North Everest BC & Samye

'Shangri La', 'the Rooftop of the World' - locked away in its Himalayan fortress, Tibet has long exercised a siren's hold on the imagination of the West. Tibetans are used to hardship, and despite the disastrous Chinese occupation, they have managed to keep their culture and humour alive.

The Main Attrations of this itinery:
North Base Camp of Everest, Ronbuk Cave Monastery,

Lhasa : 11,850 ft above sea level was and still is the religious, cultural and economic centre of Tibet. Places of interests include the potala, the 13 storey - 1000 rooms palace of the Dalai lama; the monasteries of drepung & sera; norbulingka, the jokhang, the holiest shrine in Tibet. The circular barkhor street with innumerable shops & wayside pedlars intermingle with devotees walking clockwise around the jokhand shrine.
Xigaze :
Most famous for its tashilhunpo monastery - the seat of the panchen lama, is 12, 600 ft. Above sea level. Places of interest include the relics sakyamuni, the hall of maitreya and mind-boggling collection of thankas, etc. Built in 1447 by the first dalai lama. There is also bustling "free" market at the foot of the ruins of the xigaze fortress and one can buy local handicrafts embedded with coral and torquoise, chinese porcelain and yak butter etc.
Gyantse :
This small agricultural town is at 13, 050 ft above sea level and is famous for its wool carpets and palkhor choide chorten. At the lamasery it is the unique structure built in 1414 of five storeys representing the five steps to enlightenment, topped by the thirteen rings which symbolise the stages of achieving. There are 108 halls inside, 'buddhahood' each with frescoes and buddhist shrines.
Zhangmu :
This town is 7, 000 ft above sea level and is known by its Tibetan name khasa and is a major trading town enroute Tibet from nepal. The hills around zhangmu are heavily wooded with inumerable waterfalls in the summer and frozen 'icicles' during the winter.
Xeger :
13,800 ft. Above sea level, this is a new Chinese commune built 7 kms of the highway at the foot of the ruins of xegar dzong. With population of 3000, it is the centre of a large and remote country and also the base for the expeditions to Mt. Everest and other peaks.
Yamtso Lake & Namutso Lake,