Trips China Tibet

Tibet Everest Base Camp, Namtso Lake & Samye Hiking - 22 Days

Tibet - used to be the mysterious, legendary and unknown Roof of the World - can be easily reached today from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province to Lhasa.

Tibet is a beautiful rugged, desolated, mountainous region with numerous snow-capped peaks, jade-green lakes, with a predominant Buddhist influence.

On this adventure, we'll get to see the rich cultural diversity of Tibet as we travel through its heartands on wheels and foot. This may be a a tough journey for some travellers as much of the travel are on high altitude grounds over high mountain passes, remote mountain areas, and often rough mountain roads. The bulk of the journey will be on wheels, either 4WD or mini-bus but we'll see more compared to the typical Tibet travel program. We shall set aside a few days to hike around the beautiful Nam Tso Lake & Everest North Base Camp to take in the beautiful sights that many other travellers miss in their rushed 8-12D overland program.

Activities include overland drive, culture sightseeing, trekking, visit to alpine lakes. This is an overlander that is packed with enough sights and high adventure that you'll remember long after the journey is over. More photos here

For 2007, our program includes an one-way return train journey from Lhasa to Chengdu via the recently completed Tibet-Qinghai railway link.

Included

• 2-way internal / domestic return airfares between Chengdu & Lhasa including airport taxes
• Full accommodation arrangement ( hotels in Chengdu, Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and guesthouse in in Namtso Lake, Sakya, Rongbuk, New Tingri ) with daily breakfasts
• Full transport arrangement & airport transfers in both 4WD ( in Tibet ) & van ( in Chengdu )
• Entrance tickets to the listed scenic spots as well as special travel permits for Tibet
• Either Chinese or English speaking guide service
• All expenses for guides, drivers, and vehicles
• Oxygen support for overland journey & trek in Tibet
• Half day tour of Chengdu Panda Research Centre
• Complimentary use of sleeping bags and down jackets, if required

Excluded

• 2-way international economy class return airfares between Singapore & Chengdu & associated airport & other taxes
• Meals during tour except for breakfast which is provided with accommodation
• Tipping & gratuities to guide & driver
• Fees for photography inside monastery chapels & other places where extra fees are required
• Personal travel insurance, pre-trip medical immunizations, and all expenses of a personal nature

Beware that any trip to Tibet will involve high altitude travel and may be tough especially for most of us who live at sea level. The main deciding factor to whether you'll enjoy the trip or not will be your ability to acclimatize to the high altitudes within the prescribed trip period. We will provide oxygen support during the overland & trek period but do note that this is not a substitute for proper acclimatization which is subjective and cannot be pre-determined in each person.

At high altitudes between 4000m to 5200m, even an easy walk will push your lungs pretty hard if one is not well-acclimatized enough so sufficient acclimatization is one of the main criteria to an enjoyable & comfortable time on this outing. On certain days, the overland drives will be long so this trip may not be suitable for those who dislike long drives as well as unprepared people looking for a comfortable holiday. All participants must travel with an open mind and positive attitude. For many, however, the superb beauty of the Tibetan highlands will more than often not make up for whatever discomfort you may experience on the trip and leave you with lasting memories of this adventure of a lifetime.

All participants are strongly advised to join our weekly GCS to tune up their fitness for this trip.