Kathmandu is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal and has been a popular destination for tourists ever since Nepal opened its doors to visitors. The city presents a wonderful mix of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence in the Valley. Bauddhanath: Stupa with its 130 ft. dome. One of the world's largest Stupa, Bouddha is generally acknowledged to be the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside Tibet. Pupshupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath is considered one of the holiest shrines of all the Hindu temples. The temple has remained the presiding deity of ruling Nepalese Royalty. Swayambhunath: Three kilometres west of Kathmandu city complex locates the one of the world’s most glorious Buddhist Stupas, it is said to be 2000 years old. Visitors often call it "Monkey Temple". -After the city tour, our guide or the company's manager will do the full briefing of the trip. They will also take the opportunity to check the members' personal equipment as the city bazaars and climbing shops will provide the last chance to correct any deficiencies.

You will be driven to the airport in time to catch your flight to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. A scenic flight of about an hour to Lhasa with the stunning views of some of the highest peaks of the Himalaya including Mt. Everest and those Titanic lakes, the undulating Tibetan plateaus, are merely beyond belief. Upon your arrival in the world's highest airport, the Gongga Airport, you will be welcomed and escorted to the hotel by our Tibetan guide. In the afternoon, we'll simply cruise around the city and then relax at the hotel.

We experience invaluable insights during our visits to Potala Palace and Drepung Monastery. This 17th century Potala Palace offers an awesome view of entire city and also has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms and chapels. Ancient history has it that Drepung Monastery which was built in 14th century used to shelter around 10,000 monks but as now there has been quite a declination resulting in only few hundreds. Tibetans' respect and belief are immensely knotted with this monastery. After visiting these two main monasteries of Tibet, we'll return to our hotel. Our dinner table has already been booked at the renowned Tibetan restaurant, and after that we have a cultural show to see which is worth watching.

Our tour begins with a visit to Sera Monastery. An experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter escorts us to this preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Equally adventurous and exciting tempo builds up while touring Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Jokhang Temple is another important sacred site which unravels more deep seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Further, we visit to Barkhor Market which can be quite a change from other visits. As we roam around the city savoring every tiny detail from stall hawkers coaxing their clients to purchase their goods to exhibition, we also have views of Tibetan culture, custom and tradition. Eventually, the tour for the day concludes as we return to the comforts of our hotel.

The drive to Gyantse takes around 8 hours, crossing 2 high passes The Karo La pass (5010m) and Kamba La pass (4794m). Stop at Yamdrok Tso Lake (Turquoise Lake) the second largest lake in Tibet, an amazing place to take pictures with never ending Yamdrok Lake aside. At Karo La pass, we'll have the stunning glimpse of a hanging glacier tumbling down from a snowy peak of Nazin-Kangsa (7252m) to within a few hundred meters of the road. En route we'll encounter with many colorful Tibetan villages and eventually we arrive to Gyantse. Gyantse, the main center of Trade in Tibet in the past, for Indian and Bhutanese traders. After day's exhaustion due to long drive, you indeed deserve a refreshing shower and a delicious Chinese dinner.

Before leaving Gyantse, we have time this morning to visit the Gyantse Dzong and Gyantse Kumbum. The Dzong is a fort dating from the 14th century from where we can view amazing views of both Gyantse itself and the surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. The Kumbum is a large gold-domed stupa and its many small chapels house an impressive array of Tibetan Buddhist murals. It's just a pleasant couple hours drive to Shigatse, the second largest city after Lhasa in Tibet. After lunch we pay a visit to Tashi-lunbu Monastery, a prominent landmark of the region located on the southern slope of the Nyima Mountain and to the west of the Shigatse city. It is one of the four monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet.

Crossing through innumerable hamlets and towns en route is a handsome reward for today's drive. Sakya is renowned for the largest Sakya School Monastery nestled in the bosom of the city. This is the ancestral temple of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. This is one among the few monasteries in Tibet which survived the Cultural Revolution. I bit that you will marvel at the inside decorations of monastery with countless gigantic statues of Buddhist gods and goddesses, made out of precious metals and stones.

After couple hours of drive on a Friendship Highway, we head towards the rugged road that leads us all the way to Rongbuk. Rongbok, the home of the highest monastery in Tibet and a very renowned cave monastery of Guru Padmasambawa built in 8th centuries. Once again, there are some stunning views to be had of the Himalayas. Today you watch the incredible sight of Mt. Everest and its massif from the top of Phangla pass with uninterrupted views stretching from Mt. Makalu to Mt. Shishapangma. Below the pass, Everest initially is hidden from view, but as we turn the corner into the Rongbuk Valley it reappears, more impressive than ever. In the afternoon we will visit Everest Base Camp, which is 9km from Rongbuk. In 2013 we were allowed to take the jeeps half way to Base Camp (5200m), from where we take a bus. From Base Camp we get even closer views of the North face of Everest. We then return to Rongbuk for the night.

We will drive pass Tingri crossing Lalung La pass at 5124m and Shung La pass at 5200m. We savor the enchanting views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar, as we descend from the arid Tibetan Plateau to verdant Kyirong on the Nepalese border. Upon 420 km drive, we find ourselves amidst the lush and verdant vegetation of Kyirong at 2700 meter. Overnight at hotel.

About 40 minutes of driving from Kyirong, our China side transportation will drop us at the Rasuwagadhi border & our Chinese representative will be assisting us to clear Chinese immigration. Depending on season and number of tourist, we might end up standing at the Chinese immigration for 1-2 hours (if not even longer). Once we cleared Chinese immigration we shall be crossing the (China-Nepal) border bridge over Trisuli River where we will meet our Nepal side drivers with transportation waiting for us. Within 10 minutes of driving inside Nepal, we will be visiting Nepal immigration office to obtain reentry visa. After completing all these formalities, we will be driving back to Kathmandu via Syabrubesi, Dhunche the district headquarters of Rasuwa district and Trishuli the district headquarters of Nuwakot. Depending on progress, we may have to stop at Syabrubesi/Dhunche for lunch. And continue drive back to Kathmandu for 5-6 hours depending on traffic. Remember that we will be hosting celebration dinner together for successfully completing the North Col Expedition! Overnight at hotel.

Rest and relax at the hotel after such long a wonderful trip. The day is also reserved as a contingency day due to flight delays or other unforeseen conditions. For those eager to see as much of Kathmandu as possible, an early start is worthwhile to visit the temples of Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath and districts of Bhaktapur and Patan. Durbar Square is also on the essential list, as is the shopping area of Thamel. In the evening you can have your last night in Nepal, enjoying the Nepali cultural dinner show or go out to Thamel.

Today is free or last minute shopping for souvenirs or gift to your family, friends or relatives for you until your departure flight/drive or to commence any extra trips or activities you may have booked with us. If departing, you'll be transferred to the International Airport for your departure flight to your onwards destination.