12 Days Yunan Lhasa Shigatse Everest Gyirong Tour

Welcome to the capital of Yunnan Province, the Spring City of Kunming! Upon your arrival at the Kunming airport or train station, your local tour guide will greet you to escort you to your private car to transfer you to your downtown Kunming hotel. You will have the rest of the day to rest and relax at your hotel or you can explore around the local area on your own.

Accommodation: Overnight in Kunming

This morning after a nice breakfast at your hotel, we will take you about 90 kilometers (65 miles) outside of the city of Kunming to see one of nature’s miracles – the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Shilin Stone Forest. These amazing natural karst stone formations were formed over 270 million years ago by the erosion of limestone that left towers of stone rising up from the ground, thus creating the “stone forest”. We will take you to visit both the Greater Stone Forest – where you can climb up to a pavilion for a panoramic view of the fantastic landscape, and the Lesser Stone Forest, where you can learn about the Yi Minority legend of “Ashima” and what happened when she was forbidden from marrying her true love.

After plenty of time exploring the incredible Shilin Stone Forest, we will drive you on to the Kunming airport for your short, 1-hour flight to Lijiang. Upon your arrival at the Lijiang airport, your local guide will meet you to take you by private car to Lijiang Old Town and help you check in to your hotel. You will have the rest of the evening to explore the old village on your own, which is exceptionally beautiful when it is lit up at night.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lijiang

This morning we will take you by private car to visit the magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which gets its name from its 13 peaks that are shaped like a jade dragon (you can guess where the snow part comes from.) The highest peak, known as Shanzidou, reaches 5596 meters (18360 feet) above sea level and is covered with snow and glaciers year-round, making for some spectacular views any time of the year. Enroute to the mountain we will stop at Ganhaizi (Dry Sea Meadow), which had been a highland glacial lake until it ran dry in the 1940s. The remaining fertile meadow is filled with flowers in the spring and summer, with the snow-capped mountain peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain providing a dramatic backdrop that is perfect for great photos. Other sightseeing hotspots on the mountain are the beautiful Blue Moon Valley, with its magical river that changes colors from sky blue to milky white depending upon the weather, and the Spruce Meadow with its towering spruce trees and panoramic view of the mountain peaks.

After exploring Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, we will drive to Baisha Village Baisha Village to see and appreciate the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. The Baishi Village is probably the most authentic ancient village in the area, with its Dabaoji Palace and the Liuli Temple containing murals that were painted more than a thousand years ago in the various styles of Tibetan Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. After a visit to Baisha, we will move on to Shuhe Ancient Town, another ancient and well preserved village about 4 kilometers (2 miles) outside of the Lijiang Old Town. Shuhe was one of the earliest of the Naxi people’s settlements, and it served as an important stop along the Ancient Tea Horse Caravan route.

Our exploration of the Lijiang area continues with a visit to the Dongba Culture Museum. This museum traces history of the ancient Dongba culture of the Naxi minority people with more than 10,000 cultural relics in its collection. After visiting the museum, we can walk over to the Black Dragon Pool for picturesque views in a calm and peaceful setting. During clear weather this is also a great place to see the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.

After we see the Black Dragon Pool, we will take you back to your hotel for the night.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lijiang

This morning we will check out of the hotel and drive around 45 kilometers (28 miles) for a fantastic panoramic view of the First Bend of the Yangtze River, a horseshoe-shaped section of river that bends around a small mountain. We’ll also stop in the town there, Shigu, to see the Iron Chain Bridge that Mao’s Red Army used to cross the river during the Long March, and the ancient “Stone Drum”, which is a stone monument with a plaque placed there around 500 years ago to commemorate a Naxi victory over Tibetans in battle.

Moving on from Shigu we will visit one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world at Tiger Leaping Gorge, which was carved by the Jinsha River, one of the major tributaries of the Yangtze River. The maximum depth from the river to the top of the canyon is 3790 meters (12,434 feet), creating some amazing views. Legend has it that a tiger escaped from a hunter by jumping across the river using a rock that is still visible there in the middle of the river, thus the name Tiger Leaping Gorge.

From the magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge we will travel on to what may be the real life Shangri-La, which is about a 2-hour drive through some beautiful scenery along the way, and then check into our hotel for the night. You will have the rest of the night free to rest and relax in your hotel room or explore the local area on your own.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lijiang

“Shangri-La” is a fictional place from James Hilton’s classic novel Lost Horizon, but there is evidence to suggest that this area of northern Yunnan Province was Hilton’s inspiration for the place. A National Geographic resident explorer, Joseph Rock (whose former residence we will have visited in Yuhu Village), published articles about this area in the National Geographic magazine in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s that may have influenced Hilton’s book, which was first published in 1933.

To begin our exploration of the “real” Shangri-La, we will first visit the Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Gompa), an ancient monastery of the “Yellow Hat” sect of Tibetan Buddhism situated at an elevation of 3,380 meters (11,090 feet) above sea level. First built in 1679, it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province with around 700 resident monks at the present time. It is sometimes referred to as “The Little Potala Palace” due to the main monastery’s resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet. The main hall also houses an 8 meter (26 feet) tall gilded statue of the Shakyamuni Buddha along with paintings of events in his life and numerous ancient scriptures written on palm leaves. We can explore the three main lamasery buildings to see the various Buddhist treasures and the resident monks going about their daily lives, and if the weather permits, we can walk around the tranquil Lamuyangcuo Lake to enjoy the spectacular natural scenery there.

After our visit to the monastery, we will drive on to Pudacuo (also known as Potatso) National Park, the first national park in China to meet International Union for the Conservation of Nature standards and also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas. This 1,300 square kilometer (500 square mile) national park reportedly contains more than 20% of China’s species of plants, around one-third of its mammal and bird species and nearly 100 endangered species. The main sections of the park are Shudu Lake, Militang Grasslands and Bita Lake. We will start our exploration of the park by walking along the wooden plank road to enjoy the scenery around Shudu Lake (3.3 km, 1 hour of hiking) and Bita Lake (4.2 km, 1.5 hours hiking) while enjoying the Militang Grasslands between the two lakes. You may want to take an optional boat cruise on Shudu Lake or Bita Lake or both to avoid having to do some much walking.

After visiting the park, we will be welcomed into the home of a local Tibetan family for some special Tibetan snacks and yak butter tea. Fresh off of some authentic Tibetan hospitality, we will drive back to the hotel in Zhongdian to spend the night.

Tips for today’s tour:

1) Dress modestly, practice good manners and ask for permission if you want to take pictures with monks or pilgrims;

The altitude of Pudacuo National Park is around 3,538 meters above sea level, so you should avoid strenuous activity to prevent altitude sickness;

Accommodation: Overnight in Shangri-la

This morning after a nice breakfast at your hotel, we will take you to the Shangri-La Zhongdian Airport for your 2-hour flight on to Lhasa, Tibet with some spectacular mountain scenery to be seen along the way. Upon your arrival at the Lhasa airport, your local guide will greet you to take you to your private car and escort you to your downtown Lhasa hotel to help you check in. You will have the rest of the evening free to rest, relax and acclimatize yourself to the higher altitude.

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 to 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 Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkhor 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.

After your visit to the Jokhang Temple, we will take you back to your hotel for the evening.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

This morning 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.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

We will get an early start this morning as we begin the drive from Lhasa to Shigatse through some fantastically beautiful scenery along the way. Driving through the green pastures of Nyangchu Valley, we will travel through the Gampala Pass (elevation 4790 meters) and get a look at the stunning Yamdrok Lake, one of the holiest lakes in Tibet. We will also pass by the Karola Glacier (elevation 4960 meters) as we travel westward to Gyantse. At Gyantse, we will have the opportunity to stop at the Palcho Monastery and the Gyantse Kumbum. A “kumbum” is a multistoried aggregate of chapels in Tibetan Buddhism, and the one in Gyantse is of the largest in all of Tibet. From there we will travel on another hour and a half to reach Shigatse to spend the night.

Accommodation: Overnight in Shigatse

We will get an early start today to visit the Tashilunpo Monastery, which was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama The Tashilunpo Monastery is the officlal seat of the Panchen Lama, and as such, it 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. Before leaving Shigatse, we will need to obtain your Alien Travel Permit, which will allow us to travel on to the Everest Base Camp. We will stop at Lhatse for lunch, and then travel over Tsola Pass (elevation 4600 meters) and Gyatsola Pass (5248 meters). At Gawula Pass (elevation 5180 meters), we will stop for an incredible panoramic view of some of the tallest mountain peaks in the Himalayan mountain range. From there, we will drive on towards the Everest Base Camp. If the weather permits, we should be able to see the golden peak of Mount Everest as the sun sets.

Accommodation: Overnight at Rongphu 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 observing the majesty of Mount Everest, we will visit the Rongbuk Monastery. This monastery is situated as the highest altitude monastery in the world, with it being unique in that both monks and nuns live together in the same monastery as part of the Nyingmapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

From there we will drive on to Gyirong Port on the Nepal border, taking in the breathtaking views of Mt. Shishapangma and Pekutso Lake along the way.

Accommodation: Overnight in Gyirong

This morning your tour guide will assist you in your exit from China as you pass through customs at the border with Nepal.

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