7 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour (without Mount Everest)

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As the opening of Gyirong Port on the Tibet Nepal border, the Holy Land can be reached easily from Nepal again. Our 7 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour takes you to enjoy the memorable overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa, via Lhatse, Sakya, Shigatse, Gyantse, to explore the authentic Tibetan culture and history. You will visit the most influential monasteries and palace in Tibet with this tour. (The Mount Everest isn't included in this itinerary. If you want to get it covered, you can choose another tour package which has Mount Everest)

Highlights of this tour:

Enjoy the exciting overland driving on the Himala Range from Kathmandu to Lhasa;
Learn about Tibetan Buddhism by visiting featured monasteries of different sects of Tibet Buddhism;
Experience authentic Tibetan culture and join locals to walk the exotic Barkhor Street Kora.

Tour Brief Information

Tour price: from
1. This price is based on a group of 2 adult travelers who will take our private tour and share one standard rooms in regular local 4-star hotel in lower seasons.

2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.

3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.

4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1= RMB 6.85. The final quotation will be adjusted according to the latest real-time exchange rate.
Tour code: TD-OT-7D
Tour Type: Private Customizable Tour Package
Destination: Kathmandu - Gyirong - Lhatse - Shigatse - Gyantse - Lhasa
Duration: 7 days and 6 nights
Departure: Flexible
Travel Theme:
Best Time:

Physical Level
Tour Pace
Medium
Max Altitude
5,220 m

Itinerary Details
Price Guide & Booking
Trip FAQs
Reviews
Make an Enquiry

Your tour - at a glance

Day 1~3 Nepal to Shigatse via Lhatse

Day 4 Shigatse to Lhasa via Gyantse

Day 5~7 Lhasa Tour & Departure

Itinerary Details - Day by Day

Day 1 Kathmandu - Gyirong

After breakfast, our local guide will pick you up, then drive to Gyirong Port (altitude: 1800m) at the border. Though the distance is only about 160km, it takes more than 6 hours to drive to Gyirong Port from Kathmandu because the road is narrow and bumpy. During the rainy season, the road is muddy and may be closed for the landslides.

After arriving at Gyirong Port, you will check through the custom, and be picked up by your Tibetan tour guide, then drive about 25km to today's destination Gyirong Town.

Accommodate at Gyirong Town(altitude: 2600m).

Tip of today: Make sure your Group Visa, Tibet Entry Permit and Border Pass are issued before departing to Tibet.

Day 2 Gyirong - Lhatse (B)

After breakfast, you will have a long driving to Lhatse County (about 400km). Though being a long driving of about 8 hours, but the views along the road are stupendous. In clear days, you can see the clear face of Shishapangma Peak and enjoy the beautiful view of Pekutso Lake.

Tips of Today: prepare more food and drinks for long driving.

Day 3 Lhatse - Shigatse

Wake up in the peaceful morning on the Roof of the World. Today you will travel from Lhatse to Shigatse, approximately a driving around 4 hours. Driving for a while from Lhatse, you will turn right to the country road to Sakya Town to visit the featured Sakya Monastery which is about 150km from Shigatse City. Built in 1073 by Khon Khonchong Gyalpo, on the hill side with gray earth surrounded, Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.Different from other monasteries in Lhasa, its wall painted in red, white and grey strips, which represent Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani, as a special architecture to distinguish from other Buddhist schools. As the first temple of Sakyapa with over 900 years history, it kept many historical relics, including numerous stupas, Buddhist scriptures, magnificent surviving artwork, Tibetan Thangkas and more.

After the Sakya visit, keep driving to the final destination of today - Shigatse city. You will get to Shigatse in the afternoon, then take a visit to the official seat of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery which is also the largest and most influential Gelug Monastery in Shigatse prefecture. Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth ( 26.2 meters high and 11.5 meters wide ), decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers.

Accommodate in Shigatse City.

Young Monks in Sakya Monastery
Qamba Buddha

Day 4 Shigatse - Lhasa (B)

Today, you will leave Shigatse and drive about 8 hours to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. It may be a long journey, but there are many things to do along the road. After two hours' driving, you will get to the historical city of Gyantse, then go to visit the mysterious Palcho Monastery. The monks and tradition of three important sects of Tibetan Buddhism - Sakyapa, Zhalupa and Gelukpa, peacefully coexist in this monastery. Its Kumbum, which is 35 meters high and has 76 small chapels with hundreds images of Kriyatantras , is believed to be the largest such structure in Tibet.

Keeping driving about 2 hours from Gyantse, you will stop along the road and see the imposing Karola Glacier towering aloft on the left side of the road. Moving on not very far from Karola Glacier, you will reach the holy Yamdrok Lake. As the largest fresh lake in the northern of the Himalaya Mountains, it spreads about 675 square meters from south to north, like an eardrop lying in the arms of snow-capped giant mountains. Viewing from a distance, you can see fertile pastures full of yaks and sheep, and some small Tibetan villages along the lakeshore.

Continuing your trip, you will arrive at Lhasa in the afternoon. Have a good rest!

Tips of today: 1) wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild; 2) pack some food and drinks with you because you will spend much time on the road.

Yamdrok Lake is as beautiful as a sapphire
The Kumbu Is the Most Famous Architecture in Palcho Monastery
Get amazed by the stunning view of Karola Glaceier

Day 5 Lhasa (B)

Start today’s Lhasa exploration with an exciting visit to the landmark - Potala Palace which is regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural building in the world. You will climb up the palace along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to the top of the palace where you can not only appreciate the exotic Tibetan-style architecture, but also get a great view of Lhasa’s urban areas, then walk into the inner space of Potala Palace to explore the stately chapels and learn about the history of the palace.

Continuing your exploration, you will then get to Jokhang Templewhich is considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Each day, there are thousands of pilgrims coming from different places in Tibet to the temple to worship to the Buddha. This temple is also known as the “house of Buddha” because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, the life-sized (5 foot/1.5m) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. The last site for today’s exploration is the famous Barkor Street. It is a circular and wide street encircling the Jokhang Temple. The local people like to walk on the street for several circles usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts.

Tips of today: 1) there are 1,080 steps up to climb to the top of Potala Palace, so don’t walk in a rush, which may cause high altitude sickness; 2) taking photos is not allowed inside the palace; 3) today you will be mainly outside, please bring some water, a hat, sun cream, and sun glasses with you.

Sven explored Potala Place with Tibet Discovery (February, 2017)
Prayers at Jokhang Temple
Barkhor Street

Day 6 Lhasa (B)

After breakfast, you will firstly go to visit the beautiful Norbulingka which used to be the former summer palace of Dalai Lamas in the ancient time, and now is a public park. It is famous for its Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai lamas with grandiose Tibetan architecture style. Next, drive several kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung, in Tibetan, means “prosperity”. Since its establishment, Drepung Monastery has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders used to study here, especially the Dalai Lamas. So Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, you will be taken to another famous monastery in Lhasa - Sera Monastery. It is famous for the spectacular “Buddhism Debating”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the Buddhist doctrines with supplemented gestures, which is thought to be helpful to facilitates better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhism Debating", you will be transferred back to the city. The rest time is your own free time to rest.

The Etiquette of Visiting Monastery: 1) you shouldn’t wear short and uncover shoulders; 2) taking off your sunglasses and hat before entering the chapels; 3) taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Debating Monks
Monks Gathered at the Entrance of Drepung Monastery
Enjoy the bright flowers in Norblingka

Day 7 Lhasa Departure ( B )

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of today: 1) please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel; 2) if your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.

Price & Service Guide

The quotation for this trip is per person

1. This price is based on a group of 2 adult travelers who will take our private tour and share one standard rooms in regular local 4-star hotel in lower seasons.

2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.

3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.

4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1= RMB 6.85. The final quotation will be adjusted according to the latest real-time exchange rate.

What's included in this price?

Tibet Entry Permit and Alien's Travel Permit.
Admission fee of all tourist sites in itinerary.
Professional Tibetan English speaking tour guide.
Travel Agency Service Charge.
Transportation

Environment friendly local bus between Rongpuk and EBC.
Hot water bottle and sleeping bag provided in Winter while traveling to EBC.
Oxygen provided while traveling to EBC.
Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
All accommodations
Welcome Tibetan Style dinner.

Please Note:

Free airport pick-up service is only available for the flights arriving at Lhasa between 11:00 AM ~ 12:00 AM, 14:30 PM ~15:30 PM. There are two schedules of free airport drop-off vehicles at 10:30 AM and 13:00 PM. Train pick-up/drop-off service is free for all train schedules. If your flight arrive or departure with different time,and need transfer service, we will charge 58$ per transfer.

What's excluded in this price?

China visa, all air tickets and train tickets to and from Tibet.
Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
Meals not listed in the itinerary (all lunches and dinners).
Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional activities, etc.
Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
Breakfast at Rongpuk.

Value for money:

While the trip of a lifetime is priceless, we know value is a vital aspect for those deciding which tour to choose.

When comparing tour prices, be sure to compare like to like. Our tours are designed to ensure that our customers experience all the culture, history, and beauty that Tibet has to offer, and at a reasonable price.

A great way to enjoy the lowest possible price is to invite more people to join your trip to share the travel experience as well as the tour expense. The more people in a group, the lower the price per person. (We recommend you join our group tour if you are traveling alone. Please contact our travel consultant for more information)

Booking early is also an easy way to ensure the best rate! We highly recommend you contact us at least 1 month before your planned departure date.

FAQs of This Trip

What is a Tibet Group Tour?

Save money, make lifetime friends on the way!

Getting more people in the group is a great way to save money. Our group tour is very suitable for solo travelers and students. When inquiring, please ask our travel consultants if there are other people also travel alone and indicate if you would mind to travel with like-minded people.

Our group tour is a join-in tour. You will travel with other visitors from all over the world. You will share the costs of hiring vehicle, guides and accommodation with other visitors.

Our group size is from 2-20 people. To make sure the tour guide is able to take good care of everyone in the tour, there will be less than 8 people for most of our group tours. We had handled tours only had 3-4 peoples, which is like a private tour.
Recommended Tibet Packing List

For clothing, we suggest casual style and layered clothing because temperatures in Tibet vary greatly during a day. Down coat is necessary if you go beyond Lhasa and Shigatse to remote areas, e.g. the Everest Camp or further to Mt.Kailash. Sun glasses, sun block,moisture cream are necessary too.

For food, 2L of water each day, and some snacks. We also find the energy drink Red Bull is a great energy boost while traveling in Tibet.

For medicines, we suggest that you take some pain-killer pills with you and enough medicine for colds, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Some nasal ointment andthroat-moistening pills will be of great help for those who are sensitive tochilly weather conditions. Please consult your doctor prior to your travel toTibet. Medicine is a must for travelers to Tibet.
Tibet Travel Permits and China Visa

All foreign tourists and Taiwan tourists must apply for a Tibet Entry Permit issued by the TTB (Tibet Tourism Bureau) for entry to Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

We will take care of all necessary Tibet permits in all of our Tibet tours. It is included in the price quotation and it is part of our tour services. It's advisable to apply for your travel permits at least 10 days prior to your entry date. The earlier, the easier for us to get a permit for you.

Please tell us your real occupation when applying a tibet travel permit. Journalists and people involved with political matters (such asdiplomats and government officials) require more complicated procedures to beissued a permit.

A valid passport and a valid China visa is needed when applying a Tibet travel permit. The cost of a Chinese Visa is not included in our tour, so you have to apply for your China Visa in your country by yourself. If you have any question in terms of applying a China visa and filling out the application form, feel free to contact our Travel Consultant.
Meal Information

Breakfast: If you are staying in a star hotel, breakfast is usually included. If you are staying in a guesthouse or tent, breakfast is not included.

Lunch and Dinner:
We don’t usually include lunch and dinner in our tour itinerary. We do arrange lunch or dinner for you at your request though. However, we prefer to give you the freedom to choose the food you want and pay on the spot. From our previous customers' responses, we find that most of our clients prefer to leave the dinners open on their own so that they can enjoy some time to themselves. They can choose either to go to a local restaurant for a little adventure or to have a simple dinner in the hotel where they stay. They may also prefer to choose a restaurant which appeals to their own unique tastes.

We have created a list of our favorite restaurants in Tibet and hand-picked some local restaurants to recommend to our customers. In Lhasa, you can choose Chinese food, Western food, Tibetan food as well as Nepalese food and Indian food. In "off-the-beaten-road" destinations, choices are limited. Our tour guide will be more than happy to recommend good restaurants for you and take you to the restaurants available according to your tastes and preferred style of dishes. Soon you’ll develop your favorite Tibetan dishes!
Questions About Attractions and Tour Activities

Acclimatize: We suggest that you take it easy for your first few days in Tibet. Don't push yourself physically since your body will require some time to get used to the high altitude.

Photography: When photographing Tibetans, please be sure to get their permission first. Also, when inside the religious sites, please be aware that if photography is permitted. It is not allowed to take pictures while inside the halls of Potala Palace and JokhangTemple. Make sure you bring a flashlight if you want to see the inside of the monastery, though please ask for permission when taking pictures in the monastery. Some Monastery might charge visitors a 10-30RMB fee for taking pictures. Please ask your tour guide if you are not sure.

Free time: During the free time of your trip, like the rest of the first day and the last day before departure, you can walk around on your own and do some shopping if you wish.
High Altitude Sickness Information: How can I prepare for high altitude adjustment?

Anxiety is the common cause of mountain sickness. Our customers age range from 20 years old to 70 years old, there is no evidence that suggests that age has anything to do with the occurrence of mountain sickness.

Taking a Tibet tour with Tibet Discovery, our tour guide will take care of you and give advice on how to avoid high altitude sickness on arrival. A bottle of oxygen will be prepared for each person for emergency use when the tour includes visiting places like Mt. Everest, Lake Namtso, Mt. Kailash and activities like trekking and biking. Always remember that if you have any problems or feel uncomfortable, please tell your guide immediately or contact our travel consultant.
Tibet Discovery’s Service and Value
Tibet Discovery’s Service and Value:

Travel Insurance: We provide a limited Accident/Casualty Insurance in Tibet through China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance which only covers accidents that occur within Tibet. This policy’s indemnity is relatively low, so if you would like a more inclusive plan, then it is best to purchase one in your home country before your departure.

Refund Policy: Cancellations made…
30 or more days prior to departure result in a 90% refund
29-15 days prior to departure result in an 80% refund
14-7 days prior to departure result in a 70% refund
6-2 days prior to departure result in a 50% refund
Less than 2 days prior to departure or a no show result in no refund.
Note: Additional cancellation fees, if applicable, imposed by the service providers other than Tibet Discovery tours (i.e. flight ticket booking, train ticket booking, hotels reservation, etc.) will be deducted from the money refunded. While this is the official policy, in cases where our customers face unexpected and unavoidable problems, we can sometimes offer a more generous refund.

Before the trip: Before your trip, feel free to contact our Travel Consultants for any further information you need. All of our tours are fully customizable, so if you are not satisfied with any part of a tour pakage, just let us know and our expert Travel Consultants will do their best to design the perfect tour for you.

During the trip: If you have any questions or concerns during your trip, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your Travel Consultant will do his or her best to resolve any problems you have and ensure that your trip runs as smoothly as possible.

After the trip: Once you have returned home and have had a chance to settle back in, we’d love to hear from you. We welcome your comments, suggestions, pictures, and whatever else you want to share with us about your trip. We are always striving to improve our customers’ experiences, and also love to hear about their adventures!
Best time to visit Tibet

Best time to go:

Peak Season: June, July, August, September (June to October 15th )
In July and August, the crowds will be considerably larger and the costs for vehicle, food, accommodation, and tour guides are higher. June-August generally has great weather, though during July and August, Tibet tends to be extremely crowded as many Chinese travel there for their summer vacation. As July and August is the peak season to travel to Tibet. We highly recommend you avoid those two months to reduce the costs.

Best Value: April, May, and Late October to November (April 16th to May 31st)
Late April to Early June, late October to November is the best value time to go, as the weather still nice and the cost is considerably less. The tour costs between this time is usually a few hundred dollars cheaper than peak season.

Shoulder Season: Late November December, January, February, early April (Nov 16th to April 15th)
December-February tends to be a slow period for travel to Tibet. The weather is generally quite cold, though there will be no crowds like there are during the peak season. Another benefit to traveling during the shoulder season is that prices are considerably lower. The view might not be as vivid but you can enjoy another side of Tibet.

Note: Above information applies to most Tibet tours. For specific best travel time, please contact our travel consultant.

Reviews of This Trip

Still not sure if this trip suits you? Read what other travelers think about this Tibet trip. We only accept reviews from confirmed travelers who purchased the tour / activity from us, so you can be sure the reviews are unbiased and authentic.

Wonder,

謝謝你給我們安排的行程，最好的車和最好的响導。希望將來可以再到成都.

Belinda

November 27, 2024

Wonder,

this boat is really fantastic especially in off peak season when the boat is not fully loaded. Highly recommended

Lian

November 11, 2024

Dear Rita,

First of all, I wish to apologise on my late reply. We just returned from Guiyang last evening after extending our stay on our own in Chongging and Guizhou after our cruise ended. Here's my reply to your survey.

1. How do you comment your tour arrangements? (We did not take any tour arrangement but the group enjoyed the cruise booked through you)

2. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China? (For the cruise - Yes)

3. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services? (None)

4. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail? (Yes. Below is a photo taken during our cruise.)

I wish to thank you for your patience when booking the cruise for us, especially when arranging for payments, which did not go through smoothly due to typo error first on our part and then the bank's part.

Kind regards

Guat

China Tour Photo

Guat enjoyed the scenery of Shennv Stream during their Yangtze Cruise trip in October 2024, Tour Customized by Rita

China Tour Photo

Guat enjoyed the scenery of Wu Gorge during their Yangtze Cruise trip in October 2024, Tour Customized by Rita

October 27, 2024

Useful Trip Notes

1. Tibet Permits
There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)
2. Available Months to Visit Tibet
Generally speaking, May to early October is the recommended time to have a Mount Everest trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. The temperatures in daytime and night differs a lot, usually 5~15℃ in the daytime and -5~0℃ in the night, so please keep warm all the time. It is usually snowy and cold in winter, which is not suitable to visit Mount Everest. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.
3. High Altitude Sickness
The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.
4. How to Go to Tibet from Nepal
Basically you have two options – flight and driving. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu, but the flight schedules are not frequent, usually 2 or 3 flights each week. Another way is to drive to Tibet from the border. It takes about 2~3 hours to get to the Gyirong Port by driving. From Gyirong Port, you will travel to Lhasa. There are many things to do along the route, such as Mount Everest, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Yamdrok Lake, etc.
5. Packing and Wearing Ideas
Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.
As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.

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Prefer to tailor a trip that totally suits your requirements and interests? Our 20+ professional, helpful and friendly travel experts are ready to help! Tell us your needs, and one of our experts will get to you with trip details within 0.5~23.5 hrs. You can also call us at 86-28-85227275 / 86-28-85223672.

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