detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Lhasa (3660 m)
You have options to arrive Lhasa, you can join the trip in Kathmandu and fly to Lhasa or arrive Lhasa from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian or any Chinese Cities. (Please see option detail on ‘general information’ section)
You will be met at Gonggar Airport by your Tibetan guide. After immigration formalities take a 1.5-hour drive along 93 km road leading to Lhasa lying at an altitude of 3660 meters. It’s advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day due to Lhasa’s altitude.
Day 2 Sightseeing in Lhasa
Foremost, your tour begins with a visit to SERA MONASTERY. An experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter escorts you to this preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Equally adventurous and exciting tempo builds up while touring NORBULINGKA, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. JOKHANG TEMPLE is another important sacred site which unravels more deep seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Visit to BARKHOR MARKETS can be quite a change from other visits as you roam around the city savoring every tiny detail from stall hawkers coaxing their clients to purchase their goods to exhibition of Tibetan culture, custom and tradition. Eventually, the tour for the day concludes as you return to the comforts of your hotel.
Day 3 Sightseeing in Lhasa
Like the previous day, you experience invaluable insights during your visits to POTALA PALACE and DREPUNG MONASTERY. This 17th century POTALA PALACE offers an awesome view of entire city and also has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms and chapels. Ancient history has it that Drepung Monastery which was built in 14th century used to shelter around 10,000 monks but as now there has been quite a declination resulting in only few hundreds. Tibetans’ respect and belief are immensely knotted with this monastery.
Day 4 Free day in Lhasa for acclimatization
You get an entire day free for acclimatization. After proper rest, you can either indulge in sightseeing, shop or do whatever you fancy. You also get an option of undertaking an additional tour to places such as the Tibetan Medical Centre, Ganden Monastery and Tsurphu Monastery. But this will incur extra costs.
Day 5 Drive Lhasa - Shigatse (3900m) 250 km
Driving about 250 km via direct route, you will arrive Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, you can roam around the local bustling market and visit TASHILHUNPO MONASTERY, one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet. At the end of the day, you make an overnight stay at a best available hotel.
Day 6 Sightseeing & drive Shigatse - Shegar (New Tingri: 4050m) 244km
You will transverse along the Friendship Highway through small town of Lhatse and Gyamtso La pass at 5220m. The route gets more vibrant and exhilarating as it follows glacier-carved environment descending plains, sacred monasteries and pristine camps of nomadic herders. This awe-inspiring drive along 244 km trail finally leads to Shegar. Hotel Quomolongma (the Everest Hotel) provides you with pleasurable overnight accommodation. Shegar has a small hospital with few doctors. Your Sherpa support crew (trek guide, cooking team etc) will meet you here and accompany throughout your trip.
Day 7 Drive Shegar – Rongbuk (5000m) 68km
Basking in the enchanting vistas of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar, you will head southwards crossing Pang La pass at 5150m. Having driven 68 km, you eventually reach Rongbuk at 5000m and thereon, spectacular sight of Mount Everest becomes visible. Your support crew will cook delicious three course meals, hot soups and prepare comfortable camping site with Mt. Everest gleaming right before you.
Day 8 Trek to Everest Base camp (5200m)
It is a 9 km walk along dirt road to the base of Mt. Everest where you will spend 2 days wandering around the base camp prior to heading up Everest Climbing route.
Day 9-10 at Base camp
Two days at base camp to acclimatize and explore around.
Day 11 Trek from Everest Base Camp to Camp 1 (5460m)
Trekking the surreally sculpted Rongbuk Glacier you walk away from Everest Base Camp to Camp I for two and half hours or more. Camp I lies amidst moraine hills under picturesque yellow-orange granite cliffs. In the beginning the trekking route skirts the east side of the Rongbuk Glacier and opens into a flat area at 5270m. On the Southwest, Pumori at 7145 m nestled next to Kala Pattar comes into picture. After arriving at Camp I, you may wish to explore snout of the East Rongbuk Glacier lying just 20 minutes away from the camp.
Day 12 Trek to Interim Camp (5760m)
The trail overlooks glacier-topped mountain as it roll from gravel mounds, mud plain to rocky moraine. Lying directly across from Far East Rongbuk glacier, Interim Camp can prove very beneficial for further acclimatization and supper vantage point prior to trekking up to Camp II.
Day 13 Rest day at Interim Camp (5760m)
A rest day for preparation to climb higher up or you may wish to explore around.
Day 14 Trek to Camp II (5970m)
It is about three and half hours or more to ascend from Interim Camp to Camp II. You will approach Camp II at 5970 meter as you near the south side of the glacier at the eastern end of the Changtse Glacier junction lying below huge cliff. Along the trail to Camp II you get to capture huge seracs rising up to 50 feet above the surface of the glacier and endless array of mountain scenery.
Day 15 Trek to Camp III (6340m) and return to Camp II
As you march towards Camp III, you trek along moraine following the glacier to the right around the eastern flank of Changtse. Further ahead, you ascend a succession of hills as the glacier softens into smooth snowy ice fields carpeting the approaching ridges. En route you may spot several tent sites and discarded oxygen bottles. 1480 meter straight up from Camp III lies the Pinnacles challenging trekkers to explore its mystiques. Its complexity has kept the northeast Ridge unclimbed for a long time. North Col lies at 7066 meter in the West connecting Everest’s Northeast Ridge and Changste. Through binocular you can see spectacular sight of striated rock summit of Everest extending above the Pinnacles to the southeast little more than 8000 feet (2400 m) higher than Camp III. Beyond Camp III there are gravel hills beside the glacier and you may trek along this trail for one hour provided that you are fully acclimatized. Finally, you conclude your trek by journeying back to Camp II from Camp III for 2 hours or you can stay the night at Everest Advance Base camp.
Day 16 Return to Base Camp
From Camp II you continue trekking back to Base Camp, a long day trek down to comfortable lower altitude.
Day 17 Drive Base Camp to Nyalam (215 km)
You have to take a 215 km drive from Base Camp to Nyalam along Friendship Highway transversing past Pang La pass. On the way you can halt at Tingri for lunch. Further away amidst the stunning view of Everest, Cho Oyu and other mountain peaks, you accelerate past Lalung La pass at 5124m and Shung La pass at 5200m. The trail further commands far-reaching views of enchanting Shishapangma, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar enchant as you leave behind arid Tibetan Plateau. The route then progresses towards pristine and fortified town of Nyalam where you can find a suitable accommodation at a hotel.
Day 18 Drive Nyalam (3750m) to Kathmandu
Heading away from Nyalam, drive for one hour to the lush and verdant vegetation of Zhangmu at 2300 meter. Few kilometers drive follows Friendship Bridge along Bhote Koshi River to Immigration Control in Kodari where you bade goodbye to your Tibetan guide and handle re-entry formalities to return to Kathmandu. After 5 hours of driving for 123 km, you finally arrive in Kathmandu.
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