Tibet: Culture adventure and expedition to Everest Base Camp

Tibet: Culture adventure and expedition to Everest Base Camp

This is a classic itinerary to Mt.Everest. Adventurers will have two days to explore the life of Lhasa and get acclimatized to high altitude before they travel to Everest Base Camp. You will experience local culture and genuine communication with locals.such as Thangka Painting, local home-made food cooking class, Teaching Tibet language writing ,See the On-the-spot Monk Debate in the Debating .
On the way from Lhasa to Mt. Everest, we will pass many amazing attractions which will make your eyes busy, such as Cycling around one of four particularly holy lakes,Visit a Barley Mill to explore locals'diet and see how traditional Tibetan food is made.View a Panorama of the Himalaya at Gyawula Pass, Glaciers, Heritage Towns and others .
You get the chance to see Everest Peak closely and having a walk around. The night view of the universe near the highest place of the world is amazing.
You will experience new and interesting things every day. Travel should be like this.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa

Stop At: Lhasa Amusement Park, No.30-32 Sela Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
After arriving in Lhasa, your local tour guide will welcome you at the airport/train station, then transfer you to your hotel. Acclimatize to the high altitude in the hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner: Buffet Dinner In The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
Accommodation included: The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

Day 2: Lhasa City, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street

Stop At: Potala Palace, No.35 Gongqian Alley, Beijing Middle Road Cheng Guan District, Lhasa 850000 China
The tour will begin with famous the UNESCO World Heritage site - Potala Palace, which is also the Winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It's situated at 12,139 feet above sea level and is a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts
Potala Palace is the highest ancient palace in the world. The whole building covers more than 100,000 square meters. Potala Palace has played the function of residence of religious leadders in Tibet’s history as well as the Operations Center for Tibet , which combines politics and religion together. Some say the Songain Gambo built it to enhance his political power, by preventing enemies from outside. Others say Songzain Gambo,the King of Tubo, in order to marry the princess of Tang Dynasty, declared the start of this miracle. The Potala Palace has earned the name “heaven of arts”, for numerous invaluable treasures are collected within. It is the essence of the ancient Tibetan architectural and also is itself an art treasure in Tibet. In 1994, it was listed as one of the World’s Culture Heritages by UNESCO.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
Then we’ll continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet
The Jokhang Temple located at center of the old city quarter of Lhasa possesses a supreme status among Tibetan Buddhist temples as the most sacred in Tibet. According to historical record, estimated dates for Jokhang Temple’s founding range from 639 to 647 AD.
Jokhang Temple is the most splendid surviving building of the Tubo period in Tibet and also the earliest civil structural building in Tibet. It integrated the architectural styles of Tibet, Tang Dynasty of China, Nepal, and India, and has become a model of Tibetan religious architecture for thousands of years.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Barkhor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa 851500 China
Next to the Jokhang temple, there is Bakhor Street, it is the oldest street in Lhasa . Your eyes will be busy when you walk around this street – there is so much going on.
This is a holy road for Tibetans. Filled with pilgrims and street vendors, here is always crowded with pilgrims from everywhere. Some come along the road by performing body-long kowtows, some are monks, and some are businessmen from Kham. You will enjoy different dresses, and languages. Even the similar-looking dresses of the monks vary depending on their different origins.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Bangdacang Gujian
• Dinner: Makye ame Restaurant
Accommodation included: The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

Day 3: Yamdrotso Lake to Drak Yerpa monastery, Ganden monastery and Trubshi village

Stop At: Ganden Monastery, Wangori Mountain, Dazi County, Lhasa 850100 China
In the morning, we are going to Drak Yerpa which is one of the holiest sites in Tibetan Buddhism. It is located on a hillside in the Yerpa Valley, some 30 km northeast of Lhasa. This ruggedly beautiful site is riddled with more than 80 meditation caves, some think of these to represent pristine Buddhism. You have to trek to visit all the chapels and meditation caves.
In the afternoon, we drive to Ganden Monastery which is one of the “Three Great” Gelugpa monasteries, founded by the Great Tsongkhapa in 1409. It is very interesting to trek Lingkor(circle) around the monastery and you will see hundreds of monks debating Buddhist scriptures. You can also see the crack in a rock, magically made by Great Tsongkapa and his meditation cave with a beautiful view of Lhasa valley. Then the team drives to the Tibetan village Trubshi with an altitude of nearly 3400m where you can experience the Tibetan countryside, local life and have dinner.

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: Trubshi village BBQ
Accommodation included: The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

Day 4: Lhasa – Thangka Painting-Tibetan language writing- Yamdrotso Lake Cycling

Stop At: Barkhor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa 851500 China
This morning we will be going to learn about Thangka Painting. A local painting teacher will teach you painting Thangka（a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton with silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala）and then a teacher will teach you to write in Tibetan language by writing brush - experience local culture.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, Langkazi Country, Nagarze County 851100 China
In the afternoon, we drive from Lhasa to Yamdrok Lake. On the way, the group will pass over the Gampala pass (4790 m),and we will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso Lake (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountain and in the distance you have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m), the highest mountain near Lhasa. Then we will drive downhill and enjoy Cycling at the lake. There is an amazing route cycling around the lake. Local animals are walking along with you and Tibetan villages can be seen in the valleys nearby - you will love it!
The lake is located in the north of the Himalaya Mountains, it is one of four particularly holy lakes, thought to be divinatory; everyone from the Dalai Lama to local villagers makes pilgrimages here. According to local mythology, Yamdok Yumtso lake is the transformation of a goddess. You will be stunned by the natural beauty and amazing lake .The scenery appears a different color of blue each moment like a dreamland.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: in the Sheep lake polar inn
Accommodation included: Sheep lake polar inn

Day 5: Yamdrotso Lake - Karola Glacier-Local Village-Pala manor-Shigatse

Stop At: Karola Glacier, Junction of Ngarzhag County and Gyantse County, Nagarze County 851100 China
Drive from Yamdrotso Lake to Shigatse. We will pass and enjoy the Korola Glacier near the roadside; At Manak Dam Lake, you can hang prayer flags at Simila Mountain Pass;
Karola Glacier is one of Tibet's three major continental glaciers, lying in the northern section of the Himalayas, Karola Glacier, covers an area of 9.4 sq km. with black rocks contrasting starkly with the surrounding snow-capped peaks.This imposing glacier is visible from the highway which links Lhasa and Shigatse. With gentle slopes towards the top of the glacier giving way to hanging glacier forms below, it's a spectacular sight, especially in the sunlight when it shines a brilliant white.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Shigatse City Centre, Keji Rd, Sangzhuzi Qu, Rikaze Shi, Xizang Zizhiqu, China
we will arrive in Shigatse. We will visit the famous Pala manor and a local village and enjoy the Far view of Gyangtse Fortress. After one and a half hour's drive, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet.


Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: Local traditional food
Accommodation included: Qo Mo Lang Zong Hotel

Day 6: Shigatse-Everest Base Camp

Stop At: Mt. Everest Base Camp, kathmandu, Thamel, Tingri County 858200 China
Drive to Lhatse where we can take lunch.Then drive to Shegar and if the weather is clear enough, we can view Mt. Everest in the distance on the way back down. After 4 to 6 hours,arrive at Rongbuk monastery, but on the way there, we will pass Pang la Pass, one of the highest passes in Tibet at 5050m. From that pass, enjoy a view of a number of the highest peaks in the world. You will arrive -Everest Base Camp(5154m). You get the chance to see Everest Peak closely and having a walk around. The night view of the universe near the highest place of the world is amazing
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Everest Base Camp
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: Local traditional food
Accommodation included: Overnight in Everest Base Camp :Dorm
or Big Tent with humble accommodation

Day 7: Everest Base Camp return to Shiqatse

Stop At: Shigatse City Centre, Keji Rd, Sangzhuzi Qu, Rikaze Shi, Xizang Zizhiqu, China
In the morning, you can see the sun rise on Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area. Then we will visit the Rongbu Monastery - It is the highest monastery in the world, so the landscape is wonderful. It has nuns and monks living together. Finally, we will drive back to Shigatse.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Rongbuk Monastery, near North Everest Base Camp, Tingri County China
It is the highest monastery in the world
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: Local traditional food
Accommodation included: Overnight in Shigatse :Qo Mo Lang Zong Hotel

Day 8: Shigatse - Lhasa - Tibetan Cooking

Stop At: Lhasa Amusement Park, No.30-32 Sela Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
Today, you will drive back to Lhasa. In the evening our cook will take you to go to local market to buy meal ingredients. They will teach you to cook simple local food. Everyone cooks together and you will enjoy being like a “local person “.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in Hotel
• Lunch: Local traditional food
• Dinner: Tibetan food home-made class
Accommodation included: The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

Day 9: Depart from Lhasa

Pass By: Lhasa Amusement Park, No.30-32 Sela Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
leaving

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.