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Tibet Winter Tour

Tibet is peaceful in winter, with local traditions at every turn;

Lhasa and Everest Base Camp are not cold at all in winter, with average temperature around 5℃.

Welcome to our sacred land this winter

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18-Day Shanghai Yangtze River Cruise Lhasa Namtso EBC Kathmandu Tour

18-Day Shanghai Yangtze River Cruise Lhasa Namtso EBC Kathmandu Tour

(STN018) Shanghai - By flight - Yichang - Yangtze River Cruise - By flight - Lhasa - Namtso - Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigastse - EBC - By overland - Kathmandu

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Overview

This tour is one of the in-depth tours with a relaxing Yangtze River cruise. It covers almost the must-see sites in Shanghai and Yichang: the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Shanghai Museum, the Three Gorges Dam, the Yangtze River, the Fengdu Ghost City, and so forth. After finishing the Yangtze River Cruise, you will take the flight to Lhasa from Chongqing. After fully sightseeing in Lhasa city, you will begin your tour to Everest Base Camp. On the way, you will admire the turquoise Yamdrok Lake in Gyantse, the traditional seat of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery and the world’s highest Rongbuk Monastery in Shigatse. After visiting the famous EBC, you will travel overland to Kathmandu via Gyirong border. On the way, you will soak up yourself in the splendid scenery. 

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai

As you arrive in Shanghai, the megacity and financial hub of China, our local guide will be expecting you at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Later, the guide will escort you to your hotel. After you check in, the rest of the day is for you to have a good rest or explore the surroundings yourself.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 2: Shanghai Tour: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, and Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Bund

Today we are about to visit some of the highlights of highlights of Shanghai tour. Starting with fascinating Shanghai Museum, the magnificent 4-story building houses an incredible collection of bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, coins, paintings, calligraphy, costumes and other exhibits in different dynasties. It’s the perfect place for fans of Chinese history and art.

Next comes the Yu Garden. Built in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, the Yu Garden used to be the private residence of a senior Government administrator in the Ming Dynasty. For passionate photographer, never miss the chance to photograph Old Street of Yu Garden.

In the evening, we will visit the most iconic building of Shanghai, i.e. Oriental Pearl TV Tower. You can enjoy the amazing panorama of the skyline of Shanghai at night. And as you stroll along the Bund, you will get amazed at the spectacular Huangpu River and dazzling light from buildings of Pudong.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 3: Fly to Yichang from Shanghai, Board Your Yangtze River Cruise Ship

Today, you will be escorted to Shanghai airport for the flight to Yichang. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by the local guide and then transferred to Yichang Port to board the ship. Your once-in-a-lifetime Yangtze River Cruise starts!

Stay overnight onboard your Yangtze cruise ship.

Day 4: Yangtze River Cruise: Three Gorges Dam

In the morning, you can wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine shinning over the Yangtze River. The ship will first pass through the Xiling Gorge, which is the longest one among the Three Gorges, with the length of 76 km in total. The winding river and strange stones make Xiling Gorge is popular attraction along Yangtze River cruise.

In the afternoon, you will follow your local English-speaking guide and make a shore excursion to the famous Three Gorges Dam. As the largest and most complicated hydropower project in the world, Three Gorges Dam was designed and constructed for the benefits of flood control, river shipping, navigation etc. It is the place where you can get a comfortable sightseeing of natural flowers, flood discharging etc.

After that, the ship will sail through the five-stage Three Gorges Dam Ship Locks, the world’s largest ship lock system as tall as a high building of 40 floors.

In the evening, you can take part in the Captain’s Welcome Party which is well prepared by the cruise company. You can not only taste kinds of delicious food and drinks, but also have great fun with dance and music.

Stay overnight onboard your Yangtze cruise ship.

Day 5: Yangtze River Cruise: Lesser Three Gorges

Keeping sailing westwards, the cruise ship will head to the destination of today, the Lesser Three Gorges. As a popular place among tourists with superb natural sceneries, Lesser Three Gorges is situated on the Daning River which flows into the Yangtze River. Consisting of Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge, the Lesser Three Gorges features rapids with clear green water, sheer cliffs and steep hillsides. Also, the surrounding forest is inhabited by monkeys and wild animals. After arriving at Wushan, the local guide will lead you to visit this beautiful place.

Stay overnight onboard your Yangtze cruise ship.

Day 6: Yangtze River Cruise: Fengdu Ghost City, Shibaozhai Shore Excursion

Today’s highlight will be the shore excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City. Called “the Homeland of Divine Comedy in China”, Fengdu Ghost City is the only place to present the Chinese culture of the afterlife. There are buildings, structures, dioramas as well as statues, all related to the afterlife in hell. When visiting this city, you will know about the mysterious stories about the underworld and various kinds of devils and Chinese demons.

Then enjoy a Shibaozhai Shore Excursion at about 16:00. Shibao Zhai Village is a tower with 12 floors. It is one of several high wooden buildings in China nowadays. It is the typical and symbolic buildings characterizing of Chinas southern folk architectural techniques.

Stay overnight onboard your Yangtze cruise ship.

Day 7: Disembark at Chongqing, fly to Lhasa

In the morning, your ship will arrive at Chongqing Port, where you will go through the check-out procedures and disembark. Then, take the flight to Lhasa from Chongqing. Upon arrival, Your tour guide will hold a board with your name and welcome you at the exit of the airport. A private tour vehicle will take you to the reserved hotel. The rest of the day is for your acclimatization to high altitude in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8: Lhasa Tour - Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street

Today's tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the only most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor Street where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, in the meantime, you can buy souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 9: Lhasa Tour - Drepung and Sera Monastery

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace used to be Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before he moved to the Potala palace.

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 10: Lhasa to Namtso Lake and drive back to Damxung

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Lake Namtso, one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest saline lake in the world. On the way, you can see snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountain Ranges and lots of nomads and their tent with grazing yak and sheep densely-populated on the flourishing grassland (in summer). Besides, you can enjoy the view of the Sky-Road Railway with snow mountain background; while standing at the famous Lagenla Pass(5190m), you can view the stunning vista of holy Namtso Lake.

Then we can enjoy our time doing a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island and along the lakeshore. Drive back to Damxung. (For environment protection, the Lakeshore guesthouses were close by the government.)

Stay overnight in Damxung.

Day 11: Damxung to Lhasa via Chimelong Nunnery and Tsurphu Monastery

After breakfast, we will first visit Chimelong Nunnery (Phyirmil Lung Nunnery). Roam over the peaceful small nunnery and get an idea of different Buddhist studies in Tibet, you may also spot a sky burial site (Tibet funeral site) in the distance.

Then, we can go to Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Here, you can learn more about the ‘Black Hats’, the Karma Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism. In the summertime (June to September), we can also go for a ‘Linka outing’ (Tibetan-style picnic) in the small village at the foot of the hill of Tsurphu Monastery.

Finally, we will drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today’s Cultural Tips: Sky burial is a funeral practice commonly seen in Tibet. The corpse will be disposed of and later devoured by vultures. In Tibetan Buddhism, sky burial is believed to represent their wishes to go to heaven. Only family members of the dead can attend the funeral.

Day 12: Lhasa (3,650m) to Shigatse (3,900m) via Gyantse

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Shigatse .On the way, drive over the Gampala Pass (4,790 m), and you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4,400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and in the distance you can have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7,191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa.

Later, you will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, you can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass; Then, you will arrive in Gyantse, historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse). In Gyantse, you will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum and enjoy the Far view of Gyangtse Fortress.

After one and a half driving, you will finally arrive at Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, if time permits, you may have a chance to visit the traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Day 13: Shigatse (3,900m) to EBC (5,200m) via Tingri

In the morning, your guide will bring you to visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery. After getting your Alien’s travel permit, you will drive to Lhatse, it is a small town where you can have lunch.

In the afternoon, the car will take you pass the Tsola Pass (4,600m), and Gyatsola Pass (5,248m). Later, we will enter Mt.Everest National Nature Reserve, you can enjoy the panorama of Himalaya at Gawula Pass (5,198m).Then we drive along the New zigzag road to Everest Base Camp(5200m). You can get closer to gaze at the Mt.Everest peak. The sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at Rongbuk monastery guest house.

Day 14: EBC to Gyirong Border (370km)

In the morning, you can appreciate the sunrise of Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area and then visit the Rongbuk Monastery - the unique world’s highest monastery. Later, we can visit the Everest Base Camp and take pictures of Mt.Everest at the closes distance in EBC.

After that, we can drive from EBC to Gyirong border. On the way, tourists can enjoy breathtaking vista of Mt.Shishapangma and the Peikutso Lake. After passing the Ghungtang Lhamo (5,236m), we will arrive in Gyirong in the late afternoon.

Stay overnight in Gyirong.

Day 15: Gyirong to Kathmandu via Gyirong Border

Tour Guide will assist the clients to exit China. And see clients off at Gyirong border. After you enter the Nepal territory, our Nepali guide will be expecting you on the Nepali-side border and transfer you to the hotel in Kathmandu. The distance between Kathmandu and Sino-Nepal border is around 130km. And the entire ride takes around 7-8 hours. On the way, you will enjoy cliff-side Nepali villages and terraced farmland and vibrant vegetation, etc.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 16: Day Tour in Kathmandu: Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Patan City

In the morning, we will the Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, which is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and when important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today.

Then, we will tour Swayambhunath. It is one of the most recognizable symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha watch all who ascend the worn stone steps. It is a World Heritage Site and one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, and is at the source of the Valley’s mythical beginning.

In the afternoon, the tour group will head to Patan City, which is 15 minutes driving from Kathmandu. Patan's central - Durbar Square, is absolutely packed with temples: It’s an architectural center point with a far greater concentration of temples per sq. meter than in Kathamandu or Bhaktapur. You may shop around and finally we will head back to Kathmandu.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 17: Day tour to Pashupatinath, Bodhnath and Bhaktapur City

In the morning, we are about to tour Pashupatinath, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, the old buildings on the site were destroyed by Moslem invaders in the 14th century, its stone linga smashed to dust, but it rose again behind their retreating backs. Succeeding monarchs reinstated the temple and the images.

Then you will explore the Bouddhanath, which is one of the largest stupas in South Asia, the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries.

The third attraction we will cover is Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 18: Kathmandu Departure

You will be transferred to the International airport to connect onward flight.

Service Guide

Service Included:

  • Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
  • All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
  • Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
  • Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
  • All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
  • Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
  • All meals listed in the above itinerary;
  • Tourist accident/casualty insurance;
  • First aid kit;

Service Excluded:

  • International flight to and out of China;
  • Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
  • Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
  • Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
  • Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.

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