Kharta Valley (Khangsung Face) Trek – 19 Days

Day 1: Fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa (3660m)

You will be met at Gonggar Airport by your Tibetan guide. After we complete immigration formalities it will take a 1.5-hour drive along 93 km roads leading to Lhasa lying at an altitude of 3650 meters. It’s advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day due to Lhasa’s altitude. And yes, drink a lot of water. Overnight in the capital city of Lhasa

Day 2: Sightseeing in Lhasa

Foremost, your tour begins with a visit to SERA MONASTERY. An experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter escorts you to this preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Equally adventurous and exciting tempo builds up while touring NORBULINGKA, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. JOKHANG TEMPLE is another important sacred site which unravels more deep seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism.

Day 3: Sightseeing in Lhasa

Like the previous day, you experience invaluable insights during your visits to POTALA PALACE and DREPUNG MONASTERY. This 17th century POTALA PALACE offers an awesome view of entire city and also has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms and chapels. Ancient history has it that Drepung Monastery which was built in 14th century used to shelter around 10,000 monks but as now there has been quite a declination resulting in only few hundreds. Tibetans’ respect and belief are immensely knotted with this monastery.

Day 4: Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse (3950m), 261 km

 Following Friendship Highway, you drive past Khamba La at 4794 meter with a brief halt to savor majestic views of Yamdrok-tso Lake and Nazin Kang Sa standing proud at 7252m. On turning westwards, you come across another Karo La pass at 5045m. If you glance at the road, you can see huge glaciers tumbling down into the road. After hours of driving for 261 km, beautifully landscaped Tibetan villages become visible as you enter the town of Gyantse.

Day 5: Sightseeing and drive from Gyantse to Shigatse (3900m), 90km

Gyantse prides on GYANTSE DZONG and KUMBUM. Gyantse Dzong is a historical fort built in the 14th century and overlooks a mesmerizing view of entire Gyantse and surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. Kumbum has large gold-domed stupa and houses several chapels and Tibetan Buddhist murals. After you enjoy exploring Gyantse, you will take a 90 km drive to Shigatse. Having driven to an altitude of 3900 meter, you find yourself at Shigatse, second largest city of Tibet. TASHILHUNPO MONASTERY being one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet is a major attraction of Shigatse.

Day 6: Sightseeing and drive from Shigatse to Xegar (4050m), 244km

Today you will transverse along the Friendship Highway amidst picturesque landscapes driving past small towns of Lhatse and Gyamtso La pass at 5220m. As the route opens into plains, many monasteries and camps of nomadic herders become visible en route to Xegar where you will meet your trekking crew (cook and trek guide from Nepal). We get friendly and prepare for a great trip

Day 7: Drive from Xegar to Kharta (3690m)

Ten kilometers after the town of Xegar we divert from the main highway and drive south towards the Everest region. From the top of Pang La (5150 metres) we gain views of Everest and the lie of the surrounding country. From the pass we descend to the village of Phadhruchi where the jeep track divides – the track to the west heading to the Rongbuk Valley – the one to the east leading to the (Phung Chu) Arun Valley and the village of Kharta – the administrative headquarters of the region. Your camping support team will pitch tent just on bank of glacier and cook tasty three course meals.

Day 8: Trek from Kharta to Lhundrubling (3990m)

 As you head away from Kharta Valley, you will find a bridge over Lang Chu. On crossing this bridge the trail progresses towards north bank of crystal-clear Kharta Chu westward. Transversing past barley fields, you have to follow the upper trail that ascends to Shao La. Few kilometers ahead the trail opens into Lundrubling where you can camp for the night.

Day 9: Cross Shao La (4970m) and trek to Kaamo Tsangpo valley

 Starting early, you have to head along the trail past Shao La Pass at 4,970 metres amid stunning views of Mount Everest [8,848 metres], Makalu [8,475 metres] and Lhotse [8,501 metres]. The trail steeply descends along picturesque yak pastures leading to the Kaamo Tsangpo Valley (4000m). It gets more sinuous as it cross forests of rhododendrons, dwarf, birch and groves.

Day 10: Trek from Kaamo Tsangpo valley to Khangsung valley (4300m)

 The trail skirts away from Kaamo Tsangpo Valley through conifer forest and ascends steeply to 300 to 400 meter altitude. Herein, you can savor majestic view of Arun valley and Nepal. Alpine ridges can be viewed along the trail. Yak herders from Kharta village choose these ridges as their summer camps. The trail then ascends crossing emerald green lakes. Along the route, you can view the Kangshung Face of Everest. Camping at lush meadows of Khangsung valley provides an exceptional experience.

Day 11: Trek from Khangsung valley to Pethang Ringmo (4960m)

The Sacred Lake lies to the north from your camp. If you think you can deal with moraines and landslides, then you can right away begin trekking along the trail to this lake for 40 minutes. A sacred cave most popularly renowned as a meditation place of Padmasambhava, the lotus-born Buddha, rests at the end of the lake. This cave has prayer rooms and shelters pilgrims. Few kilometers ahead you will approach a bend; known as Orga, beyond the Kangshung Glacier and at this spot Mt Everest [8848 m] becomes distinctly visible. Then you have to transverse to the right ascending to a 150 m ridge that overlooks the Karma River and glacier. 3 hours of trekking will take you to Kangshung Face base camp at 5000 m. After few rock-strewn descents, you will enter picturesque alpine camp of Pethang Ringmo at 4,550 meters beneath the impressive peak of Chomo Lonzo [7,790 meters] and Makalu. Several stone huts can be seen lying scattered which are commonly used by yak herders as summer camps. You may even trek westwards along the glacier to a 5950 m ridge. You need to trek along another 5 km to reach up to Mt Everest

Day 12: Trek from Pethang Ringmo to Hoppo (4800m)

 While heading away from Pethang Ringmo towards Hoppo, the trail crosses lush verdant meadows and then follows several ascents. Thereafter, Kangshung Face of Everest zooms into picture showcasing towering Chomo Lonzo with its glistening glaciers. Few hours of more trekking bring you close to Hoppo at 4800 meters. Hoppo lies surrounded by rich yak pastures. It makes a perfect campsite.

Day 13: Trek from Hoppo to Kangshung base camp (5090m)

Kangshung Base Camp lies few kilometers away from Hoppo at an elevation of 5050 meters. En route, you ascend grass-strewn ridges along magnificent Kangshung Glacier. While journeying along this trail, you will not only get enlightened on the topological features of the surrounding places but will also bond with the nature on spiritual level. Along the way you get plenty of opportunity to witness North East Ridge of Everest

Day 14: Trek from Kangshung Base Camp to Base of Langma La (4800m)

On this day you trek along the trail that leads to a valley from Pathang Ringmo and then skirts northwards to Langma La pass. Savoring the majestic sights of Himalayan range, you walk past yak pastures. Shortly after hours of adventurous and fun-filled transverse, you will spot an ideal campsite at Shurimo [4,800 metres] located at the base of Langma La.

Day 15: Cross Langma La (5390m) and trek to Lundrubling (3990m)

It is advisable to make an early start while ascending to Langma La for about two hours. We Transverse amidst mesmerizing vistas of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu, you will descend steeply from Langma La pass to the valley. On entering the valley, you may encounter yak herders from Kharta at their camps. Several pristine villages are beautifully landscaped in the vicinity. Along the trail, you will meet up with the confluence of the Kharta Valley. You can also view Kanchenjunga massif nestled above the ridges beyond Kharta on the Nepal – Sikkim border. Further ahead, the trail advances towards village of Lundrubling where you will set your overnight camp.

Day 16: Trek from Lundrubling to Kharta (3690m)

We trek along the trail turning away from Lundrubling towards Kharta for about 3 hrs and board the waiting 4WD Land cruiser to drive back to Tashidzong. It’s a scenic drive as we drive back to our next destination.

Day 17: Drive from Kharta to Rongbuk (5000m), trek to Everest North face base camp (5150m)

 Less than an hour after leaving Tashidzong you reenter the Chomolungma Nature Preserve and have to change Landcruisers for reasons the authorities cannot satisfactorily explain. So a local Landcruiser/bus takes us up to Rongbuk Monastery and from here we trek the 9 km to Everest Base Camp (horse carts are also an option). 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 you. A truck carrying tent, food supplies will follow you to the base camp

Day 18: Drive from Rongbuk to Kerung (3780m)

After catching the early sunrise in the morning we will trek back to Rongbuk to board land cruisers to drive past Tingri across Lalung La pass at (5124m) and Shung La pass at 5200m. As we cruise along the way, we relish the enchanting views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar. You will finally arrive at Kerung after a highly scenic drive through a lovely highway.

Day 19: Drive from Kerung to Kathmandu

From Kerung, we drive to the border town of Zhangmu. From Zhangmu, it’s a short drive to the Friendship Bridge which spans the Bhote Kosi River and marks the Chinese – Nepalese border where we will part with 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 5-6 hours. It’s been a wonderful holiday after all and we down here at Tashi Delek Nepal will hope you will return home with lifetime memories of a great holiday in the true spirit of a lasting friendship of love, peace and joy.

Visa Information

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign traveler travelling to Tibet from territory China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months valid passport.

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa — who entry from Nepal to Tibet after Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be cancel when we apply for group visa (if visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to movement to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

Weather Information

The weather in Tibet is similar to that of Mainland China, though with lower temperatures due to higher altitudes. Summers have warm days with strong sunshine and cool nights, but summer days can even be chilly at higher elevations. Winters are cold but there isn't all that much snow. Lhasa enjoys much sunshine even in winter. Most of Tibet experiences frost at least 6 months of the year. Some high lakes are frozen from October to March. The weather varies a lot from region to region. Lhasa is an ideal destination because it is in a valley area of lower elevation.

Safety Guidelines

We recommend you to go through our following safety guidelines and stay tune with latest happening.

• Have at least 2 copies of Tibet Permit.

• Keep your belongings properly.

• When you feel uncomfortable due to altitude change or have any troubles, report to your guide promptly.

• Never rush to visit attractions shortly after you arrive in Lhasa.

• Shop around but avoid undue bargaining with street vendors and never buy wildlife and unknown Tibetan herbal medicine and fake products.

• Take your money and important belongings with you all the time.

• Spend few days in Lhasa for acclimation and always follow a gradual ascent when travelling to higher places to avoid attitude sickness.

• Refrain from heavy drinking and smoking.

• Respect the religion, customs and avoid taboos in Tibet.

• Pay special attention to unique alpine climate (such as sunburn, dramatic temperature change, etc.)

• Keep necessary medicines at the consult of your doctor.

• Never travel alone at night or venture into unknown places without informing your guide.

• In most places, cash is only accepted. Do prepare enough and small change.

• If an emergency arises, report it to your guide promptly.

• Don’t carry any documents or papers related to Dalai Lama or free Tibet.

We also recommend not carrying any guide book to Tibet.

1. Where is Tibet?

Tibet is situated toward the south-west of China, likewise bordering India, Nepal, Burma and Bhutan. Tibet's three original provinces are U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo. The general population in these locales all thinks about themselves Tibetan, although everyone has a solid identity and diverse tongues of Tibetan are used.

Under China's occupation, Tibet has been partitioned up, renamed and joined into Chinese territories, with little reference to the original borders between Tibet's areas. At the point when China refers to Tibet, it implies the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR, which incorporates just U-Tsang and part of Kham. The rest of Kham was isolated amongst Sichuan and Yunnan Chinese areas. Amdo was partitioned between Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai territories. The region covers a region of around 1.22 million km2, which represents 12.8% of the aggregate of China. The pristine snow capped view and inescapable Tibetan Buddhism environment and simple access to its neighboring nation Nepal make Tibet rank high of the movement travel bucket list. Its unmistakable geography and land area enable it to share the world's most amazing mountaineering and trekking asset with its neighbor nation Nepal.

2. What is the time difference in Tibet?

Tibet  Standard Time ( IST ) is 0800 hours (6 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).

3. How can I obtain a Visa?

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign traveler travelling to Tibet from territory China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months valid passport.

China Visa or Tibet Group Visa

To enter Tibet by means of Mainland China, right off the bat you have to apply China visa for entry to China. Tibet is a part of China, under the Chinese Central Government's Sovereignty. Therefore to travel from China to Tibet, you need to acquire a China Visa at first stage before all are followed up. Visas for individual travel in China are very easy to get from most Chinese embassies. Most Chinese embassies and consulates will issue a standard 30-day, single passage visitor visa in three to five working days (an 'L' Visa means travel). If you are lucky, some embassies abroad may give you a 60 or even 90 days. However, in Hong Kong it is very easy to get a 90 day visa; most agencies can organize it in one day. In the event that you need greater adaptability to enter and leave China a few times, most Chinese embassies will issue a double-entry visa. Indeed, for the individuals who are to work, study or live temporarily in China, you may require the other related China Visa, for example, "F" Visa, "X" Visa or "Z" Visa, and so on. All these sort of visa holders can go in Tibet with the Tibet entry permits and other travel permits which can be obtained by neighborhood travel agency in Tibet with strict and serious procedure.

4. How to enter Tibet?

By Road: There are five main highways in Tibet, to be specific:

Sichuan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and Lhasa.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – it runs between Xining, the capital city of Qinghai, to Lhasa.

Yunnan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Yunnan territory and Tibet.

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway – it runs crosswise over boundless deserts, lofty and steep peaks.

The China-Nepal Highway – it is the main international highway in Tibet

By Air: Flying to Lhasa dependably requires a stopover in either China or Nepal. Lhasa Gonggar Airport is situated around 98 kilometers (around 61 miles) toward the south of Lhasa City. The main international trip to and from Tibet is between Lhasa and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

By Rail: The Gormo to Lhasa railway extends for 1,142 kilometers (710 miles) and serves in as a connection between territory China and Tibet.

5. How is the weather in Tibet?

Since the country expands high elevation, usually difficult to predict the climate. It is cold in the most part. Lhasa and around it is cool, bright day during the day time however evening, night and morning will be cold. Need to bring sufficiently warm clothes.

6. When is the best time to visit Tibet?

The Tibetan atmosphere isn't as harsh as we imagine it to be. Tibet's climate is ideal to travel from April to the start of November, and most perfect in August and September. In any case, Lhasa's climate is more clement than rest of Tibet, and is suitable to travel year-round. The sun radiation in Tibet is to a extremely strong. It's not for nothing that Lhasa is known as the Sunlight City. The months of May, June and September are the primary tourist season in eastern Tibet.

7. What are the documents necessary for visiting Tibet?

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa —who entry from Nepal to Tibet after Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be cancel when we apply for group visa (if visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to movement to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

8. Can I organize a Tibet visa myself? Can I travel alone in Tibet?

Sadly, because of China's extremely strict tourism policy for Tibet, it isn't possible for you to get a visa independent from anyone else and it isn't conceivable to not possible to travel Tibet on your own. As an authorized travel company we can organize everything; visa, allow to permit and all other paperwork.

9. Is altitude sickness a problem?

As Tibet is known as the Roof of the World it is the one of the highest places on the earth. Due to which many visitors from lower altitude area may suffer from altitude sickness. Most people endure minor effects of altitude sickness only including loss of appetite, headache and a propensity to have no vitality until the point when their bodies conform to the high landscape. This adjustment can take place from a few hours and in rare case for few days. If visitors do some simple preparations before going to Tibet, most of the symptoms of altitude sickness can be avoided. We recommend you talk to your local physician about AMS pills to help combat altitude sickness. Your guide will be there to assist you and help you throughout the trip.

10. Are there ATMs counters in Tibet?

There are ATM facilities easily available in Lhasa and Shigatse; however, it might be difficult to find one in other small towns.

11. What currency do I have to use in Tibet?

The unit of currency is Chinese Yuan. The Bank of China can exchange all the foreign currencies. The bank in Tibet /China is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Traveler’s cheques and credit cards are very difficult to be cashed outside the banks especially outside Lhasa.

12. Is politics a problem? 

Most tourists, who stay with their tour and avoid getting engaged in the politics of the country, will not encounter issues.

13. What vaccination is recommended to Tibet traveler?

The suggested vaccination you should consider for this trip includes the following:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria & Tetanus Vaccinations
• Hepatitis A The vaccine for Hepatitis A (eg Avaxim, Havrix 1440 or VAQTA)
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza The flu vaccine
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Pneumonia A vaccine
• Polio
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

14.  Will language barrier be there are problems?

Visitors to Tibet don't have to worry about the language barrier by all. Every visitor will have an English-talking visit guide, and a most of the front work area staffs in the big hotels can communicate in English. The main languages used in a part of Tibet are Chinese, Tibetan, English and Nepali.

15. Is there internet access in Tibet for foreign traveler?

Certainly there is web access for foreign traveler in Tibet yet just on limited areas like Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsedang where some bistro gives web offices. Moreover, hotels in some city like Lhasa and Shigatse also provide internet facility to their customers.