15 Days Mt. Kailash Trekking Tour with Guge Kingdom

B-- Breakfast    L-- Lunch    D-- Dinner

• Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa Sincere greetings & airport-hotel transfer.

     

  Upon your arrival at the Lhasa airport, your tour guide will greet you and escort you to your hotel and help you get checked in. You will have the rest of the day and evening to rest and relax to become acclimatized to the higher altitude of Tibet.

  Accommodation: Lhasa Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)

• Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B)

     

  After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the incredible Potala Palace – the highest palace in the world. As we climb to the entrance gate, you will have a spectacular view over all of Lhasa. After exploring the numerous interesting chapels and learning about the traditional culture and history of the palace and the city, we will move on to the spiritually significant Jokhang Temple, one of the most important temples in Tibetan Buddhism. To see the “real” Lhasa, we’ll stroll through Barkhor Street with its thriving local market where you can pick up some local Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian handicrafts and souvenirs.

  Accommodation: Lhasa Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)

• Day 3 Traditional Handicraft Art Center Experience - Sera Monastery Debates

     

  This day will give you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in Tibetan culture as you will be involved in the hands-on process of the  traditional Tibetan handicrafts; then witness a truly Tibetan tradition with the debating monks at one of Tibetan Buddhhim's holiest monasteries - the Sera Monastery. After breakfast, in the ethereal morning rays of light of a Lhasa morning, we will learn how to make traditional Tibetan cuisine in a typical Tibetan setting. Dishes will include Kasei (fried dough foods), Tsampa (roasted barley) with butter and cheese, Tibetan butter tea, and other tasty Tibetan treats. After learning the essence of Tibetan cooking, we will move on to Tibetan Traditional Handicraft Art Center by bus. This treasure house of Tibetan culture will teach you all about various Tibetan costumes as you learn how to make Tibetan incense, the methods behind Tibetan calligraphy, how to create thangka (Tibetan Buddhist painting), and the secrets of block printing.
  
  Having mastered the art of Tibetan handicrafts, we will move on to visit the holy Sera Monastery, which is held in the courtyard almost every day between 3 and 5:30 p.m. Please note that in case of some special monastery activities such as the Dharma Meeting or the reception of VIPs, the monk debates may be canceled that day. After our visit to the monastery, feel free to stroll around the streets of Lhasa as you absorb the atmosphere and spirit of the devoted Tibetan people or you may return to your hotel to rest and relax from this wonderful Tibetan cultural experience.

  Accommodation: Lhasa Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)

• Day 4 Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Kumbum Monastery(B)

     

  This morning we’ll take a drive up to the Kampala Pass (elevation 4797 meters) where you’ll have a glimpse of Yamdrok Lake down below as well as spectacular views of the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. You will want to have your camera at the ready for the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake, which is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and the beautiful Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar glacier as seen from the Karola Pass. Later on we’ll be able to visit the Karola Glacier before continuing along the southern Friendship Highway to Gyantse, where you will be able to see the famous Gyantse Kumbum, one of the most stunning architectural wonders in Tibet. Late in the afternoon we will continue on to Shigatse where we will spend the night.

  Accommodation: Shigatse Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)

• Day 5 Shigatse - Tingri - Everest Base Camp Rongphu Monastery, sunset at EBC(B)

     

  After breakfast we’ll set out towards the peak of the world – Mount Everest. Departing from Shigatse and traveling via Lhatse and Tingri, you will see some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in the world – incredibly blue skies, floating high clouds, endless grasslands and the highest mountain peaks in the world. We’ll also stop by the Rongbuk Monastery – the world’s highest altitude monastery before spending the night at the Everest Base Camp.

  Accommodation: EBC Tent or Rongphu Guest House (Dorm bed with humble facility)

• Day 6 Everest Base Camp - Shishapangma Protection Zone – Pelkhu-tso - Saga Shishapangma Protection Zone, Pelkhu-tso

     

  Today we will drive the old Tingri Road to Saga County, with views of Mount Everest and Mount Shishapangma (elevation 8012 meters), which was the last of the world’s 8000-meter peaks to be climbed. The road conditions get rougher from the old Tingri Road as it runs parallel to the to the Himalayan mountain ranges and the Nepalese sides known as the Anapurna Ranges. The main road passes through the desolate plains of Digur Tang, with its enormous sand dunes contrasting with the neighboring snow peaks of Shishapangma and Langtang to the south. As we leave the Bum-chu basin, we will descend into the relatively lower elevations of the Pelkhu-tso (elevation 4600 meters), a cobalt blue lake. After checking out the lake, we’ll drive the additional 69 kilometers on to Saga County and spend the night in the small town of Saga.

  Accommodation: Saga Hotel or Similar (Twin Sharing)

• Day 7 Saga – Zhongba – Payang – Darchen - Mt. Kailash - Lake Manasarovar – Lhanag-tso Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar

     

  On this 7th day we will drive to Drongpa County, which was founded around the bountiful resources of the Brahmaputra River. We will make a stop in a small village along the main road that consists of only a few basic guesthouses, restaurants and a small monastery known as “Old Drongpa”. Scattered around the monastery you will be able to observe a pile of yak heads that are carved with “sutras” and “mantras”. New Drongpa is another small town with a few shops, hotels and restaurants located about 25 kilometers from Old Drongpa monastery. We will continue on to the Baryang Township (elevation 4750 meters) and drive around Lake Manasarovar before reaching our final destination for the day, Darchen, where we will spend the night.

  Accommodation: Darchen Local Hotel

• Day 8 Mt. Kailash Trek Day One – Darchen – Drirapuk (11 kilometers) Trekking Day 1

     

  Buddhist pilgrims traditionally begin the 52-kilometer religious trek around Mt. Kailash at Darchen (elevation 4574 meters), which is also the finishing point for the circumnavigation of the sacred mountain. After hiking for a few hours out of Darchen, we will reach a valley known by the locals as “Sarshung” where we will meet an eager group of porters who will be happy to help us carry our gear on yaks and horses along the rest of the trek. After another couple of hours of trekking, we will find a grassy plain populated by nomads, who will be happy to offer up their tents as a place to relax with some soft drinks for a while. From here, we will travel on for another approximately two hours to a place known as Drirapuk (elevation 4920 meters) where we will spend the night in a monastery’s guesthouse that offers the best accommodations in this area (although it is still very rustic.)

  Accommodation: Guest House

• Day 9 Mt. Kailash Trek Day Two – Drirapuk – Dzultripuk (22 kilometers) Trekking Day 2

     

  This second day of our circuit of Mt. Kailash will be the toughest as we ascend 762 meters up to the Dolma-la Pass. The peak of this pass lies about 5630 meters above sea level, so we’ll get an early start as the sun begins its rise over the mountain ridges above us. Once we have reached the peak of the Dolma-la Pass, we’ll stop for a rest and the opportunity to admire all of the fantastic scenery around us. Then we will begin our descent to the Lhachu Valley, which will take us about one hour. After another short rest, we’ll trek on for another four hours to our final destination for the day. We will walk along the right side of the river to finally reach Dzultripuk, whose name means “miracle cave of Milarepa” in the local language. We will be glad that we got an early start to reach Dzultripuk so that we will get there before the other groups – there are a limited number of rooms available here. We will have time this evening for some rest and relaxation in the guesthouse as we prepare for the final stretch of our trek tomorrow.

  Accommodation: Overnight at local guest house

• Day 10 Mt. Kailash Trek Day Three – Dzultripuk – Tsada

     

  Today we will complete our trek around Mt. Kailash, beginning by visiting the many caves, temples and shrines that have been built upon around Milarepa’s cave. It is an easy walk back towards Darchen, taking only about 3 hours of trekking to reach the end of the valley where our driver will meet us to take us for a drive to Tsada.

  Accommodation: Overnight at Tsada local hotel

• Day 11 Tsada Day Tour: Tsada Clay Forest, Guge Kingdom

     

  Today you will see the magnificent Zanda Clay Forest. Entering into Zanda county, the clay forest standing on both sides of Elephant Spring River winds over more than five kilometers. The clay is like warriors defending the mountaintop, some like thousands of horses galloping, and some like devout followers of a religion nurturing themselves, standing there quietly. From different angles, you can see wonderful scenery.

  The clay forest in geology is known as "the Level Terrane Physiognomy," formed by erosion, where the sediment of lakes and rivers, mainly composed by sandstone and clay, have formed into various shapes. The Level Terrane has developed upright qualities, and the valley is deep.

  After that,we will visit the ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom and the Torling Monastery. Located in the Ngar Region of Tibet, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom were once an imperial estate that fell into disrepair after the civil war revolt and the invasion of the 8 Allied Forces of foreign countries that destroyed the once prosperous state. Luckily the legendary kingdom has not been totally lost as much can still be learned from what remains of it.

  Accommodation: Overnight at Tsada local hotel

• Day 12 Tsada - Saga

     

  Today we will drive through the windswept territory of rural Tibet, passing through numerous small villages as well as camps of yak and sheepherders on our way back to Saga. With all of the beautiful scenery surrounding us, we will have plenty of opportunities to stop and take photos if you like.

  Accommodation: Overnight at Saga Hotel

• Day 13 Saga – Shigatse (500 kilometers, 7-hour drive time)

     

  More spectacular scenery awaits us as we continue on our leisurely drive back to Shigatse where we will spend the night.

  Accommodation: Overnight in Shigatse

• Day 14 Shigatse - Tashilunpo Monastery – Lhasa

     

  We will get an early start today to visit the Tashilunpo Monastery, which was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama. After visiting this ancient monastery, one of the most important sites in Tibetan Buddhism, then we will head back to Lhasa.

  Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

• Day 15 Transfer to Lhasa Airport – Depart Lhasa

     

  Your day will be free until we pick you up to take you on the 30-minute drive to the Lhasa airport for your departing flight.

  Accommodation: None