Overland tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu has always been a great experience for travelers. First few days visiting Lhasa for its historic sights, colors and culture of local people, then travelling to Everest basecamp which has been the utmost interest of many travelers around the world. Leaning in into sub-tropical region has the completely different scenes on the way yet beautiful and greener.
Songtsan team is solely based in Lhasa. Our Tibetan guides and drivers are also based in Lhasa. From last more than 10 years, our only goal is to provide authentic Tibetan tour service, that means every word we say and steps we take has the touch of local Tibetan essence. It is to consider the very expectation of your visit to a place rich in culture and history. Our reviews will justify that all our guides, drivers and sale’s team have hospitality at their heart. We are 24 hours day in and out at your service.
| Days | Trip Outline | Activity | Accommodation |
| Day1 | Pick up and transfer to hotel.. | Rest well to acclimatize | Shangbala |
| Day2 | Lhasa sightseeing | Jokhang temple, Barkhor street, Potala palace | Shangbala |
| Day3 | Lhasa sightseeing | Sera monastery, Drepung monastery, Home dinner | Shangbala |
| Day4 | Lhasa to Shigatse (3900m) 350km 6hrs approx | Yamdrok, Karola, Kumbum stupa | Tashi Choedar |
| Day5 | Shigatse to Old Tingri (4200m) 290km 6hrs approx | Tashi lunpu monastery, | Local hotel |
| Day6 | Trekking: 1st Day | Old Tingri to Lungthang (4510m) 5 hrs/12km/150m up | Camping |
| Day7 | EBC to Kyirong valley (3680m) 350km 6hrs approx | Mt Shishapadma, Peikutso lake | Camping |
| Day8 | Kyirong valley to kyirong border 30min | Kyirong border to Kathmandu | Camping |
Itinerary Detail:
Day1: Arrival in Lhasa: Acclimatization
Upon arrival at Lhasa Gonggar airport, our guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit gate, with your name board. Tashi Delek is probably the first Tibetan word you will hear upon arrival, it is an endearing gesture of welcoming our guest followed by offering a white scarf which is called Khata in Tibetan.
It is about 70kms from the airport to the old city of Lhasa which will take 45 minutes to 1hrs depending on the traffic. This short trip in your car will allow you to have a short glimpse of the Yarlung river/ Brahmaputra river and a close view of the majestic Potala palace.
Check into your hotel, first day is crucial for travelers to have a good rest at their hotel, and acclimatize to the environment.
Day2: Lhasa highlights: Jokhang temple, Barkhor street, Sera monastery
Breakfast will be served at your hotel from 7:30 am to 10.30 am.
Your guide will pick you up at the hotel to visit Jokhang temple which is not more than 5 minutes walk from your hotel. Jokhang temple is located at the center of the old city of Lhasa and has been a very important location for both religious and business
Center of Tibet in early years.
Barkhor street is approximately 15-20 minutes walk around the Jokhang temple. The local pilgrimage will be walking along with their prayer wheels in their hand in clockwise. The street is filled with many shops and now has become a shopping center.
Walking around Barkhor street will be a pleasant experience to see many Tibetan local devotees on their prostration and the colorful culture of people from different parts of Tibet. After lunch, there is a debate session of Sera monks which will start around 3 pm in the Sera courtyard. The last sight of the day is the Sera monastery which was built in the 15th Century by The Jamchen Choji Sakya Yeshi who was a disciple of Tsongkapa the founder of the Gelukpa sect, one of four schools in Tibetan Buddhism.
Day 3: Lhasa highlights: Potala palace, Drepung monastery, Home dinner with our team.
A morning visit to the palace is as refreshing as jogging alongside the lake with a cool breeze and breath. After checking in at the gate, stairs and steps will take you higher toward the Potala place which has a white and red palace. The white castle was built to attend to official matters and the red palace was built to attend to religious matters.
Potala palace was initially laid its foundation by the 33rd King of Tibet Songtsan Gampo in the 7th Century and later rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th Century.
Make sure to rest once a while during the visit, every stair is worth the effort for the beautiful bird’s eye view of Lhasa and every room and chamber inside the palace.
We will arrange home dinner at home with our team in the evening. We have a special cook on our team who will prepare local Tibetan dishes, not too greasy not too spicy. We will also teach you how to make Yak momo. For this delightful evening, conversations are mainly about how we work as a team, your experience in Tibet, and feedback on improving our service.
Day4: Lhasa to Shigatse
Leaving Lhasa in the morning has the charm of starting your day along with the rising sun brightening the beautiful day on your way out.
The first stop is at Yamdrok lake, Yamdrok is about a 2:30-3 hrs drive of about 110km from Lhasa via Gambala pass (4790m).
This holy lake is also called Yamdrok Yumtso in Tibet. The color of the lake is turquoise, and it has the most beautiful view of the mountains and lake enclosed by an ever-blue sky. The length of the river is 72km, which goes side by side with the main road to Karola glacier which is a close to 1hr drive further down.
The second stop is at Karola glacier which is one of Tibet’s three major continental glaciers located at the boundary of Nangarze county.
The third stop is at Gyantse town’s Kumbum Pelkor chorten monastery. Kum-bum means one hundred thousand holy images. It was built by the Gyangtse prince in the year 1427 with nine levels and 77 chapels.
This stupa is a unique three-dimensional mandala meant to portray the Buddhist cosmos.
Day5: Shigatse to Shegar
Morning visit to Tashi lunpu monastery. Tashi lunpu monastery was founded by the 1st Dalai Lama in 1447, it is traditional monastic seat of successive Panchen Lama. After obtaining Alien’s travel permit (ATP) from the local police security bureau (PSB) The drive is about 2:30hrs until you will stop at Sakya monastery en route to Shegar. Sakya monastery is famous for its 84,000 scrolls of ancient Buddhist scripture sealed in a wall of 60m long and 10m high in the library.
Sakya monastery has two parts divided by the Zongchu River. The Northern side of the monastery built by Kon Konchok Gyalpo is not active nowadays and was left in ruins. The southern part of the monastery built by Dromgon Choegyal Phakpa is where most of the rituals and praying happen.
Day6: Shegar to EBC
After breakfast, we will drive straight to EBC and Rongbuk Monastery crossing several passes along the way. The first pass along the way is Gyatso La Pass (5400m) which has a view of the Himalayas. You can actually see Mt. Everest in the distance from the viewing point at the pass.
A few kilometers after the border checkpoint we turn off the Friendship Highway and zig-zag our way up to Gawu La Pass (5250m) a great spot for a view of all the Himalayan Mountains above 8000 meters. From left to right you will see Mt. Makalu (8463m) Mt. Lhotse (8516m) Mt. Everest (8848m) Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m) and Mt. Shishapangma (8020m).
After arriving at Rongbuk Monastery we will settle into the Monastery guesthouse where we will be staying the night. The Rongbuk Monastery houses both monks and nuns and is the “official” highest monastery in the world at 4980 meters. In the afternoon you will have time to explore the Rongbuk Monastery area and get the best shot of the North Face of Mount Everest.
Day7: EBC to Kyirong valley
You will come across Peikutso lake today where you will be able to catch a glimpse at Mt Shishapadma. As we go further down with the altitude, you will notice the change of environment, more trees, and grass. You are not far from the kyirong valley.
Day8: kyirong valley to Kyirong border
It is about a 30-40min drives from kyirong town to kyirong border. Your guide will help with the customs and find a Nepalese driver to go to Kathmandu. From the border to Kathmandu, it is about 149km mostly in the beautiful valleys passing through Langtang National Park.
The service Includes:
– All necessary travel permits to Tibet;
– Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the program
– Private transportation in Tibet: 8 to 15 seated mini van with experienced local Tibetan driver.
– Private guide: English-speaking local Tibetan guide;
– Lodging: Comfortable Four star hotel in Lhasa and Shigatse
– Oxygen cylinder for the group;
– Lodging and meals for guide and drivers;
– Two bottles of mineral water per person every day.
– Liability travel insurance
The service excludes:
– Travel insurance covers trip cancellation and emergency evacuation(recommended);
– Expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls, etc.);
– International and domestic flight/train.(Note: we accept flights and train tickets bookings in advance,
– Meals – lunches and dinners, breakfasts at the guesthouses (Average a meal in Tibet cost USD7 per person);
– Gratuities for the guide and driver.
-Visa fee