and China, so we will drive around 25 kilometers to the Gyirong Port of Exit, where you will walk through customs into Nepal and then transfer on to Kathmandu. Although it is a distance of only about 160 kilometers, it takes more than 6 hours to drive to Kathmandu from Gyirong Port because the road is narrow and rough. During the rainy season the road is muddy and can occasionally be closed by landslides.

Today’s trip notes:
1) Our services for this tour will end at the border of Tibet and Nepal. If you would like, we can also arrange the transfer from the border on to Kathmandu for you at an extra charge.

Accommodation: None