Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Our airport representative will be waiting outside the airport terminal a few metres from the exit door. Look out for the Peregrine signboard. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes. A briefing given by our group leader is scheduled for the late afternoon. He will discuss our upcoming program and co-ordinate any last minute arrangements. The evening is free, but usually our tour leader will organise an evening meal (optional) at one of Kathmandu’s fine Nepali restaurants. Alternatively you can enjoy a dinner at the hotel.

In the morning we explore Kathmandu on an organised sightseeing tour. We visit Bodhnath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks in prayer in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. We also visit Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats. The rest of our time in Kathmandu is free for further sightseeing and exploration. You may wish to take the option of wandering into the centre of town and exploring the Durbar Square area or just relaxing in the spacious hotel gardens. A visit to Thamel gives you a chance to do some last-minute shopping. Later we also are supplied with our Trek Pack (you need to pack all the things you are taking to Tibet into this Trek Pack and leave your own bags behind for storage in our Kathmandu hotel).

An early morning flight takes us over snow-capped mountains to Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region of Tibet. This is one of the most spectacular flights in the world, as we cross over high mountain peaks before arriving in the high Tibetan Plateau. On arrival at Gonggar Airport we are met and driven by coach to the fabled city of Lhasa, which lies at 3650 metres above sea level. Here we have three days to explore this once-isolated city, with its monasteries and markets bulging with pilgrims and traders. This includes an organised tour to the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Sera and Ramoche Monasteries. Free time to explore the city is subject to the Chinese authorities and the ever-changing political climate, although there are never any problems with filling in the days to great advantage in such a fascinating city. In your free time you may wish to visit the Norbulingka Summer Palace or the interesting Tibet Museum.

Today we travel for about four hours as we take to the Friendship Highway; a spectacular road, which traverses high mountain passes and crosses plateaus, connecting Lhasa with Kathmandu. Please note that the road conditions are very poor in Tibet, so we should be prepared for bumpy journeys. We first travel through Tibet’s richest farming areas, then cross the Brahmaputra River as it winds its way down to the Bay of Bengal. Running here at an altitude of 3939 metres above sea level, it is the highest major river in the world. We cross the river on a solid suspension bridge and wind our way to Kamba La (Pass) and enjoy a view over the huge Yamdrok Tso Lake. After the lake, we climb again to Karo La (Pass) (5010 metres) before descending to the historic town of Gyantse, a small village and home to the Kumbum Monastery, where we find interesting Buddhist murals.

In the morning we explore Gyantse, a town renowned for the exploits of Colonel Younghusband in the 1920s. We walk down the newly rebuilt main street, along with the Nepali Kumbum stupa. In the afternoon we take a ninety minute drive across the Tibetan Plateau. Shigatse is the second largest city of Tibet with a population of some 40,000 people. The Tashilhunpo Monastery is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the most important incarnation for Tibetan Buddhists, after the Dalai Lama. This impressive religious centre contains a giant statue of Buddha in the Temple of Maitreya as well as an ornate tomb, which is the final resting-place of the fourth Panchen Lama. Its huge size ensures it is almost a town in itself. One of Tibet's most active monasteries, it is currently being restored to its former beauty.

Our adventure continues with a five-hour drive over rough, dusty roads to Shegar. In the morning we cross the Gyatso La (Pass) with stunning views of the Himalayan peaks to the south. Although the scenery is desolate, the country is dotted with busy villages and ruined monasteries. Amongst these villages is the major town of Lhaze, which makes a convenient halfway stop, where we have a local-style lunch break. Shegar is a small village of 1500 inhabitants with an interesting fort.

Departing from Shegar, we drive to the south towards the mighty Himalaya. The initial part of the road journey involves climbs in a series of zigzags to the top of the Pang La (Pass) (5150 metres), where we stop to take photos of Mount Everest. Along the drive we can bask in the splendour of majestic views of all the other snow-capped peaks from Makalu to Shishapangma. As we are now travelling off the main highway it could get dusty travelling on these dirt roads, so you may like to carry something like a scarf or big handkerchief with you when we're driving. Even though we are only travelling 70 kilometres, it takes us the best part of a day to reach Rongphu. At 5000 metres above sea level, Rongphu is home to the highest monastery in the world. From here we can enjoy a breathtakingly close-up view of Mount Everest as it seemingly hovers over us.

We leave early in the morning from the hotel and take a horse and cart ride for 45 minutes as we branch off on to a small path that leads to Everest Base Camp itself, which is situated at 5040 metres above sea level. The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the stunning view of Everest more than compensates. It truly is an awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above you. This is certainly a major highlight on our incredible journey. From here we return to Rongphu by horse and cart and continue our journey on 4 WD back towards the main road and head in the direction of the Nepalese border. We pass through a checkpost and continue to Old Tingri, where we still enjoy more views of the world's highest peaks, including the 8201-metre-high Cho Oyu - the world's 6th highest peak.

From Tingri the road ascends to reach the Lalung La (Pass) (5050 metres), where the scenery is again fantastic. The panorama also includes the 8000-metre-high Xixapangma. From the top of the pass we descend nearly 3000 metres to the small town of Nyalam, before continuing to the border town of Zhangmu. As you near the border, the road is cut into the cliffs high above the valley floor. If you don’t like heights, sit on the left-hand side of the vehicle! At Zhangmu you say farewell to your Tibetan guide and driver.

Today, after finalising departure formalities, you exit from China and enter Nepal. Descending steeply down the zigzag road, you reach the Nepalese immigration and customs at Tatopani. During the monsoon season there may be landslides, which may cause sections of the road near the border to be closed. Should this be the case, porters then carry our luggage as we walk across the border to our Nepalese vehicle. It is then a 4½-hour drive to Kathmandu. There is much to see in the Nepalese capital, so you may consider extending your stay with extra time here to further explore Kathmandu and the valley. The neighbouring historic towns of Patan and Bhaktapur are both worth a visit.

Your tour ends after breakfast this morning. A transfer to the airport is not included, however, your tour leader will be on hand to advise you as to the options available.