Lhasa Overland Tour from Kathmandu

You’re met at Tribhuvan International Airport and transferred to your hotel, with the rest of the day free to unwind after travelling. Thamel, the lively tourist quarter of cafes, shops, and restaurants, is an easy stroll away if you feel like stretching your legs.

While the Tibet visa application gets underway, we visit some of the valley’s landmarks. Pashupatinath, the riverside Shiva temple, is alive with ritual; Boudhanath’s huge white stupa is a hub of Tibetan Buddhist life; and Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is a showcase of Newari craft, from the towering Nyatapola temple to the Palace of 55 Windows.

After the biometric appointment for your Tibet visa, we continue to Patan Durbar Square, with its dense cluster of pagoda temples and a stone Krishna shrine, and Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old Malla royal seat. The day finishes at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa looking out over the whole valley.

Your passport returns with the Tibet visa, and we drive out to Pharping, a quiet Newari town about 19 kilometres from the city steeped in religious history. It’s best known for the meditation cave linked to Padmasambhava, the master credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet.

A day held in reserve for final preparations. In the afternoon we meet for a briefing to walk through the route, introduce your guides, and clear up any questions. The rest of the time is open for packing and a little last-minute shopping around Thamel.

The overland journey begins with a scenic drive north to Timure, following the Trishuli River through Syabrubesi and a succession of hill villages and terraced fields. It’s a long but rewarding day on the road, with rural Nepal unfolding the whole way.

From Timure we reach Rasuwagadhi for border formalities, then cross into Tibet and continue to Kyirong. The drive offers a first taste of the Tibetan landscape. There’s time in the afternoon to rest, acclimatise, and wander the town.

A spectacular day crossing the plateau. The road climbs past Tingri at 4,300 metres, with views toward the high Himalaya and Everest on a clear day, then over the Gyatchu La at 5,220 metres — the highest point of the trip — before dropping toward Shigatse, Tibet’s second city and a centre of rich cultural heritage.

The morning is spent at Tashilhunpo Monastery, the historic seat of the Panchen Lamas, followed by time in Shigatse’s market for Tibetan handicrafts. Then it’s a scenic drive on to Lhasa, running through broad valleys and alongside the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

A full day among Lhasa’s landmarks. You climb to the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lamas, then visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. The afternoon winds down on the Barkhor, the pilgrim circuit and market that loops the temple.

Today we visit Drepung, once the largest monastery in the world and a great seat of learning, and Sera, famous for the afternoon debates held in its courtyards. Afterwards you’re free to return to the Barkhor or explore more of the city on your own.

A transfer to the airport for the flight back over the mountains to Kathmandu. Once you’ve checked into your hotel, the trip is celebrated in the evening with a farewell dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant.