Day 01, Monday: Flight to Lhasa.
Upon arrival at Lhasa airport, you are met by your Tibetan Guide and transferred to your hotel in Lhasa City (1 hr). Check in hotel and take rest in order to cope with the effects of altitude.

Day 02, Tuesday: At Lhasa (B)
Today, you will visit Drepung Monastery, Jorkhang Temple and the Barkhor Street, all deeply associated with Tibetan people, their religion and culture. Drepung Monastery, situated to the west of Lhasa city, was the largest and the richest of the three major Yellow Sect monasteries of Lhasa. From here, you will drive to the center of Old Lhasa to visit the The Jokhang Temple which was original built in 647 AD by the queen of King Songtsan Gampo, the Tang Princess Wen Cheng, hiring craftsmen from Tibet, China and Nepal. The Barkhor, which means a pilgrim’s inner circuit, is situated in the heart of Lhasa and circles the Jokhang Temple. As time went on, shops and businesses sprung up in the Barkhor street and it slowly became a prosperous area.

Day 03, Wednesday: At Lhasa (B)
Today, in the morning you will visit the Potala Palace and in the afternoon, Sera Monastery and Norbulingkha Palace. The world famous Potala Palace of the Dalai Lama is located on "Red Hill", to the west of old Lhasa and dominates the Lhasa sky. This architectural wonder of the world used to be the administrative and political center of Tibet and even today, it draws the greatest fascination of the visitors and pilgrims.  From here, visit Norbulinka the summer palaces of the Dalai Lamas which is situated 2.5 miles west of Potala Palace. In the afternoon, we visit 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. We visit the meditation room, the reception room and the throne room and also take chance to see the debating session of the monks.

Day 04, Thursday: Lhasa-Tsedang (3,500m/11,667ft, 183km/122miles, 4 hrs) (B)
Leave Lhasa early morning for Tsedang- the gateway to Yarlung Valley. About 20 miles before Tsedang, we take ferry across Yarlungdzanbo River, followed by a truck ride to ancient Samye Monastery. Samye is the first Buddhist Monastery of Tibet. Retrace drive to take the ferry ride and continue to Tsedang. Check in hotel and take rest.

Day 05, Friday: At Tsedang (B)
After breakfast, we visit Tradruk Temple and Yambulakhang Palace. Tradruk Temple lies about 4 miles south of central Tsedang and is one of the earliest Buddhist Temples in Tibetan history. It is said that King Songtsan Gampo established the temple to suppress the ogress in order to prosper his kingdom, and later it became the winter palace of the King and Princess Wencheng in Tsedang. From here, you will continue further 4 miles south to Yambulhakang that towers at the summit of Mt. Tashitseri, on the east bank of Yarlung River. This is the first palace as well as one of the earliest constructions in Tibet; therefore you could have a bird's eye view of the whole beautiful Yarlung Valley. These legends really fascinate a lot of people from home and abroad.
In the afternoon, visit Chongye Valley to see the tombs of ancient Tibetan Kings.
 
Day 06, Saturday: Flight to Kathmandu (B/D)
Early morning, you are transferred to the airport (58 miles, 2 hrs) for flight to Kathmandu. This is one hour long flight that takes you right across the Himalayas, offering spectacular views of vast Tibetan plateau as well majestic Himalayan peaks. People in the right side will get opportunity to see even Mount Everest if its not blanketed by clouds. Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, you are met by Nepal representative and transferred to your hotel.

After some rest in the hotel, you will embark on city tour. Visit 2000 years old Swayambhuanath Stupa, venerated by Hindus as well as Buddhists. The stupa is also known as Monkey Temple because of remarkable monkey population residing in the temple and its vicinity. At the end of the day, you will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square that comprises former Royal Palace of Nepal and a number of temples with intricate wood carvings. Later, walk through the narrow streets of Indrachowk and Assan-the traditional business hub of Kathmandu.

Day 07, Sunday: At Kathmandu (B)
Explore more of the wonders of Kathmandu Valley. In the morning, we visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. Pashupatinath, with its triple-roofed temple, cremation ghats, and wandering sadhus (holy men) along the banks of sacred Bagnmati River, which eventually flows south to join the mighty Ganges, is the holiest Hindu Temple of Nepal. Entrance to the inner precincts of the temple is for Hindus only. A short drive from Pashupatinath brings us to Boudhanath, also called Boudha, a 1,400 year old stupa that attracts pilgrims from across Buddhist Asia. Boudha is Nepal’s largest stupa, featuring a huge white dome surrounded by 108 images of Buddha. At Boudha, we see pilgrims circling the stupa to make Kora, turning the stupa’s giant prayer wheels as they go.

In the afternoon, drive about 9 miles north east to beautiful Bhaktapur City-which is one of the medieval Malla Principality and is the best preserved of the three medieval principalities of Kathmandu Valley. We visit the Durbar Square with Golden Gates, Palace of the 55 Windows, Royal Bath and a number of other temples with intricate wood carving and fabulous stone works. Other monuments of Bhaktapur are 5 storied Nyatapola Temple, the only architecture that remain untouched by the earthquake of 1934, Dutratraya Temple and Pujarimath complex with peacock window in the eastern end of the city. Each private houses of Bhaktapur has maintained its traditional look. From here, we drive to Nagarkot (9 miles) for overnight stay.

Day 08, Monday: Hike to Nala and drive to Dhulikhel (B)
Nagarkot, situated at 6,560 ft from the sea level is a popular tourist destination and is renowned for Himalaya and Panorama views. Sunrise and Sunset views are something that you wouldn’t like to miss, here. After breakfast, we start our hiking from the Watch Tower situated south of the village. The trail descends steeply to the east towards Banepa and passes through villages and terraced farm lands. A few kilomerter north of Banepa is a traditional Newari Village of Nala where we meet our transport and drive to Dhulikhel-another beautiful hill resort contending with Nagarkot for views and facilities.

Day 09 Tuesday: To Kathmandu. (B)
Enjoy the breakfast with spectacular views of the Himalayas and prepare to return to Kathmandu. We visit Patan-famed as the City of Arts and Crafts, which is one of the three medieval Malla Principalities of Nepal. Visit the Malla Palace, rich in architecture with intricate wood carving in the struts, windows and balconies. Other attraction of Patan is Golden Temple, Kumbheshwar Temple, The Temple of Thousand Buddhas etc.
From Patan, we drive about 5 km to Bungamati-a traditional Newari Village, where you will feel that time has stopped here. Despite being so close to Kathmandu, Bungamati remains untouched by modernization. Meet the farmers, traditional craftsmen and artists in Bungamati Village. Return drive to Kathmandu for overnight stay.

Day 10 Wednesday: At Kathmandu.(B)
Today you have a free day to pursue your own interests.

Day 11, Thursday: Flight to Paro, Bhutan (B/L/D)
You are transferred to the airport for flight to Paro, Bhutan. It’s a 50 minutes long flight and offers you with spectacular views of Himalayas. Upon arrival at Paro Airport, you will get your passport stamped with actual visa. Claim your baggage and meet your guide outside the airport. After lunch at a local restaurant, we drive to Thimphu (2hrs)-the capital city of Bhutan.

Day 12, Friday: At Thimphu (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we will embark on tour of Thimphu. We visit Memorial Chorten, a shrine built in the memory of the late king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. Many Bhutanese people gather here to pray every day. From here, we drive to visit to a nunnery on the outskirts of Thimphu, followed by visit to Takin Zoo. Takin-the legendary animal, is the national animal of Bhutan.  We also visit Textile Museum, School of Arts and Crafts, Heritage Museum and Tasicho  Dzong at the end of the day. The massive Tasicho Dzong is the seat of Bhutan’s administrative and religious center.

Day 13, Saturday Punakha and Wangdiphodrang (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we attend Thimphu’s colorful Week-end market where farmer’s sell their fresh produce. We can also take chance to watch the archery match-the national sports of Bhutan. Late morning, we drive to Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang ( 3hrs).

The road climbs up to Dochula pass (Alt. 3010m), where we stop to get a spectacular panoramic views of the snow capped mountain range of Bhutan (weather permitting!). Near the pass there are many chortens (pagoda or stupas) and hundreds of prayers flags fluttering about in the wind. After the pass the road drops through changing vegetation into semitropical lowland Punakha - Wangdi valley at around 1400m.

Punakha and Wangdue valleys are at lower elevation of approx. 1400m, and it is therefore warmer with semi-tropical climate or vegetation such as cactuses, bananas and orange grooves. In fact, Punakha Dzong used to be the winter capital of Bhutan until 1958 and even today, the head Abbot and monks of central monastic body reside in Punakha Dzong during the winter months and in Thimphu during the summer. After lunch in Punakha, drive to the village near the junction road between Punakha and Wangdi and make a 20 minutes easy, pleasant hike to Chimi Lhakhang temple, dedicated to the Saint Drukpa Kuenley (1455-1529), also known a the “divine madman”.
Overnight hotel Zangdopelri or Meri Phuensum.

Day 14, Sunday Sightseeing of Wangdue Valley and return drive to Paro (B/L/D)
After early morning breakfast, drive to the town of Wangdiphodrang. Here again there is a very large fortress (Dzong) built in the shape of a sleeping bull. After sightseeing in Wangdiphodrang, we retrace our drive back to west across Dochula Pass, providing one more opportunity to view the peaks of the eastern Himalayas. At the pass, there is a small restaurant, where we can sip tea and enjoy the views. Descend from the pass in time for lunch at the restaurant in Thimphu and later in the evening, retrace drive to Paro.

Day 15, Monday Paro Sightseeing (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we begin the tour of the day from National Museum, housed at Ta Dzong-the former Watch Tower. The museum has wide varieties of collections; from fine arts, handcrafts, arms & amours, bamboo crafts, stuffed animals, display of stamps, bronze statues and also a fine chapel.  From here, we visit Paro Rinpung Dzong-which means the fortress on a heap of Jewels. It was built during the reign of Shabdrung in 1646. The Dzong, which houses the Paro Monastic School and office of the civil administration, is rich in architecture. The famous Paro Tsechu is held here in the courtyard of this Dzong every year in spring.
We will also visit the ruins of Drugyel Dzong from where we can also enjoy the views of Mount Jhumolari, In the afternoon, we hike Takstang Monastery (Optional). Taktsang Monastery (meaning Tiger's nest), tragically wrecked in a fire of early 1998. The monastery, which has now been rebuilt, is perched some 2,000ft/600m up on a sheer cliff overlooking the valley and was said to be where the legendary Indian saint, Guru Padmasambhava, flew from Tibet on the back of a tiger to defeat five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan. The hike is about 1 & 1/2 hours to the teahouse, from where you may either opt to go further uphill to the monastery for about 1 hour or return with few snapshots of the monastery. Lunch is served at the tea house with the majestic views of Taktsang above and the Paro valley at the bottom. The return trek to the road head downhill almost all the way and takes about an hour.

Day 16, Tuesday: Departure (B)
After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Kolkatta or Bangkok.

Accommodations and facilities.
There are not many choices of hotels in Bhutan. With a couple of exceptions, all hotels are small in size but are clean, well maintained and staffed with the friendly locals. You can expect reasonably modern en suite bathrooms with running water but you may want to bring your own toiletries, hair dryers etc.

There are more choices in Tibet but we pick a middle range hotel in the Barkhor Area which is pre-dominantly Tibetan in character. Our choice of hotel has Tibetan décor and managed and staffed by friendly Tibetan locals. The hotels promise fundamental amenities such as bathroom en suite, running hot and cold water, heating etc. In Nepal, there are ranges of accommodations available and comparing to their counterparts in Bhutan and Tibet, they have better amenities and services. We use 4-5 star level hotels which guarantee all modern comforts.

Expert Local Guides
We use local guide and tour escorts who are knowledgeable, experienced and professional. Besides showing you wonder you'd never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You'll be in good hands with them every step of the way. By the way, you should know that, unlike in some countries, driver and guide is different person.

Vehicle
Depending on group size, we use car, Japanese Hiave Van, SUVS or mini buses which are in excellent condition.

Visa and Permits
You should apply Chinese visa on your own. Tibet permits and Bhutan visa are taken care of by us. You can obtain Nepal visa upon arrival at Kathmandu airport. We will provide more information through correspondence.

Internal Flights
All internal flights are manually booked in respective country. You will collect these tickets from our local representatives in the gateway cities. Its your responsibility to check and reconfirm all the tickets.

Trip Activity Level

The trip is mostly motor vehicle based sightseeing with some light hikes and village visits. Lhasa is at an altitude of 3,500m and travelers can experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness but with prior preparation, we can minimize the chances. As we continue to stay in the elevation of Lhasa, the effects of altitude should disappear in a day or two.

High Asia Tours  is an active adventure travel company. We have set the standard for adventure travel and have a strong reputation for excellence that we do everything we can to maintain. Since we are the leading adventure company, we have a lot to live up to, so we make sure we provide safe, quality trips and the best customer service to our passengers.

Note on Itinerary.
Although we will do our very best to adhere to the itinerary schedule as listed; it is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

When you are sure you are traveling, please don't delay in booking. The internal flights are the key factor in determining whether your trip can be realized or not. 

Deposit.
A non-refundable land deposit of US$150.00 plus the cost of internal airfares is requested. Also forward your trip application form and a copy of the photo page of your passport. 

Balance Payment
Balance payment is due 90 days prior to your departure. Depending on the number of applicants, we may set an early payment date.  If balance of payment is not received by the requested date, we reserve the right to cancel your booking without prior notice.

Cancellations
Cancellations received 90 days prior departure will result in loss of deposit.
Cancellation received less than 90 days and more than 45 days prior to the departure date will be charged 25% of the land cost.

Cancellations received less than 45 days and more than 15 days prior to the departure date will be charged 75% of the land cost.

There will be no refund on cancellations received less than 15 days.

Air ticket cancellation charges will be as per the policy of concerned airlines.