Nepal Bhutan Tibet Tour

A baronial breakfast will be patiently waiting for your company on the first day of your tour. Our Nepal Bhutan Tibet itinerary begins with exploring the attractions in Kathmandu. Our first stop will be Hanuman Dhoka which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hanuman Dhoka gets its name from the statue of Lord Hanuman who guards the Dhoka (entrance) of the Durbar Square. The Hanuman Dhoka is housed inside the Durbar Square, which is a motley of small ponds, fountains and religious sites. Palaces of erstwhile Nepali Dynasties like the Mallas and the Shahs adorn the Durbar Square. Revel in the exquisite royal Nepali architecture as you marvel at the stone inscription which is written in 15 languages. Treat your eyes to the ancient architecture of Kal Bhairav Temple, the statue of King Pratap Malla, the octagonal Krishna Temple and the Jagannath Temple.

Move on to see the Swayambhunath Stupa, which according to folklore was created some 2000 years ago when the valley was formed from a great lake. The stupa has a white dome and a 13-storeyed tower at the top which represents 13 stages to nirvana.

Your next stop will be Lalitpur or 'City of Beauty'. The city is famous for its breathtaking metal artistry and handicrafts, some of the finest you will ever see. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is full of temples and shrines all of which are decorated with intricate carvings, temple sculpture at its best, one which even the Himalayan winds could not fade in all these years.

Overnight stay will be at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will be driven to the picturesque of Pokhara. On way to Pokhara, you will come across several stunning views which include greenery, rivers, and mountains. After reaching Pokhara, check-in at the hotel and rest for some time. Later in the afternoon, be ready for the local sightseeing, in the beginning, you will visit the Binsabasini Temple, a temple dedicated to the Goddess Durga. It is the oldest temple in the city regularly visited by many travelers and devotees. Then after head towards Devi's fall, a marvelous waterfall, which forms a tunnel after reaching the base the tunnel is about 500 feet long and runs 100 feet below ground level. Devi's fall is a beautiful spot for nature lovers it is also known as Patale Chango. It is advised not to go for a swim in the fall.

After exploring much of exotic Pokhara, return to the hotel and retire for the night.

Wake up to the chirping of Himalayan birds and relish sumptuous breakfast and get prepare for the day ahead. You will be driven to Kathmandu, check-in to the hotel, and relax. In the afternoon visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the majestic palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom which lies 13 km east of Kathmandu and nestled on an altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site also known as Khwopa. The ancient city of Bhaktapur is famous for its wooden and earthen handicrafts. The city is where the Newari community of Nepal reside. The most famous attractions in Bhaktapur are the statues of King Bhupatindra Malla, Nyatapola Temple, Golden Gate, the fifty-five windowed palace of Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the Peacock Window.

Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

We leave for Lhasa, the Capital of Tibet today. Tibet is a country where Mother Nature has bestowed ample natural beauty. Fresh pure mountain air, clear blue skies, and warm faces welcome you in Tibet. Engulf the natural beauty as you acclimatize with high terrain. Today, we suggest you to drink plenty of water and have good sleep so that you can be ready for the tour tomorrow.

Enjoy an overnight stay at the hotel.

Your first visit in Tibet shall be to the Potala Palace which according to the Guinness book of world records is the highest palace in the world. This grand structure houses around 10,000 Tibetan scrolls, 700 murals, sculptures, carpets, and other Tibetan artifacts.

The Jokhang Temple is our next stop. The temple is famous for a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The temple is an amalgamation of Nepali, Indian and Han styles of architecture. The temple has beautiful bronze tiles and exquisitely carved sculpture inside. It is said that the temple of Jokhang is older than the city of Lhasa. A claim many believe to be true as the temple itself is around 1300 years old.

Our last stop for today would be Barkhor Street. According to legends, the Barkhor Street came into existence due to heavy rush of pilgrims wanting to visit the beautiful Jokhang Temple. In this street, you will find some of the most explicit and authentic Tibetan artifacts, all made by local artisans. Try the 'Chuba' (Tibetan traditional dress) and 'Thangka' (Tibetan scroll painting).

Pro tip: - Tibetan shopkeepers always offer good bargains to the first and the last shopper of the day.

Overnight stay will be at the hotel.

We shall leave for Gyantse in the morning after you've had your delicious Tibetan breakfast. On your way to Gyantse, stopover at the Drolma Lhakang Temple, which is a temple dedicated to Atisha, a 10th-century Bengali saint who helped in spreading Buddhism in these parts of the world. Enjoy the turquoise-colored view of the sacred Yamdrok Lake, which is one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet.

Overnight stay will be at the hotel in Gyantse.

After having your mouth-watering breakfast in Gyantse, we proceed towards Shigatse. Our first visit for the day will be to the Kumbum Monastery. The monastery is spread on lush green land of 36 acres. It Houses around 9000 rooms and 50 halls. Kumbum literally means 10,000 Buddhas in the local language. The monastery is famous as a birthplace of Tsong Khapa who is the founder of the famous Gelukpa sect (Yellow hat) of Buddhism. The sect gave two famous Buddhist icons the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama.

Pelkor Chode Monastery is in the situated 3900 meters above the sea level. It is one of the most important monasteries in Tibet due to the fact that it houses the three different sects of Buddhism namely the Sakyapa, Kadampa, and Gelukpa sects.

After admiring Tibetan architecture in the morning, we head for Shigatse in the afternoon. Shigatse is known as the 'fertile land' in local Tibetan language as it sits at the confluence of three rivers Yarlong, Tsangpo and Nyangchu in Tibet. The second-largest city of Tibet houses a lot of cultural treasures which attract several tourists every year to the city.

After performing check-in at the hotel, leave for Tashilunpo Monastery which was built by the first Dalai Lama. The Tashilunpo Monastery houses the world's largest gilded statue in the world. The statue has a kind of serene calm in it instantly calming your mind and making it devoid of worldly tensions.

The Maitreya Buddha is made from 275 kg of pure gold and is more than 80 feet in height. The peculiarity of this monastery is that it withstood the onslaught of the infamous Chinese Cultural Revolution. The monastery is the official seat of Panchen Lama.

Another attraction that mesmerizes tourists is the Thangka Wall. The Thangka Wall has mammoth dimensions of 32(h) x 42(w) meters. The wall built-in 1468 is a reminder about the life of Sakyamuni Buddha. Witness the rich colors and various mudras of the Buddha as you wonder how on the earth can such beauty be made from hand. It must be the work of God!

Overnight stay will be in a hotel at Shigatse.

Enjoy your lavish breakfast with Himalayan winds for company. Then, we move on to Lhatse. Visit the Sakya Monastery en route which is the main seat of the Sakyapa school of Buddhism. The library houses 40,000 ancient Buddhist scriptures (Yes, we know, the bookworms would be delighted!) and a huge collection of thangkas and murals. The place is also called as the second Dunhuang. A thangka depicting the meeting between Kublai Khan and Phapka is famous as it depicts how Vajrayana Buddhism spread in Mongolia and China. The main prayer hall is a must-see site. The Lhakhang Temong (as it is called in Tibetan) is a massive prayer hall which is spread in an area of 1550 meters. It can house 10,000 monks at once.

We retire for the night at the hotel in Lhatse.

Today is the day of adventure. First, we visit the highest monastery in the world, the Dza Rongbuk Monastery. View the Rongbuk Glacier Zone from here, the largest amongst hundreds of glaciers formed on Mt. Everest. We shall visit the Everest Base camp (5200 meters high) and see the most beautiful and humbling sites in the world, the highest mountain peak in the world the Mount Everest after a trek of about an hour. If a picture is equal to a thousand words, then we are sure that the view you shall see from the Everest Base Camp will be equivalent to a million words. Seep in the breathtaking beauty of Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu and Mount Everest as you sip fresh coffee and ponder, why the heck didn't I come here earlier?

The overnight stay shall be at the hotel.

Enjoy your grandiose breakfast as we prepare for a Himalayan road trip. The trip we are going to take today will be etched in your mind and heart for the rest of your life. You will witness the beauty of mountainous proportions (literally!) as you pass through the Gargantuan Tibetan plateau towards our journey to the Kyirong border town.

Sleep in the town of Kyirong during the night. (Warning! Many guests have told us they experienced gorgeous mountains in their dreams!!)

Ah! The tempting smell of your steamy hot breakfast or the calling mountains, which one to choose? Well, you can have both. We head towards the Rasuwagadhi Border as you check out from the hotel and complete the immigration formalities and cross China Border to enter in Nepal. We head towards Kathmandu which is another scenic 6-7 hour journey.

Overnight stay will be at Kathmandu.

An early salivating breakfast awaits you at Kathmandu as you open your eyes to another beautiful morning. Then, we check out from the hotel and move to the airport where we shall board a flight to the world's happiest country, Bhutan. When you land at Paro, you shall be guided by our representative to Thimphu which is just an hour's drive away.

Visit the Simothkha Dzong which literally means 'On top of a demon'. Folklores tell us that the fortress was built to protect travelers from a demon who was harassing them. This Dzong is the oldest Dzong in entire Bhutan and greets you with colorful murals of four kings Vaishravana, Dhritarashtra, Virudhaka and Virupaksha who guard Bhutan against enemies coming from four directions. The most attractive mural is of the King of North handling the jewel vomiting mongoose. The Utse (central tower) stands tall at three-stories and has 12 sides to it. There are more than 300 slate carvings which depict saints and philosophers. The most famous being that of Sakyamuni being heard by bodhisattvas adorn the main hall and colorful Dhvaja (victory flags) hang through the ceiling. Thangkas offer surreal beauty to this place and you just feel that time has stopped here.

We visit the National Memorial Chorten which was built in the loving memory of the third king of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. The structure is a beautiful white building which has a golden spire on its head. Chorten means the seat of faith in Bhutanese language and the name is justified as you can see many elderly Bhutanese doing a parikrama (circumnavigation) around the Chorten in the morning hours. The Chorten contains intricate sculptures and paintings which are some of the finest that can be found in Bhutan.

Which was the largest book you ever read? How much did you say 500, 600, 700, 1000 page! Okay, then we challenge you to read this one. Stored in the National Library of Bhutan is the largest published book in the world. It is so huge that we don't need to count the pages. Instead, we use a different unit of measurement, weight. The 68-kilograms and two meters tall book called Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey across the Last Himalayan Kingdom steals the limelight.

The National Library of Bhutan holds a large variety of such treasures. The old manuscripts are stored between blocks of wood and bound tightly by cloth to preserve them.

We shall visit the Zilukha Nunnery after the National Library. The Nunnery is a small building housing around 70 nuns, who have dedicated their lives to Buddhism and serving the people. The calm on the face of nuns is magnetic and makes you wonder that even after leaving all worldly possessions how can these nuns be so happy? Or is it 'because' of leaving the worldly possessions that they are able to remain so cheerful. Drubthob Chakzampa built the Zilukha Nunnery in the 15th-century. He was also known as 'Father of Tibetan Opera' and the 'Builder of bridges'.

After pondering over the meaning of life with the nuns, we move on towards visiting the National Institute for Zorig Chusum or the School of Bhutanese Fine Arts. 4 to 6-year courses are conducted in this school which is commonly known as the painting school among locals. Students of this school are well-versed in painting on furniture and thangkas. Students also learn painting, wood carvings, embroidery and the art of making clay sculptures. You might just find the next Bhutanese as a master using his hands to create a masterpiece as you click photos from your digital cameras.

Next, our tour moves to the Zangtopelri Lhakhang which is a pristine white-colored monastery with golden rooftops. The monastery was built by the person who composed the Bhutanese National Anthem Dasho Aku Tongmi. The Zangtopelri Lhakhang is famous for Guru Rinpoche's 8 statues and has some mesmerizing thangkas of Buddha. The monastery is famous for rolling dice as a ritual to have childbirth.

They say the best therapy is 'Retail Therapy' and Thimphu has enough of it. We visit the National Handicrafts Emporium next to satisfy the shopper bug in you. The emporium is run by the government of Bhutan and hence you will find here authentic souvenirs which include traditional hand-woven textiles, masks, paintings, jewelry and carved wooden items which include arra pots.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Have your resplendent breakfast and prepare for a drive to Punakha which is the old winter capital of Bhutan. This 3-hour drive is full of scenic spots. Shutterbugs would be kept extra busy here, as you drive through the national highway which passes through the Dochu La and ends in the Punakha Valley. If weather permits, you can have a clear view of the Gangkar Punsum, the highest mountain peak in Bhutan which stands 7550 meters tall.

We will trek till Chimi Lhakhang which is the most unique monastery that you will ever find. Known as the monastery of the 'Divine Mad Monk', the Chimi Lhakhang is famous as fertility temple across Bhutan. Why you ask? Well, it seems that Drupa Kunley was no ordinary monk. You will see images of Phallus all around the monastery and people from all over Bhutan come here to get blessed with childbirth.

We visit one of the most important Dzong's in Bhutan next on our itinerary. The Punakha Dzong is no ordinary fort. It is the fort where all of Bhutan's kings were coronated. One of the most beautiful buildings in Bhutan, the Dzong is also the second oldest and second-largest Dzong in the country. The Dzong looks majestic when sunlight is reflected from its pristine milky white walls. The most notable piece of artwork that the Dzong houses is the magical image of Avalokiteshwara which was found among the cremated remains of Tsangpa Gyarey, the man who founded the Drukpa School.

Overnight stay will be in Punakha.

After having your plush breakfast, you move back to Paro via Thimphu. Check-in at the hotel in Paro and leave in the afternoon for a city tour. The first stop on our visit shall be the Ta Dzong or the National Museum of Bhutan. This conch-shaped building was built initially as a watchtower by Tenzin Drugdra in the 17th-century. It was in 1968 that the building was converted into a National Museum by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The museum is replete with all kinds of artifacts like arms used by the Bhutanese Army, copper teapots, gold and silver coins, footprints imprinted on a rock, bronze, ivory and iron artifacts. The museum contains the most bizarre artifacts like a Horse Egg, a 12th-century arrowhead and a 1000-year-old statue.

Overnight stay at hotel in Paro.

After having a pompous breakfast we move to explore the Tiger's Nest A.K.A the Taktshang Pelphung. The monastery has been named after Guru Padmasambhava who was responsible for spreading Buddhism across the great Himalayas. He came to this monastery on the back of a tiger, hence the name.

The monastery is precariously placed on a 900-meter cliff, with lush green mountains surrounding it. This monastery is a perfect place for meditation. Maybe this was the reason why Guru Rinpoche chose this site to build his monastery. Enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee at the cafeteria which is located at a height of 2940 meters. The coffee is served with a spectacular view of the mountains. The monastery contains lots of shrines and temple. A few monks take care of this place.

We move on to explore Kichu Lhakhang, which is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The main hall was built way back in the 7th-century while the golden roofs were added by the governor of Paro in the 19th-century. Great architecture spawns the area with carved wooden pillars and snow lions supporting the flower pots. One of the greatest artifacts of Himalayan Buddhism lies in this monastery, a statue of Sakyamuni which dates back to the 7th-century. Curling dragons welcome you as you enter through the main door of the monastery.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Revel in the fresh mountain air as you enjoy your breakfast. This is the last day of the Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet tour. We promise breathtaking views, even as you leave Bhutan, of the Chomolhari which happens to be Bhutan's second-highest peak. We hope that you have had the most spiritually enlightening, culturally enriching and lung cleansing experience, one that shall be etched in your mind for eternity.