TIBET – 15-Day GOLDEN ROUTE & MOUNT EVEREST TOUR & BEIJING stopover
ITINERARY
Day 01: LONDON – BEIJING
Check-in at Heathrow Airport for overnight flight to Beijing.
Day 02: ARRIVE BEIJING
Arrive at Peking International Airport, on clearing immigration a Meet & Greet service awaits with English speaking tour guide before the transfer to the selected Beijing hotel. Check-in for a 4-Night stay on B/B basis. Evening at leisure – overnight stay at Beijing hotel.
Day 03: BEIJING
After Breakfast, hotel pick up for Day Tour. Evening own arrangements – overnight stay at Beijing hotel. (D)
The Day Tour starts at the Mutianyue Great Wall section, the most beautiful of the all 5 major sections around Beijing. On arrival at the base of the Wall, the cable car takes you onto the wall with picturesque views and photography opportunities before returning you to the ground. Following the visit to the Great Wall you will be transferred to Xinshuangquan Restaurant (or similar) for a traditional Chinese Lunch.
After lunch, the tour continues with a visit to the Dingling, the Underground Palace and the tomb of the Wanli Emperor. This tomb one of the 13 Ming Tombs in the area where the Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried is the only one to have been excavated. The next and final stop of the day is in downtown Beijing at the Olympic Green to see the outside of the Bird’s Nest Stadium that hosted the track events at the 2008 Olympics and the Water Cube arena dubbed “cube” because of the semi-transparent “bubbles” that’s spread all over its surface. Return hotel transfer.
Day 04: BEIJING
After Breakfast, hotel pick up for Day Tour. Evening own arrangements – overnight stay at Beijing hotel. (BL)
The Day Tour starts in Tiananmen Square at the heat of Beijing City, which is the largest square of this kind in the world, and the place where Chairman Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The next stop is a visit to the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace almost 500 years. It served as the seat of the Emperors in Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. This stop is followed by Lunch at a Chinese “Jade” restaurant. After lunch the tour continues onto the Summer Palace, originally a royal garden and palace for emperors of Qing Dynasty, the predecessor to the 1750 Qingyiyuan, the Garden of Clear Ripples burned down by the British and French allied troops in 1860. Return hotel transfer.
Day 05: BEIJING
After Breakfast, hotel pick up for Day Tour. Evening own arrangements – overnight stay at Beijing hotel. (BL)
The Day Tour starts at the Lama Temple, or Yonghe Lamasery Yonhegong built in 1694, this impressive Buddhist temple is now the largest and best-preserved in Beijing, and followed with a visit to the Drum Tower, built in 1420 this two storey building is 67 metres high. Here there is a birds-eye view of the surrounding area with many traditional courtyards.
The tour then becomes a walking tour along the Yanda Xiejie, Yandai Byway, north of Yinding Bridge, this quaint 800 year old hutong once known for the sellers of long-stemmed pipes, from which the name derived. The walk continues over the Yiding Bridge, also known as the Silver Ingot Bridge, where a rickshaw awaits, this pedicab will take you for a 30-minute drive through the Hutongs, narrow alleys of the Shichhai area, before arriving at an old courtyard, a Siheyuan, where you will learn about Fengshui. This visit is followed by Lunch in a home of a traditional local family in the Shichahai area. After lunch, the tour continues and finishes with a visit to the Temple of Heaven which had been the most holy place in China for five centuries, and where the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties worshiped and prayed. Return hotel transfer.
Day 06: BEIJING – LHASA (TIBET)
After Early Breakfast, check out of hotel for transfer to Peking airport for flight to Lhasa departing at 07:35am, with a 12:05 pm arrival at Lhasa airport. Meet & Greet by English speaking tour guide followed by a private transfer to the Shangri-La hotel, Lhasa for 3-Night stay on a B/B basis. Spend some time acclimatising to the altitude. Dinner and overnight stay at Shangri-La Hotel. (BD)
High Altitude Acclimation Tips: 1. go walking for a while but avoid strenuous activity after arrival; 2. better not to have bath, in case of catching a cold; 3. drink more water, and eat some fruit – have a good rest, before dinner.
Day 07: LHASA
After Breakfast, hotel pick up for Day Tour. Evening Welcome Dinner – overnight stay at Shangri-La Hotel. (BLD)
The Day Tour starts at the Jokhang Temple which is considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism, it’s also known as the “House of Buddha” because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, the life-sized. 5ft. high image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet to worship the Buddha. Our next stop is the famous Barkhor Street, a circular wide street that encircles the Jokhang Temple; locals like to walk the street circle several times, usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. Barkhor Street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts and its here that Lunch is taken in traditional Tibetan restaurant. The afternoon visit is to another famous Lhasa monastery, the Sera Monastery, famous for its “Buddhism Debating”. This is a daily routine, where monks gather in a courtyard to debate on the Buddhist doctrines, supplemented by gestures; it’s believed to facilitate a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. Return hotel transfer.
Etiquette for Monastery visits: 1. Don’t wear shorts and uncovered shoulders; 2. take off sunglasses and hats before entering the chapels; 3. Photography is not usually allowed inside the chapels.
Day 08: LHASA
After Breakfast, hotel pick up for Day Tour and Evening dinner with local family in Tibetan Farmer’s home, with return hotel transfer – overnight stay at Shangri-La Hotel. (BLD)
The Day Tour starts with a visit to Lhasa most well know landmark, the Potala Palacewith its exotic Tibetan-style architecture it’s regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural buildings in the world. Here you tour its inner space, exploring the stately chapels and learn about its history. You will have needed to climb 1,080 steps along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to reach the top of the palace which has stunning view of Lhasa’s urban areas. Next stop is at the beautiful Norbulingka, once the summer palace of Dalai Lamas, particularly famous for its Potrang the private palaces of former Dalai lamas with grandiose Tibetan architecture – it’s now a public park. After Lunch it’s onto the Drepung Monastery, Drepung means “prosperity”. Since its establishment it has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. Once upon a time more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery, where many important and famous Tibetan leaders, especially the Dalai Lamas used to study. Return hotel transfer.
Etiquette for Potala Palace visits 1. Do not rush up the steps when walking up to the palace as it might cause altitude sickness. 2. Ensure you bring some drinking water, sunglasses, sun cream and hats recommended; 3. Photography not allowed inside the palace.
Day 09: LHASA – TSETANG
After Breakfast, check out of hotel, transfer to Tsetang with en route visits and stops at significant places of interest. On arrival at Tsetang check-in at Tsetang Hotel for 1-Night, stay on Half Board basis. Dinner and overnight stay at Tsetang Hotel. (BLD)
The first planned stop on the road to Tsetang is at the Samye Monastery, built in the 8th century by King Trisong Detsen, it was probably the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet. Supposedly modeled on the design of Odantapuri, a Buddhist University in what is now Bihar, India. It was sought to revitalize Buddhism in Tibet at that time. The monastery is situated at the foot of Mount Hepo Ri, an area surrounded by staggering jagged peaks stretched out to the horizon. Hepo Ri is one of the four sacred hills of Tibet, it said to be where the “magician” Guru Rinpoche vanquished the demons of Tibet. For those that want to take the 40 minutes or so to walk the winding paths up the side of the hill from Samye Monastery’s east gate it takes you to incense burner festooned with religious prayer flags, from there the views around and below are worth the climb. Lunch will be taken during the course of the days activities at a time mutually agreed with the driver guide.
Day 10: TSETANG – GYANSTE
After Breakfast, check out of hotel, transfer to Gyanste with en route visits and stops at significant places of interest. On arrival at Gyanste check-in at Yadi Garden Hotel fora 1-Night, stay on Half Board basis. Dinner and overnight stay at Yadi Garden Hotel. (BLD)
The first planned stop on the road to Gyanste is at the famousYumbulakang Palacebelieved to be the first palace in Tibet. The palace of royal families of Yalong Regime there are many ancient sculptures and paintings preserved in the palace that was built in the second century B.C.The next stop is at the Trundruk monastery, home of thestunning Tangkha of Pearls decorated with 29,026 pearls. Legend says the monastery lies on the site of a big lake where Somgtsen Gampo who turned into a rock too destroy an evil dragon with five heads who lived in the lake, and the monastery was built to commemorate this great deed. The next short stop is at the Karola Glacier which towers above the road after you have passed Yamdrok Lake, surrounded by fertile pastures full of yaks and sheep and small Tibetan villages dotted along the lake shore. The largest lake in the northern Himalaya Mountains, it looks like an eardrop in the arms of snow-capped mountains.Lunch will be taken during the course of the day’s activities at a time mutually agreed with the driver guide. The day finishes with a climb up to the Dzong Fortressin Gyanste used by Tibetan army during their fight against the British army’s invasion in the early 20th century, from the top of the fortress; youget great panoramic views of Gyantse.
Day 11: GYANSTE – SHIGATSE
After Breakfast, check out of hotel, transfer to Shigatse with en route visits and stops at significant places of interest. On arrival at Shigatse check-in at Qomo Langzong Hotel for a 1-Night, stay on Half Board basis. Dinner and overnight stay at Qomo Langzong Hotel. (BLD)
The first planned stop on the road to Shigatse is at the Pala Manor, theonly well preserved aristocratic manor in Tibet. From the 17th century it was the private manor of the aristocratic Pala families. They lived in luxury and splendour whilst their serfs who worked from dawn to dusk lived in dark crude rooms in the yard; relics of those times and lifestyles remain just as they once were. After lunch there is a visit to Tashilhunpo Monastery the official seat of Panchen Lama, its also the largest and most influential Gelug Monastery in the Shigatse prefecture and the location of Future Buddha, a giant statue over 26 metres high, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers it’s the largest one of its kind on earth.
Day 12: SHIGATSE– EVEREST BASE CAMP
After Breakfast, check out of hotel, transfer via scenic route to the foot of Mount Everest, after a stop at the Rongphu Monastery take a 4 km trek to the Everest Bas camp. Overnight accommodation in Nomad Tented Campsite or Rongphu Monastery Guest house -depending on season and weather conditions. (BLD)
Day 13: EVEREST BASE CAMP – SHIGATSE
Watch sunrise at Mount Everest; visit Rongphu Monastery, the highest monastery in the world, where monks and nuns live together. Return to Shigatse by the end of the day, check-in at Qomo Langzong Hotel for a 1-Night, stay on B/B basis – overnight stay at Qomo Langzong Hotel. (BLD)
Day 14: SHIGATSE – LHASA
After Breakfast, check out of hotel, transfer to Lhasa via the northern route with visits and stops at significant places of interest. On arrival at Lhasa check-in at Shangri-La hotel for a 1-Night, stay on B/B basis. Evening at a Tibetan-style farewell dinner in a traditional restaurant with Tibetan songs and dances. Return hotel transfer -overnight stay at Shangri-La Hotel. (BLD)
On leaving Shigatse, the route taken is known as the Northern route through the scenic, rugged Tsango river valley. After visiting the Tashilungpo Monastery the route goes across Tsoula and Gyatsola, pass to Xhegar en route to the Sakya Monastery and Yangpachen Hot Springs before arriving in Lhasa. Lunch will be taken during the course of the day’s activities as mutually agreed with the driver guide.
Day 15: LHASA – LONDON
After Early Breakfast, check out of hotel for transfer to Lhasa Airport, check-in for flight to London via Beijing with a short connecting stop, flight arrival London Heathrow same day. (B)
