How to Plan a Nepal Tibet Bhutan Tour

Working out how to plan your tour to Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan is not as hard as you may think. With Bhutan and Tibet requiring all tourists to be on pre-arranged and pre-booked tours, the travel agency takes care of all the details once you have decided where to go and what to see. The only real planning you need to do is for the Nepal leg of the tour, and there are also travel agencies that can help you arrange that as well.

Top Tour Highlights in Nepal Tibet Bhutan

The major highlights of a tour in Tibet include such stunning destinations as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, as well as the surrounding monasteries of Sera, Ganden, and Drepung, the three major monasteries of the Gelug tradition. Outside the capital, you have amazing things to see and places to visit, including Lake Yamdrok on the way to Gyantse, the Gyantse Kumbum, a 32-meters stupa that is the only one of its kind in Tibet, and the stunning and huge Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama. And of course, you have the incredible views of Mount Everest from the Everest Base Camp, which lies next to the Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world.

Views of Mount Everest from Rongbuk Monastery

There are numerous Dzongs and Lhakhangs to visit across the country - Bhutan, with the most popular being the Punakha Dzong, the Paro Dzong, and the Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu. Paro is also the location of the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery, located on the side of the cliff more than 900 meters above the Paro Valley, which is said to be where Guru Rinpoche landed when he first visited Bhutan from Tibet. The Phobjikha Valley in Wangdue Phodrang is renowned not just for the Gangtey Goemba, but also because it is the most populous winter feeding grounds for the rare Black-Necked cranes, which fly south from northern Tibet for the winter.

Visit Punakha Dzong in Bhutan

In Nepal, there are more things to see and do than you could possibly fit into one Nepal tour, unless you are planning to stay for a year. In Kathmandu alone you have the beauty of the bustling Durbar Square, which houses the Royal Palace, the stunning Swayambhunath Temple, which is a major pilgrimage site in the Kathmandu Valley, the Pashupatinath Temple, with it hordes of local monkeys, and the delights of the Thamel district, the main tourist shopping center in the city. Outside the capital, you can visit the amazing Chitwan National Park for safaris to see elephants, rhinos, and Bengal tigers, or head to Phewa Lake in Pokhara for a relaxing time. There are also the amazing mountains that stretch along the northern border of Nepal with Tibet, including the Annapurna Massif and Mount Everest, all of which can be trekked around in the peak seasons. And if that is not enough, Lumbini in southwest Nepal is the location of the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, more than 2,500 years ago.

Visit Kathmandu Durbar Square in Nepal

Best Time to Visit Nepal Tibet Bhutan

The best time to visit any destination is during the peak seasons for tourism, as the weather is normally at its best for travel. In Bhutan, this is from March to May and September to November. These spring and autumn periods are when the weather is pleasant, but neither too hot, too cold, nor too wet. Temperatures are comfortable, though it can get a little chilly at night in the early and late parts of the year.

Nepal has its peak seasons from March to May and September to November, the same as Bhutan, and for the same reasons. The mountainous country suffers from severe monsoons in the summer months and can be too cold for trekking in the mountains in the winter. The peak periods are when the temperatures are relatively moderate for all kinds of activities, when the skies are clear for the best views, and when there is no rain to spoil your trip.

Tibet has a peak season that runs from spring to autumn, and even includes the summer months during the monsoon. The best time to visit Tibet is from April to October, when it is not too cold in the plateau region for tourism to the remoter areas. The weather in spring and autumn, from April to May and September to November is relatively mild, with clear skies and temperatures only getting chilly at night. In the summer, from June to August, the monsoon season arrives, but with little rain actually falling across most of the plateau, it is the peak season for travel. Temperatures are warm to hot, and the rains usually only fall in the late afternoon and evening, which leaves the days free for sightseeing.

Visit Tibet in October

How to Get to Nepal Tibet Bhutan

Traveling to each of these three destination is not as hard as you may think. Bhutan is possibly the hardest to get to, as it has only limited flights from limited departure locations. Only the two Bhutanese carriers, Bhutan Airlines and DrukAir are permitted to land at Paro International Airport. These two carriers run flights from nine airports in five countries, including India, Singapore, Thailand, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and you will need to get a flight to one of those departure locations in order to get a flight to Bhutan.

Nepal Tibet Bhutan travel route map

Flying in to Nepal may seem to be the easiest of all, but you would be surprised. Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport does not have flights from outside the Asian continent, although there are flights from the far western areas of Asia such as Turkey, Qatar, and Dubai. For those traveling from Europe and the Americas, you will need to connect with a flight inside Asia in order to reach this landlocked Himalayan country.

Strangely, Tibet may be the easiest of all the places to get to, as you have a number of options for flights to Tibet’s Lhasa Gonggar international Airport. Nepal is actually the only country with international flights to Lhasa, and all other flights originate in mainland China. But with more than two dozen departure locations across China, including Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, you have a wide range of departure locations to choose from. And many of those airports that handle flights to Tibet also have inbound flights from all around the world, including many cities in Europe and North America.

Hotel and Dining in Nepal Tibet Bhutan

Hotels and dining in Nepal are relatively easy to find, and you have a massive range of options to choose from. Hotels in Nepal range from the most expensive high-end five star hotels to the cheapest backpacker lodges that cost just a few dollars a night. Food is also cheap in Nepal, and you can find plenty of affordable meals all over the country. You can also find some of the best restaurants in the major tourist destinations of Kathmandu and Pokhara, with classy restaurants and fine dining.

Tasting authentic Tibetan cuisine in local restaurant

Tibet has a wide range of hotels in the major cities of Lhasa and Shigatse, where you can find everything from lodges and guesthouses to four or five star hotels that give the height of luxury. However, outside the major cities, you will find that the accommodation options become fewer the further away you get from civilization. In the most remote areas, you can often only find basic guesthouses, some of which still do not have electricity and running water. Food, however, is a different matter. While you can find all kinds of cuisines in restaurants in Lhasa and Shigatse, out in the remote areas, you will find it is mostly only Tibetan cuisine. However, the range of dishes are varied and tasty, and you should have no problem finding a decent meal in the guesthouses and hostels, even in the most remote areas in monasteries on the sides of the mountains.

In Bhutan, there are also a wide range of hotels, though for tourists, the required minimum allowed is three-star. All tourists are required to be on arranged tours, and the hotel option of 3-star is included in the basic cost of the tour. If you want to try one of the four and five starred hotels, then you will need to pay extra. Food in Bhutan is also included in your overall cost, and all meals are part of the tour cost. Breakfast and dinner are provided by the hotels, and lunch can be taken at any place you want to stop at. Your guide will have restaurants that they use regularly, but if you want to try something else, he will always bring you to where you want to eat.

Travel Visa and Permit for Nepal Tibet Bhutan

Aside from trekking permits, Nepal does not have a requirement for permits that allow you to travel through the country. Nepal is a country where you can travel freely anywhere you wish to go. Tibet and Bhutan, however, do have a requirement for permits for internal travel, and you will need to have these in order to travel into the destinations and around the areas.

In Tibet, the Tibet Travel Permit allows you to enter Tibet and travel in the area of Lhasa, while the Alien’s Travel Permit, the Restricted Areas Permit, and the Frontier Pass allow you to travel to other areas. In Bhutan, the main entry permit is required to be issued to allow you to travel in the areas of Thimphu and Paro, and for other travel outside these areas, additional permits are required.

Bhutan also requires tourists to have a permit to visit the Dzongs and Lhakhangs across the country. However, in both Tibet and Bhutan, all of the required documents are obtained by the travel agency prior to you traveling as part of the tour agreements.

How much does a Nepal Tibet Bhutan tour cost?

The cost of a tour to Nepal, Tibet, and Butan largely depends on where you are going, what you want to see, how long you will be staying in each destinations, and when you will be traveling. The peak seasons are more costly than travel in the low seasons, and the longer you stay in one of the three destinations, the greater the cost will be. Traveling across the regions of your destinations can also increase the cost of the tour, as it costs more to travel long distances than short ones, and the more you want to see, the greater the overall cost.

Conclusion

A trip to Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan together is the adventure of a lifetime, and can be easily arranged with little actual hassle and problems. With Tibet and Bhutan requiring all tourists to be on pre-arranged tours with guides and drivers, there is little for you to arrange after you have booked your tour. And while touring in Nepal may look complicated, it is actually an easy place to travel in, with easy bus routes to where you want to go, and the widest variety of food, accommodation, and attractions than you could have ever dreamed of. Overall, planning a tour of these three unique destinations is relatively easy, and should not pose any problems at all.