CONTACT USAn Epic Himalayan Journey
This is a once-in-a-lifetime tour for adventurers who would like to travel from the jungle to the roof of the world, witness the big contrast between the south and the north of the Himalayas, and also experience Himalayan cultural communication and integration.
It is recommended to travel from the south to the north so that you can witness the awe-inspiring landscape formed by a colossal collision of plates, adapt to changes in altitude gradually, and benefit from a more-cost-effective way.
However, with us, your preferences always design the trip. Let your personal travel adviser craft an exclusive Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan tour to your specification.
- Days:21±
- Best For:Adventurers
- Departure date: up to you
- Highest altitude:5,200m/17,060ft
- Sample price:US$ 7,609 each (2 per room)*
- Flights:the ones mentioned are included
The price is based on a group of 4 people, because the minimum number for a china visa appication in Nepal is 4. Check with your personal travel advisor for details.
Here are the awesome attractions, the most must-do activities selected by Highlights Travel (HT Hand-Picked), and exclusive cultural experiences offered by Highlights Travel (Only With HT) included in this tour:
Travel back to the Middle Ages when the ancient palaces come into sight one by one.
Walk around Boudhanath Stupa as medieval merchants did before traveling across the Himalayas.
Talk to a sadhu in Pashupatinath Temple to have your fortune told, and be blessed by a monk at the foot of Mt. Everest.
Dive into the jungle, which is a gift for rhinoceroses fed by warm air from the Indian Ocean.
Enjoy a moderate hike to pay your respect to the Himalayas and explore the villages.
Witness the Annapurna Range “waking up” in the charming morning sunlight.
Meditate as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism is reputed to have done at ‘Tiger Lair Temple’.
Explore one of the five great canyons in the Himalayan Mountains.
Stand in front of the “apex” of the Roof of the World
Experience a local Tibetan family’s house.
Sip a cup of sweet tea at a hidden nunnery behind Barkhor Street in Lhasa.
Suggested Route for an Nepal Tibet Bhutan Tour
Suggested Itinerary for Inspiration
Your preferences design the real journey. We’re ready to create a wonderful tour for you.
Day1
Kathmandu Arrival
Arrive at Kathmandu. Meet our representative and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy your free time to acclimatize during the rest of day.
Day2
Kathmandu | The First Sights of Kathmandu
breakfast
- Start your day in Durbar Square with stories about mysterious Kathmandu. Appreciate the spectacular art and architecture there.
- Visit the sacred Hindu shrine Pashupatinath. It would be a good opportunity to see how the local people practice their religion and have a conversation with a sadhu.
- Continue to Boudhanath Stupa to feel the piety of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Visit ‘Monkey Temple’ at the end of the day. Hinduism and Buddhism combine perfectly there.
Be attracted by the big eyes
Day3
Kathmandu to Chitwan | Explore Tharu Village
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Fly from Kathmandu to Chitwan in the morning.
- Explore Tharu Village in the afternoon, and see the ethnic people of this area.
- Enjoy a short presentation about Chitwan National Park given by a wildlife expert. Or enjoy Tharu Cultural Dances.
Chitwan National Park
Day4
Chitwan | Jungle Safari
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Visit the Crocodile Conservation Project. The naturalist will show you around, providing information about various methods and programmes being undertaken to increase Gharial population in the wild.
- Enjoy a boating tour in a traditional Patela boat, which will take them down serenely along the Rapti river, which will also have aquatic birds, Gharials and other animals on the river banks.
- Ride a jeep through the wilderness, experiencing the local wildlife for themselves. You will observe bi floras and faunas, like the one-horned Rhinoceros, countless species of deer, bisons, and if lucky, even the Royal Bengal Tiger
Experience a jungle safari
Day5
Chitwan to Pokara | Phewa Lake
breakfast
- Fly from Chitwan to Pokhara in the morning.
- Visit the Davis Falls. See the meltwater from the mountains plunge into the underground plunge pool, and maybe encounter a lovely rainbow.
- Then, explore Gupteshwor Mhadev Cave for the huge stalagmites worshiped as a Shiva Lingam (
- Have a delightful boat ride on Phewa Lake in the late afternoon.
Enjoy a boat ride on Phewa Lake
Day6
Pokhara | One-Day Hiking Tour
breakfast
Drive from Pokhara to Kande and start treking to the Australian camp(2060m/6,760ft), which takes approximately 2 hours (one way). The Australian Camp is surrounded by forest, from where we can see green hills and the views of the Himalayas called Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchare, Annapurna, and Pokhara’s Phewa Lake.
Enjoy a moderate hike for Annapurna
Day7
Pokhara to Kathmandu | Annapurna Sunrise
breakfast
- Get up early and drive to Sarangkot for a beautiful sunrise over the Annapurna Range before flying to Kathmandu.
- Explore Patan Durbar Square in the afternoon, including Krishna Mandir, Patan Museum, some beautiful temples, and a monastery.
Enjoy a breathtaking view at sunrise
Day8
Kathmandu to Paro | The First Sight of Bhutan
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Arrive in Paro and meet your Bhutanese guide at the airport. Transfer to your hotel in Thimphu.
- Visit the Buddha Dordenma and the Memorial Chorten on the way. Both of them are landmarks of Thimphu. For many Bhutanese, this large Tibetan-style chorten is a place where they perform their daily worship.
The Memorial Chorten
Day9
Thimphu | Explore the Heart of Bhutan
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Visit Bhutan’s most important dzong, Tashichho Dzong, in the morning. It is the headquarters of the central government, just like the White House in America, Downing Street in Britain, and Zhongnanhai in China.
- Visit the Folk Heritage Museum to discover Bhutanese folk heritage and its rural history.
- Then enjoy the exquisite handicrafts in the National Institute for Zorig Chusum (‘creative science/craft 13’).
- Lastly, make stamps with your own photos and put them on postcards for your family and friends in Bhutan Post Office Headquarters.
The ‘White House’ of Bhutan, Tashichho Dzong
Day10
Thimphu to Punarkha | Punakha Dzong
breakfast
- Visit Simtokha Dzong on the way to Punarkha. It is also known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang (‘Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras’). People believe that it was the first dzong built in Bhutan.
- Enjoy a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain range at Dochula Pass.
- Explore the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan — Punakha Dzong. It is also the most important dzong in Bhutanese history and is known as ‘the palace of great happiness or bliss’.
- Car ride:75km/45 miles 2 hours
Punarkha Dzong
Day11
Punarkah to Paro | Paro Dzong and the National Museum
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Drive from Punakha to Paro in the morning. Visit Paro Dzong, which has a long and fascinating history.
- Afterward, you will visit Ta Dzong, which houses the National Museum of Bhutan. The museum has a fascinating collection of arts, relics, religious thangka paintings, household items, arms, handicrafts, stuffed animals, and Bhutan’s famous stamps, among others.
- Car ride: 115km/69 miles 3 hours
Paro Dzong, the ‘fortress on a heap of jewels’.
Day12
Paro |Taktsang Monastery
breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Visit the unbelievable Taktsang Monastery (this takes approximately 5 hours on a round-trip walk). It is famous for the 13 Taktsang or ‘tiger lair’ caves in which Padmasambhava meditated (‘Born-from-a-Lotus’, a.k.a. Guru Rinoche, was the founder of Tibetan Buddhism). It is worth hiking all the way there to explore one of the top 10 monasteries in the world.
- On the way back, you will visit Kyichu Lhakhang (‘Kyerchu Temple’), which marks the introduction of Buddhism to Bhutan.
Explore the incredible Taktsang Temple
Day13
Paro to Kathmandu
breakfast
Fly back to Kathmandu, and use your free time to explore the city, or just have a break after 12 days of the itinerary.
Day14
Kathmandu to Syabrubesi | Get into the Interior of Himalaya
breakfast
- Drive to the Nepal-China border. Enjoy the spectecular scenery along the way. You will also go pass the LangTang National Park.
- Stay overnight in a guest house in Syabrubesi. Get ready to go across the border tomorrow morning.
- Car ride:140km/84 miles 6 hours
Discover the interior of Himalaya
Day15
Syaprubesi to Gyirong | Cross the Border
breakfast
- Drive from Syaprubesi to the border. You guide will help you to finish the procedures of crossing the border.
- You Tibetan guide will meet you when you cross the birdge on the border.
- Then drive to Gyirong Town.
- Car ride: 40km/24 miles 2 hours
Cross the border to enter China
Day16
Gyirong to Tingri | Everest Base Camp
breakfast & lunch
- Drive to Tingri via Mt. Everest Base Camp.
- Enjoy the scenery along the way. Catch the breathtaking vista of Mt. Shishapangma (14th highest in the world), and stop at Pekutso Lake.
- Stand in front of Mt. Everest. Pay your respects to the roof of the world.
- Visit Rongbuk Monastery near EBC, and witness the hard life of the monks and nuns there. Talk with a monk. He will be happy to answer your questions about his life and study.
- Car ride:480km/288 miles 9 hours
Stand in front of the Mt. Everest
Day17
Tingri to Shigatse | Tashilunpo Monastery
breakfast & lunch
- Drive from TIngri to Shigatse in the morning.
- Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse, which is the residence of Panchen Lama. It is also one of the top six Gelug (‘Yellow Hat’) School monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Car ride: 250km/150 miles 4.5 hours
Visit Tashilunpo Monastery
Day18
Shigatse to Lhasa | The Lake Yamdrok
breakfast & lunch
- Leave for Lhasa via Gyantse. View the fabulous scenery of the Karola Glacier.
- Be impressed by the beauty of Lake Yamdrok. Have a lakeside picnic if the weather is nice.
- Car ride: 350km/210 miles 6 hours
Pilgrimage to the Holy Lake, Yamdrok
Day19
Lhasa | The highlights of the Holy City
breakfast
- Walk all the way up to the Potala Palace. Enjoy the resplendent chambers, exquisite wall paintings, and the stories about the king of the Tubo Kingdom and the Dalai Lamas.
- Have a walking tour in the afternoon. Visit Jokhang Temple and explore Barkhor Street, including its local market, admire traditional Tibetan architecture, and take afternoon tea in peaceful Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery.
Potala Palace
Day20
Lhasa | The Spirit of Tibetan Buddism
breakfast & lunch
- Visit Norbulingka (“Lhasa’s Summer Palace”)in the morning. Stroll in the park with the local Tibetans
- Enjoy a visit to Drepung Monastery. Learn about the biggest school of Tibetan Buddhism: the Gelug School.
- In the afternoon, visit Sera Monastery. Watch a monks’debate and enjoy their special “debating dance”.
Watch monks’debate
Day21
Lhasa Departure
breakfast
Say goodbye to Tibet. Transfer to the airport for your flight back home or to another destination in China.
Ideas for Making This Trip Uniquely Yours
Special experiences can be added to brighten a honeymoon trip, a family vacation, a birthday, or satisfy personal interests.
 Appreciate the Himalayas in a Hidden ResortFor couples |  Paragliding from Sarangkot to PokharaFor adventurers |  An Extension to LumbiniFor culture fans |  White Water RaftingFor adventurers |  Helicopter Tour for Mt.EverestFor adventurers |
Hand-Picked Hotels
We select hotels with style and local features. Let us know your preferences and we’ll find your ideal hotel.
 Hotel with Nepalese pagodas |  Hotel with the view of Annapurna |  Jungle Lodge in Chitwan |  Hotel surrounded by the forest |  Hotel with Bhutanese style |  Hotel with Tibetan style |
