(Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bhaktapur, Dhampus, Lhasa, EBC – without Kailash-Kora)
Day 01: Arrival and transfer to hotel
Day 02: Sightseeing in Kathmandu (Swayambunath, Pashupatinath, Bodhnath)
Day 03: Drive to Pokhara and free time for shopping at the lakeside or boatstrip on Phewa Lake
Day 04: Sightseeing in Pokhara und Drive to Dhampus (Duration 1 1/2hrs) (optional Hike). Dhampus offers great mountain views and you can experience how honey, cheese and herbage are produced there
Day 05: Drive (optional Hike) to Pokhara and sightseeing (visit World Peace Pagoda and Mahendra Cave)
Day 06: Panoramic flight to Kathmandu and sightseeing in Ktm Durbar Square and Thamel
Day 07: Flight Kathmandu – Lhasa (3650m)
Day 08: Sightseeing in Lhasa (Potala Palace and Jokhang Monestary with Barkhor Bazar)
Day 09: Sightseeing in Lhasa (Sera and Ganden Monastery)
Day 10: Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake (Duration approx. 8hrs, 260km)
Day 11: Drive from Gyantse to Sakya (Duration approx. 1 ½ hrs, 100km)
Day 12: Drive from Sakya to Rongbuk (Duration approx. 6/7hrs, 250km)
Day 13: Visit of Everest Base Camp and drive to Saga (Duration approx. 6/7hrs, 350km)
Day 14: Drive from Saga to Zhangmu (Duration: 6hrs)
Day 15: Cross the border and drive to Bhaktapur
Day 16: Sightseeing in Bhaktapur and Changunarayan
Day 17: Transfer to the airport and flight back
(Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bhaktapur, Dhampus, Lhasa, EBC – without Kailash-Kora)
Day 01: Arrival and transfer to hotel
Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, a representative of our organisation will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. During a welcome dinner in the evening your guide provide you a detailed briefing on your upcoming tour so that you are well prepared for the trip and any last-minute question will be answered.
Overnight in Kathmandu
Day 02: Sightseeing in Kathmandu (Swayambunath, Pashupatinath, Bodhnath)
In the morning you visit the "monkey temple" Swayambunath, an important place for buddhist pilgrims with a small stupa.
Then you drive to Pashupatinath, a famous pilgrimage place for Hindus, located at Bagmati river. Every week come plenty of people from whole Nepal and India to pray there.
At the shore of Bagmati the believers burn their dead relatives and pray and give donations to the gods in the temple.
The Shiva temple is one of the most important of the indian subcontinent.
Then you visit the biggest stupa in the world located in Bodhnath.
Many Tibetan people come here to circle the stupa and pray.
Overnight in Kathmandu
Day 03: Drive to Pokhara and free time for shopping at the lakeside or boatstrip on Phewa Lake
After breakfast you drive about 6 hours to Pokhara. If you have good weather you have good views of Manaslu, Lamjung and the Annapurna range even from the bus.
Pokhara is located next to Phewa Lake and offers a great view of the Himalaya. After having lunch you have free time to go shopping at the lakeside with its numerous small shops, or you can make a boat trip.
Overnight in Pokhara
Day 04: Sightseeing in Pokhara und Drive to Dhampus (Duration 1 1/2hrs) (optional Hike). Dhampus offers great mountain views and you can experience how honey, cheese and herbage are produced there
You have to wake up early in the morning and drive to the view point Sarangkot by taxi. From there you get an fantastic view of the mountains and enjoy the sunrise.
After breakfast you drive about 1 ½ hours to the small village Dhampus. If you like, you can only drive until Phedi and hike from there about 1 ½ hours to Dhampus.
If you have good weather, you get an haunting panoramic view of Machhaputre, the striking mountain of Pokhara, and the Annapurna range.
In Dhampus you can also experience, how the local people produce honey, cheese or herbage.
Overnight in Dhampus: Dhampus Eco Village Lodge
Day 05: Drive (optional hike) to Pokhara and sightseeing (visit World Peace Pagoda and Mahendra Cave)
In the morning you can enjoy the awesome sunrise and after having lunch drive back to Pokhara (optional hike). From there you go to the other side of the lake by boat and hike about 200 meter up to World Peace Pagoda. The path leads through shady forest and offers great views of Phewa Lake and Pokhara down and the mountains in front of you.
If you are not interested in hiking up to the stupa, you can make a boat trip to a small island with a temple.
In the afternoon you visit Mahendra cave, which is not far away from Pokhara.
Overnight in Pokhara
Day 06: Panoramic flight to Kathmandu and Sightseeing in Ktm Durbar Square and Thamel
In the morning you fly with a small prop airliner about half an hour back to Kathmandu. The panoramic flight offers fantastic views of Langtang Ri, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, Lamjung, the Annapurna range and green valleys below you.
After arrival at your hotel and few time to rest, you explore the old town of Kathmandu and visit Kathmandu Durbar Square with its numerous temples. The Kumari-, Bhairav- and Taleju temple with their pretty woodcraft are especially nice.
Then you explore the touristic quarter Thamel, with its numerous small shops and restaurants, a great place for shopping.
Overnight in Kathmandu
Day 07: Flight Kathmandu – Lhasa (3650m)
Tashi Delek and Welcome to the 'Roof of the World'! Our tour leader will pick you up at the hotel and fly with you to Lhasa. The flight from Nepal to Lhasa is considered one of the most beautiful air routes in the world, as it provides sweeping views of Everest (8848m), Kanchenjunga (8536m) and other Himalayan peaks. After arrival you will be transferred to the hotel and the guide will give you more information about the hotels, the transportation in the next days and general information regarding the "City of Sunlight". Then you have free time to discover the holy city Lhasa on your own.
Overnight in Lhasa
Tip: Drink a lot, especially water. It helps you to acclimatize.
Day 08: Sightseeing in Lhasa (Potala Palace and Jokhang Monestary with Barkhor Bazar)
The highlight of the day is the visit of Potala palace – an UNESCO World Heritage celebrated for its priceless treasury of Buddhist artifacts and bejeweled tombs of the past of Dalai Lama. From there you can take great pictures of Lhasa's urban areas, because it is located 3650m above sea level.
After that you will visit Jokhang temple, which is in walking distance to Potala Palace and is names as the spiritual heart of the capital. You will see many pilgrims worship within or nearby the temple. Enter the first floor of the temple and absorb the religious atmosphere, you will see pilgrims are donating butter oil to keep the lights burning for the Buddha.
Then you will visit Barkhor next to the monastery. The pilgrims run in a circle here while praying. The holy route is also a bazar, so that the pilgrims can buy something during praying.
Day 09: Sightseeing in Lhasa (Sera and Ganden Monastery)
Today you drive to Sera Monastery, which is located little bit out of the city. Here young monks are teached.
During the philosophy seminar, which takes place every day at 15.30pm in the garden of the monastery, the monks practice debating. This custom you can find nowhere else in the world.
Then you drive further to Ganden monestary, which is located about 35km far from Lhasa with a breathtaking position on a cliff. It is the most important sanctuary of the Gelukpa sect of the tibetan buddhism. You recognize the monks because of their yellow or black hats on their heads.
During a round tour in Ganden you have a good view of the Kyichu valley and the snow-covered peaks in the distance. Then you drive back to your hotel in Lhasa.
Overnight in Lhasa
Day 10: Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake (Duration approx. 8hrs, 260km)
Today in the morning you leave Lhasa and drive to Gyantse.
On the way you see buddhist monasteries, pituresque villages, and camps of nomadic people who tramp with their goats and yaks.
After some time you reach the first pass, Kamba-La with a height of 4.795 meter and many prayer flags waving in the wind. From their you have a great view of the azure Yamdrok-Tso Lake. This lake is located at a height of 4.488 meter and is one of the 4 holy lakes of Tibet.
After lunch break in one of the villages you drive further to the next pass Kora-La (5.045m). From here you can see the first really high peaks (about 7.000m) and glaciers. In the afternoon you reach Gyantse (3.950m), which was ealier an important trading post between Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
If you like you can explore the village, visit the monastery and the fort.
Overnight in Gyantse
Day 11: Drive from Gyantse to Sakya (Duration approx. 1 ½ hrs, 100km)
After breakfast you visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa in the old part of the town. The Kumbum Stupa (= "house with 100.000 Buddha-figures) is an interesting museum.
Then you drive via Shigatse to Sakya. In the afternoon you have time to explore the town with its Gompa, one of the biggest monestaries of Tibet with striking colours, prayer wheels and chapels.
Overnight in Sakya
Day 12: Drive from Sakya to Rongbuk (Duration approx. 6/7hrs, 250km)
In the morning you will visit Sakya Gompa. From its roof you have a great view. Then you leave the inhabited part of Tibet and drive in the direction of Mount Everest Base Camp. The villages become smaller and smaller and the chinese influence lesser. Your trip leads you over vast, grass-grown high plateaus and small farming villages. In between you cross some of the highest passes in the world - a breathtaking experience. Sometimes you can see herders with their yaks or colourful trucks on their way to Nepal.
Near to Shegar you leave the friendship highway. The countryside becomes wider, the mountain peaks whiter and in the end of the day you reach Rongbuk monastery which is, with a height of 4.980 meter, the highest monastery in the world.
You will stay in the Rongbuk guesthouse, next to the monastery in a simple room without shower.
Notice: From here on the lodges are very simple
Overnight in Rongbuk
Day 13: Visit of Everest Base Camp and Drive to Saga (Duration approx. 6/7hrs, 350km)
Today will be straining, but unforgettable. You visit the Mount Everest Base Camp with a height of 5.200m. Mt. Everest, Chomolongma in Tibetan, is with 8.848m the highest mountain on earth. In summer (july-semptember) the mountain climbers meet here, to risk the dangerous climb to the top of the world.
If you want you can hike the last 8km to the base camp, so that you get to know, how strenous it is, to walk in this height. After this experience we have even more respect for the climbers.
But you do not have to walk. If you want you can drive to the camp by bus.
In the afternoon you drive further to Saga.
Overnight in Saga
Day 14: Drive from Saga to Zhangmu (Duration: 6hrs)
Today you continue your trip in the direction of the nepalese border. Again and again you cross smaller passes with their colourful prayer flags and beautiful views. The street condition is still not so good. Before you reach the mainroad between Lhasa and Kathmandu, you cross the Laling La (5.124m) and the Tong La (5.124m)
Overnight in Zhangmu
Day 15: Cross the border and drive to Bhaktapur
From Zhangmu you drive via Dhulikhel to Bhaktapur. The change of the landscape is dramatic. From the everlasting glaciers of the Everest and the majestic width of the tibetan high plateaus down to the gorges of Nepal. The intensive green of the fields and the new smells are part of a fully different world.
Only few hours after leaving Tibet, it seems like a dream.
Overnight in Bhaktapur
Day 16: Sightseeing in Bhaktapur and Changunarayan
After breakfast you explore the ancient kingdom Bhaktapur together with your guide. The gorgeous temples and artful woodcraft remind you of the past.
You visit the Durbar Square, the Dattatraya temple and some other places.
Then you drive about 30 minutes to the Changunarayan temple. It is the oldest Hindu temple in Nepal and temple of god Vishnu.
Both Changunarayan and Bhaktapur are listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the afternoon you have some time left to bargain in the shops. In the evening you have a farewell dinner together.
Overnight in Bhaktapur
Day 17: Transfer to the airport and flight back
Depending on your flight time, you can buy last souvenirs in the morning or just relax in your hotel. Then you will be transferred to the airport and fly back home.
- Transfers as described in the program
- Flight Pokhara – Kathmandu
- Flight Kathmandu – Lhasa
- Hotel in Bhaktapur: 2 nights
- Hotel in Dhampus: 1 night: Dhampus Eco Village Lodge (Komfort Lodge)
- Hotel in Pokhara: 2 nights: Moonlight Resort
- Hotel in Kathmandu: 3 nights
- Hotel in Lhasa: 3 nights
- Other lodges in Tibet: 5 nights
- meals: breakfast and dinner during the whole trip
- full board in Dhampus
- Entrance fees for sightseeing as described in the program english speaking guide during the whole trip (on request german speaking guide)
- Welcome and farewell dinner
- taxes
- Visa for Nepal (EUR 35,- or USD 40,-)
- Visa for China/Tibet (USD 85,-)
- International flights
- Sightseeing or other activities which are not described in the program
- Personal expenditure: e.g. drinks, souvenirs, laundry, snacks, etc.
- Vaccination and travel insurance
- Extra payment in case of illness, rescue, changes of the program because of acts of nature beyond control, and additional expenses for overnight accommodations, etc. resulting from this
Duration: 17 Days
Seasons :
Type: Round Trip
Activities : Sightseeing in Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bhaktapur, Dhampus) and Tibet (Lhasa, Everest Base Camp et
No. of Pax : 2+
Maximum Access :
Starts From : Kathmandu
Ends at : Kathmandu
Explore Nepal and Tibet within one tour and visit Everest Base Camp.