Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour via EBC - 8 days

Welcome to Tibet, often called the roof of the world! Our Tibetan guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the respective hotel in Lhasa upon your arrival. On the way to the hotel, you can enjoy the incredible views of Potala Palace, the lovely free-flowing Lhasa river, and the colorful Lhasa city. After check-in at the hotel, you can take a rest and acclimatize to the thin air on Tiebtan's plateau. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated, so drink plenty of water and let your body get adjusted to the high altitude of Tibet. 

Overnight stay in Lhasa. 

After having a filling breakfast, begin your incredible day of exploration in Lhasa city. At first, you'll discover the historical Potala Palace, which is also considered the paramount landmark of Tibet. It is well-known for its Tibetan architecture with stone and wooden structures. 

Situated at an altitude of 3,750m, the Potala Palace is the highest castle in the world. You'll witness two palaces, i.e., a white palace built earlier and functioned as the offices of the Tibetan government, assembly halls, and the Dalai Lama's residence. The red palace is mainly devoted to the religious study and prayer of Buddhism. 

Afterward, you'll head toward the heart of Lhasa's old town to visit Jokhang Temple. It is another cultural landmark of Tibet and the most sacred building in Tibetan Buddhism. You'll get a splendid view of Barkhor Street and the Potala Palace from the top of the temple. Besides spiritual significance, the iconic golden roof, sacred Buddhist chambers, and multiple construction styles are prominent features of this historic temple. You'll also witness the most sacred statue of Buddha- the Jowo Shakyamuni in the main hall on the temple's ground floor. 

Finally, you'll wander around the most classical ancient Barkhor Street. You can walk clockwise around the street with other pilgrims, especially in the late afternoon. You can also buy traditional handicrafts such as Tibetan carpets, knives, Buddha statues, prayer wheels, national customs, shoes, hats, jewelry, etc. 

Overnight stay in Lhasa. 

Grab your breakfast and begin your Lhasa tour with a visit to Drepung Monastery. It is considered one of the three great monasteries in Tibet. In the Tibetan language, it means monastery of collecting rice. Once, it was one of the biggest monasteries in the world, with over 10,000 monks living here. It used to be the residence of Dalai Lamas. 

The major attraction of Drepung Monastery is the large Cuoqin Hall. There are 183 pillars and lots of room around the hall in which a Buddha statue sits. Many monks chant inside the hall and gather outside to debate in the afternoon. 

Later on, you'll visit the Sera monastery built-in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. You'll witness a planted rose everywhere in the monastery, so it is also called "the court of wild rose." Inside the monastery, you can discover a lot of mysterious wall paintings. You can even be part of a famous debate session of the monks. 

Norbu Lingka  Monastery is the first summer Palace which the seventh Dalai Lama founded in 18 th century and the first Palace Kelsang Podrang was also constructed as the same name as the 7 th Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso. The eight Dalai Lama Jampel Gyatso (1758-1804) did more initiated work on the Norbulingka, expending the gardens and digging a lake which can be found south of the new summer Palace. The thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933) was responsible for the three Palaces in the north west corner of the park and the fourteen the Dalai Lama built the new summer Palace in 1956. 

Overnight stay in Lhasa. 

Leaving behind the glorious Lhasa city, you'll drive through some of Tibet's most scenic areas. You'll traverse Gampa La Pass and see a whole bunch of mountains and farmland. On the way, you'll get a spectacular view of Holy Yamdrok Lake (4,400m/14,435ft), surrounded by towering mountains. It is the largest sacred lake in Tibet. 

Besides, this stunning drive bestows you with the grand vista of Mt. Noijin Kangsang (7,191m/23,590ft). On the way, enjoy the splendid scenery of white Karola Glacier and Manak Dam Lake too. As you head towards Gyantse, you'll make your way through the Simila Pass at 4,200m/13,780ft above sea level. The pass is immensely beautiful as you see countless colorful Tibetan flags. 

Eventually, after capturing perfect moments and photos in this pass, continue your drive, and you'll arrive in Gyantse. It is one of the third-largest cities in Tibet after Lhasa and Shigatse. While you are here, visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum. In addition, you'll enjoy the distant view of the astonishing Gyantse Fortress. 

Later, after few hours of drive, you arrive in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. It is also the gateway to Mt. Chomolungma (Everest) for anyone traveling to the base camp from Lhasa. 

Overnight stay in Shigatse. 

Start the day with a visit to the home of Panchen Lama- Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. The main attractions of the monastery are its unique architecture and historical sites such as the thangka wall, the biggest statue of Maitreya Buddha inside the chapel, Kelsang temple, the stupa-tomb of the tenth Panchen Lama, exquisite wall painting, etc. 

After that, you'll get your Alien's travel permit and leave Shigatse and then continue your drive to Rongbuk Monastery near the base camp of Mt. Everest. The route comprises several enthralling high passes, and you'll get the first glimpse of Mt. Everest from the Gyatso La Pass.

Further, you'll cross Gawu La (Geu La) Pass at 5,200m/17,060ft, and from here, you'll get jaw-dropping vistas of snow-capped peaks, including Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Cho Oyu, and Mt. Shisha Pangma. This pass is one of the major highlights of this overland journey, as the backdrop of the Himalayas is truly breathtaking! As you descend from this pass, you'll traverse through a small village like Basum. Then, you continue your ride on the zigzag road to Rongbuk Monastery, a final viewpoint area. 

Rongbuk Monastery is the highest Tibetan monastery globally and proudly sits in front of the massive backdrop of Mt. Everest's north face. It is an iconic place to admire the panorama of Mt. Everest, which looks like a giant pyramid standing among other towering mountains. 

Overnight stay in Rongbuk Monastery. 

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the first rays of sunlight on Mt. Everest. Savor the moment! Watching the sunrise over Everest peak is an absolute prominent feature of this classic overland tour. Enjoying the sunrise view and after having a filling breakfast, you can tour around Rongbuk monastery. 

Inside the monastery, you can appreciate the beautiful mural paintings and statues of Sakyamuni Buddha and Guru Rinpoche. You can interact with monks and nuns living here. Walking forward from the monastery, you'll catch the magnificent sight of the famous Rongbuk Glacier. It is one of the largest glaciers among all the hundreds of glaciers formed around Mt. Everest. 

Saying goodbye to this religious and spiritual place, you'll head towards Everest Base Camp. Here you'll make a short stop to take pictures of Mt. Everest. You'll once again adore the close-distance view of mighty Everest. 

After relishing the magnificent scenery of snow-capped mountains, you'll continue your Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour by driving towards Kyirong (Gyirong) town. Today, you'll ride on a good paved road and enjoy the fine scene of Mt. Shisha Pangma, which is the 14th highest peak in the world. Further, you'll catch an unforgettable glimpse of Pekutso Lake and Ghungtang Lhamo. Finally, after a long ride with tons of unforgettable memories, you'll arrive at Kyirong (Gyirong) one step close to the Nepal-Tibet border. 

Overnight stay in Kyirong (Gyirong) town.

Finally, today you'll depart from Tibet territory and head towards the border to enter Nepal. On the Tibet side of immigration, the Tibetan guide and driver will bid you farewell as they will not be crossing the border with you. However, once you cross the border, our Nepalese guide and driver will receive you and help you complete the remaining border formalities on the Nepal side. 

Likewise, after you complete immigration formalities and get Nepal Visa, you'll drive to Kathmandu via Rasuwagadi, Trishuli, Syabrubeshi, and Dhunche village. Along the way, you'll witness a fantastic sight of cascading waterfalls, free-flowing rivers, gorges, dense forests, green rolling hills, and small charming settlements. Arrival in Kathmandu marks the end of your Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour via EBC. 

After the hotel check-in process, you can rest or stroll around Thamel, a popular tourist hub. There are lots of cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs to hang around. Celebrate your successful completion of the short overland tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu. You can even do souvenir shopping for your loved ones. 

Overnight stay in Kathmandu. 

Depending on your flight schedule, the representative from Third Rock Adventures will drop you at Kathmandu International Airport. So either take the final flight back to your home, or you can also extend the trip to Nepal. In that case, we can also arrange multiple activities such as the cultural and city tour, day hikes, heli tour, cultural sightseeing tour around Kathmandu valley, etc.