Day 01 Welcome to Kathmandu
A local Himalayan Holidays’ representative will meet and welcome you at Kathmandu airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a welcome drink and check-in at the hotel a pre-trek briefing will be held. The rest of the day is yours to explore the local area. o/n at hotel

Day 02 Kathmandu Sightseeing
After breakfast you will be picked up at the hotel to begin an interesting tour around Kathmandu. Your English-speaking guide will escort you to Durbar Square the historic centre of the city and home to the living goddess Kumari. Then on to Swayambhunath or Monkey Temple, situated high on a hill top, this stupa is one of the most recognized images of the Kathmandu Vally and affords magnificent views of the city and valley below. From here we travel to Pashupatinath the site of the most important Hindu temple in Nepal and located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we will see holy men known as Sadhus performing their religious rituals and you may witness funeral pyres burning on the river side ghats. o/n at hotel B.

Day 03 Kathmandu – Lhasa
Morning flight to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, you will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the Old Tibetan Quarter

Day 04 – Lhasa
Sightseeing tour includes a morning at the Potala Palace, where you can experience the art, architecture and history of Tibet as well as the culture and religion of the Tibetan Buddhists. In the afternoon we visit Sera Monastery located about 5km from Lhasa, this impressive building was founded in the 15th century and is one of the greatest Gulugpa monasteries, it is also a wonderful opportunity to see the monks debating in the famous “Debating Courtyard”. When we return to Lhasa there will be an opportunity to excplore Barkor Square, the oldest street market in the Tibetan quarter

Day 05 – Lhasa
Sightseeing tour includes the Jokhang Temple, the most revered Buddhist temple in Tibet where pilgrims come every day to pray and Norbulingka the Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace. Norbulingka was a seat of power and religion before the Dalai Lama left there in 1959 fleeing to exile in India

Day 06 – Lhasa
Sightseeing excursion to Ganden Monastery 40kms from Lhasa, here you will be able to see the gold stupa of Tsongkapa, see scriptures being printed on wooden blocks and you may even visit the site of sky buriels. We return to Lhasa and visit the Muslim Quarter

Day 07- Lhasa –Kathmandu
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kathmandu.and upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Day 08 Kathmandu
Today you are free to spend the day at your leisure. Optional extras which can easily be arranged include an early morning Everest mountain flight, further sightseeing to Patan the second largest city in the Kathmandu Valley, or to the Medieval city of Bhaktapur. o/n at hotel B

Day 09 Kathmandu
There is the last minute opportunity for shopping before your late morning transfer to the airport for international departure B

Cost Includes :
Land transfers as per itinerary in private vehicle
Arrival and departure transfers as per itinerary
Twin share accommodation and breakfast
at standard hotels in Kathmandu and Lhasa
½ day sightseeing in Kathmandu with English speaking guide
8 breakfasts
Tibet visa and necessary permits
English speaking Tibetan guide when in Lhasa
Entrance fees and sightseeing as per itinerary

Not Included :
International air fare, taxes and charges
Return flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Nepal visa
Airport Departure taxes from Kathmandu/Excess baggage charges
Other meals not stated (Lunch/Dinner in Kathmandu and Lhasa)
Items of personal nature ie. Soft/hard drinks, morning/afternoon tea, tips etc.
Travel Insurance (this is a mandatory condition of booking)
Medical evacuation in case of emergency
Optional Everest flight (cost approx A$200)
Optional sightseeing on Day 08

Meals Code: B=Breakfast

Booking Conditions
A non – refundable deposit of $350 must be paid at time of booking and booking form must be completed
Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure
Travel insurance with unlimited medical cover is compulsory for all trips to Nepal and Tibet. A visa for Nepal is to be obtained prior to departure from Australia, please note your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your return to Australia

Cancellation Fees
If cancellation in writing is received by Himalayan Holidays more than 45 days prior to departure, the non-refundable deposit will be retained (maximum 10% of total land price) plus any air cancellation fees that may apply
If cancellation is received within 45 days of departure, the following per person cancellation fees will apply:
15 - 45 days prior to departure: 25% of total price
7 - 14 days prior to departure: 35% of total price
less than 7 days prior to departure: 50% of total price (except for the total cost of government fees)
On departure day or later: 100% of total price. The penalties for cancellation are designed to safeguard the company, which will have to make certain payments in advance of the trip departure, and are adopted in a similar form throughout the travel industry.