16 Days Classic Tibet Nepal Tour from Chengdu

Upon arrival in Chengdu airport or railway station, our guide will be meeting you and get you transferred to your hotel in Chengdu. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Optional:
If there is enough time, you can enjoy a short walk at the ancient Jinli Street. Later, drive to Wenshu Monastery to have wonderful taste of the vegetarian food for dinner. Another alternative is to enjoy the cultural show - Sichuan Opera in the evening. (The cost is on you; we can help you arrange the visit, based on your priorities.)

Stay overnight in Chengdu

In the morning, drive for about half an hour to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, the home to giant pandas, where you will catch pandas' feeding time. They are at their most active, both Adults and Babies. There's a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

Then, the whole afternoon can be free for you to explore around and do some shopping.

In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu train station for the overnight train to Lhasa. The train departs from Chengdu North Railway Station. It takes about one hour to check in as the train takes about 1000 passengers. Please be sure to arrive in train station at least 1 hour and a half before the train departure. Train Z322 from Chengdu to Lhasa departs at late night, and your Tibet Permit will need to be checked when you check in.

Stay overnight in the train

Enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, grand ice mountains, and beautiful lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

Stay overnight in the train

You will arrive in Lhasa in the morning. Your tour guide will hold a board with your name to welcome you at the exit of the train station and escort you to your reserved hotel in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today's tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market. Besides, we can taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house; the welcome dinner will also be arranged accordingly.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. You can visit biggest monastery kitchen inside the monastery and enjoy Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung.

In the afternoon, tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon. In addition, you can tour the Tibetan religious scripture printing house; inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Shigatse .On the way, drive over the Gampala Pass (4790 m), and you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and in the distance you can have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa.

Later, we will pass and enjoy the Korola Glacier on the roadside; At Manak Dam Lake, you can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass; then, we will arrive in Gyantse, historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse).In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum and enjoy the Far view of Gyangtse Fortress.

After one and a half driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we may visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. Then, we’ll leave Shigatse after getting your Alien’s travel permit, and then drive to Lhatse, it is a small town where you can have lunch.

After that, we will pass Tsola Pass (4600M), and Gyatsola Pass (5248M). Shortly after we enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve, tourists can enjoy the panorama of Himalaya at Gawula Pass (5198m).Then we drive along the New zigzag road to Everest Base Camp (5200m). You can get closer to gazt at the Mt. Everest peak. The sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at Rongbuk monastery guest house

In the morning, you can appreciate the sunrise of Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area and then visit the Rongbuk Monstery - the unique highest monastery with nuns and monks living together. Later, we can visit the Everest Base Camp and take pictures of Mt. Everest at the closes distance in EBC.

After that, we can drive from EBC to Gyirong border. On the way, tourists can enjoy breathtakign vista of Mt. Shishapangma and the Pekutso Lake. After passing the Ghungtang Lhamo(5236M), we will arrive in Gyirong in late afternoon.

Stay overnight in the guesthouse in Gyirong

Tour Guide will assist the clients to exit China. And see clients off at Gyirong border. After you enter the Nepal territory, our Nepali guide will be expecting you on the Nepali-side border and transfer you to the hotel in Kathmandu. The distance between Kathmandu and Sino-Nepal border is around 130km. And the entire ride takes around 7-8 hours. On the way, you will enjoy cliff-side Nepali villages and terraced farmland and vibrant vegetation, etc.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

In the morning, we will the Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, which is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and when important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today.

Then, we will tour Swayambhunath. It is one of the most recognizable symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha watch all who ascend the worn stone steps. It is a World Heritage Site and one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, and is at the source of the Valley’s mythical beginning.

In the afternoon, the tour group will head to Patan City, which is 15 minutes driving from Kathmandu. Patan's central - Durbar Square, is absolutely packed with temples: It’s an architectural center point with a far greater concentration of temples per sq. meter than in Kathamandu or Bhaktapur. You may shop around and finally we will head back to Kathmandu.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

In the morning, we are abou to tour Pashupatinath, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, the old buildings on the site were destroyed by Moslem invaders in the 14th century, its stone linga smashed to dust, but it rose again behind their retreating backs. Succeeding monarchs reinstated the temple and the images.

Then you will explore the Bouddhanath, which is one of the largest stupas in South Asia, the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries.

The third attraction we will cover is Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

Have breakfast at Hotel. Appreciate the sunrise and spectacular view of snow-capped mountains and drive from Nagarkot straight to Pokhara by private car and stay overnight in Pokhara.

Nagarkot: Situated about 35 km east of Kathmandu city, Nagarkot is the nearest panoramic view point and from here one can see the beautiful view of the Himalayan peaks. Nagarkot is located between Kathmandu valley in the west and Indrawati in the east. The top of Nagarkot commands accelerating views in all directions. The altitude of Nagarkot is 2229-m/7133m above sea level. Eve: Walk around Nagarkot for 1-2 hours. Sunset view over the Himalayas – if the weather permits.

Stay overnight in Pokhara

Appreciate Pokhara’s sunrise in the early morning and City tour (Sarangkot for sunrise, Devi's Falls, Caves, Tibetan Refugee Camp, Old Pokhara Bazaar, view of Mt. Annapurna Himal, Barahi Temple and Seti River) and return to hotel in Pokhara.

Pokhara is a beautiful valley which is situated at a height of 2950 ft. with its rare combination of snow clad peaks among the highest in the world, crystal-clear lakes, stream and gorges, picturesque villages inhabited by friendly smiling Gurungs, Magars and other ethnic tribes.

The scenery is breathtaking with excellent views of an overwhelmingly beautiful mountain range which includes the Dhaulagiri, The Annapurna I, II & III, Machha Puchhre or “Fish Tail”, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu & Himalchuli. In Pokhara’s immediate neighborhood are Tibetan villages.

Legend has it that there was once a beautiful city in the valley now filled by the lake. One of the most popular excursions is to paddle out the little island offshore from lakeside. On this island there is a small temple. You will also visit Local Market, Bindebasini Temple, Mahendra cave, Phewa Lake, Tibetan refugee Camp, and Davis fall.

Stay overnight in Pokhara

Drive back to Kathmandu after breakfast. Transfer to hotel and stay overnight.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

You will be transferred to the International airport to connect onward flight.