13 Days Tibet Nepal Tour from Shanghai

Welcome to Shanghai! Upon your arrival, your tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is for you to have a good rest or explore the surroundings on your own.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Today, you will explore this classic and modern city of Shanghai. We will start with the fascinating Yu Garden, the original private residence of a senior Government administration in the Ming Dynasty. Neighboring to the Yu Garden, there is a lively market called Yuyuan Bazaar, where you can shop some specialties. Then we will move to Shanghai World Financial Center, the supertall skyscraper equipped with the highest sightseeing platform in the world.

In the afternoon, we will head to the renowned pedestrian street of Nanjing Road to take a nice stroll. You can enjoy the local snacks or shop some handicrafts and souvenirs, while appreciating those distinctive architecture. After that, we will enjoy another stroll along the Bund, where you will get amazed by the spectacular view of Huangpu River and dazzling light from buildings of Pudong.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

In the morning, we will first visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center and Jade Buddha Temple. As an important window for publicity of Shanghai, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center will let tourists (especially the first-time visitors) have a better understanding of this charming city. And the Jade Buddha Temple is venerable Buddhist temple, built to keep two jade Buddha statues which were brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen.

After that, you will be escorted to the airport for the flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in Chengdu.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

In the morning, drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Breeding, 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, you will visit some other highlights of Chengdu, including the Wenshu Temple, Renmin Park and Jinli Street. As the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Wenshu Temple is famous for its exquisite gardens and halls. Renmin Park is a beautiful city park often filled with locals, and you can enjoy a cup of tea to experience the slow life of Chengdu there. In the end of today, you will walk along the Jinli Old Street to fully appreciate Sichuan’s customs and folk arts.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

The whole day is free for you to explore around the city. In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu Railway Station for the train to Lhasa. Your Tibet Permit will need to be checked before boarding.

Stay overnight on the train.

Today, you will spend the whole day on the train to Lhasa. It is quite a long journey from Chengdu to Lhasa, for about 36 hours in total. You will pass through two important provincial capital cities in northwest China, Lanzhou and Xining. Xining is known as the beginning of Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

You will witness the most beautiful scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway. From the deserts to massive grassland, snowy mountains to turquoise lakes, all these landscapes will continually appear and strongly appeal to your eyes.

Stay overnight on the train.

The Chengdu-Lhasa train will arrive in Lhasa at about 09:55 in the morning. Upon your arrival, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. A private car will take you to the reserved hotel. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River on their way to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Tips: If this is your first visit to Tibet, you will need to acclimatize to the increased elevation, to prevent altitude sickness. This is best done by resting in the hotel and minimizing any physical exertion.

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Potala Palace, the world cultural heritage. You can explore its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and a tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, Thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Then tourists will head to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Gampo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty, 647 A.D. Here you can observe sincere pilgrims making prostration in front of Jokhang Temple. While entering the temple, you can see the holiest statue of Buddha. Around the monastery is the famous Barkhor Street, where you can do the kora with pilgrims and locals. And then we’ll go to explore the old market and you may have the chance to see the traditional jewelry trading between people from different part of Tibet.

Finally, you’ll taste Tibetan tea with locals in the tea house and enjoy a welcome dinner at night.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Optional:
After finishing the sightseeing, if time allows, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. Besides, you can also choose to upgrade your tour to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD).

Today, you will visit two of the three prestigious Gelugpa monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet. Situated at the foot of Gambo Utse Mountain, Drepung was once home to more than 10000 monks. Here you can see the biggest monastery kitchen inside and then pay a visit to the Buddhist Sculpture Carving near Drepung.

After having lunch, you’ll continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The highlight is the monk debate held in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon. Besides, you can also see the colorful Rock Painting of Buddha and the three sand Mandalas and then visit the Tibetan scripture printing house.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning our guide will drive you from Lhasa to Shigatse. On the way, we’ll drive over the Gangbala Pass (4790 m) to view the turquoise Yamdrok Lake and Mt. Naiqinkangsang. Besides, you can also appreciate Korola Glacier on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, tourists can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass.

Then we’ll head to the heritage town Gyantse and explore its old street, Perklor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Here you can catch the far view of Gyangtse Fortress. In the end of today, we will arrive in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. If you come in summer, you may visit the traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Before leaving Shigaste, we will go to visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. It is largest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Rear Tibet, and the main stage where generations of Panchen Lamas carried out religious and political activities. After getting your Alien’s travel permit, we will leave Shigatse and then drive to Lhatse for lunch.

After that, we’ll drive over Tsola Pass (4600M), and Gyatsola Pass (5248M). At Gawula Pass (5180m), tourists can view the panorama of Himalaya. Then we’ll drive along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp and get closer to Mt. Everest peak. If time and weather permits, you are lucky enough to catch the sunset of golden Everest peak at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at Rongpuk Guest House.

In the morning, you will first visit the Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. Being a part of the Nyingmapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, it is unique in that both monks and nuns live together in the same monastery. From there it is a short hike of 4km to EBC, where you can take gorgeous photos of the peak from the best vantage point.

After EBC, you will drive to Gyirong Port, taking in the breathtaking vista of Mt. Shishapangma and Pekutso Lake. The road goes along the Ghungtang Lhamo, at 5,236 meters, and you will arrive in Gyirong in the late afternoon.

Stay overnight in a Gyirong Guest House.

In the morning, your guide will assist you to exit China, and will see you off at the border with Nepal. Transfers from Gyirong to Kathmandu can be arranged, but are not included in the package, and will require an extra payment if requested.