8- and 10-Day Driving Journey

8- and 10-Day Driving Journey
Day 1
Arrive in Kunming, complete your
temporary driving license application
Day 2
Fly to Lhasa and explore the city
Day 3
Visit the Potala Palace and the Jokhang
Temple
Day 4
Drive by Lake Yamdrok-tso to Gyantse
Day 5
Head further west via Shigatse to Tingri
Day 6
Summit Day! Drive to Base Camp, then on
to Lhatse
Day 7
Drive to Shigatse’s old town and visit its
magnificent Tashilumpo Monastery
(8-day journey) Return to Lhasa
(10-day journey) Stay in Shigatse
Day 8
(8-day journey) Depart from Lhasa
(10-day journey) Drive on a gorgeous back
road north toward Lake Nam-Tso
Day 9
(10-day journey) Visit Lake Nam-Tso in the
morning and return to Lhasa
Day 10 (10-day journey) Depart from Lhasa
The Jokhang, Lhasa
Pilgrims pray in the shade of Tibetan Buddhism’s holiest sanctuary
The Jokhang, Lhasa
Gossip and prayer go hand-in-hand in Lhasa
Lake Yamdrok-Yumtso, en route to Gyantse
Drive along this beautiful lake, seen here in autumn, but stunning, whatever the season…
Pelkhor Chode Monastery, Gyantse
Explore historic Gyantse, now a peaceful farming town
The road west, near Tingri
The G318, near Tingri
The G318 is China’s longest road – this sign marks the 5,000th kilometre from Shanghai
The G318
Add your prayer flags to the collection festooning this 5,300 metre mountain pass
Mountain scenery, en route to Mt Everest Base Camp
Shegar Monastery, Tingri
“Om Mani Padme Hum” reads the phrase, Tibetan’s all-purpose blessing
Mani offerings, Shegar Monastery, Tingri
The Great Himalayan Range at daybreak
If the 5,100-metre vantage point doesn’t take your breath away, the sight of five peaks over 8,000metres ought to do the trick! (Mount Everest shown here on the left along with Lhotse & Cho Oyu)
En route to Mt Everest Base Camp
Drive on a wonderfully winding gravel road
En route to Mt Everest Base Camp
And practise your hairpin turns!
Mt Everest, en route to Base Camp
New friends, Mt Everest Base Camp
Mani stones, Mt Everest Base Camp
Spend time in this stunning place, and understand why the mountain is sacred to local people
Tashilumpo Monastery, Shigatse
Explore this enormous monastery, home to generations of Panchen Lamas
On the road to Damxung
10-Day Version Only
On the road to Damxung
Making friends after the picnic…
10-Day Version Only
On the road to Damxung
10-Day Version Only
Be the only people on the road on this, the most dramatic and scenic roads on this journey
At 5,450-metres… and still full of energy!
10-Day Version Only
The highest mountain pass – Chogula Pass – on the road from Shigatse to Damxung
First view of Nam-tso lake…
10-Day Version Only
On the road to Nam-tso lake…
10-Day Version Only
Yaks galore…near the road, and…
10-Day Version Only
… on the road…
10-Day Version Only
Lake Nam-tso, near Damxung
Wander the shores of Tibet’s largest lake, ringed by 7,000-metre peaks
10-Day Version Only
Lake Nam-tso, near Damxung
A beautiful reason to extend your trip for a few days
10-Day Version Only
The Jokhang, Lhasa
Rainbow not included!
Duration
7 nights, 8 days (8-day)
9 nights, 10 days (10-day)
Distance
1,270 kilometres/790 miles (8-day)
1,520 kilometres/950 miles (10-day)
Roads
Generally excellent with winding
sections. The ten-day trip features
great mountain lanes and back-roads
Hotels
The best available, ranging from
international three-star to local two-
star
An hotel upgrade is available
in Lhasa
Highlights
Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace, Mt.
Everest Base Camp, Lake Nam-tso
and gorgeous roads
High Altitude?
Yes. Please see the relevant section
below for more information on
measures we take to prevent altitude
sickness
1.
What is and isn’t included in our journeys
2.
The Cars
3.
About Chinese Driving Licenses
4.
Altitude Sickness and Its Prevention
5.
Any Questions?
What is and isn’t included in our journeys
What is Included
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Cars – a Toyota Prado GXX 4.0l 240php is
provided for all driving days, expertly
maintained and serviced by Avis, and covered
by the best insurance available
Tour Leader, Guide and Support Vehicle
Routes – including pre-programmed satellite
navigation system and detailed route book
Driving Licenses & Permits
Fuel & Tolls
Airport Transfers and flight from start point
to Lhasa
Hotel Accommodation
Meals – breakfast (a choice of Western and Local is provided) at each hotel is included, as is lunch and
dinner – for more information about the food available, please see below...
Goodies – you will enjoy an On the Road Home-Away-from-Home Kit (shown above)
Other Essentials – we provide each car with walky-talkies
Travel Insurance
Tips & Entrance Fees
What is Not Included
Flights to and from start point, your Chinese visa (if applicable) and personal purchases are not included in
your journey.
The Cars
The quality of ordinary rental SUVs in China
is very low: they are of old design and have
clocked up very high mileage with hardly
any care or maintenance. We, at On the Road
in China, on the other hand are able to offer
international standard, modern SUVs to our
customers on account of our unique
relationship with Avis China.
Our fleet consists of brand new Toyota
Prados (4.0L GX 240hp), a fantastic SUV
that is easy to drive, superbly comfortable,
and can handle the toughest terrain. Since
they are new and are maintained and serviced by Avis China, you will enjoy cars that are safe,
reliable, spacious and fun! They are simply the best in the China self-driving holiday business.
About Chinese Driving Licenses
To drive in China you must hold a Chinese driving license – international and other foreign driving
licenses are not accepted at present. There are two types of driving license in China – temporary and
full (valid for six years).
Foreign passport holders can apply for a temporary license. Travellers from Hong Kong will need to
hold a full Chinese driving license before driving on our journeys.
Temporary Chinese Driving Licenses
Temporary Chinese driving licenses are valid for up to three months and only on routes that have
been specified in your application. We will arrange all the paperwork for you before your arrival
and will take you to the vehicle licensing office shortly after you arrive in Kunming to complete these
some formalities; signing the papers and taking a simple eye test. All fees are included in the
journey price.
Full Chinese Driving Licenses
All drivers travelling to China with a home-going permit (回乡证) will need to apply for or hold a full
Chinese driving license before joining one of our journeys. We are able to help you apply for this in
Hong Kong. Although the fees for the full license are not included in your journey, we are able to
offer a small discount because you will not require a temporary license from us.
For more details, please contact us! E-mail [email protected] for more information.
Altitude Sickness and its Prevention
Altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness (AMS) can affect anyone travelling to altitudes of 2,400
metres (8,000 feet) and above. Because there are few ways to predict who will suffer from altitude
sickness and how badly they will be affected by it, it is important to take steps to prevent altitude
sickness from impacting on your holiday, even if you are otherwise fit and healthy.
Steps You Can Take
We recommend that you visit your family doctor before travelling. Take a copy of your tour description with you
and show your doctor the altitudes to which you will be travelling – the altitudes shown in the tour description are
the altitudes in each overnight stop. There are several drugs that will help your body to adjust to the altitude more
quickly and that will minimise the chances of altitude sickness. One of the most common such drugs is Diamox (or
Acetazolamide), which many of our guests have used successfully in the past.
Steps We Take
On each high-altitude itinerary, we take a pulse oxymeter with us. The pulse oxymeter measures one’s pulse and
blood-oxygen saturation and is very useful in helping to monitor how each of our guests is acclimatizing to the
altitude. Throughout the trip, we will also advise guests how they can help their bodies to adjust more easily – by
dressing warmly, drinking plenty of water , avoiding alcohol, etc.
Should anyone start to succumb to altitude sickness, we always have several hospital-grade oxygen canisters with
us for initial treatment and in each overnight stop we know the location of local emergency centres if further
treatment is required. Finally, each guest who joins our journeys is automatically covered by our travel insurance,
which includes international SOS and emergency evacuation coverage.
Please note that while many people find Diamox helpful, it is not suitable for everyone – please consult your doctor
before taking this or any other treatment.
Any Questions?
Should you have any questions about the information presented here,
or require more details about this itinerary, please let us know!
E-mail us on [email protected]
Call our office on +852 3106 4839
Visit our website at www.ontheroadinchina.com