Expedition to the Everest

This morning, your guide will first accompany you to Drepung Monastery, founded in 1416, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. As the largest monastery in Tibet, the sprawling complex is built against the mountainside. You’ll be struck by the overwhelming expanse of white, resembling a giant white castle; no wonder it is called Drepung, meaning 'rice heap'. Its main architectural structure is divided into three levels: courtyards, scripture halls, and Buddha halls, rising progressively to emphasize the Buddha halls' exalted status. Drepung Monastery is also the mother monastery of the Dalai Lamas, and the Fifth Dalai Lama resided here for a long time, establishing the Ganden Phodrang government in 1642. As the former political center of Tibet, it was home to nearly 10,000 monks at its peak. If you visit during the Shoton Festival in August, the dramatic unveiling of the Buddha on the hillside behind Drepung Monastery will usher in the most sacred and spectacular prelude to the entire festival. Before dawn, tens of thousands of people will come to witness the five- or six-story-high thangka being carried out and unfolded by monks amidst the sounds of horns, incense smoke, and chanting. Usually, images of Shakyamuni Buddha or the Future Buddha are displayed alternately, and devotees will throw khatas in prayer.

★ Unique Experience: Watch Buddhist Debate at Sera Monastery!

The afternoon sightseeing will kick off at one of Lhasa's three great monasteries, Sera Monastery, where you can watch the exciting debates practiced by monks in Buddhist philosophy and logic. The drastic debate in pairs draws numerous audiences, and the most interesting part is watching the monks' animated gestures and their excited, ever-changing expressions. The questioners often use various gestures to amplify the argument, such as raising their arms high and then slamming them down, indicating cutting away ignorance with the sword of Manjushri; pressing their palms down to suppress their own greed, anger, and delusion; clapping to urge the answers to respond quickly; or pulling on prayer beads to represent invoking the power of Buddha to defeat. The respondents have to provide rebuttals or answers without hesitation. If they cannot accurately answer, they have to relearn until they’ve fully mastered it.

Besides the debates, don't miss the famous Hayagriva statue in the monastery. Legend has it that this deity was unearthed by Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug School, after hearing a horse neigh. It is believed to possess powerful protective powers, and you'll see many local Tibetans carrying butter buckets, queuing up to worship Hayagriva. After the worship, children will have a black dot on their noses, representing the Buddha's blessing. Finish the tour, and your guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel (4 stars) or Shangri-La Hotel (5 stars)

Today, your guide and the driver will meet you at your hotel lobby. Be ready to explore the world's highest ancient palace, the Potala Palace. Located at an altitude of 3,750 meters (12,300 ft.), the most sacred political and religious space on the Tibetan Plateau just greets you with its iconic white and red walls from afar. The 7-story White Palace on the east side was the core area where the Dalai Lamas handled government affairs. Bedrooms, studies, and council chambers are elegantly furnished, with exquisite wood carvings, delicate paintings, and precious carpets. The Red Palace on the west side is filled with a mysterious and sacred religious atmosphere, where Buddha statues are enshrined, important religious ceremonies are held, and the stupas of the previous Dalai Lamas are stored, as well as a large number of thangkas, murals, and ritual implements. It is said that the whole palace used a staggering thirty tons of gold! The stupa of the Fifth Dalai Lama is particularly magnificent, using 110,000 taels of gold and inlaid with approximately 20,000 diamonds and jewels, the most amazing of which is a pearl formed inside an elephant's brain, along with a finger bone relic of Shakyamuni Buddha. Legend has it that beneath the Potala Palace lies a secret passage leading to Shambhala, the paradise of Tibetan Buddhism, where countless gold treasures are hidden. However, after two major renovations and explorations, it was discovered that the base was merely the foundation slab supporting the palace, rather than a storage space for treasures. 

► Visit Tips:
1. Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes for hundreds of steep steps.
2. If you wish to donate, please prepare banknotes and small change in advance, as exchanging money at the entrance is expensive.
3. The temperature between different areas of the Potala Palace differs. You may be sweating profusely on the open steps and be shivering in the cold wind inside the palace or corridors. Layering clothing is recommended.Next, let’s head to the Dragon King Pool Park located behind the Potala Palace. This hidden gem offers a picturesque reflection of the grand palace and an immersive experience of local Tibetan life, where you can see Tibetan women sunbathing on the lawn, elderly people spinning prayer wheels by the lake, and the lively Tibetan circle dance scene.

In the afternoon, proceed to the heart of Tibetan faith, the Jokhang Temple, built in 647 AD by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo, which even preceded Lhasa. The monastery is considered the most sacred place by Tibetans as it houses a life-size statue of the 12-year-old Shakyamuni Buddha, said to have been consecrated by Shakyamuni himself. As a spiritual home for pilgrims, the Jokhang Temple attracts Tibetans from all over the country to circumambulate it daily. They hold prayer wheels and chant mantras, walking clockwise along Barkhor Street outside the temple. There are even one-legged pilgrims who hop and stumble, laboriously completing a standard full prostration. The bluestone slabs have been worn smooth, bearing witness to centuries of devout footsteps. Barkhor Street is also a commercial center, filled with religious items such as bronze Buddha statues, prayer wheels, butter lamps, and prayer flags. You can browse daily necessities such as carpets, horse harnesses, snuff bottles, Tibetan knives, barley wine, sweet tea, and dried meat, as well as handicrafts such as Thangka paintings and Tibetan carpets. 

★ Special Treat: Taste Tibetan Sweet Tea 

Afterwards, enter a century-old local teahouse to experience the most authentic daily life. Monks just finish circumambulating prayer wheels, herders from the grasslands haggle with local merchants in Tibetan, and tourists peer curiously with cameras. People of different backgrounds come together and sit around a table, sharing a pot of sweet tea. If hungry, savor the signature dish here: the chewy Tibetan noodles, paired with a rich beef broth, and sprinkled with scallions. 

After the experience, your guide and the driver will accompany you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel (4 stars) or Shangri-La Hotel (5 stars)

After breakfast, your guide will escort you to Shigatse on a comfortable private car ride. Starting from Lhasa, we’ll head south and traverse continuous snow-capped mountains and alpine meadows. First, stop by Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, known as "the emerald scattered by the goddess". From the viewing platform, enjoy beautiful panoramic views of Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, capturing the turquoise-blue lake lying amid the snow-capped peaks. You can also stop at lakeside villages, get up close to the lake, and watch Tibetans herd their sheep, with their reflections shimmering in the clear water. Please be aware of the dramatic altitude changes along the way from Lhasa at 3,650 meters (11,975 ft.) to the Ganbala Pass at 5,030 meters (16,503 ft.), followed by a descent to Yamdrok Yumtso Lake at approximately 4,440 meters (14,567 ft.). Oxygen cylinders are readily available in your car.

Afterwards, continue to a restaurant in Nakartse County for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon, we’ll pass by Tibet's most famous roadside glacier: the Karola Glacier, only hundreds of meters from the highway, which stretches like a giant jade ribbon, cascading gently from the ridge at an altitude of nearly 5,600 meters (18,373 ft.). Even in the height of summer, the air is still crisp and cool.

★ Unique Experience: Visit a Local Tibetan Family

Later, your guide will accompany you to visit a local family in a Tibetan village. The host will warmly greet you and present you with a white khata. You’ll be treated with fragrant butter tea, traditionally made from snowmelt water, butter, fresh milk, and tea leaves. You can also watch the host make butter using traditional methods and make fire to keep warm. It’s dried cow dung that they use for heating, which is collected from the pasture, mixed with water to form a mud-like consistency, and piled up outside the house. This also serves as a fence to keep wild animals away.

Continue the trip to Gyantse, cross the traditional Gyantse Old Street, and we’ll reach the glamorous Palcho Monastery, the only monastery where the Sakya, Shalu, and Gelug Schools of Tibetan Buddhism coexist. It houses the 9-story octagonal Ten Thousand Buddha Stupa, aka the Kumbum Stupa. At a height of approximately 32 meters (105 ft.), it is dubbed the most magnificent and well-preserved architectural masterpiece in Tibet, boasting over 100,000 Buddha statues and nearly 1,000 murals.

After the visit, we’ll proceed to Shigatse to check into your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gesar Hotel - VIP Building (4 stars) or Shigatse Hilton (5 stars)

After breakfast, we’ll continue the road trip, traversing the northern foothills of the Himalayas to Dingri County at the foot of Mount Everest. Immerse yourself in the stunning natural scenery over a 250-km (155-mi) stretch, passing the beautiful Pengqu River, with rapeseed flowers and green barley fields alternating. About two hours later, stop to explore the Sakya Monastery, the main monastery of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves a 13th-century scripture wall. About 10 meters high (33 ft.) and 60 meters long (197 ft.), it contains a total of 84,000 scrolls, with the largest one of 1.8 meters long, 1.3 meters wide, and 1 meter high, requiring two strong males to lift. However, till today, only about 5% of the scrolls have been successfully deciphered, while the majority of their content remains a mystery.

Afterwards, let’s hit the road to Dingri County. We’ll cross the Gyatso La Pass at an altitude of 5,248 meters (17,218 ft.), nearly the same altitude as Everest Base Camp. Take a short break here for sightseeing and photos. If the weather is fine, you can marvel at not only Mount Everest, but also three other snow-capped peaks over 8,000 meters (26,250 ft.) high: Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Makalu. Standing on the viewing platform, you can see prayer flags fluttering in the wind, clouds drifting beneath your feet, and it seems you can reach out and touch the cotton candy-like clouds. Then, we’ll continue our journey to overnight at a hotel in Dingri County.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Qomolangma International Hotel (4 stars)

In the morning, your guide will wait for you at your hotel lobby. Today, we’ll depart for Everest Base Camp. One hour later, be ready for the famous ‘108 Bends’, which refers to a series of hairpin turns along the 50-km (31-mi) winding mountain road. The real number is actually far more than 108. The car keeps turning, with the scenery outside the window changing and the surrounding clouds and mist adding to the mystery, leading to the Gawula Pass at a height of 5,200 meters (17,060 ft.). This is the only viewpoint in the world where you can enjoy a sweeping view of five snow peaks over 8,000 meters at once: Makalu, Lhotse, Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma standing from west to east. After capturing the mesmerizing view, we’ll then descend to the Everest township of Tashi Zong. All the visitors are required to transfer to a shuttle bus from here to the Everest Base Camp. About 30 minutes later, we’ll reach Rongbuk Monastery, the furthest area we can reach at the Everest Base Camp. This is the world's highest monastery, belonging to the Nyingma School, and is characterized by housing both monks and nuns. If you have ever seen the doomsday film "2012", you may remember the impressive scene where an old monk tolls the bell on the last piece of land in the world, facing death calmly as the huge ocean waves finally submerge the temple and the world. And yes, that temple was modeled after Rongbuk Monastery.

Soak up the alluring front-row views of Mount Everest’s north face and pose for a photo with the iconic monument displaying the peak’s latest official elevation of 8,848.86 meters (29,030 ft.). Next to Rongbuk Monastery is the world's highest post office, where you can write your blessings on a postcard and drop it in the mailbox, sending your "highest" blessings to yourself or your best friends. Please note that the post office is only open from mid-April to mid-October each year. After the visit, we’ll go back to your hotel in Shigatse in approximately 5 hours.

► Travel Tips: 
1. Today's drive is long, and we’ll depart earlier this morning. Please make sure to get plenty of rest the night before and consider taking motion sickness pills beforehand.
2. It can be very cold and windy at the high-altitude Everest Base Camp. Please dress in warm layers, including a long down jacket, a thick sweater, a hat, sunglasses, gloves, and a mask. Energy-boosting snacks such as chocolate are also essential.
3. If your physical condition is fine and you would like to stay overnight at Everest Base Camp to capture the spectacular sunrise over the peaks, please contact us to customize the itinerary for you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Gesar Hotel - VIP Building (4 stars) or Shigatse Hilton (5 stars)

This morning, your guide will accompany you to visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the successive Panchen Lamas, still functioning as one of the major religious institutions in Tibet. In the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama have a reciprocal teacher and disciple relationship in their unique reincarnated system. The Dalai Lama generally governs the central region of Tibet, while the Panchen Lama is the core administrator of the western region.

In Tashilhunpo Monastery, catch a glimpse of its colossal Jampa Buddha statue. It’s one of the world's largest seated bronze Buddha statues, standing 26.2 meters (86 ft.) tall, with shoulders 11.5 meters (38 ft.) wide and ears 2.2 meters (7 ft.) long. The area between its eyebrows alone is adorned with 32 diamonds and over 1,400 pieces of pearl, amber, coral, and turquoise. Jampa Buddha is the Buddha who governs the future of life and death, and he holds a revered position in the hearts of Tibetans. The temple also houses the stupas of successive Panchen Lamas, murals that retain their vibrant colors despite the passage of time, and a platform for displaying Buddha images overlooking the entire city. Following the guide, you can also see exquisite handcrafted butter sculptures. Because butter has an extremely low melting point, the monks must immerse their hands in ice water until they are completely numb before they can begin creating. You’ll be impressed by the immense patience and perseverance behind the work. Every year, they release new designs, each of which represents a testament to their dedication and hard work. Finish the tour, and we’ll drive back to Lhasa and check into the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel (4 stars) or Shangri-La Hotel (5 stars)

After breakfast, your guide and the driver will escort you to the airport according to your schedule. Your guide will help you find your check-in counters and wish you a smooth trip!

If time permits, before departure, you can head to Barkhor Street again by yourself to experience local life, discover hidden gems, or browse interesting souvenirs, such as jewelry, accessories, clothing, wool bags, and Thangka paintings. Please be aware that printed and unprinted Thangka paintings have completely different prices!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast