India: Taj Mahal, Forts & Tigers

Trip Overview

Itineray

Day 01~Arrive in Lhasa, Tibet

Flights to Lhasa arrive from Kathmandu (Nepal) or Chengdu (China) or other major Chinese cities with a possible stop in Chengdu. Airfare and airport transfer is not included and booked separately. Upon arrival, meet your guide and driver and transfer to the hotel in Lhasa City (47 miles, 1 hr.).
Check into the hotel and take rest for acclimatization. You are likely to experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness that include but not limited to headache, dizziness, nausea, disorientation, breathlessness, dehydration, etc. Drink plenty of water and take liquid food in meals.
Overnight: Dekhang Hotel

Day 02~Potala Palace and Sera Monastery

We visit Potala Palace in the morning and afternoon, visit Sera Monastery. The world-famous Potala Palace of the Dalai Lama is located on "Red Hill" to the west of old Lhasa and was the seat of the Tibetan government. With chapels, cells, schools for religious classes, and tombs of Dalai Lamas, it was a self-contained world. Kora (pilgrimage path) hike of Potala that encircles the foot of the palace is a lovely walk and an enjoyable experience.
After the lunch break, we will head to Sera Monastery, the last of the three principal Yellow Sect monasteries to be built in Lhasa. Sera means” Hailstone” in Tibet, and legend tells that it hailed during the foundation of this famous monastery. Sera comprise a great sutra chanting hall, a college, and 32 sections. It once housed nearly 10,000 monks and is proud of its glorious history during the Ming Dynasty. At Sera, we will take the chance to watch the monks debating session.
Overnight: Dekhang Hotel
Meals : Breakfast

Day 03~Excursion of Drak Yerpa Hermitage

After breakfast, we are off to the Drak Yerpa Hermitage- nearly 12 miles east from the city. Many Buddhist teachers, including Guru Rinpoche and King Songtsen Gampo, meditated here, so, the cave hermitages here are among the holiest retreats in Tibet. They say there are 108 sacred cave hermitages. So, depending on your interest, we can spend a few hours here or spend the entire day exploring the holy caves where Buddhist saints and Dalai Lama meditated. While the sites have a religious significance, Drak Yerpa is also known for its natural beauty. The place is peaceful with stunning views and an experience of rural Tibet that is away from the crowds of Lhasa.
In the afternoon, we head back to Lhasa and visit Barkhor Street- the old Tibetan town where we will have a lunch break (lunch not provided). After lunch, we will visit the ancient Jokhang Temple. It was built by King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century to house the image of Buddha brought to Tibet by his Nepali wife Bhrikuti as part of the dowry. After that, we will take a relaxed stroll on the pilgrimage path of Barkhor that goes around the Jokhang Temple. Barkhor area has authentic Tibetan characteristics with Tibetan shops lining up on either side of the street. We will see devout Tibetans walking and spinning the prayer wheels or counting the holy beads and uttering the sacred Buddhist mantras-'Om Mane Padme Hum!'
Overnight: Dekhang Hotel
Meals : Breakfast

Day 04~Gyantse and Shigatse

214 miles, 7 hours
Following breakfast, we set out on the high roads of Tibet; today, we cross two high passes the Kamba La (15,700 ft) and Karo La (16,500 ft). A pass is a sacred place for Tibetans, and each time they travel over a pass, they stop here to offer the prayer flags and wish for a safe journey! The passes also provide views over the vast Tibetan plateau and the Himalayan mountains. Often time, we can also see Tibetan people with their decorated yaks. You can ride the yak and pose for a picture for a nominal fee! After Kambala Pass, the road drops and follows the shores of beautiful Yamdrok Tsho Lake-one of the holiest lakes in Tibet. In about five hours or a little more, we arrive in Gyantse-a picturesque Tibetan town. In Gyantse, we visit the Kumbum Stupa -a multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels. And visit adjoining Pelkore Chode Monastery, also known as Palco Monastery, which is believed to exist since the 9th century, even before the town was built.
We continue on our travel to Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The road passes through the fertile Nyanchu Valley with a vast agricultural plain. Along the way, you might see the Tibetan farmers at work.
Overnight: Gesar Hotel
Meals : Breakfast

Day 05~Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp

Another long day of driving, yet the journey is equally rewarding! The road trip involves the crossing of two high passes, the Tropu La (16,236 ft) and Gyatso La (17,122 ft). These pass cuts through several picturesque villages and will have spectacular mountain views all the time. After a lunch break in Shegar, we leave the main highway and head up north to Dza Rongbuk Monastery. The journey involves crossing over Pang La (5120m/16,794 ft) that rewards you with the views of several 8000m high mountains like Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Mount Everest. The road passes through several picturesque villages.
Upon arrival at Rongbuk, check-in the monastery guesthouse that offers simple accommodation with a shared Tibetan style pit toilet with no running water! If it's not a cloudy day, you will enjoy gorgeous views of Mount Everest.
Overnight: Monastery Guest House
Meals : Breakfast

Day 06~Travel back to Shigatse

4980m/16,600 ft., 90km/56miles, 3-4 hrs.
Enjoy the spectacular views of Mount Everest and other majestic peaks of the Himalaya! If you didn't visit the base camp, you have a chance this morning, and usually, you have better and unobstructed views in the morning.
After breakfast, retrace drive to the main highway and continue on a long journey to Shigatse.
Overnight: Shigatse Gesar Hotel
Meals : Breakfast

Day 07~Travel back to Lhasa.

For the return trip back to Lhasa, we take the Northern Friendship Highway that follows the Yarlungdzangbo River. Check-in hotel and balance of the day is free for you to take rest or take a stroll in the town.
Overnight: Dekhang Hotel
Meals : Breakfast

Day 08~Departure.

After breakfast, get transferred to the airport in time for the flight to your next destination. Meals : Breakfast

Trip Info

Trip Includes

• Tibet entry permit.
• Accommodation on double occupancy basis.
• Daily Breakfast at your hotel
• All transfers and sightseeing by a private air-conditioned van or minibus.
• Sightseeing admission fees.
• English speaking local certified Guide.

Trip Does Not Include

• International and internal airfare.
• Airport Taxes.
• Chinese visa fee.
• Lunch and dinner.
• Drinks, tipping, laundry, phone, internet, and other personal expenses.
• Travel & Health Insurance.
• All extra costs due to nature or unforeseen events.
• Excess baggage charges.

Passport and visa

The remaining validity of your passport must be a minimum of six months beyond your return date. And please make sure you have two blank visa pages for China only.You will need to apply for a Chinese visa at your nearest Chinese embassy. We will help you with the form and necessary supporting documents. Please, initiate the application process in a minimum of three months before the travel date. We need a copy of your Chinese visa forty-five days before the planned arrival date in China. We will obtain the Tibetan Entry permit for you and ship it to your hotel in the gateway city (Chengdu or Beijing). You need to present this document when you check-in for the flight to Lhasa. Your Guide will be holding all other necessary permits required for this trip.

Accommodation & meals

In Lhasa, we will book a mid-range tourist standard hotel in Barkhor Area. Our choices of hotels are Dhekhang, Kyichu, or Gorkha Hotel, located in the old Tibetan quarter of Lhasa. These are locally managed mid-size properties with an adequate comfort level. There are a few four stars and 5-star hotels such as 4-Points By Sheraton, Shangrila Hotel, St. Regis, etc. and we can book them for you on an additional cost. In Shigatse also, we book a local three-star hotel. Accommodation in Rongbuk is rudimentary. The toilet is a Tibetan style squat with no running water. There is no shower here. Hotels in Tibet provide limited supplies of toiletries, and so, please bring your own set. They may not also have a hairdryer, iron, and ironing boards. If the preferred hotels listed in the program are not available, we will book the next best possible property in that price category.
Most hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse provide with WiFi, but some hotels may charge some nominal fee for using the WiFi. Food
The trip cost includes breakfast only. The hotels serve Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, Nepali, and western-style breakfasts. The trip does not include lunch and dinner and so budget $10-12 for a meal. You may want to bring some dry fruits, chocolates, energy bars, vitamin supplements, etc.

Roads and Transportation

Now the road in Tibet is in good condition! They are all paved through the basecamp. However, vehicles have to stop at Rongbuk Monastery- the last point you can get by car. Depending on the final group size, we use a minivan or coaster bus all transfers and tours. Bring a protection mask for your nose to avoid inhaling dust! The driver may or may not speak English, but he knows the Tibetan roads and will be an experienced one.

Tour Guide

You will be accompanied by experienced and knowledgeable English speaking Tibetan Guide who you meet on arrival at Lhasa airport. Besides guiding you on tour, your guide will also be responsible for dealing with check posts, and local bureaucracies and complete necessary paperwork. Guide and driver are different persons.

Altitude sickness and Health Issues

There are no mandatory vaccinations required for traveling to China and Tibet unless you have visited any yellow fever affected areas in the last six months. However, you may consider protection against rabies Hep A, Typhoid, etc. Travelers with cardiac-pulmonary issues or any other medical conditions are recommended to consult their physician. The primary health consideration in Tibet is altitude-related illness or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience some mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea, and sleeplessness, but these should lessen within a few days. Although the trip doesn't expect you to be athletic, you will be glad if you are fit. So, please, start some physical exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking, etc. about several weeks before the trip.

Booking and cancellation

We request a deposit of US$300 along with a completed trip application form and passport copies. If you need us to book the airfare to Lhasa, we will give you the quote. The final payment is due 90 days before the trip date. Balance payment on credit card attracts an additional 3.5% fee.

Cancellation fees

• Ninety days prior departure: Administrative fee US$ 150 per person.
• Sixty-Eighty-nine day's prior departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• Forty-five days to Fifty-nine days prior departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• Thirty days to Forty-four days before departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• Less than Thirty days: 100%,