Fly-in-Drive-Out – Exotic Tour - 8 Days

Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to the Gonggar airport of Lhasa (90 kilometers from the main city).
This afternoon remains free for acclimatization. You stay overnight at hotel in Lhasa.

Day 2-3: on these days you will visit Potala Palace, Norbulinka Palace, Jorkhang, surrounding of Barkhor Street, Drepung and Sera Monasteries. You stay overnight at a hotel in Lhasa. One of the highlights is a visit to the symbol of Tibet, which is the Potala Palace set high on a Red Hill, the winter home of the Dalai Lama until 1959. The most sacred temple in Lhasa is the Lokhang.

Another great treasure is the Norbulingka – the old summer palace of the Dalai Lama.

Now you visit Jorkhang temple, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where innumerable pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Surrounding the Jorkhang Temple is the bustling Barkhor Street which is the religious and social focus of Lhasa. Around the Barkhor there are numerous stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts: brightly colored boots and fur-lined hats, silver and turquoise jewelry, rosaries, prayer flags and charms, as well as beautiful Tibetan carpets and all manners of ordinary household ware.

Next you visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419, has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 Lamas live in there. On the other hand, Drepung monastery, is the world’s largest monastery with about 10,000 monks

Day 04: Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse (3,950m.).
You stay overnight at hotel in Gyantse. Today is a full day a picturesque drive crossing over a colorful Yamdrok Lake and Kambala Pass at 4,794m and Karola Pass at 5,010m. In Gyantse you spend time visiting the Pelke Chode Monastery and the 35m high famous Kumbum Stupa in Gyantse packed with exquisite Tibetan sculpture and paintings, a stunning architectural wonder in Tibet.

Day 05: Drive from Gyantse to Shigatse (3,900m.).
You stay overnight at a hotel in Shigatse. When Gyantse just fades away from your sight, Shigatse becomes clearer because it’s just one and half hours driving (98 kilometers).

Shigatse is situated near the junction of the Ngang and Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) rivers, with many traditional low ceiling, flat roofed, mud brick Tibetan houses, but quite a lot of ugly modern Chinese buildings as well. It is home of the Tashilunpo Monastery, traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, and one of the great centers of Tibetan Buddhism. Shigatse has an interesting bazaar, where various traditional items can often be found at more or less reasonable prices. Shigatse has always been an important trade and administration center and also has political and religious significance, once being the seat of the Panchen Lama. The town is essentially divided into two parts: the old Tibetan style area in the city and the concrete, modern Chinese part of the town. The older streets and alleys here are very pleasant to wander and there are a few sights of interest to guarantee a stay of a day or two.

Here you go to Tashilunpo Monastery and the Tibetan market. Tashilhunpo (Heap of Glory) Monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lamas. Built in 1447, it is the head monastery of Yellow Hat sect (Gelukgonpa). It is today one of Tibet’s most active monasteries.

Day 06 Drive from Shigatse to Xegar (4,350 m.) takes approximately 8 hours.
You stay overnight at a hotel in Xegar.

Day 07: Drive from Xegar to Zhangmu.
You stay overnight at hotel in Zhangmu. You drive to Zhangmu crossing Lalung la Pass (5050m) and Nyalam Pass (3800m). This drive offers fantastic views of high mountains including Mt. Everest (8848m).

Day 08: Drive from Zhangmu to Kathmandu.
We drive downhill to Friendship Bridge where transportation awaits for your journey back to Kathmandu.

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