Can you supervise the procedure and ticketing of the International flights too?
Answer: Generally, we handle only internal and international flights involved within our tour only. But we can aid you by recommending some of the best and reliable international flights providing companies and websites around the world to your destination.
Do you also manage some less expensive tours for a small group joining the tour?
Answer: Alpine Eco Trek organizes private tours with private guides and vehicles. You can come as a group of any number or be a solo traveler you will be given the same services without any distinction. But, for Nepal Tibet Bhutan tour we do not provide any group joining tours at the moment. Also, let us assure you that you are getting the best services at a very reasonable price here as your satisfaction is our success.
What are the amenities at your 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star hotels?
Answer: Amenities in different star hotels are according to standard requisites. Extra privileges are also provided to you in some hotels falling under these categories. So, it is very much similar to the services provided by hotels in these classifications in other countries.
Is it possible to get rooms with one bed, ideally king or queen-sized or twin or triple?
Answer: Yes you’ll have the privilege to choose the rooms you feel comfortable apart from that we provide to you. Also the Hotels you will be staying in will have a different variety of rooms furnished with different bed sizes too. So do not stress on these topics and be carefree while traveling with us.
Can we have guides having both local knowledge and English expertise? And how do our guide helps us to accomplish our goal?
Answer: Yes, you will be provided with guides from the start of the journey until your departure. The guides we provide are local experts having knowledge in each and every sector of this tour. Similarly, they are trained with different courses for your aid. In addition to it, each guide can speak and understand fluent English.
To stick along with your guide is the best way to complete this journey without missing a thing. Our guides are trained for expertizing the places and the regulations of your destinations. In a word, you can say that your guides are the safe side factor of your tour.
Can we add a free day to relax and walk around ourselves without a guide during our tour?
Answer: Sure, it is your holiday, your choice is the first priority and you need to add an extra free day or free hours in your tour itinerary to relax and walk. We do suggest a guide but if you want to experience the raw experience and some personal time you are permitted to have it.
Can we be able to do a day-hiking without getting caught in snowstorms or sopping wet in these countries?
Answer: Well, normally these countries have wonderful weather but sometimes you can get drizzles in rainy seasons. However, snowstorms are predictable and your guide will prevent any risks in those cases. In both cases, your guide will be able to help you overcome the risks if there is any.
In case of bad weather is there any travel insurance that covers all the costs i.e. cost of changing flights, hotels in case we are stuck in a city? And can we get the trip the next day after the weather becomes good?
Answer: Well the travel insurance totally lies in your hand as we don’t provide them here. However, we do provide you with the letters and necessary documents for the cancelation of your tour to your insurance company. In case of bad weather, you will definitely continue the trip the next day.
Are there any chances of festivals happening in any of the countries/cities while we're visiting them?
Answer: Absolutely, as all these countries are rich in culture and tradition you might get lucky to find yourself during one of them. As these festivals fall according to days in the lunar calendar we do not have fixed English dates of these festivals. For more information about the festivals visit the links below.
Bhutan Festivals list
Nepal Festivals list
Tibet Festival list
Is the duration of the tour fixed or flexible? Can we shorten or lengthen the duration?
Answer: Yes, it is a private tour and you can modify as per your choice. The duration of our tours is always flexible.
At what type of hotel are we staying? Can we see a view from the room, ideally with a private balcony?
Answer: You will be facilitated with top-notch hotels in the city areas whereas it depends on the hotel and hotel room availability in rural destinations. Generally, you will get a hotel with a quiet and clean environment, room with hot water, ambient heating. We will request to the hotel with your additional concerns too. A view is that part that is by your side throughout your journey. So, be assured of getting nice views, wherever you are.
Can we get a direct flight from Lhasa to Bhutan without arriving at Kathmandu?
Answer: No, there is no direct flight from Lhasa to Bhutan (Paro) or Bhutan to Lhasa. Similarly, there are only two flights (Air China and Sichuan Air) to Lhasa and one flight to Bhutan (Paro) from Kathmandu per day and 3-4 flights per week. That's why you just need to stay overnight as a compulsion in Kathmandu while flying from Lhasa to Bhutan or vice versa.
What items of clothing are needed in Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal?
Answer: It depends on the traveling seasons in which your tour is taking place. Typically, you will have a moderate climate in Kathmandu but as the altitude rises you will have to prepare for a little chill in the regions of Tibet and Bhutan.
Do any of the flights have baggage size and/or weight restrictions? If so, what are those limits?
Answer: Restrictions are standard 20-30kg for luggage and 7 kg for the handbags.
Do you recommend these itineraries for first-time travelers to these countries?
Answer: Yes, to experience all these unique lifestyles, food, culture, unique landmarks, and natural wonders of these nations you will need to follow our guided itineraries. It is also a safe way of missing nothing special on your visit.
If I book my own flight, would you provide an airport transfer to and from the hotel?
Answer: Yes, you have the option to book all your flights yourself. We will happily provide all the transfers from the airport to the hotel.
Are the Inter-country/Inter-city flights included in this price?
Answer: These flights cost are quoted separately.
Learn a bit about Nepal- the Country of Mount Everest
If you are visiting Nepal for the first time you may be wondering what to see and expect in your trip. So many things of interest for a traveler, such a spectacular topography, such a richness of culture, tradition and wealth of flora and fauna all packed in this tiny and beautiful country, a very rare combination anywhere.
The Capital Kathmandu together with the towns of Patan and Bhaktapur are medieval cities packed with hundreds of masterpiece Buddhist Stupas and Hindu Temples, some dating back even the second and fifth centuries. It is only in Kathmandu that seven UNESCO-declared world heritage sites lie in a periphery of just thirty kilometers. The medieval sights and sounds are so different but so friendly to take you in its spell.
Nepal has such a topographical contrast that elevation ranges from 70 meters above sea level in Jhapa (430km east from Kathmandu) to the world’s highest mountain, Everest 8848m above sea level. This unique variation has given Nepal a varied ecosystem, both thick tropical and alpine forest swarmed with diverse wildlife, stunning peaks of the world, frozen lakes and valleys, deep gorges, mysterious caves, furious Himalayan rivers running down the hills and cool and calm lakes. In such a small country you can see tropical animals like wild elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, Tigers and also alpine animals like snow leopards, Himalayan Thar, etc...
This country is the home to two percent of all flowering plants in the world, eight percent (848 species) of the total birds of the world (more birds than in the USA and Canada combined), 11 of 15 butterflies’ families found in the world (500 species), 600 indigenous plant families and more than 300 species of orchid species and a population of 30 million people with about 60 ethnic groups speaking 70 different languages is a place with unique cultures, exotic traditions, and festivals, unique art and architectures and above all very friendly people, all very alluring to the visitors.
Being the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, founder of Buddhism, Lumbini is southern Nepal is visited by Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. The great number of Tibetan refugees with their Lamas, Rinpoche, and Stupas make Nepal a place ideal for those interested in Tibetan Buddhism. Few people know that original Tibetan culture survives in remote and exotic Nepali villages bordering with Tibet, rather than in Tibet itself. Most of these villages can be visited in one or the other treks to the Himalayas.
Tibet - The Roof of the World
Tibet is located in the center of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau, and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of 10 million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.
A land of ancient Buddhist culture, awesome landscapes, artistic monasteries and centuries-old caravan trails, Tibet is a destination out of the ordinary. It is the place of ambiguity and mystery, and is renowned as the roof of the world. Long considered as the forbidden kingdom, Tibet’s mystical powers draw intrepid travelers from all over the world. For many years Tibet remained shut off to the world, slowly travel routes are being opened up and travel restrictions are relaxed to allow travelers to experience this mystical place.
Tibet is situated on the biggest and highest plateau in the world. It melts down into the harsh Chinese interior in the north and is hemmed by in the Himalayan mountain range in the south. The eastern plateau blends with the dense forest and jungles marching up from southeast Asia. Most people conjure up images of Tibet as being a frozen and barren place but in fact, it is a diverse environment that is home to a surprising variety of animals, plant life and an agriculturally intricate and religious-driven race of people.
Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet (elevation 3,650m) a surprisingly large and well-developed city. One can spend many days in Lhasa exploring its sites, the Potala Palace, the summer palace, its many Monasteries and other beautiful places. A road journey through Tibet from Nepal offers spectacular views of the Himalayas, as first, you approach them, then pass through them, then leave them in your rearview mirror. The place abounds with High Mountain passes, ancient monasteries, exotic cities, hidden valleys, extraordinarily enchanting local people and their ancient and gentle culture. A road trip by jeep, bus or bicycle through Tibet is an unforgettable and at times mesmerizing journey. You should take the chance to visit this place while it still exists.
Tibet’s a powerful place to travel, there are so much nobleness and grace about the Tibetan people, their religion and there simplistic way of life. It can sometimes be emotionally depressing when one sees how fast the Chinese are changing and taking over this incredible place. If you want to feel empowered by the magic of Tibet, just rise at 5 am in the freezing cold morning and wander down to the central square and allow yourself to be swept away in the mass of fur-clad, prayer wheel bearing, chanting Tibetans, its such a moment as fog and incense disorientates your senses, the harmonious deep throated chanting lulls your mind to a different place. Nothing compares to the first time you see yaks galloping across the high pasture, with burly nomads watching their progress.
There are those moments as you ponder life sitting on the frozen roadside, pray flags snapping in the wind and pilgrims painstaking prostrating their way past you. Tibet is full of pictures and moments that will live with you forever. The air is always crisp and dry and heavy with the scent of yak butter and burning candles. This place emanates a sense of peace and wellness. This magical kingdom is a must on any traveler's list. It’s a truly amazing place where you can loose yourself and find yourself at the same time.
Learn a bit about Bhutan - Land of Thunder Dragon
Bhutan is a small and beautiful destination where the time stands still, nature and religion combine and maintains the tiny Buddhist kingdom as the last Shangri-La. Sandwiched between Tibet and India, Bhutan is the pearl of the Himalayas. Virgin peaks rise up to 25,000 ft to the north of the kingdom and beneath steep glacial walls, alpine highlands fall to misty forests. Mountain streams cut through gorges on their way down to warmer valleys and wide marshes in the heart of the kingdom.
One distinct landscape drops to the next before finally descending to the jungle and grasslands of the southern plains. To those people who have accustomed to this domain of extremes and have always led their life with the principles of Mahayana Buddhism, Bhutan is a paradise on earth where respect for life, in all its many incarnations, endures like the land itself.
Recommended Equipment list for Nepal Tibet Bhutan excursion
- Duffel or Rucksack bag (where you can put all your stuff)
- Daypack (this is for you to carry during the tour, where you can put your passport, camera, money, water, etc.)
- Walking shoes
- Walking pants
- Waterproof jacket or raincoat (Only if you are traveling from May to September)
- Full - sleeves shirt (If you are comfortable with)
- Jumper or pile jacket
- T-shirts (4 pieces)
- Sandal
- Socks
- Woolen socks (only in winter: December to mid-February)
- Sun hat
- Beanie
- Sunblock for lips
- Sun lotion
- Sunglasses
- Thermal Long underwear (only in winter: December to mid-February)
- Sewing kit
- Medical & first aid kit
- Flashlight
- Batteries and bulbs
- Swiss army knife (Optional)
- Personal toiletries and medication which should be labeled
- Swimsuit
