The breathtaking trans-himalayan flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa and the overland route from Lhasa to Nepal offer truly spectacular views of the Himalayas, mountain passes, ancient monasteries and fortresses from a bygone era. We begin our tour by exploring fabled Lhasa: the majestic Potala Palace towers over the entire Lhasa Valley. The Drepung monastery is the largest monastic university in Tibet; the Jokhang is the central cathedral; and the surrounding Barkhor market is bustling with pilgrims and traders Then we drive along the Yamdrok Tso Lake and Turquoise Lake to Gyantse to the Kumbum Stupa, a unique and magnificent 6 storey stupa consisting of 112 chapels, a Buddhist hall and a prayer hall.

We arrive at Shigatse, where Tashilhunpo Monastery is located. The Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the biggest Gelugpa monasteries in Central Tibet. It enshrines a nine storey bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha. We also visit the Shakya Monastery, Shegar before returning to Kathmandu via Zhangmu (Khasa) of the Tibet-Nepal border.