Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet Tour

We begin our flight to Paro and enjoy amazing views of the Himalayas, including the sacred Chomolhari and Jichu Drake peaks. We have lunch and visit Rinpung Dzong. Next, we visit Kichu Lhakhang, the country’s oldest temple. We then go to the Drugyal Dzong (Bhutan Victory Fort), built in 1646 to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Tibetan invaders during the 1600s. On a clear day, we can see Mount Chomolhari, Bhutan’s second-highest mountain, at 7,314 meters.

After breakfast, we will hike for around 4 -5 hours to Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery, which is Bhutan’s most famous monastery, situated at 3,180 meters. Guru Rinpoche (spiritual master) is said to have flown on the back of a tigress to meditate in a cave where Taktsang Monastery now stands. Lunch will be served in the Cafeteria Restaurant, located about halfway up the mountain. The monastery is perched on the edge of a steep cliff, about 900 meters above Paro Valley. After having explored the monastery, we hike down to the valley floor and leave for Thimphu.

In the morning, we drive to BBS Tower and then hike for an hour to Wangditse Gompa on the leveled trail with a great view of Tashichho Dzong. We also get a fantastic view of the Samtenling Palace, home to the Fourth King and Dorje Drak meditation retreat on the hillside above. After touring the Gompa, we return to Thimphu. On the way, visit the mini Zoo to see the Takin, the national animal of Bhutan.

After lunch, we visit the King’s Memorial Chorten (built in memory of the third King of Bhutan, who reigned from 1952 to 1972), the nunnery temple, the National Library (which houses ancient manuscripts), and the National Institute of Traditional Medicine. We may also visit the Textile Museum, the Handicraft Emporium, the traditional paper factory, and the majestic Tashichho Dzong. In the evening, we enjoy strolling through Thimphu’s streets and observing the local lifestyle.

After breakfast, we drive to Dochula Pass (3,100 meters), where we can get spectacular views of the Himalayas on a clear day. We will begin the 2-hour hike to Lungchutse Monastery from 108 chortens. The trail passes through rhododendron forests. Walking along the high ridges marked with colorful Buddhist prayer flags offers us stunning Himalayas views and incredible vistas into the valleys below the pass.

After lunch, drive downhill through the rhododendron, fir, and hemlock forests. On the way, we stop at Metshina Village and take a 20-minute walk through the rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, a fertility temple dedicated to the Divine Madman or Lama Drukpa Kuenley.

We drive 12 km north of Punakha at dawn and begin our 2-hour hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. It is located on a beautiful hillock called Ngezergang and contains elaborate paintings dedicated to the old sect of Buddhism. We hike further towards Punakha. On the way back, we visit the Punakha Dzong which was built in 1637. It is also the second oldest and the second largest Dzong in Bhutan. In the afternoon, we drive to Paro and spend the night there.

We fly to Kathmandu early morning and visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
We visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks praying in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. After Boudhanath Stupa, we visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most famous Hindu temple in the country. It is located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River.

Here, we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing, and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats. We will also visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a collection of pagoda and shikhara–style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The attractions of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square are the Lion Gate, the Golden Gate, the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows, art galleries, and the Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla.

After breakfast, we begin our drive to Chitwan, a warm city at the foot of the Churia range, boasting the Chitwan National Park, the first national park in Nepal. Once we reach Sauraha in Chitwan National Park, we can take a jungle safari or nature walks, depending on our preferences and arrival time. We go deep into the jungle for a safari and can spot deer and different species of birds.

If we are lucky, we may see the endangered one-horned rhinoceros and the volatile Royal Bengal Tiger. If we do a nature walk, we will be surrounded by a wide variety of flora and fauna and a wide range of species of birds. There will be a presentation on CNP’s wide range of flora and fauna. We stayed the night in Sauraha.

The morning starts with an elephant back safari through the woods and dense grasslands. After the safari, we visited elephant stables and even enjoyed bathing the elephants. In the afternoon, we canoe down the Rapti River. While canoeing, we can get close views of Gharial, Mugger crocodiles, freshwater dolphins, and a wide range of water birds. We stayed the night in Sauraha.

We leave the flat lands of Chitwan for the hilly region of Pokhara, a beautiful lake city. Upon entering Pokhara, we are welcomed by picturesque views of the Himalayas, including Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Machhapuchhre, along with five other peaks. We visit Davis Falls and Shiva Cave (popularly known as Mahendra Gufa). The Davis fall is named after a couple who fell victim to the gushing waters that flow into a narrow and deep canal. We stayed the night in Pokhara.

We leave for Sarangkot early in the morning, which is a hill station that overlooks the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges in the north and Pokhara city to the south. We head back to Pokhara by boat on Phewa Lake. We also visited Bindyabasini Temple, located on a small island on a lake. We fly back to Kathmandu in the evening and stay the night.

We arrive in Lhasa by direct flight from Nepal or via China. If we fly from Nepal, we can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of the Himalayan range, including Everest, Kanchenjunga, and other mountains and glaciers. If we go from China, we can fly over Chinese cities or take the world’s highest train route to Lhasa.

Upon our arrival in Lhasa, a representative holding a signboard containing your name will be there to pick you up, and he/she will escort you to your designated hotel in Lhasa. Resting for the remainder of the day is better as it helps a great deal to acclimate to the high altitude.

We have breakfast and begin our exploration of Lhasa, where we visit the following places:

Potala Palace- Also known as the Winter Palace and named after Mount Potakala, Potala Palace used to be the residence of the Dalai Lama and is now a museum and a world heritage site. One can get amazing views of the entire city as well as the private quarters of the Dalai Lama from here.

Norbulingka Palace- Built in the 17th century, Norbulingka Palace was the summer settlement of Dalai Lamas until the 14th Dalai Lama. This palace’s well-laid, colorful garden also makes up the list of attractions here.

Next, we will visit the Tibetan Traditional Hospital, a center for patient treatment, training, research, and the production of Tibetan medicine.

We continue our sightseeing tour of Lhasa by visiting Drepung monastery, Sera monastery, Jokhang temple, and Barkhor Bazaar.
Drepung Monastery is the world’s largest monastery and is believed to have sheltered 10,000 monks, but today, the number has significantly diminished to a mere few hundred.

Sera Monastery is one of the three Gelung University monasteries, alongside Dreprung and Ganden. It is beautifully constructed with white walls and a golden roof. The main attraction of this monastery is the monk’s debate, which is held every day except Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m.

Jokhang temple is an important sacred site that uncovers the deep-rooted mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Inside, we can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni when he was twelve years old. We roam through Barkhor Bazaar, a market with open-air stalls, shops, and crowds of pilgrims.

Today, we drive 110 km to Ganden monastery, Drayerpa cave, and back to Lhasa. First, we visit Ganden Monastery, located at the top of Wangbur Mountain (3,800m) in Lhatse County, lying 55km east of Lhasa. Ganden monastery is one of the three most famous and oldest monasteries in Tibet. Ganden Monastery has extremely fragile murals and sculptures.

The monastery also houses a suit of armor decorated with gems, which was once worn by Emperor Qianlong and was entrusted to the monastery as an offering to Tsong Khapa, founder of the Gelug Sect. Next, we drive to Drayerpa Cave, located in a beautiful valley with a stunning landscape. There are more than 30 caves that Lamas uses to meditate. We drive back to Lhasa to spend the night.

Today is the final day of our trip. Our office representative will drop you off at the airport for your departure.