8天拉薩、珠峰大本營至加德滿都陸路之旅（慢活步調）

This day's itinerary features three significant Lhasa landmarks, offering a glimpse into the city's rich cultural and religious heritage.

In the morning, you can walk into Potala Palace (World Heritage), the traditional residence and winter palace of the Dalai Lama (1649-1959). It takes 365 steps from potala gate to reach the Red Palace which is the highest palace in the world at an altitude of 3,700m. Through the principal halls, chapels, and shrines of past Dalai Lamas in the Red Palace, you will be astonished and touched by its remarkable paintings, gorgeous jeweled works, skilled carving, colorful ornamentation, and the mystery stories behind the treasures. Inside the Potala Palace you will meet lots of Tibetan pilgrims who come all the way from afar to this sacred site to pray as their life time destination. You can also ask your guide to share more information about Songtsen Gampo, the 33rd king of Tibet, who first build the Potala Palace in the 7th century for his marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. (Note: We may adjust the visit order due to the visiting time of your Potala Palace Ticket. All visitors must visit the Potala Palace with a tour group while staying inside for an hour. No photo inside.)

Later, you will explore Lhasa by visiting Jokhang Temple, a world cultural heritage site renowned for its brilliant architecture, culture, art, and history. Located in the heart of Lhasa for over 1300 years, the Jokhang Temple is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from all over the world. Famed as the spiritual center of Tibet, it is said that the Jokhang Monastery was built for King Songtsen Gampo's two brides: Chinese Princess Wencheng and Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti. "Jokhang" means "House of Buddha", and it houses a life-size statue of the 12-year-old Sakyamuni, which is considered a treasure of the Buddhist world. This is why Buddhist pilgrims consider it the holiest destination. The Jakhong temple is also renowned for its beautiful architecture. You can admire the intricate carvings, colorful murals, ornate decorations, and details of the building, which is a masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Time seems to stand still as you watch people pray in front of the temple during the day and night. (Please note that the visit order may be adjusted based on the reservation of your Jokhang Temple Ticket Reservation.)

Afterward, head back to downtown Lhasa for a walk on busy Barkhor Street near the Jokhang Monastery, which was a place for Buddhists to do a kora (pilgrim circuit) in ancient times. Nowadays, it has become a thriving local market where you can drink a pot of yak butter tea, dress in Tibetan clothes for photos, and pick up some local Tibetan, Nepalese, and Indian handicrafts and souvenirs.

今天，您將有絕佳的機會透過參觀哲蚌寺和色拉寺，沉浸在拉薩充滿活力的寺院生活中。

首先，驅車約35分鐘（10-12公里）前往參觀哲蚌寺，它是拉薩最大的藏傳佛教格魯派寺院。在17世紀搬遷至布達拉宮之前，這裡曾是達賴喇嘛的宮殿。如今，它以每年8月舉辦的哲蚌雪頓節而聞名，人們會前來向剛結束100天禪修的僧侶供奉優格。您還可以見證最盛大的曬佛節/唐卡展示儀式。除了獨特的建築和令人驚嘆的構造，您還可以觀看僧侶進行藏傳佛教辯經，辯經過程生動活躍，伴隨著誇張的手勢、拍手和跺腳。參觀完哲蚌寺後，您將進行約2小時的藏文化體驗之旅，內容包括導覽介紹、藏香製作和木版印刷。

下午，驅車約13公里（30-40分鐘）前往參觀色拉寺，它是西藏三大格魯派寺院之一。這裡提供了近距離體驗藏傳佛教的機會。色拉寺的亮點是觀看僧侶辯經，時間通常在15:00-17:00之間（週日除外）。辯經是一種有趣的交流形式，一名僧侶作為提問者站立，回答者或一組回答者則坐著。站立的僧侶提出問題並拍手跺腳，每個動作都有特殊含義，例如啟發智慧，並非具有攻擊性。您還有機會參加祈禱儀式、參觀禪修大殿，並了解寺院的生活方式。這是深入了解藏傳佛教信仰與修行不可錯過的景點。

行程結束後，開車返回拉薩住宿。

Today, drive about 7.5 hours (400km) from Lhasa to Shigatse (3,850m) via Gyantse (3,950m). You will visit two amazing natural landscapes - Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier on the way, then after a visit of Pelkor Monastery in Gyantse, you will reach Shigates for overnight.

In the morning, you will head to the Kampala Pass (4,797 meters) and have a breathtaking view of Yamdrok Lake (a freshwater lake) ****down below as well as spectacular views of the holy Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar (7,206m) in the distance. It is one of the four largest sacred lakes in Tibet along with Lake Lhamo Latso, Lake Manasarovar, and Lake Namtso. And Lake Yamdrok is said to be able to help Tibetans find the reincarnated soul of the Dalai Lama. You will be happy to see dressed-up Tibetan mastiffs/dogs, goats, and yaks there. It is optional for you to pay 5-10 yuan to pose with and take photos of them, for local Tibetans, it’s a subsidy income for their family.

Then, drive to visit one of the most beautiful Glaciers in Tibet - Karola Glacier, the location of the film Red Valley (Hong He Gu). As one of Tibet's three major continental glaciers, backed by the southern slope of Naiqin Kangsang Peak (7,191 meters), one of the four highest peaks in Tibet, this white glacier is also the source of the eastern part of the Nianchu River. The **Karola Glacier (**5,012m) is only 300 meters away from the highway connecting Lhasa to Gyantse town. You can view it right off the highway from your car. Sure you can easily walk to the foot of the charming glacier which shape is like a frozen waterfall right above the road and you. Besides the fantastic hike to the Karola Glacier, on the opposite side of the road, you can appreciate the beautiful snow-capped mountain of Mt Kalurong.

Karola Glacier Visiting Notes:

• The altitude at the glacier scenic spot is about 5,012m, be sure to slow down to avoid altitude sickness.
• The public toilet at the glacier is very basic.
• Local people would ask you to take photos with them for a fee. Be sure to ask before taking photos to avoid potential little troubles.

After that, drive on the Friendship Highway( between Tibet and Nepal) to Gyantse, the third largest city of Tibet after Lhasa and Shigates, and visit Pelkor Monastery.

Pelkor Monastery (Palcho Monastery) is an important site for Tibetan Buddhism, as it houses different sects including the Gelug, Sakyapa, and Kadampa. Pelkor Monastery, with a history over 600 years, is also renowned for its impressive architecture, which blends Tibetan, Nepalese, and Han Chinese styles. One of the main attractions of Pelkor Monastery is the Kumbum Stupa (Gyangtse Kumpum), which is a nine-story tower adorned with thousands of images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It is said to be the largest such structure in Tibet. Visitors can enjoy their time by witnessing the daily rituals and prayers of the monks, and have a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape from the top of the Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda). You can also catch the far view of Gyantse Fortress (Gyantse Dzong).

Stay overnight in Gyantse County (altitude: 3,950 meters).

In this morning, you will drive from Gyantse to Shigatse (4000 meters). Make a stop to visit Tashilhunpo Monastery. It is founded by His Holiness the 1st Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Gedun Drup in 1447. In Tashi Lunpo Monastery, you can unveil the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas, Tibet's second-highest incarnation. Pay a visit to the ancient tombs of the fourth and tenth Panchen Lama and the chortens, which hold the bones and remains of the sacred Tibetan lamas. Learn more from your guide about Panchen Lamas and Dalai Lamas while appreciating the brilliant religious painting on Tibetan architecture, listening to the Tibetan Buddhism chanting by local monks, and even participating in the kora like locals. Don’t forget to hike up to the top of the monastery and have a stunning bird view of the monastery itself and Shigatse City.

In this afternoon, continue your drive from Shigatse to Sakya County. Visit Sakya Monastery (4,280m), the seat of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, one of the four main Buddhist schools in Tibet. The monastery was founded in 1073 by Konchok Gyalpo, who was a disciple of the famous Indian Buddhist teacher Atisha. The outside walls of the monastery are painted with red, white, and gray, symbolizing Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, and Vajrapani. Another noteworthy feature of Sakya Monastery is its extensive library, which contains a vast collection of Buddhist scriptures, commentaries, and other texts. The library is considered to be one of the largest and most important Buddhist libraries in the world. It is said that the largest book in the world is in Sakya's great library, written in gold.

Stay overnight in Sakya County.

This morning, drive to Everest Base Camp (5,200m), which is 231km (4-5h) from Sakya County. On the way, if the weather is fine, you can catch a glimpse of four mountains that are 8,000m high or even higher.

After enjoying the beautiful and unique scenery on the pass with incredibly snow-capped mountain ranges, blue skies, floating high clouds, and endless grasslands, it is time to head to Rongbuk Monastery (about 3.5 hours,122km) which is the highest monastery in the world and the best site to view the north side of Mt. Qomolangma (Mt. Everest), also known as the Third Pole on Earth. With both monks and nuns in residence, Rongbuk Monastery is a must-visit for spiritual travelers, and you will find it to be a photo-worthy destination. It used to be an area of meditation huts, and you can find hermitage meditation caves with a history of over 400 years, dotting the cliff walls all around the monastery and the valley. You can admire the magnificent sunset on Qomolangma's steep north side in good weather. The humble stupa at the monastery is the same one that can be seen on most postcards and posters of Mt. Everest.

Overnight in a tent guesthouse at Rongbuk Monastery or EBC. If you venture out at night, you will be rewarded with a heavenly starry night.

Notes:

• Travelers can only go as far as the Rongbuk Temple area rather than a few kilometers farther as before. But it’s no big difference in terms of viewing Mt. Everest.
• Today’s food and lodging is very basic. Due to the high altitude, it is possible that you may have some symptoms of altitude sickness. We recommend that you stay well hydrated, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery to minimize your symptoms.

Try your luck at witnessing the breathtaking sunrise of Mount Everest in the early morning (Note: The sunrise usually starts around 6:30 am to 7:00 am). After breakfast, head to Everest Base Camp. It is a 4 km hike from Rongbuk Monastery to Everest Base Camp (5,200m), which is the closest place for ordinary tourists to view the world’s summit. (Note: It is optional to take sightseeing bus to EBC. Self-pay for the bus.) Take your time at Everest Base Camp to enjoy the amazing view of the peak of Mount Everest (8,848m), the highest peak in the world.

After the tour, you and your group will leave Mount Everest Base Camp and be transferred to Gyirong Town, where the Gyirong Port is located, via a part of the Friendship Highway, also known as the China-Nepal Highway. On the way, you will get good chance to see the majestic and awe-inspiring Mount Shishapangma, about 120km from Mount Everest and located in the Himalayas near the Nepal-Tibet border. At an elevation of 8,027 meters, Mount Shishapangma is the 14th highest mountain in the world and the only 8,000-meter peak that lies entirely within Tibet. The mountain is known for its striking appearance, with its towering peaks and massive glaciers.

Stay overnight in Gyirong Town.

今天，您和您的團隊將順利從吉隆鎮前往吉隆口岸，您的導遊將協助您辦理出境手續離開中國。

旅遊須知：

目前，樟木口岸主要用於貨運，而吉隆口岸則用於旅遊。中尼公路是一條全長800公里的景觀公路，連接西藏首府拉薩與位於樟木和科達里之間的中尼友誼橋，即中國與尼泊爾的邊界。

您的8天拉薩、日喀則、薩迦、珠峰大本營、加德滿都陸路拼團之旅即將結束。祝您旅途平安！