Spiritual Tour of Tibet and Bhutan

Our staff will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway to transfer you to the hotel. From Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa, usually, it takes about one hour. It’s about 20 mins drive from Lhasa Railway Station to your hotel. In order to adapt to the high altitude in Tibet, you'd better have rest and don’t do strenuous exercise. If you feel good, you can visit the Potala Palace Square, a far view the Yaowang Mountain and take a panoramic view of the Potala Palace. Remember to drink lots of water, and eat light and high carbohydrate foods to adapt to the high altitude better.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.

In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Meals:
• Breakfast

Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace, which is the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Potala Palace was the winter palace of successive Dalai lamas. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th Century. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. 

At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Meals:
• Breakfast

We will pass by Kampala Pass (4,790m) on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and visit Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Standing at the lakeside, you can see its blue water shimmering with charming light, as well as the snow-capped holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7,191m) in the distance.  

Next we will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier on the roadside. It is about 300m from the main highway on your way to Gyantse.

Then visit the main monastery in Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery, famous for its exquisite architecture and intact murals and statues.

Stay overnight in Shigatse

• Meals:
• Breakfast

In the morning, you will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery and then drive to Lhatse, a small town located 150 km from Shigatse, and you may have lunch in the local restaurant. After a short rest, you will go ahead to Tingri. You will pass Tsola Pass (4,600m), and Gyatsola Pass (5,248m). In the late afternoon, you enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve. You can enjoy the panorama of the Himalayas at Gawula Pass (5,198m). Then you'll drive along the New Zigzag road to Everest Base Camp (5,200m) to stay overnight. If the weather is good, you can have a clear view of the sunset of the Golden Everest Peak.

Stay overnight in Nomad Tent (Dorm Bed) / Guesthouse

• Meals:
• Breakfast

You can get up early and enjoy the sunrise of Everest Peak if the weather is good. After that, you will go to the Rongbuk Monastery, which is the highest monastery in the world. Then drive to Saga, on the way, you can view the worlds’ 14th-highest peak Mt.Shishapangma (8,012m). Later, you will have a far view of the huge sapphire-like Lake Peikutso (4,590m) beneath the Shishpangma peaks, and finally arrive in Saga (4,600m). If you are lucky enough, you are very likely to see wild animals like the wild donkey, wild antelope, etc.

Stay overnight in Saga, Guesthouse

Today, you will spend a lot of time on the way, but it’s worth seeing the landscape along the way.You’ll have stunning views of the great Himalayas to the south and Trans-Himalayan to the north as we drive across the vast plains. This region is home to nomads, you’ll see the beautiful grassland and local's villages. As we cross the Mayomla Pass (5,112m), you can enjoy the spectacular vista of Mt. Naimonanyi (7,694m).

During this thrilling journey, you’ll pass by sand dunes, mountains, and sandstone valleys before we reach the Darchen (4,560m), a small nomadic village and an important launch point for pilgrimages around Mt. Kailash. Upon your arrival, you can explore the Darchen town on your own. If you need porters and yaks, your tour guide will arrange it for you this afternoon.

Stay overnight in Darchen

In the morning, you will take an eco-bus (included in the cost) to Sarshung Valley and start the Mt. Kailash trek from there. Then you will meet your porters and yaks at Sarshung Valley (the cost of hiring yaks, horses, and porters is not included in the package). You’ll trek about 15 km from Sarshung Valley to Drirapuk Monastery (4,700m) along the Lachu River Valleys. During your trekking today, you can see both the west and north face of Mt.Kailash. Finally, you will visit Drirapuk Monastery and stay overnight here.

Stay overnight in Guesthouse, Dorm Bed

• Meals:
• Breakfast

Today is the most challenging day of the trekking, you’ll climb over the highest pass of the Kailash Kora, the Dromala pass (5,630m). After a short rest at the top, we will climb down into the long valley and stop for lunch at the Shabjay Dakpo nomadic tent. On the way, you can have a rest in a teahouse. Then you will continue to the Zultulpuk (4,790m), built by two important religious figures, Milarepa and Naro Bonchung. At last, you will visit Zutulpuk Monastery. You will find the footprint and handprint of Milarepa inside the cave. 

Stay overnight in Guesthouse, Dorm Bed

It's an easy day of the trek. You'll trek 9km to complete the Kora then take the eco bus back to Darchen. According to Buddhist theory, doing a kora around a holy mountain for one circle can get rid of sins and miseries for the whole life. Only after going through lots of hardships, you can feel the happiness and gratification brought by Kora. Then you take the shuttle bus back to Darchen, about 3km. We will drive you from Darchen to Mansarovar (4,560m), the top holy lake in Tibet. It’s 40km to the southwest of Darchen. If the weather is good, you can see the splendid scenery of the lake Manasarovar. If you feel good, you can do a trek along the shore of the lake for a while. And then you'll head to Zhongba.

Stay overnight in Zhongba

Today we will drive to Gyirong town from Zhongba. In the afternoon, you will pass through Gyirong Valley, which is regarded as the backyard garden of the Himalayas. You will see the forest and breathe fresh air. You will be amazed by the creator's masterpiece that 4 seasons exist in such a narrow valley. Gyirong, in the Tibetan language, means comfort or happiness. It's said Gyirong was named by Padma Sambhava Buddha when he entered Tibet from here.

Stay overnight in Gyirong

In the morning, your guide will take you to the border of Nepal and our driver from Nepal will meet you on the other side. Then transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. The rest of the day is for you to wander around the area or rest in your hotel.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

In the morning, your driver will take you from your hotel and send you off to the airport for your flight to Paro. Upon arrival, you will meet your guide at Paro Airport and you will get to Thimphu directly. The drive is one hour by road. Thimphu is a charming city, probably the smallest capital in the world, resting in the heart of the Himalayas. In the afternoon, visit the landmark - National Monument, which is not only to commemorate the late king but also for world peace. It is also the place where Thimphu people's daily koras are most concentrated. Locals believe that the kora can wash away previous sins. Stay overnight in Thimphu

• Meals:
• Breakfast
• Dinner

In the morning you will be driven from Thimphu to Punakha, crossing the Dochu La Pass at 3,100 meters, where you are able to see the 108 beautiful Chortens, also known as Druk Wangyal Chortens. It's to commemorate those who lost their lives in the suppression of the Assamese rebels in southern Bhutan and to pray for world peace. In Punakha, you will visit the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan Punakha Dzong, which was built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. After visiting the Dzong, you will get back to Paro.

Perched above Rinpung Dzong, the ancient Ta Dzong is a watchtower. It was built in 1649 to protect the undefended Dzong. And it was renovated into a National Museum in 1968. The unusual round building was built in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m-thick walls. The watchtower suffered damage in the 2011 earthquake but reopened in 2016 as the nation's premier museum.

Stay overnight in Paro

• Meals:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

In the morning you will trek from the bottom of Paro Valley to the Taktsang Monastery, perched on the side of the mountain. Taktsang (commonly known as Tiger's Nest) is the most sacred site in Bhutan and one of the top ten super temples in the world to go. Located at an elevation of 3120 meters, Taktsang is the birthplace of Bhutanese Buddhism. Guru Rinpoche flew here from Tibet on the back of a tigress, which was the manifestation of his divine consort Yeshe Tsogyal.

You can ride a horse or walk to Tiger’s Nest. It is a challenging trek so you will gain merit with every step. The view from the Paro Valley to the monastery is worth your climb. The hike starts from a gentle forest with some prayer flags. After passing a creek and some water-powered prayer wheels, the trail starts getting steeper.

On halfway up the monastery, there is a nice teahouse with great views of Taktsang Monastery that makes a welcome stopping point. You can get some tea and take a break here. You can continue climbing to the viewpoint, which's the best place to take photos of Taktsang. From here, you will walk down a series of steep stairs to a waterfall to achieve your final ascent to the entrance. Here you will be required to leave your backpacks, cameras, and phones.

In the afternoon, you will visit Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in Bhutan. After visiting today’s attractions, if time permits, the tour guide can also take you to visit the ordinary market in Paro, where you can buy some handicrafts with Bhutanese characteristics.

Stay overnight in Paro

• Meals:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel, take you to the airport, and help you check in for your flight from Bhutan.

• Meals:
• Breakfast