TIBET ENCOUNTER
A cultural tour of Tibet

This trip provides a "hands on" experience of Tibet and is designed to expose us to the wonders of this fascinating land and her people. Our visits to Lhasa, Gyangtse, Shigatse and Tingri, take us to the roof of the world to observe one of the most colourful and fascinating religions and cultures on earth. Tibet can best be discovered from Nepal and therefore it is ideal to combine this tour with a visit to Kathmandu.

Tour Summary	Map
Day Place 01 Kathmandu / Lhasa 02-03 Lhasa 04 Lhasa / Gyangtse 05 Gyangtse / Shigatse 06 Shigatse / Tingri 07 Tingri / Zhangmu 08 Dzhangmu / Kathmandu 09 Kathmandu / Departure

Day 01: Kathmandu / Lhasa (flight)
We depart Kathmandu on a China Southwest Airline flight that wings us over the Himalayas to Gonggar on what must be one of the most spectacular flights in the world. We are welcomed and assisted with immigration before we depart to Lhasa. In Tibetan language, Lhasa means " The land of Gods ". It is located on the north bank of Lhasa River at 3780 m / 12400 ft above sea level and enjoys delightful weather throughout the year, about 3000 hours of sunshine annually. The temperature varies greatly between night and day.
Upon arrival at Lhasa, we are transferred to our hotel. The balance of the day has been kept free to help us acclimatize to the change in pressure due to elevation difference between Kathmandu and Lhasa.
Overnight: Hotel Doodh Ghu, Lhasa (3 nights) (D)

Day 02: Lhasa
Today will be spent exploring palaces. First on the list is the world famous Potala Palace. The palace of the Dalai Lama, a treasure of the Tibetan culture, was the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet until 1965 and is the single most important building in all Tibet. It was built in the seventh century by Tsongtsen Gampo as a fort and renovated to its present specifications in the seventeenth century by the fifth Dalai Lama. Our next stop is Norbulingkha, the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama construction of which was finished in the 18th century. Norbulingkha was the Summer Palace of successive Dalai Lamas since the 7th century. On display here are many personal possessions of 14th Dalai Lama. (B, L)

Day 03: Lhasa
Today we visit the Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery in the world, which once housed 10,000 monks and nuns. It was built in 1419 and the 2nd - 4th Dalai Lamas lived and were entombed here. Our next stop is the Jokhang Temple. Jokhang Temple was built in 647 AD and remains the spiritual and Holy Center for all Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses a golden statue of the Buddha that was brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess "Wen Chen". We then stop off at Barkhor Bazaar outside the Jokhang Temple. Barkhor, the oldest street in Lhasa, encircles the Jokhang Temple and reflects the typical Tibetan life-magical, full of mystery and wonder. This is a bustling flea market and is, generally, the place to buy souvenirs and meet other tourists. (B, L)

Day 04: Lhasa / Gyangtse (drive 260 kms / 157 mi)
We enjoy the interesting landscape as we drive to Gyangtse via Yamdrok Tso which literally means, "Turquoise Lake", crossing Karola Pass.
In the afternoon we arrive to Gyangtse and then proceed to our hotel. After a short rest in the hotel, we visit the Palkhor Monastery, the only monastery that houses monks from different orders (Gelugpa, Sakyapa and Kahdampa) in harmony. Palkhor also features its Bodhi stupa, or Kumbum, which consists of hundreds of chapels in layers, housing about a hundred thousand images of Buddha. After our visits we take a stroll through Gyangtse Old Street.
Overnight: Hotel Gyangtse / Jing Zang, Gyantse (1 night) (B, L)

Day 05: Gyangtse / Shigatse (drive 90 kms / 55 mi)
Morning, we proceed to Shigatse to see Shalu Monastery and the famous Tashilunpo Monastery. This is the official seat of the Panchen Lama who is second in importance only to the Dalai Lama. The monastery itself was built in 1447 by Gendun Drup and once housed upward of 3400 monks. Of particular interest in the monastery is the 2.75 meter / 9 foot statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future.
Overnight: Hotel Shigatse / Manasarovar, Shigatse (1 night) (B, L)

Day 06: Shigatse / Tingri (drive 260 kms / 160 mi)
Today we are continuing our tour thru Tibet and driving to Tingri. We visit Xedar Dzong Monastery and stop at Lalung La pass. On the way, visit 'Second Dunhuang', the Sakya Monastery, which holds plenty of murals and statues of Yuan Dynasty and has the largest collection of Buddhist sutras in Tibet. Arrive in Tingri and stay in the best hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Chomologma Shanghai, Tingri (1 night) (B, D)

Day 07: Tingri / Zhangmu (drive 230 kms / 140 mi)
After leaving New Tingri there are great views of Mt. Everest. This is a beautiful scenic drive as the road cuts trough the Himalayas and we see the dramatic changes in the vegetation and landscape, truly amazing.
Overnight: Hotel Zhangmu, Zhangmu (1 night) (B, L)

Day 08: Dzhangmu / Kathmandu (drive 123 kms / 75 mi)
We cross border between China and Nepal over the Friendship Bridge and bid farewell to Tibet after our magnificent and enchanting journey.
Cross the Bridge on foot to Kodari and after immigration, a scenic drive leads us to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel Rasisson, Kathmandu (1 night) (B, L)

Day 09: Kathmandu / departure
After our successful Tibet Encounter, we are transferred to the Kathmandu Airport for our departure flight or better still a golden opportunity to do the Nepal Experience. (B)

Departure Dates
2010 English Speaking Departures Departs daily from Kathmandu Apr – Oct
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Hotel Accommodation as mentioned Airfare Kathmandu / Lhasa – US $ 325 Meal Plan as per itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) Departure / Border taxes All Sightseeing and Transfers Travel Insurance, Tibet Permit – US $ 65* Entrance Fees to Palaces, Monasteries and Sites Drinks / Beverages with meals Local English speaking guide Tips / Gratuities to drivers & guide
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2010 For tour price please call 1.800.663.0844 / 1.604.264.7378 or email bestway@bestway.com * Tibet permit requires that you must first obtain a visa for China
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast N/A USA - West Coast US $ 1600 Canada - East Coast N/A USA - East Coast US $ 1900
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 10 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.