NEWS  LETTER

FIXED DEPARTURE TOURS TO TIBET ON GROUP JOINING BASIS
LHASA OVERLAND TOUR
TOUR CODE : TC004-08D

(Departure from Kathmandu every Saturday starting from April till November)

LHASA OVERLAND TOUR (Departure from Kathmandu every Saturday starting from April till November) 

INTRODUCTION 
Travelling overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa is an incredible journey in which you can see the world's highest mountains, travel on the world's highest plains meet nomadic Tibetan pilgrims, and walk amidst the burning butter lamps and chanting monks of Tibet's ancient and legendary Buddhist monasteries. There are five passes of over 5000 meters high to cross in the 950Km drive from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

However if you are not prepared to rough it a bit for the sake of adventure (accommodations and especially food and other amenities which will be far from your expectation considering the amount you pay for the trip), perhaps this trip is not for you. "Cold and dusty" is the comment of many people who have visited Tibet. Travelling to Tibet is not always easy but it rewards the visitors with glimpses of a land and life unlike any other. Visit to Buddhist monasteries and temples are an integral part of any journey to Tibet.

ITINERARY FOR KATHMANDU - LHASA BY ROAD, RETURN BY AIR 

Day 01 Saturday:  Kathmandu – Zhangmu (2300 meters)
After an early breakfast we make an early start for the border, which is about 5 hour drive. If clear en - route there are fine mountain views of Langtang, to the north, and Gauri Shanker, Melungtse and the Khumbu Himal (range) to the east. Driving east the road drops down and joins the Sun Koshi River. From the Kodari border and Friendship Bridge a further uphill drive of about 30 minutes to Zhangmu check post. Check in at the hotel after customs and immigration formalities.  

Day 02 Sunday: Zhangmu - Xegar Check Post (4350 meters)
From Zhangmu the road follows the deep valley of the Bhote Kosi on a spectacular road with lots of waterfalls on both sides of the valley. After 2 1/2 hours drive Nielamu Pass (3800 m) is reached from where there are views of the Jugal Himal. 15 minutes after crossing the great barrier of the Himalayan range, Nielamu is reached, the starting point of the Xixapangma trek. The road follows the valley passing some Tibetan villages. The Lalung Leh (5050 m) is about 2 1/4 hrs drive from Nielamu and from this pass a very long range of mountains may be visible - Langtang (7245 m), Xixapangma (8013 m) and Dorje Lakpa (6980 m) in the west. And in the east, Makalu (8463 m), Everest (8848 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Cho Oyu (8201 m) and Gauri Shanker (7134 m). So five peaks of more than 8000 meters high can be seen. From the pass the descent is down to the plateau of Thingri which takes about 2 hours, then another 2 hours to Xegar Check Post. Check in at Hotel Chhomolungma which is a very low standard hotel but it is the best hotel around the place and the only choice.

Day 03 Monday: Xegar Check Post  - Xigatse(3900 meters)
Lhatze is 3 hours away over a 5220 meter pass. There is a small restaurant in front of the petrol station where tea and snack is available. Xigatse is reached in about 5 hours. The famous Tashilunpo monastery,in xigatse is the seat of the Panchen Lama until his death in 1989. The huge thangka wall lies clearly visible on the north side of the road. Overnight at Xigatse. 

Day 04 Tuesday:  Xigatse - Gyangtse(3950 Meters)
We visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning. The tour includes the temple of the large future Buddha which is 26 meters high and it is gilded with gold and decorated with valuable jewels. The main and biggest monastery has prayer halls, printing blocks and alters of different gods and goddesses. Below, often monks and lamas can be found studying and debating. Afterwards it is interesting to visit the market place of this old town. After lunch the drive to Gyangtse is a pleasant 2 hours.

Gyangtse is small bustling town steeped in history. It lies 264 km southwest of Lhasa on the northern bank of the Nyang Chu river. In the 15th century it served as the capital of a small kingdom. The beautiful Kumbum chorten, built around 1400 AD, and the huge ruined castle bear witness to the powers that ruled then. It later became the main center for trade with British India and the focal point of Younghusband's British Expedition to Tibet in 1904 when his soldiers defeated some 5000 Tibetans and destroyed the fort by cannon fire.  

Usually immediately after arriving, a tour of the Kumbum and Pelkor Chode monastary is made. Then it can be very rewarding to have a look around the fascinating typically Tibetan town or even climb to the top of the fort. There are restaurants and shops in the main street close to the hotel. Try eating traditional momos, which are steam cooked balls of meat encased in dough, and chang, a "beer" made from barley. Overnight at  Gyangtse.

Day 05 Wednesday: Gyangtse – Lhasa (3650 meters) 
It takes 8 hours to drive from Gyangtse to Lhasa crossing the Karo La (5010m) and Kamba La (4794m). The Karo La climbs between two lofty mountains, Nozin Khang Sa (7223m) and Ralung (6236m). Look out for Nozin Kang's big hanging glacier on the left side 300 meters away. The descent leads to Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake). A beautiful drive of about one hour around the lake is followed by a steep climb away from the north side of the lake to the Kamba La from where Lhasa valley is seen to the north. From the pass it takes at least an hour to twist and turn down the mountain side to the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahamaputra river) where the hard top road is met. A bridge takes the road to the north bank and the main road leading east to Lhasa, an hour away. 10 km before Lhasa the road meets the 1164 km highway that crosses the Qhinghai plateau en - route to Golmud. Watch out for the first views of the Potala Palace. Three nights are spent in Lhasa.

Day 06 and 07 Friday:  Tour at Lhasa (3650 meters)
Arranged sightseeing includes visits to the Potala palace, the Jokhang and surrounding Barkhor market, Drepung monastery and perhaps Sera monastary or Norbulinka, the Dalai Lama's summer palace. Overnight at Lhasa.

DAY 8  Saturday:  Lhasa – Kathmandu by flight
The drive to the airport takes about 2 hours. It is often not possible to re - exchange FEC here. The flight is one hour ten minutes and it is one of the most beautiful flights in the world. First the flight follows the Yarlung Tsangpo river west. Then the aircraft flies over Lake yamdrok and across the mountain range of Nozin Khang Sa. The flight takes a sharp turn southwards between Kanchenjunga (8586m) and Makalu (8463m). The east face of Chomolungma (Everest, 8848m) and Makalu can be seen on the right side, and the whole Kanchenjunga massif including Chomolhari (7315m) in Bhutan on the left side of the aircraft. After flying south for some 15 minutes following the line of the Arun valley, the flight turns west again towards Kathmandu flying along the southern flanks of Makalu, Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu (8210m) before passing Gauri Shanker and the Jugal Himal. Xixapangma lies behind Dorje Lakpa. Approaching Kathmandu it is also possible to see, to the west, Manaslu and Annapurna l to the west thus making it possible to view 8 peaks of over 8000 meters in this single flight.  

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