TIBET, EVEREST AND KATHMANDU Overview

Arrival and completion of formalities. Meeting and welcome by us and transfer to the planned accommodation. Tour briefing according to arrival time (possibly also the following day). Rest of the day available for an appropriate rest from the trip or (we recommend) a visit to the historic or tourist center of the capital on foot, useful for the body after prolonged inactivity in flight. Overnight at the hotel. Pasta: - / - / -

Breakfast. In the morning, guided tour of Pashupathinath, a Hindu sacred place. Hundreds of faithful and pilgrims gather on the sacred banks together with the holy men and onlookers. Continuing, Bhoudanath contrasts as a Tibetan Buddhist center and with its stupa, the largest in the country and surrounded by the Tibetan market and the numerous monasteries, some of which will be visited. Boudanath is ideal for a lunch break. In the afternoon we visit the Swoyambhunath stupa, from which you can enjoy a view of the city and finally, the historic center with Durbar square, the home of the living goddess Kumari, the temples around and walk through the local markets (bazaar) of the historic center still passing by the temples to go to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel. Meals: B/ - / -

After breakfast we depart for a guided tour of Bakhtapur, a beautifully restored medieval city that retains a strong traditional character. Here art and cultural and social life are furnished with alleys, underpasses, courtyards, squares, temples and palaces. Break for lunch. In the afternoon we continue to the nearby city of Patan with its superb Durbar square, rich in architecture and the museum to visit in the old royal palace before returning to accommodation. Overnight at Hotel. Meals: B / - / -

After breakfast, transfer to the airport early in the morning and fly to Lhasa. During the flight, you can see the 8000s of Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. After landing and meeting the guide, continue along the Tsangpo River (Bramaputra) to Tsedang (3550 m, 90 km, approx.1.5 hours of travel by car on asphalted roads), at the entrance to the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo. Along the way, weather permitting, visit the Mindroling and Dranang monasteries before reaching Tsedang (3550m), Tibet's historic center in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley. Overnight at the hotel. Meals: B / L / D

In the morning we will visit the oldest building in Tibet, the Jumbulakhang Castle-Monastery, which has dominated the valley for 1200 years. Continue passing the bridge over the Tsangpo River to reach the Samye Monastery (founded in 787) which deserves an extensive visit. We continue in the afternoon to Dorje Drak (visit to the monastery) and Lhasa (approx. 150 km, 3595 m, approx. 4-5 hours by car on asphalted and partly unpaved roads). Overnight at the hotel. Meals: B / L / D

In the morning we visit the huge Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which overlooks the city. The palace with 13 floors and a total height of 117 m and a width of over 400 m, with over 100 rooms, was until 1959, the seat of the government (Kashang) and of the last Dala Lamas. In the afternoon we visit the monastic city of Sera (Se ra Theng chen gling, 'Rose Hedge'), founded in 1419, by Jamchen Chojey (Sakya Yeshe) disciple of Jhe Tzongkhapa, founder of the Gelug-pa school, where every afternoon can attend the famous philosophical debates of the monks. Overnight at the hotel. Meals: B / L / D

In the morning we visit the impressive monastic city of Drepung (founded in 1416) and seat of the Gelupka ("yellow caps") which before 1959 was the largest monastery in Tibet and the nearby temple of Nechung, until 1959 the seat of the Tibetan state oracle, which contains frescoes considered to be among the most beautiful in Tibet. In the afternoon, if open, you will visit the Institute of Tibetan Medicine on the edge of Barkhor, the historic center, where the Jokhang (Zuglagkang, "house of religious sciences or house of wisdom", founded in the 7th century), is also located. temple most revered by Tibetans and dedicated to Buddha Sakyamuni) and the Kora of Jokhang which incorporates much of the historic center of Barkhor. Overnight at Hotel. Meals: B / L / D

In the morning we leave the city of Lhasa for Chusul from where we go up along narrow serpentines up to the Kampa La pass (4794 m). The pass opens to the breathtaking view of the blue waters of Yamdrok Tso Lake (4450m). The road runs along the shores of the lake. We visit a monastery near Nagartse and continue up the pass of Karo La (5010 m), spectacularly enclosed between Ralung Ri (6236 m) and Nozing Khang Sa (7223 m). Arrival in the city of Gyantse (3900 m,) once the control center of the caravans bound for Bhutan and Sikkim. Overnight at Hotel. Meals: B / L / D

In the morning, visit the Khumbum stupa (erected in 1424), the largest "chorten" (Stupa) in Tibet with its magnificent 73 rooms frescoed with 10,000 frescoes of Tibetan Buddhist iconography and the adjoining monastery of Palkor Chode. In the afternoon continue to Shigatse (3900m, 90km, approx.1.5-2 hours of non-stop car ride on paved roads), with a short detour to Shalu Monastery, which retains an ancient atmosphere with frescoes wonderful. Once in Shigatse, visit the monastic city of Tashilhunpo, rich in priceless treasures, which was founded by Gendun Drup, the first Dalai Lama in 1447 and is the official seat of the Panchen Lama, spiritual leader of the Nyngmapa. Overnight at Hotel. Meals: B / L / D

Continue along the fertile Ra Chu valley to Lhatse, where the crossing of the Himalayas begins to cross the great Gyatso La pass (5220 m) to reach Shegar (4300 m, approx. 240 km, approx. 3.5- 4 hours without travel stops by car on paved roads). Visit of the monastery and lunch in Shegar before turning off the road to enter Everest National Park. The Pang La pass (5200m) offers in good weather a breathtaking view over Makalu (8481m), Lhotse (8516m), Everest, Cho Oyu (8210m) up to Shisha Pangma (8013m). We descend into the valley leading to Rongbuk (founded in 1927, 4920 m, about 80 km, about 3 hours without travel stops by car on dirt roads). Visit of the monastery which once housed 500 monks. If possible, you can approach Everest Base Camp view point again in the afternoon. Overnight in a simple Guest House. Meals: B / L / C

The visit of the Everest Base Camp view point area (5150 m, driver camp) beyond which it is not possible to go and return to Rongbuk. Everest (8848 m), the highest mountain in the world, presents itself with its spectacular north face! Then we return to the Highway and finally return to Tingri (4200 m, approx. 80 km. We continue along the friendship route, passing the passes of Lalung La (4900 m) and Tong La (5050 m), from the last opens the panorama on Cho Oyu (8210 m) and Shisha Pangma (8013 m), the last 8000la that you see on the route. cave of the Tibetan poet and mystic Mila-repa before reaching Zhangmu-Dram (2400 m) on the border with Nepal. Overnight in a simple guest house. Meals: B / L / D

After clearing the customs formalities, we descend into the Bhote Koshi valley and finally into the Kathmandu valley (1340 m, about 140 km, about 5-6 hours without travel stops by car on asphalted roads with about 20 km of dirt road) up to the hotel in Kathmandu around 5 pm. Overnight at Hotel. Meals: B / - / -

Rooms reserved until noon. Day off. In good time, according to the departure time of your flight, transfer to the airport for boarding and end of our services. Meals: B / - / -