Senior’s Everest Base Camp Tour

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

This excursion is specially designed for seniors. Firstly, we will do a couple of days of Lhasa tour to acclimatize to the high altitude. We can visit the world-famous attractions, such as Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, and the old market Barkhor Street. Then we will go for the Mount Everest Base Camp Tour. We will pass Gyantse, Shigatse, and Tingri, the mighty tour places of Tibet, later arrive at EBC, to see the highest peak in the world. At the same area, we can also visit the highest monastery in the world---Rongbuk Monastery. After that, we will return to Lhasa via Sakya County, where the well-known Sakya Monastery located. When we are back to Lhasa, you can visit the local Tibetan Family, to have a happy time with them, to enjoy the authentic Tibetan lifestyle. Overall speaking, this is a safe trip for elders, they can explore the Tibetan nature and culture, more important, their dream of closing to the nearest place to heaven will come true.

02 / WHY GO

The memorable moments

Tibetan family visit The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street Rongbuk Monastery, Everest Base Camp Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day 1: Arrival In Lhasa (3680 m) — Tashi Delek! Welcome to Tibet! This is the first day that you enter Tibet. Your guide will greet you at the airport or railway station and transfer you to the lovely hotel. It usually takes around 1.5 hours to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20mins from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel. After check-in, we strongly suggest you rest in the hotel. But if really you could not help going out, please do remember that try to go with a light pack and not go alone. Meanwhile, drink some more water. It’s really useful to get acclimatized to the high altitude. Stay overnight in Lhasa Day 2: Lhasa Sightseeing — Rest is still the mission of today, you really need to get used to the high altitude. So, we only arrange one spot to see--- Norbulingka. It is in the western suburb of Lhasa city. It was built by the 7th. Dalai Lama in 40’S, 18th. Century. With its gorgeous scenery, it used to be the summer palace of former Dalai Lamas. But now, it becomes a natural garden for the public. With 360 thousand square meters also makes it become the largest artificial garden in Tibet. After that, you may wander the city or rest to keep your body in good condition. Stay overnight in Lhasa Day 3: Lhasa Sightseeing — After rest two nights, today you will recover sufficiently to launch your Lhasa city tour, with close contact with Lhasa, the political, economic, cultural, communication and tourism center of Tibet with a history over 1300 years. At first, you will go to the Potala Palace, which is the symbolic place of Lhasa and also the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It was built by the 33rd. a great king of Tibet in the 7th. century. The gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet are the most worth seeing in Potala Palace. After lunch, you are going to Jokhang Temple, which was founded at the same time and by the same king as Potala Palace. From outside, you can see many pilgrims mak-ing prostrating in front of the temple. From inside, you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of 12. Barkhor Street is the next destination that women love a lot. Because it’s a famous busy walking street where they can go shopping. There are many distinctive shops that sell different Tibetan stuff, like handicraft, Thangka, and so on. Except for shopping, tourists can also join the Kora with pilgrims and locals, to explore Tibetan religious culture more deeply. Optional: You can go to visit the Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center if time is enough. You can also watch the Tibetan Culture Show in the evening for USD60 per person at your own expense. Stay overnight in Lhasa Day 4: Lhasa Sightseeing — In the morning, you are heading to Drepung monastery, which means Monastery of Collecting Rice in the Tibetan language. It’s a white magnificent construction that looks also like a pile of rice in the distance. Drepung monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, where lived more than 10 thousand monks before Tibet liberation. In the afternoon, tourists will pay a visit to Sera Monastery, which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Monks debate starts around 3 to 5 p.m. It’s very attractive even if you don’t understand what they are talking about at all. If the debate is not your type, you can also see the three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha inside of the monastery. Besides, the sight in Sera monastery is very good because you can see roses around. That’s why people also call it “the court of wild rose”. Stay overnight in Lhasa Day 5: Lhasa- Gyantse (4040 M), 262km, Approx. 5hrs — You will go to Gyantse from Lhasa today. Firstly, you can have a glimpse of Yamdroktso Lake during the way to Gampala pass (4790m). This is the holy lake surrounded by plenty of snow-capped mountains. And special views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m) ---the highest mountain near Lhasa, comes out later soon. You will see the Karola Glacier when we pass it on the roadside. After hanging pray flag at Simila Mountain pass, we will arrive in Gyantse, the third largest city in Tibet after Lhasa and Shigatse. Stay overnight in Gyantse Day 6: Gyantse-Shigatse(3840m), 96km, Approx. 2hrs — After breakfast, we shall visit Pelkor Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum and then see the Gyantse Fortress from a distance. Pelkor Monastery is a typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery that is complex of pagoda and temple. And you can see Tibetan Buddhism Sakyapa, Gelug, Xia Lupa together in it. Then we will start to go to Shigatse. It normally takes one and a half hours to drive from Gyantse to Shigatse, where we may visit the traditional barley mill and have the unique sights of barley field (in summer). Stay overnight in Shigatse Day 7: Shigatse -Tingri(5000m), 240km, Approx. 5hrs — Before we drive to Tingri to have lunch, we will visit the famous Tashilunpo Monastery, the home of Panchen Lama. It’s the largest monastery in Shigatse, and one of the four famous Gelug monasteries in Tibet. You can see the world’s largest gilded copper image (26m high) of future God Jampa there. Then, we will drive to Tingri, the nearest county to EBC. Please sleep well tonight, as you will see Mt. Everest tomorrow. Stay overnight in Tingri Day 8: Tingri -Rongbuk –EBC(5100m)-Tingri, 220km, Approx. 5hrs — Today we are launching for the Everest tour. After 90km of driving, we will arrive at Rongbuk Monastery first. It’s the highest monastery in the world, that’s why you can see the stunning view of Mt. Everest there. And another special thing is that you can find Monks and Nuns together in it. It’s different compared with other monasteries. After that, we will stay overnight at---Everest Base Camp. It’ next to Rongbuk Monastery now. You can have a good look at Mt. Everest from EBC and take clear photos of it. Please enjoy yourselves in this nearest place to heaven. In the end, we will return to Tingri due to the poor conditions of residence in EBC which is not suitable for seniors. Stay overnight in Tingri Day 9: Day 9 Tingri-Sakya(4300m)-Shigatse, 280km, Approx. 6hrs — On the way back to Shigatse, we will drop by Sakya County firstly. There are many different Tibetan Buddhism monasteries in Sakya County, the most famous one is Sakya Monastery, the main monastery of Sakyapa. It was built in Tubo Dynasty, the wall is colorful with red, white and cyan paint. That’s why Sakyapa is also called Colorful Buddhism. After 3 hours of driving, you will arrive at Shigatse and spend one night there. Stay overnight in Shigatse Day 10: Shigatse – Lhasa, 280km, Approx. 6-7hrs — We will start to go back to Lhasa today. It takes 6-7hours to get to Lhasa from Shigatse with the speed limited regulation. But the view is good along the road, so, get your camera ready. And it's better to prepare some snacks to bring along. When you arrive Lhasa in the late afternoon, you can visit local Tibetan families to enjoy the happy time with these hospitable people. Stay overnight in Lhasa Day 11: Lhasa Departure — Your tour ends today. Our guide and driver will collect you from your hotel to transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station for your next destination.

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1Arrival In Lhasa (3680 m) — Tashi Delek! Welcome to Tibet! This is the first day that you enter Tibet. Your guide will greet you at the airport or railway station and transfer you to the lovely hotel. It usually takes around 1.5 hours to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20mins from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel. After check-in, we strongly suggest you rest in the hotel. But if really you could not help going out, please do remember that try to go with a light pack and not go alone. Meanwhile, drink some more water. It’s really useful to get acclimatized to the high altitude.+