We have designed this 17-day adventure in Nepal and Tibet to enable you to travel in comfort and provide you with some incredible photographic opportunities.

Our adventure begins with several days exploring the Kathmandu and staying in the exquisite Heritage-style Dwarika’s Hotel.

Kathmandu itself offers superb photographic opportunities with superbly photogenic sacred temples and colourful bazaars & other parts of Asia several times.

From Kathmandu we fly west to the beautiful Pokhara valley and stay in the award winning Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge that provides spectacular mountain vistas.

We then return to Kathmandu and then take a magnificent flight across the Himalayan chain where several days are spent exploring the ‘forbidden’ city of Lhasa, including a visit to the Potala Palace, the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama. This is followed by an overland drive across the Tibetan plateau, the highest country in the world, visiting ancient monasteries and seldom-visited villages, to the Nepal-Tibet border.

ITINERARY

31st July: Arrival in Kathmandu Upon arrival you will be met and assisted by an Escape2Nepal representative and transferred to award winning Dwarika’s Hotel which is located 5 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the tourist district of Thamel. Upon arrival a briefing about Kathmandu and your forthcoming trip will be conducted in which maps and other general information will be distributed. This will also offer you the ideal opportunity to ask any last minute questions that you may have. 1st August: Kathmandu Today a half-day sightseeing tour will also be arranged. In hidden corners of fabled Kathmandu, the ancient past lingers on in a maze of narrow streets crowded with turmeric sellers, small golden temples, wandering cows, and traditional workshops. Our half-day exploration takes us to places such as in to the old part of the Kathmandu City and to the 2000-year-old Bhoudanath Stupa. About Kathmandu: Once a traditional medieval city of breathtaking Newari architecture, Kathmandu is now fully grown into an urban capital with a population of half-million people. Nevertheless, it has not lost its magic, especially in the ancient, narrow streets and in countless temples and shrines where Buddhist and Hindu iconography mix in fantastic ways. Bodha is a 1,400-year-old stupa that attracts pilgrims from across Buddhist Asia. At Bodha, we see pilgrims circling the stupa to make a kora, turning the stupa's giant prayer wheels as they go. With new monasteries sprouting up all around it, Bodha is rapidly becoming a world centre of Tibetan Buddhist study. Swayambu is an ancient Buddhist temple with commanding views of the valley. We make a steep climb of 300 steps to reach this stupa. Swayambu was established as a shrine around 500 BC and by the 13th century AD, had become an important centre of Buddhist learning. Its eyes, painted on four cardinal points, keep watch over the Kathmandu Valley. Pashupatinath, with its triple-roofed temple, burning ghats, and wandering sadhus (holy men) along the sacred Bagmati, is one of four major sites of Shiva worship on the subcontinent. Its temples and ghats are set along the Bagmati because the waters of this river eventually river flow south to join the mighty Ganges, holy river of India. Entrance to Pashupatinath's inner temple precinct is for Hindus only, but from the outside, we are able to see the huge structure of Nandi, the bull, and a smaller statue of Hanuman. Overnight at Dwarika’s Hotel. 2nd August: Kathmandu – Pokhara - Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge After breakfast transferred to the airport for the 30 minute flight to Pokhara. On arrival you will be met for the half hour drive to the award winning Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge. Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge is situated on a hilltop ridge, a thousand feet above Pokhara Valley. It has spectacular, panoramic views of Machhapuchhare (Fishtail Mountain), and three of the world’s 8,000m peaks, Daulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna. The nineteen elegant and spacious rooms are arranged around the hilltop in thirteen individual hand cut stone bungalows, blending naturally into their surroundings. Sited to maximize the breathtaking vistas and set in private gardens, each room has a private verandah, adjoining bathroom and is furnished with twin or super-king sized beds. Activities available from the Lodge include a ridge top walk visiting local villages; a full day Gurung Village trek circuit exploring the picturesque communities of Tulaswor, Chiteipani, and Lankachhar; naturalist-guided nature and bird watching walks; or relaxing in Col. Jimmy’s Library reading about some of the more famous mountain expeditions. A beautiful swimming pool is located in a strategic site at the end of the ridge and reflects the high mountains which drop away to the Bijaypur river far below. 3rd August: Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge Relax, or take optional day hikes from the Lodge. 4th August: Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge – Kathmandu After a leisurely early breakfast you will be transferred to the Pokhara airport for the 25 minute flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival met and transferred to the Dwarika’s Hotell. Rest of the day at Leisure. In the evening we will visit the area of Thamel for dinner. 5th August: Kathmandu- Lhasa, Tibet Transferred to the International airport for the flight to Lhasa. This spectacular flight, on a China Southwest Airlines Boeing 757, takes us right across the main Himalayan range and provides us with magnificent mountain views. After landing at Gonggar Airport and meeting our Tibetan guide, it is a further 2 hour drive by Land cruiser jeep to Lhasa where we will check in to the Hotel Kyichu located in the city centre. It is advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day due to Lhasa's altitude. 6th August: in Lhasa Today will be spent visiting several of Lhasa's many monasteries in the company of a guide-interpreter. One of these is the Sera Monastery, one of the best preserved monasteries in Tibet. Within it's white-washed walls and golden roofs, several hundred monks live and study. After lunch we'll visit the Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, as well as the Jokhang Temple. This temple is the most sacred shrine in Tibet and there is always a procession of devout Tibetans through the complex. Surrounding the Jokhang is the Barkor - a maze of narrow cobbled streets which is the central market of Lhasa. 7th August: in Lhasa This morning we visit the Potala Palace which dominates the city of Lhasa. A spectacular building, it contains the private quarters of the Dalai Lama as well as numerous grand state rooms and many important chapels. There has been a palace on this site since the 5th or 6th century, but the present palace was constructed in the 17th century. A Visit to the Drepung Monastery this afternoon will complete a truly awe-inspiring day. Founded in the 14th century, this monastery was once the largest in the world. with a population of around 10,000 monks. These days that figure is down to several hundred, but there is still much here of interest as it was left relatively unscathed during the Cultural Revolution. Tuesday, 8th August: Drive Lhasa - Gyantse (3950m) 261 km. Today we start our overland journey towards Kathmandu. Travelling by Land cruiser along the Friendship Highway we cross the Khamba La (4794m) from which there are stunning views across the waters of Yamdrok-tso (lake) to the snowy summit of Nazin Kang Sa 7252m. We continue westwards over another high pass, the Karo La 5045m, where we are treated to the spectacular sight of a huge glacier tumbling down to within a few hundred metres of the road. After passing through beautiful valleys and colourful Tibetan villages we arrive in the town of Gyantse. Our overnight accommodation is at the Gyantse Hotel. 9th August: Drive Gyantse - Shigatse (3900m) 90km 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 which there are 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. We then continue on to Shigatse, a short drive of only 90kms, arriving in time for lunch. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and after exploring the local market we will make a detailed visit to the Tashilhunpo Monastery. This monastery is one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet and there is much to explore within its high surrounding walls. Our overnight accommodation will be at either Shigatse Hotel or Shandong Mansion. Thursday, 10th August: Drive Shigatse - Shegar (New Tingri: 4050m) 244km. Today we continue along the Friendship Highway, marvelling once more at the barren yet spectacular landscape of Tibet. Beyond the small town of Lhatse we cross the highest pass on our journey, the Gyamtso La, 5220m. From here we descend to the plains, passing lonely monasteries and the camps of nomadic herders, en route to Shegar and our overnight accommodation at Hotel Quomolongma (the Everest Hotel). 11th August : Drive Shegar - Rongbuk (5000m) 68km Shortly after leaving Shegar, we turn off the Friendship Highway and head south over the Pang La 5150m towards the main Himalayan range. The view from the top is incredible with uninterrupted views stretching from Makalu to 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. We stay overnight at the Gompa Guest House. 12th August: Drive Rongbuk - Tingri (4350m) 65km This morning we have the opportunity to explore Everest Base Camp 5200m. The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the views of Everest more than compensate for this. It is a truly awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above us. After lunch, we return to the Friendship Highway and drive to Tingri where we will stay overnight at the Snow Leopard Lodge. 13th August: Drive Tingri - Zhangmu (2300m) 181km Leaving Tingri, we cross another two high passes, the Lalung La 5124m and the Shung La 5200m. Once more we are rewarded with magnificent views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar. Now we begin our descent from the arid Tibetan Plateau to Zhangmu on the Nepalese border. After Tibet, it appears an incredibly lush and green town and we stay overnight at the Zhangmu Friendship Hotel. 14th August: Drive Zhangmu - Kodari - Kathmandu (1400m) 123km From Zhangmu we drive a few kilometres to the Friendship Bridge which spans the Bhote Kosi River and marks the Chinese - Nepalese border. We say goodbye to our Tibetan guide and driver and walk to Nepalese Immigration Control in Kodari where we will be met by our Nepalese staff. After completing the re-entry formalities we continue the drive to Kathmandu which, depending on road and weather conditions, should take about 5 hours. Overnight Dwarika's Hotel. 15th August: in Kathmandu Morning free followed by lunch at Shivapuri Heights Cottag. Overnight Dwarika's Hotel 16th August: International departure Transferred to the International airport for your international departure. Note: Whilst this trip is labelled as a photographic adventure it should be noted that it is perfectly acceptable to bring non-photographic partners along. The group will be limited to a maximum of 16 persons, including partners.

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