Day 01: ARRIVE KATHMANDU
Meet upon arrival and transfer to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: TOUR OF KATHMANDU/ SWYAMBHUNATH/ PATAN
Kathmandu City: Durbar Square complex of palaces, courtyards and temples, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, used to be the seat of the ancient Malla kings of Kathmandu. An intriguing piece here is the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages. The Durbar Square, protected as a UNESCO world heritage site, is the social, religious and urban focal point of the city. There are also museums inside the palace building.
PM: After Lunch around 1400 hours we start the afternoon tour of Swoyambhunath and Patan City.
Swoyambhunath Stupa: watches over the valley from the top of a hillock on its western side. The stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. Swoyambhu is also known as Sengu and is listed as a World heritage site.
Patan City: Like its counterpart in Kathmandu, it is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyard and former Royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. One remarkable monument here is a 16th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna, built entirely of stone.
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 03: KATHMANDU- LHASA
Breakfast at the Hotel, and transfer to the airport for flight to Lhasa. Rest of the day at Hotel.
DAY 04: LHASA
Breakfast at the Hotel,
Full day tour of Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace.
Jokhang Temple: Jokhang Temple, situated in the center of the old section of Lhasa called Barkhor, was built in the mid-7th century A. D. It was later extended by successive rulers, and has now become a gigantic architecture complex. Located in the east, and facing the west, Jokhang is a four storied Temple with splendid golden roofs. Its architecture features art from the Tang Dynasty but also assimilated many features from both Nepalese and Indian Buddhist Temples. The murals in the temple depict the life stories of historic and religious characters. The temple houses many historical relics, including statues of King Songtsen Gompo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhrikuti Devi (Nepalese). "Princess Willow" (a tree), and "The Uncle-Nephew Alliance Tablet." Jokhang is Tibet' s spiritual center, and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It houses a sitting of statue of Sakyamuni when he was 12 years old. The circular Barkhor Street has innumerable shops, and wayside peddlers intermingle with devotees walking clockwise around the Jokhang. An evening walk (Kora) around the Jokhang Temple together with the Tibetan pilgrims is a lifetime experience.
Potala Palace: The Potala, one of the most famous architectural works of the world, sits on top of the Red Hill in Lhasa. In the 7th century, after the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo's married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court, the Palace was built to provide the Tibetan court with a place of worship and meditation. In the mid-17th century, it was re-built by the 5th Dalai Lama to its present size, and became the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas.
DAY 05: LHASA
Breakfast at the Hotel,
Full day tour of Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and nunnery. Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The original monastery was in Lhasa, Tibet, about 5 km north of the Jokang. Sera was founded in 1419, by Jamchen Chojey (Sakya Yeshe), a disciple of Tsong Khapa. It is housed for more than 5,000 monks in 1959. Although badly damaged, it is still standing and has been largely repaired. It now houses a few hundred Buddhist monks. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the destruction of the majority of the monasteries in Tibet, Sera monastery was reformed in Bylakuppe, India, near Mysore. Because none of the monks of the Ngagpa Dratsang (Tantric College) survived the invasion, only the Sera Mey College and Sera Jey College were reformed in India.
Drepung Monastery: Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It is considered one of the 'Three Great Monasteries' (the other two are the Ganden Monastery and the Sera Monastery. Covering an area of 250,000 square meters, it held 7,700 monks in total and possessed 141 fazendas and 540 pastures in its heyday, and is the largest-scale monastery among the ones of the same kind. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. As such, it was given the name 'Drepung Monastery' which, in the Tibetan language, means Monastery of Collecting-Rice.
DAY 06: LHASA/ GYANTSE
Breakfast at the Hotel.
Full day tour of Gyantse.
Lhasa – Gyantse: Full day picturesque drive(261 k) crossing over Kampala Pass (4794 M) and the Brahma Putra river (as known as Yarlung Tsangpo)andalong the turquoise lake Yamadrok.
Gyantse (13050 ft.): A small agricultural town famous for its wool carpets and the Phalkor Choide Chorten, Gyantse lies between a monastery and fort. This unique structure, built in 1414, consists of five stories representing the five steps to enlightenment, and is topped by thirteen rings which symbolize the stages of advancement towards Buddha-hood. There are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes and Buddha Shrines.
DAY 07: GYANTSE/SHIGASTE-XEGAR
Drive to Shigatse. Morning sightseeing to the Kumbum Stupa & Palkor Monastery. Drive through the Tibet’s biggest Agricultural field to Shigatse and sightseeing to the Panchen Lama’s Tashilumpu Monastery in Shigatse. Continue drive to Xegar.
Xigatse, situated between 29o 02'N and 88o 08'E in the southwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region where Nyangchu River joins the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Shigatse is the second biggest town in Tibet and it is the center of transportation and distribution of agriculture and husbandry products from the southeastern part of Tibet. "Shigatse" in Tibetan means the "Estate that fulfills one's Wishes."
Xegar is a new Chinese commune built 7 km off the highway, at the food of the ruins of Xegar Dzong. With a population of barely 3000, it is the centre of a large and remote country and also the base from where expeditions to Mt. Everest and other peaks are launched.
DAY 08: XEGAR- ZHANGMU (3700 m)
It is a drive for about 7 hours to the border town of Zhangmu.
Zhangmu, 7000 ft better known by its Tibetan name, Khasa, is a small settlement climbing to a hillside 10 km inland from the Friendship Bridge across the Bhotekosi. Zhangmu has become the major trading route between Tibet and Nepal. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily wooded with innumerable waterfalls in the summer and frozen 'icicles' during winter.
DAY 09: ZHANGMU- KATHMANDU
Early morning scenic drive Zhangmu through the neatiful Nepalese countryside and after necessary border formalities at Nepalese Immigration.
Day 10: KATHMANDU NEXT DESTINATION
Transfer to airport for final departure.
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