19 Day Bicycle Lhasa To Nepal Border
This 19 Day bicycle journey will start by exploring the holy city of Lhasa and traveling by bike to the roof of the world Mount Everest North Face base camp and ending the tour at Kyirong town border between Nepal.
You will see the main Buddhist sites in the city including Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, and the Potala Palace. You will also be able to explore the Old Town of Lhasa and rub shoulders with some of the thousands of pilgrims who are here each day. Altogether, you will spend 3 nights in Lhasa.
Next, you will make the scenic bike trip to Shigatse going via Yamdrok Lake, Karo La Glacier, and the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa. From Shigatse, you will travel to the North Face Base Camp of Mt. Everest where if the weather is clear, Travelers can witness the beauties of sunset, sunrise, and stars in the night at the world’s highest peak! From Everest, you will travel by bike towards Nepal through Old Tingri, Phikutso lake, and end the tour at the Kyirong town border between Nepal.
This will be a special journey to explore the corners of Tibet with a healthy physical and warm spiritual mind.
Tour Type: 19-Days Bike Tour
Group Size: Depend On Travelers
Tour Duration: 19 Days
Price: Depend On Season
Day 1 - Pick Up From Airport Or Train Station And Transfer To Hotel
Upon your arrival at Lhasa airport or train station, you will be greeted by your Tibetan guide, from the airport to Lhasa city is 60km, around an hour drive will take you to the holy city Lhasa. Driving along the Brahmaputra river and Lhasa river. If you take the train to Lhasa, normally you will arrive in the late afternoon or evening, 20 minutes drive will take you to your hotel in Lhasa city. Check into hotel, have a good rest to acclimatize the high altitude.
Overnight at 3-star Dhood Gu hotel, located in the heart of Lhasa old city with 200 meters from Jokhang Temple
Day 2 - Lhasa City Sightseeing, Visit Jokhang Temple And Sera Monastery(B)
After breakfast, you will visit the Jokhang, the holiest Buddhist temple in all of the Himalayas. Each day, many thousands of Buddhist pilgrims come here to worship. Many have traveled well over a thousand kilometers by foot to see this 1400-year-old temple. After lunch, you will visit the 600-year-old huge monastery complex of Sera. While at Sera, you watch the monks engage in entertaining Buddhist philosophical debates. In the evening, you will have free time to wander around the Old Town on your own.
Overnight at 3-star Dhood Gu hotel, located in the heart of Lhasa old city with 200 meters from Jokhang Temple
(B)=breakfast
Day 3 - Lhasa City Sightseeing, Visit Drepung Monastery, Potala Palace (B)
Today you will be arranged to visit Drepung, Potala Palace. Drepung monastery was once the world's largest monastery in the history with 10,000 monks hailed from different monasteries all over Tibet. It is located on a small mountain so we can see the view of Lhasa city below. After Drepung, visit the massive 1000 room Potala Palace, the most iconic building in Tibet. You will work your way up the steps of the Potala and then go through the most important rooms in this famous UNESCO site. After lunch, you will explore another one of Tibet’s important monasteries.
Overnight at 3-star Dhood Gu hotel, located in the heart of Lhasa old city with 200 meters from Jokhang Temple
(B)=breakfast
Day 4 - Bike East Gamba La Pass 4700m
Our Tibet cycling begins! Today's cycle is relatively flat, a good way to acclimatize for the many passes and high Tibetan plateaus ahead. Leaving Lhasa, the 'City of the Gods'.
We cycle along a scenic, paved road following the Kyi Chu River past small Tibetan villages, with freshly planted barley fields.
The road winds steadily uphill to the Eastern side of the Gamba La, we will camp below Gambala pass for our first night of the cycle. (85 km)
Day 5 - Bike Nakartse (Yamdrok Tso Lake) 4300m | Cross Khamba La 4805m
The climbing starts early as we switch back 1000 relentless meters up the Khamba La pass over about 23 kilometers (4805m) to overlook the turquoise Yamdrok Yumtso Lake far below. Yamdrok Tso is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet, home to wrathful deities, and a spectacular sight.
After a lovely switchback down the pass towards the sacred lake, we continue to cycle along the river-side road through the fertile plain of the Nyang River valley, a traditional vignette around every corner. We camp by the lake at a beautiful campsite near the town of Nagartse.
Day 6 - Bike Ralung Gompa + Simi La Pass 4500m
Continuing to cycle on good, paved roads, we have to work a bit this morning to cross the Karo La pass(5060m) which cuts a path between Himalayan glaciers.
We will have an option to visit Ralung Monastery to our south, we set up camp near one of these villages, just below tomorrow's Simi La pass crossing. Ralung monastery is of the Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism namely Drukpa Kagyu, It was founded in 1830 and was once the home of many great Tibetan Yogis.
We will camp below the Simi La pass for the night.
Day 7 - Bike To Gyantse [79 KM Cycling]
A significant day on the tour, as we have to get up early to climb the high Karo La pass (5010m).
Around us, we can see glaciers of 6000m and beautiful lakes. We will arrive around late afternoon at Gyantse and stay overnight in a hotel.
Day 8 - Bike To Shigatse from Gyantse
In the morning, we will take an hour to visit the Palkhor Monastery and the old part of Gyantse town.
Although today involves a longer distance, the highway is paved and flat. In the afternoon we will arrive in Tibet's second-largest city, Shigatse (3860m). We will visit the Tashilhunpo monastery today or tomorrow morning.
Overnight at hotel
Day 9 - Bike Shigatse 3850m / Below Tso La Pass 4580m
After breakfast, we will start our cycling towards the south to Tso La Pass. On the way, we will pass by many Tibetan villages. After a good descent, we set up our camp just below tomorrow's pass, the Tso La pass. We may camp a bit early (75 km) near Gangchen monastery or camp below the Tso La pass. (100 km)
Day 10 - Bike Gyatso La 4150m | Cross Tso La 4580m
We cross the small pass namely the Tso La pass on the way from Shigatse.
We will pass by many small Tibetan villages and grassland and stunning mountains.
Through this friendship highway route, we will pass by Lhatse town. Once the central towns near Shigatse city.
We will camp near the two different routes, towards the west to Mount Kailash and towards the south to Mount Everest.
Camp near the small village below the Gyatso La pass.
Day 11 - Bike Pelber 4355m | Cross Gyatso La 5220m
We start the beautiful day with a sunrise and travel to Gyatso La pass ( 5220m ) yet another day with a challenging climb to the high point of our ride.
The first view of the summit of Mount Everest can be seen from Gyatso La pass if the weather is good.
We'll enjoy the long descent to Pelber, one of the gateways to Everest Base Camp.
We stop for the night at the Tibetan-styled Roof of world hotel at Pelber or camp we may also continue, turning south to camp just beyond the village of Chay at Pang La camp. (25 km)
Day 12 - Bike Choezom | Cross Geu La 5200m
Cycling towards Everest Base Camp, we embark on yet another challenging Himalayan ascent of the high Geu La pass (5200m)
Once on top of the pass, we can enjoy the stunning beauties of 4 mountains above 8000 meters including Mount Everest, Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Lhotse, and Mount Makalu.
We will drive through the Tashizom village valley to Pasum village and spent the night at Chozom village camping. (59 km)
Day 13 - Bike Rongbuk Monastery 4980m | Cycle Tibet Everest Base Camp 5200m
A scenic morning ride on a newly paved road through traditional Tibetan landscapes to Rongbuk Monastery where the staff has set up the highest campsite of the trip at just under 5000 meters, with views of the stunning north face of Everest from camp.
After lunch, it's an exciting ride to Tibet Everest Base Camp, cycling on a graded road for in-your-face views of the spectacular, massive north face of Everest, located 8 km from the Rongbuk monastery.
Camping near the Rongbuk monastery to enjoy the Mount Everest sunset, sunrise, and stars at night.
Day 14 - Bike Tingri 4300m + Tsamda Hot Springs | Cross Lamma La 5120m
An early start for the ride back to the Friendship highway via the Lamma La (5120m) where we can witness nomads in summer.
Around 60 km, we will get to the highway to Old Tingri, also known as Gangkar. It is worth a walk around for a glimpse of Tibetan village life and a view of the summit of Mount Everest and Mount Cho Oyo. We cycle a bit further to our camp beside the Tsamda hot springs. (90 km)
Day 15 - Bike Lalung La Camp
Great views of Everest and Cho Oyu as we bike across the Tibetan plateau, passing the ruins of several large forts. We soon reach our camp just below the Lalung La, which leads south towards the traditional Friendship Highway route and Nepal border at Zhangmu, closed since the 2015 earthquakes.
We cycle west towards Phikutso Lake tomorrow, instead of the south over the Lalung La towards Zhangmu. (55 km)
Day 16 - Bike Phikutso Camp 4620m
Heading west from Lalung La Camp, we turn right and cycle towards beautiful, turquoise Phikutso Lake, cycling past the southern turnoff to Mount Shishapangma, 8012 meters, only mountain above 8000 meters fully planted in Tibet.
We will also pass by traditional Tibetan villages. We set up camp on this massive plateau, near the lake and possibly near Laphu Pemadzong, with incredible views of Shishapangma.
Day 17 - Bike Dzongka Camp | Cross Tsalung La 5280m
These next two days are exploratory for cycling (though we've just checked them out by jeep), a stunningly beautiful route through southern Tibet to the Langtang (Rasuwa) region of Nepal.
The route includes a stunning Phikutso lake, which was once the meditation site of Tibetan Yogi Jetsun Milarepa.
From Peiku Tso Camp we either take a small road over the Tsalung La (5280m), 800 meters up and 1200 meters down to the main road and our camp near Dzongkha. (58km)
Day 18 - Bike Kyirong Camp
From Dzongkha (4130m), the capital of Kyirong County, we follow the Kyirong Chu south, which becomes the Trishuli River in Kathmandu, passing several prominent chortens en route and descending over 1000 meters. We camp in Kyirong, heading for the Nepal border the next day. (68 km)
crowded with cargo trucks headed to and from the Tibet border. So we'll plan on driving to the border of Nepal and spending the night at The Famous Farm! (10+ km cycle, 66 km drive)
Day 19 - Kyirong Town / Bike To Nepal Border (Rasuwa Ghadi)
Our last kilometers of cycling in Tibet (approximately 10-50 km depending on our campsite), we bike to the border of Nepal at Rasuwa Ghadi and cross the border.
Tibet Travelers service ends from here.
Tibet Travelers can also arrange a bike trip from Kyirong border town between Rasuwa Nepal to Kathmandu with the help of our partner Travel agency in Nepal if Travelers prefer.
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