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Go Tibet
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| Duration |
13 days/ 12 nights Departs Sun, Mon, Wed and Fri |
Accommodation |
12 nights, of which several in comfortable, characteristic hotels and basic guest houses (Tibet). Comfort level 2/3 (see accommodation) |
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Price |
From £1996 per person - based on 2 people sharing (including domestic flights) |
Includes |
Transport, accommodation, domestic flights, transfers and excursions as described, permits, English-speaking guide and Jeep or minibus in Tibet |
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Transport |
All transfers on arrival and transfers between cities and towns as described below |
Excludes |
International flights, (airport) taxes, meals and entrance fees |
Day 1: Arrival in ChengduElevation 500mYou'll begin your Tibet holiday in Chengdu where one of our representatives will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall. You'll be driven from Chengdu airport to a comfortable courtyard hotel in the centre of Chengdu, where your trip in China will begin! Your hotel room will have a shower, toilet, telephone, air conditioning and refrigerator. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish; recuperate from your flight and have a look around the area. |
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Day 2: Chengdu - Panda Research CentreToday you'll spend the day in Chengdu before continuing your Tibet holiday tomorrow. If you would like to see pandas while travelling in China, then the best place to do so is at the Panda Research Centre. The research centre is a large bamboo forest park with a swan lake where pandas can be seen in large fenced in enclosures. We really believe visiting the research centre is worth while; it's the only way to see these creatures close-up. It may be a zoo; however it is a very responsible and well maintained zoo. It's endearing to watch the giant pandas eating, playing and sleeping. You'll be picked up at your hotel around 7:20 so that you reach the park when the pandas are being fed. After about 3 hours you probably will have seen enough; you'll be back at your hotel around 11:30. |
Day 3: Chengdu - LhasaElevation 3600mThis morning you'll arrange your own transfer to the airport and you'll take a 2-hour flight to the next destination on your Tibet holiday; the mighty city of Lhasa. The flight is an event in itself: you’ll see a sea of Himalayan mountain peaks beneath you when skies are clear. One of our representatives will be waiting for you at the airport in Lhasa and he/ she will take you to the city of Lhasa. The drive should take about 2 hours. Along the way you’ll stop at a rock-cut Buddha; a tradition which more or less marks the beginning of your trip to Tibet. |
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Day 4: LhasaDay four of your Tibet holiday can be spent as you wish. It’s really important that you take it easy; you probably won't sleep well your first night here and you may have a slight headache or feel a bit tired. We recommend that you don't climb Potala Palace today, however you may want to go sightseeing in the city and visit the most holy Buddhist sanctuary: Jokhang Temple. This temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet and the Tibetans. Pilgrims from the entire country and far beyond come to the temple on foot. They cover hundreds of kilometres and while doing so they stop, kneel and stretch out every few metres.The block of streets surrounding the Jokhang is called the Barkhor. Once the pilgrims reach Lhasa they usually walk countless circles around the Barkhor. The holy circuit doubles as a bazaar where Tibetans can buy products while praying. |
Day 5: LhasaIt's the fifth day of your Tibet holiday and today you’ll be picked up by your driver and English-speaking guide, who will stay with you the entire day, for a visit to Lhasa's leading attraction. For some time now it’s necessary to make reservations to visit the Potala Palace, it isn’t possible to just walk in. Our agent will have your personal access vouchers and time of your scheduled visit ready for you. Your plans for today depend on the time of your visit to the palace.We will try to arrange that your visit to the palace can take place in the morning. On arrival at the palace you’ll have to pay an entrance fee, approximately US$ 20. The Potala dates back to 1600 and is located on a hill high above the city. It was once the (winter) home of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama. Since his exile in India the enormous residence has been opened to tourists. The view from the front of the palace will leave an unforgettable impression on you and you’ll need about two hours to look through a few of the rooms, temples, tombs and chapels. |
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This afternoon you’ll visit Drepung or the Sera Monastery. These monasteries are schools for apprentice Tibetan monks located just outside of Lhasa. The Sera Monastery has an afternoon debating session tradition where philosophy college student monks practice their debating skills. The apprentice monks start their debate in the garden at 15:30. If your visit to Potala is planned for the afternoon you could visit Drepung in the morning. At the end of the day you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in Lhasa and you’ll say your goodbyes to your driver and guide. Unfortunately, due to lack of time, you won’t be able to visit the prominent Ganden Monastery, located 35 km outside of Lhasa, during the Tibet tour mentioned above. The monastery is located at a dramatic location on top of a cliff and it is home base for the Tibetan Buddhist Gelukpa sect. The monks wear yellow or black caps. During the Ganden ‘Kora’ or tour you’ll see the Kyichu Valley and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. If you would like to visit Ganden, we’ll book an additional night at Lhasa for you as well as a car, driver and guide to accompany you. There's obviously a surcharge for this. |
Day 6: Lhasa - GyantseElevation 3950mYou're halfway thorugh your Tibet holiday and today you'll head out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. You'll leave Lhasa behind in the morning and drive on to Gyantse, a 260km drive of which only the beginning is over a well-maintained road. The paved road will quickly become a gravel road. During the bumpy ride you'll see Buddhist monasteries, picturesque villages, residential camps and nomads roaming with their yaks. |
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During your Tibet travels, you'll naturally see quite a few prayer flags and you can even hang a few of your own up here. You'll have lunch in one of the villages along the way and then you'll continue on to the next mountain pass, the Kora-La at an altitude of 5045m. You'll see your first truly sky-high mountain tops and glaciers here at an altitude of approximately 7000m. |
Day 7: Gyantse - SakyaElevation 4280mThis morning you'll visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa (entrance fee £4) in the historic part of town. The Kumbum Stupa (= "house with 100.000 Buddha statues") is not only considered a fascinating museum, it is also considered the most stunning architectral achievement in Tibet.Then you'll continue your Tibet holiday on a beautiful road trip to Sakya via Shigatse. You'll spend the night in a modest hotel and you'll have some time to walk around when you arrive in the late afternoon. The town is quite small and is dominated by the Sakya Gompa, one of Tibet's largest monasteries with unique colours, prayer mills and chapels. |
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Day 8: Sakya - RombukElevation 5000mThis morning you and your guide will visit the Sakya Gompa (entrance fee £4.50). The monastery is huge and consists of several buildings. The roof will give you an excellent view of the surrounding area.Afterwards, it's time for the real adventure as you leave civilisation and head towards Mount Everest. This is sure to be a truly memorable part of your Tibet holiday as you travel through remote plateaus and small Tibetan farmer’s villages. During this trip you'll travel through some of the world's highest mountain passes which are literally and figuratively, breathtaking. The typical Tibetan prayer flags waving in the wind marking the passes. Here and there you'll see a herder and his yaks grazing on the slopes. Any hotels in this area are no more than 'basic'. |
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The Tibetan hospitality will make up for any lack of comfort you'll experience during your Tibet holiday. The people here are friendly and accommodating and don't mind posing for your most beautiful holiday photos. At Shegar, you'll leave the Friendship Highway and you'll continue across an unpaved road. The landscape will become increasingly flat and barren, the mountain peaks will become whiter and at the end of the day you'll reach the Rombuk Monastery. At 4980m this is the highest laying monastery in the world. The Rombuk Guest House lies right next to the monastery; you'll spend the night in a very basic room without toilet or shower. |
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Day 9: Hike to Everest Base Camp - ShigatseElevation 5200m/ 3900m (Shigatse)Brace yourself; this will probably be a tough - but unforgettable - morning. On day nine of your Tibet holiday you'll visit the Mount Everest base camp (elevation 5200m). At 8852m the Mount Everest - also known as Quomolangma in Tibetan - is the tallest mountain in the world. Experiencing how strenuous it is to even simply walk in this area, will give you renewed respect for the real Everest climbers. If you don't feel like walking, or can't walk any further, you can continue by horse and cart, no problem.This afternoon you'll return to the civilised world. Via Shegar you'll drive back to the second largest city in Tibet: Shigatse, where you'll arrive around 5pm. Tonight you'll sleep in the 3-star hotel with shower, toilet and all the necessary 'mod-cons'. |
Day 10: Shigatse - NamtsoElevation 4720mShigatse lies at an altitude of 3900m and has approximately 40,000 inhabitants. It is the home of the Tashilhunpo Monastery, where a large golden stupa marks the 4th Panchen Lama's grave. This is a holy area and the monastery is the most important monastery in the Gelukpa sect. The enormous 27m statue of Maytreia is said to represent the future Buddha.Approximately 600 Tibetan monks live in this monastery. You'll visit it with a guide. If you feel like getting some exercise afterwards, you can climb the mountain that the monastery is built up against. At the top of the mountain you'll see many prayer flags left behind by those who reached the top and had to catch their breath. Along the way you'll pass the Kora, the pilgrim's path lined with prayer mills where pilgrims pray their mantra while keeping the mills moving. |
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You'll then leave Shigatse and take the Lhachen La pass at 5150m to Namtso Lake. Along the way you'll have a bite to eat at a restaurant in one of the small villages you pass through and you'll reach the lake early in the afternoon. During this part of your Tibet holiday you'll stay at a small pilgrim's guest house located along the pilgrim's route to Namtso. The facilities are modest and you'll share a room and toilet with your fellow travellers. Once you're all settled in, you'll go for a walk around Namtso in the afternoon. The Namtso Lake is 70km long and 30km wide. This area surrounding the Changtang plateau and vast grassy knolls is inhabited by the nomadic Drogpa people. They are the indigenous inhabitants of this area and are also known as Grass Tibetans because of their residential surroundings. As the evening comes, have a seat on a stone on the shores of the lake and enjoy the breathtaking sunset. The 7000m snow-capped mountain peaks take on the most fascinating colours in the light of the sunset- a truly breathtaking end to day ten of your Tibet holiday.
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Day 11: Namtso - LhasaThe sunrise at Namtso is a magical moment, so try not to miss it during your Tibet holiday. Today you can visit a bird refuge in the Namtso village. From time to time you'll see large swarms of cranes here. Near the refuge you'll find the Tashidor; historic meditation caves that were once used by Lamas. The caves are still inhabited by hermits.Along the way you'll encounter the Yanbajing hot springs and the Tsurphu Monastery, located at a spectacular location on a cliff. This is the home of the Karmapa School, also known as the 'black hat sect'. You'll spend the night in the same hotel in Lhasa that you stayed in when you started your Tibet trip. |
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Day 12: Lhasa - ChengduAs your Tibet holiday starts to draw to a close, we'll arrange your transfer from your hotel to Lhasa Airport where you'll catch a flight to Chengdu. When you arrive in Chengdu a transfer will be waiting to take you to the same hotel you stayed at when you began your China trip. |
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