Nepal Bhutan overland Tibet Tour

*Please note that entering Tibet from Kathmandu, it is necessary to apply for a Tibet Visa at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, which typically takes a minimum of 4 working days to process. As part of this process, your original passport will be retained by the Chinese Embassy, and you will also need to visit the embassy for biometric verification. During this period, while your Tibet Visa application is being processed, you will have the opportunity to do sightseeing tours around Kathmandu.

After landing in Kathmandu (TIA), our representative from Asia Experience will receive you with a placard in his hand. After some formal introduction and welcome, he will take you to your hotel in Thamel. You'll be provided a brief description of the trip in the way there. Depending upon your arrival time, you can visit the nearby markets and attractions here. Rest in the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

After breakfast, we will take a drive to the 'The monkey temple' Swayambhunath. A short hike to the top provides you a great view of the Kathmandu valley. You can witness both Hindu and Buddhist devotees in the temple and certainly a lot of monkeys.

We will head towards Patan from here and explore the major attractions here. The Patan Durbar Square, Newari streets, and other historical monuments make our visit-list here.

Next, we visit another World Heritage Site Kathmandu Durbar Square. The Durbar Square in the middle of the city offers ancient heritages of the medieval period. The ancient palaces, in the vicinity there is the living Goddess Kumari, Taleju Temple, Kal Bhairav Temple, Hanuman Dhoka Museum, and Gaddi Baithak are some major attractions. In the evening, enjoy walking and exploring the streets and trying out some foods in the food court.

We will return to hotel and rest for the day there. Overnight at a hotel.

We continue the Kathmandu sightseeing. After breakfast, we visit the holy Pashupatinath Temple. One of the most essential Hindu temples in Nepal is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This World Heritage Site temple is situated on the bank of the Bagmati river. In the surroundings of the temple, there is a huge statue of the Ox. Visit the small shrines and other temples, and see the Sadhus.

Not far from there is another World Heritage Site called Boudhanath. This stupa is one of the biggest stupas in Nepal. This holy stupa is of great significance to Tibetan Buddhists. Many people perform the kora ritual by circulating the big dome in a clockwise direction. In the surroundings, you can also visit other monasteries. You can hear Tibetan praying chants, and smell the fragrance of butter lamps and incense which makes the place very delightful. You can also do some souvenir shopping and explore the markets as well as enjoy Tibetan cuisine.

From Boudhanath, drive to Thankot and take a cable car ride to Chandragiri Hill. Enjoy the panoramic views of the Himalayas, Kathmandu Valley, and the surrounding countryside. Visit the Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple and experience the spiritual atmosphere of this sacred site. Relax and rejuvenate in this tranquil setting, and take in the fresh air and sunshine.

After breakfast today, we will head towards Bhaktapur, one of the major cities in the valley. Bhaktapur also called 'Bhadgaon' showcases the ancient-side of the valley as many locals live a similar life as the traditional people use to. We will visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square here first and take a tour of nearby temple square as well. In between these amazing tours, we will also make brief food stops to gulp in some of the local Newari delicacies. We will visit the art schools to view the traditional paintings and Thangkas before driving to Nagarkot today. About an hour of calm and beautiful hill drive will lead us to this hilltop village. Overnight at a hotel in Nagarkot.

We will start our day early with a beautiful sunrise view over the Mountains from Nagarkot. An observatory tower here at an altitude of 2,175 meters gives us the perfect view of the Himalayas. Starting from Mt. Dhaulagiri in the west we can have a great view of Everest (8,848m.), Lhotse (8,516m.), Cho Oyu (8,201m.), Makalu (8,463m) in a clear sky from here. After the sunrise, we will return to the hotel for breakfast.

From Nagarkot, we will drive for a couple of hours out from the valley and visit the Nambuddha monastery. The monastery is one of the most beautiful ones in Nepal with many legends linked to it. We can take a short nature walk in the premises and enjoy the landscape from Namobuddha. If you are here from March to May, you can get a fantastic view of blooming Rhododendron forests surrounding the area. Next, we will head for the ancient town of Panauti. Also, one of the most preserved cultural areas near Kathmandu, Panauti showcases you the traditional farming lifestyle of the locals. We will visit some of the old temples here and head towards Dhulikhel, specially for Mountain Views. In the evening, drive back to Kathmandu. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

*Your Tibet group visa will be ready. Collect your original passport and visa from Chinese embassy of Kathmandu and start Bhutan tour first.

We will fly to Bhutan from TIA today. In the spare time before the flight, you can explore the market areas of Thamel. The flight to Paro is short but gifted with a great view of both the nations. Our representative will receive you at the airport and take you to your hotel in Thimphu. The drive is slightly over an hour in the green hills and farmlands of Bhutan. The fresh breeze and nature accompany you in the journey to the capital.

Stop halfway to the Paro-Thimphu highway and visit the 16^th-century old Tachogang Lhakhang temple by traversing an old bridge. From the bridge, enjoy the scenic views of the villages. Tachogang temple means the hill of the excellent horse. Continue to drive to Thimphu. You can explore the local life in Thimphu. Similarly, the weekend markets here is a culture to experience if you are in these days. Overnight at Thimphu.

After a great sunrise view and some local breakfast, we will head towards Punakha today. We will stop at the Dochu La Pass on the way there and spend some time there. The eyes will go straight to the beautiful Druk Wangyal Chortens which is a collection of 108 memorial chortens dedicated to the deceased Bhutanese war soldiers. The views of the Himalayas and the garden nearby is also majestic from the past. After some time here, we will move towards the historical fortress in Punakha, Punakha dzong. The Dzong is a beautiful masterpiece located between the Po Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers. Not so far is the oldest Punakha Suspension Bridge. Visit there and enjoy the breathtaking surrounding views. Returning to Thimphu, we can also take a short detour to the Fertility temple or Chimi Lhakhang. Overnight at a hotel in Thimphu.

After breakfast, we will drive to Paro. Here we will do a short and scenic hike to one of the most significant monasteries in Bhutan, the Taktsang monastery. There are different routes to reach this majestic monastery sitting in a cliffside of a high hill. We will take the best amongst them and stop for great views and snacks in the way. Our guide will also tell you some local legends and historical importance of the monastery in the hike. After reaching the monastery, you can have a great view of the landscape surrounding it. We can visit the caves where Guru Rimpoche or Padmasambhava is said to have meditated and introduced Buddhism in Bhutan in the monastery. We will return to our hotel in Paro next and have lunch.

After lunch, explore the beautiful Paro Dzong, National Museum of Bhutan, and the holy Kyichu Lhakhang Temple. Overnight at Paro.

We will leave Bhutan today and head towards Kathmandu. You can enjoy some souvenir shopping before the flight to Nepal. This flight over the Himalayas is one to remember, as it passes by some of the major peaks in the range. Similarly, you can also see the change in the landscape, leaving the barren snow-capped region of Bhutan to the green hills of Kathmandu. We will pick you from TIA and drive you to your hotel. Depending upon the time of your arrival, you will visit some of the UNESCO heritage sites in Kathmandu with your guide.

Our overland tour starts today from Kathmandu to Kerung/Gyirong. We will do all the necessary preparations and leave the valley following the Trishuli highway. The road is smooth in the first segment in the hills followed by some gravel segments. Similarly, we will also face some off-road portions as we get near to the Chinese border. In the way, we will stop for lunch at local settlements and continue driving in this scenic highway. After reaching Kerung, we will have our documents checked at both Nepalese and Chinese immigration offices and drive to our hotel. Overnight at Kerung/Gyirong.

You will start for the longest and most scenic drive of the whole trip to the Rongbuk monastery near EBC. The landscape shift is wondrous as we shift into more barren and snow-covered regions from here. We will drive pass Pelkutso lake and a vast grassland in the first portion of today. Taking small short stops to admire nature and view, we will continue our drive to the Gyawula Pass (5200 m). A bit windy, but absolutely beautiful, we can view the Himalayas clearly from here. From the pass, it is a couple of hours to reach Rongbuk monastery. Overnight at Rongbuk.

We will wake up early for a breathtaking sunrise of a lifetime from the Rongbuk monastery over Mt. Everest. After this amazing experience, we will explore the monastery premises for a bit before continuing our road journey to Shigatse. We will be traveling in a bit bumpy road for the first part of the trip. From here we will stop at the small Tingiri town. The views of Cho Oyu and Everest is majestic from the town here. Next, it is a couple of hours of highway drive to the G318 National highway milestone (5,000 m) in Lhatse, and there we'll take some pictures. After driving to Shigatse from Lhatse, we will freshen up and visit Tashilupo Monastery. This monastery, which is the seat of the Panchen Lama of Tibet is also one of the most significant ones here. Overnight at a hotel in Shigatse.

Today will be the last day of driving exploration in Tibet, and we will cover many cultural destinations in the way. The road is in good condition, and we will make shortstops in the small farmer villages lying in the way. After reaching Gyantse, we will take a brief exploration tour of some majestic sites here. This heritage-rich town has a lot to offer, and we will visit the Perklor Monastery, Kumbum stupa, and GyantseOld Street here. The next portion of the drive takes us beside the Holy Yamdrok Lake (One of the three significant holy lakes in Tibet). We will also enjoy the views of Manak Dam Lake and Korola Glacier before reaching Lhasa in the evening. Overnight at a hotel in Lhasa.

After a refreshing breakfast, we will start our cultural tour of Lhasa. Being the capital of Tibet, we can experience a timeline of culture and art in this city. The Potala Palace, also the former seat of Dalai Lama of Tibet, is the first destination we'll visit today. Potala Palace is one of the most beautiful and extensive palaces in Tibet withholding a significant part of the Tibetan history behind its walls. We will start the tour from the garden on the ground floor and to the different parts of the Palace. The courtyards, praying rooms, decorations, thangkas, and sculptures reflect the Buddhist culture as well as the lifestyle of the previous Dalai lamas here. After a memorable time here, we will make our way towards the Sera monastery within a short drive from here. We will explore the art and culture of the monks living there alongside the view of the landscape surrounding it. From the monastery, we will make our way to Barkhor Street and Jokhang Temple. This temple is one of the most important ones in Tibet. This UNESCO heritage site and premises is the best place to learn Tibetan culture. Overnight at a hotel in Lhasa.

We will continue our Lhasa Tour visiting the Drepung monastery here. Being one of the biggest monasteries in Tibet, it was once home to more than 10,000 monks. We will explore the paintings and murals here and pay a visit to the library. After spending some time here with the monks, we will head towards MentshiKang. A Tibetan Medicine center, you can learn more about the locally made medicines and healing techniques. Our next destination in Lhasa will be the summer palace of Dalai lamas, Norbulingka palace. Also a UNESCO world heritage site, the gardens, shrines, and monuments are pristine here. Overnight at a hotel in Lhasa.

Our representative will drive you to the airport before your departure. You will return via Kunming, Beijing or Chengdu airport to home. This trip concludes with some great memories, amazing people, and magnificent places you have been throughout the journey. Asia Experiences will stay connected with you for your valuable suggestions and feedback. Your memories of the tour of Nepal, Bhutan and overland Tibet will blaze out long even after you've left its shores.