Tibet, Nepal & Bhutan

Tibet, Nepal & Bhutan 15 Days

HAT131

Trip Type:
Schedule Depature

Maximum Altitude:
3500m

Durations:
15 days

Trip Starts:
Lhasa

Trip Ends:
Paro

Accomodation:
Hotels and resorts

Best Time For Travel:
Throughout the Year

Trip Over View

The multi country packages are definitely one good choice to make that allows any visitors to witness and enjoy the wonders of two or more countries all at once and here we present you this inspiring tour that introduces the three Himalayan kingdom of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan- all in one single trip! Words cannot describe the beauty that these Himalayan countries possess. The feelings of wonder and mystery, culture, landscapes, monasteries cities and valleys these countries offer an absolutely special experience. During the trip, you will be taken to discover their attractions and have a life time experience. Nepal, Tibet and India as an individuals are amazing and these are the destinations for the ultimate enjoyment.
Tibet is one of the most visited places but until the beginning of the 20th century, it was mysterious to the rest of the world. But the massive, snowy land has now mesmerized mankind. Situated on the remote Tibetan plateau at the centre of Asia, Tibet is often referred to as the Roof of the World. You need mental preparedness, physical fitness and patience to go to Tibet and soon you are exploring one of the most beautiful places on earth. Tibet is the perfect definition of the very best kind of travel and you will only know when you plan your spectacular trip to Tibet to witness its magnificence.

Tiger's Nest Monastary in Bhutan

Nepal is definitely one of the finest places to visit with mixed culture, tradition and sacred sites around the Himalaya. Nepal has been a melting pot of Hindu and Buddhist cultures forever making it one of the best places for spiritual tour as there are abundance of spiritual sites which are also famous destination for spiritual quest like meditation, yoga, astrology and retreat. There isn’t the perfect place other than the local market and bazaar to meet the most diverse people and explore the complex maze of Hindu and Buddhist sites that are packed in within the narrow streets of everyday life.
There is something pure about the kingdom of Bhutan making it one of the most beautiful destinations. The nature and religion merge to preserve this Buddhist kingdom as the last Shangri-La and Bhutan is the blending of the ancient and modern making it even more endlessly mesmerizing. Surprisingly Bhutan’s culture and the traditional lifestyle are still intact to the point to which it infuses all strand of modern day secular life. Bhutan is surely the pearl of the Himalayas. For centuries Bhutan stayed completely secluded from the rest of the world but the Bhutanese are well educated, lively and well informed about the world around them. Recently, Bhutan have been in much news for being the first ever Carbon-Negative Country, positively another great basis for soaring tourism in the coming years.
Our detailed itinerary lets you know in detail about how this 15 days long trip will be like. The trip will definitely give you an enduring memory.

Outline Itinerary

Day 01: Flight to Lhasa.

Day 02: At Lhasa. (B).

Day 03: At Lhasa. (B).

Day 04: Lhasa-Tsedang (B).

Day 05: At Tsedang. (B).

Day 06: Flight to Kathmandu and connecting flight to Pokhara (B).

Day 07: At Pokhara (B).

Day 08: Fly to Kathmandu (B/D).

Day 09: Kathmandu (B).

Day 10: Flight to Paro, Bhutan (B/L/D).

Day 11: At Thimpu (B/L/D).

Day 12: Punakha and Wangdi Phodrang (B/L/D).

Day 13: Punakha to Paro (B/L/D).

Day 14: Paro Sightseeing (B/L/D).

Day 15: Departure (B).

Day 01: Flight to Lhasa
Upon arrival at Lhasa airport, you are met by your Tibetan Guide and get transferred to your hotel in Lhasa City (1 hr). Check in the hotel and take a rest in order to cope with the effects of altitude sickness which is quite normal. Ovenight in Lhasa at Kyichu hotel.

Day 02: At Lhasa (B)
Today, you will visit Drepung Monastery, Jorkhang Temple and 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, we will drive to the center of Old Lhasa to visit Jokhang temple which was originally 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 Jokhang temple. As time went on, shops and businesses sprung up in the Barkhor Street and it slowly became a prosperous area. Overnight in Lhasa at Kyichu hotel.

Day 03: At Lhasa (B)
Today, in the morning we will visit Potala Palace and in the afternoon, visit 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 it dominates the Lhasa skyline. 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 Norbulingkha 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 will visit the meditation room, the reception room and the throne room and also have an opportunity to see the debating session of the monks. Overnight in Lhasa at Kyichu hotel.

Day 04: Lhasa-Tsedang (3,500m/11,667ft, 183km/122miles, 4 hrs) (B)
Leave Lhasa early morning for Tsedang - the gateway to Yarlung Valley. En route visit ancient Samye Monastery which is the first Buddhist Monastery of Tibet. We retrace our drive and continue to Tsedang. Check into the hotel and take a rest. Overnight in Tsedang at Tsedang hotel.

Day 05: At Tsedang (B)
In the morning we will 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 an evil ogress and allow his kingdom to prosper. Later, the temple became the winter palace of the king and princess Wencheng in Tsedang. From here, we continue 4 miles farther south to Yambulhakang which 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. From here we have a bird's eye view of the whole beautiful Yarlung Valley. In the afternoon, we visit Chongye Valley to see the tombs of ancient Tibetan Kings. Overnight in Tsedang at Tsedang hotel.

Day 06: Fly to Kathmandu and continue to Pokhara (B)
Transfer to airport for flight to Kathmandu and connect same day flight to Pokhara. This is a one hour long flight that takes you right across the Himalayas, offering spectacular views of vast Tibetan plateau as well as majestic Himalayan peaks. If you are lucky to have a seat on the right side, you will see Mount Everest if it’s not blanketed by clouds. Kathmandu to Pokhara flight is about 30 minutes flight. Up on arrival in Pokhara, check in hotel and take some rest, a short walk along lake side and have lunch, after lunch short (15 min) drive to Chhorepatan, from here we do 1 hour gentle uphill hike to peace stupa from here we can have a splendid view of Lake and Annapurna, we spent 30 minutes at stupa and hike down to fewa lake for 35 minutes than have another 30 minutes boat ride to cross the lake and reach to the Lakeside market of Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara at hotel Temple Trees

Day 07: At Pokhara (B)

This morning we drive to Sarangkot which is northern foothill of Annapurna for sun rise over the Annapurna, one of the best sunrise view point in Nepal, after sunrise we drive another 25 min further west to Deurali resort from where we can see 2 peaks of Machhapuchhre (as its name matches) and after breakfast we will have very gentle about one hour hike along the Kaskikot ridge , through small green area with some rhododendron trees , also the view from here is stunning. After hike one hour drive down to Pokhara valley where we visit Gorkha museum, and Seti river George, after lunch a short drive to Tibetan refugee camp and nearby holy cave. Overnight in Pokhara at hotel Temple Trees

Day 08: Flight to Kathmandu (B/D)
Transfer to airport for flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, transferred to your hotel. After some good rest in the hotel, we embark on a city tour. We visit the 2000 years old Swayambhuanath Stupa, venerated by Hindus as well as Buddhists. The stupa is also known as Monkey Temple because of the remarkable monkey population residing in the temple and its vicinity. At the end of the day, we visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, comprising of the former Royal Palace of Nepal and visit Kumari temple. Later, we walk through the narrow streets of Indra chowk and Assan-the traditional business hub of Kathmandu where you can get anything. We end up the day in a nice and typical Nepali restaurant where we invite you for the dinner. The restaurant entertains their customers with Nepali folklore dances; it helps you get familiar with the Nepali culture. Overnight in Kathmandu at hotel Mulberry

Day 09: At Kathmandu (B)
Today, we 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) sits along the banks of sacred Bagmati River, which eventually flows south to join the mighty Ganges. Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu Temple of Nepal. Entrance to the inner precincts of the temple is strictly only 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 or circumference, turning thestupa’s giant prayer wheels as they walk. In the afternoon, a drive about 9 miles northeast brings us to beautiful Bhaktapur City-which is one of the medieval Malla Principalities. It 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 woodcarving and fabulous stone works. Other notable monuments of Bhaktapur are the 5 storied Nyatapola Temple - the only architecture that remain untouched by the earthquake of 1934, the Dutratraya Temple and the Pujarimath complex with its peacock window in the eastern end of the city. All of the private houses of Bhaktapur have maintained their traditional look. Overnight in Kathmandu at Hotel Mulberry

Day 10: Flight from Kathmandu to Paro and transfer to Thimpu (L/D)
Bhutan visa is pre-processed by us and we will provide you the Visa Letter that you need to present during flight check-in time. Your passport gets authentic visa sticker upon arrival at Paro, Bhutan. After clearing immigration and custom, follow the exit sign and meet your guide and driver outside. After introduction, visit National museum for brief and clear introduction on Bhutanese religion, monarchy, flora and fauna etc before continuing further drive to the capital city Thimpu (40 miles/65 km, 1 hr). It's a scenic drive of little more than an hour. On the way, we stop to visit the 13th century temple of Tamchog Lakhang which lies across the river and takes about 10-15 minutes walking. The temple is built by the famous Tibetan Iron Bridge Builder-Thangthong Gyalpo who was an architect, physician, teacher and a saint! The temple is still maintained by his descendants! After lunch, we will go for walking tour to Thimpu town. Thimpu is one of the only two capitals in the world without any traffic lights. We will visit the memorial chorten (shrine) of the 3rd King of Bhutan Jigme Dorje Wangchuk. Overnight in Thimpu at Khang Residency

Day 11: Thimpu sightseeing and hikes (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we set out to explore the wonders of the tiny Himalayan capital. If we are in Thimpu during the week-end, it's worth visiting the week-end market (Sat and Sun). We will also take chance to attend the archery matches (if any at progress) in the neighboring ground. Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. Next, we visit Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Center that produces traditional hand-woven textiles on site and has a selection of cloth and ready-made garments for sale. Then, we cross Wangchu River and visit Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory where we witness the traditional paper making method. Drive uphill to Kuensel Phodrang and witness the 60m tall statue of Buddha Doderma believed to be the largest statue of its kind ever to be built in the world. Kuensel Phodrang offers a perfect viewpoint overlooking the panoramic view of the valley below. Later, we take a brief 10 minutes trek around a small enclosure in the pine trees to spot Takins - the national animal of Bhutan which is believed to exist only in Bhutan. After that we will stop at Zilukha Nunnery in Drubthob Goemba - a residence of 40-65 nuns.We return to the town and visit National Institute for Arts and Crafts that offer a six years course on Bhutan's traditional arts that includes painting, wood carving, embroidery and statue making. Nearby is the Folk Heritage Museum - a three-storied rammed mud and timber building which is a replica of a century old traditional farmhouse and a tour of this living museum will give you a glimpse into the way most Bhutanese lived then and how many rural people live today.Our next stop will be National Institute of Traditional Medicine that prepares and dispenses traditional herbal and other medicines.If you want a more active day, we will go for hiking to Tango Goemba Monastery. It takes 90 minutes from the base of the hill to reach the monastery. Once on the top, we will be delighted to see the impressive monastery. We will sip tea with monks and learn about monastic life. Teach them some English and learn some Bhutanese phrases from them. Return trek down will be much quicker.On the way back to hotel, we stop to visit the impressive Trasichoe Dzong that houses Royal Throne, National Assembly and the seat of chief abbot of the central monastic body.Stay overnight in Thimpu and Khang Residency

Day 12: Drive from Thimpu to Punakha (77 km/ 48 miles, 3-4 hrs) (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we leave for Punakha - the former winter capital of Bhutan. We drive through some picturesque villages and terraced fields and later the road winds up through pine forests and passes by chortens (Stupas) and prayer flags before heading up to Dochula Pass at 10,000 ft. The pass offers panoramic views of snow capped mountains and valleys on a clear weather day. En route stop over at the Royal Botanical Park at Lam Peri before continuing another two hours drive to the low lands of Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang. As we descend, the road slowly drops into the subtropical lowlands of Punakha and Wangdue Valleys.We check in our resort and after lunch, we visit the impressive Punakha Dzong which was founded by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century. Later, enjoy 25 minutes gentle hike to stone masons village of Rinchengang Village with traditional 2 story houses. Depending on the available time, we can take 25 minutes gentle hike through paddy fields and the villages to Chimi Lakhang temple also known as the Fertility temple or we can visit Nalanda Buddhist College which is locally known as Dalayn where will have an opportunity to interact with the monks who are fond of trying their English with the tourists.
Overnight in Punakha at Drubchu Resort.

Day 13: Drive to Paro (142 km/89 miles, 4-5 hrs) (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we check out from the hotel and retrace drive to Paro via Dhochula pass and Thimpu.We check in hotel at paro and visit the ancient Kyichu temple which is one of the 108 temples that King Songsten Gampo of Tibet miraculously built in a single night in the 7th century in order to subdue a female demon! We also visit Dungtse temple that is believed to be built on top of the head of a tortoise-shaped demon that was blocking the way of good fortunes in Paro Valley. Non-Buddhists may or may not be allowed inside. We will also visit a typical farmhouse and have a close insight into the daily lifestyle of local Bhutanese. Overnight in Paro at hotel Tashi Namgay.

Day 14: Paro-Hike to Takstang Monastry (B/L/D)
Following an early morning breakfast, we go for hike to the famous Takstang Monastery (Tiger's Nest). The monastery, precariously perched on the edge of a 4000 ft high cliff above the valley floor creates an impressive sight and is an unofficial symbol of Bhutan. It takes roughly about 2 and half hours up and about an hour and half to go down. With prior arrangement, you can take pony ride until about half the way up but for the remaining journey and return trip down, you need to be on your own limbs! Optional Hot Stone Bath.Tonight you can experience traditional Hot Stone Bath in a farmhouse. Hot stone bath is an ancient Bhutanese method of curing skin ailments, joint pains, hypertension, stomach disorder, arthritis and many other minor diseases and even if you don’t have any of these issues, you can just relax with this after a busy day’s schedule. It costs around US$ 20 per person and an advance notice is required. Overnight in Paro at hotel Tashi Namgay.

Day 15: Departure (B)
Transfer to airport for flight to Bangkok- Service ends.

  • Includes

    • Accommodation on twin sharing basis.
    • Daily breakfast in hotels while in Nepal and Tibet and full board while in Bhutan.
    • All transfers and sightseeing as mentioned on itinerary.
    • English speaking local guides.
    • Tibet permits and Bhutan visa processing including fees.
    • Sightseeing admission fees.
    • Service on domestic airfare bookings.

    Excludes

    • Lunch and dinner while in Tibet and Nepal.
    • Drinks, tip and other expenses of personal nature such as phone, laundry etc.
    • Extra expenses or loss due to nature and unforeseen events beyond the control of our management.
    • Travel Insurance.
    • International airfares and airport taxes.