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Note: If your arrival time is different from others and you don’t want to wait for the free shuttle bus, then we can arrange private airport pick up/transfer for additional cost CNY400. It is free for train station pick up / transfer. Please let us know your arrival time and detail information of flights/train.
Meals & Accommodations: As Specified in the itinerary
Upon your arrival, our guide will meet you at either Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Train Station. Check into your hotel, meet fellow travelers and take it easy for the rest of the day to acclimatize and alleviate jet-lag.
Accommodation: Lhasa
After breakfast, your guide will meet you at your hotel and guide you to Jokhang Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tibet and focal point of pilgrim worship. From there, we can walk around the famous Barkhor Street for a great introduction to modern Tibetan culture. The day’s adventures will finish with a visit to Sera Monastery, home to over 600 monks.
Accommodation:Lhasa
This morning, we are visiting the cultural heritage Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and a masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was first built by 33rd King Songtsen Gangpo in 7thcentury and later rebuilt in 17th century rebuilt by 5th Dalai Lama. Since then it has been home to the Dalai Lama and his government.
In the afternoon, we will pay visit to Drepung monastery about 45km to the north of Lhasa. It is one of the largest monasteries in the world and housed for more than 10,000 monks. You will be fascinated by it’s monastic life and the twisting narrow alleys.
Accommodation: Lhasa
The journey starts from the West, through numerous curves up to the Kampa la pass (4700m) to get a breathtaking glimpse of the holy Yamdrok Lake with its turquoise color and snow-capped Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar in a distance. Then, driving along the lake for few kilometers and stop for lunch at Nagar tse.
The trip continues to enjoy the magnificent valleys and Tibetan villages that we pass through. En route we will pause at Karo la (5150m) to see the holy Mt. Nyenchen Kangsar glacier.
At Gyantse, we will visit the Kumbum Stupa next to the Palkhor Choede monastery. This magnificent multi-door structure is the largest Stupa in Tibet and it is not only known for its architecture but also for it’s marvellous old sculptures and paintings all around of it’s inner walls. In the late afternoon we are driving towards Shigatse and stay overnight.
Accommodation: Shigatse
In the morning we will visit the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and your guide will make time to obtain the ATP permit from the local PSB. This monastery is home for the successive Panchen Lama. Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is one of the largest functioning monasteries in the Western Tibet and boasts over 600 years of history.
En route to our overnight destination Lhatse, we will drive off the main road to Sakya Monastery to explore the twisting alleys with the pilgrims. During, 13th century Sakya monastery was an important scholastic study center for Buddhism in Tibet.
Accommodation: Lhatse
This day will be a quite long and smooth drive to Saga through scenic valley of Brahmaputra tributary.
Saga: Saga
We will have stunning views from the cab windows of the great Himalayas to the South and Trans-Himalayan to the North as we drive across the vast plains. This region is home to nomads whose lifestyle remains close to what it has been for centuries and a wide spectrum of plateau wildlife.
Through this exciting journey, we are passing by sand dunes, mountains and sandstone valleys before we reach to the holy Lake Manasarovar in the late afternoon. The lake is one of the four holy lakes in Tibet and receives thousands of pilgrims from Tibet, India and Russia every year.
From there, we will drive to Darchen, a small nomadic village around Mt. Kailash. As we reach there, our guide will be busy preparing for Yaks and porters for tomorrow’s trek. Therefore, you can take full opportunity to explore the village and have your dinner by yourself.
Accommodation: Darchen
From Darchen, our trek will follow a small trail in a clockwise circuit around Mt. Kailash at an average altitude of 4700m. We will walk side-by-side with local Buddhist pilgrims following the same rout and pass by Bon pilgrims walking a anti-clockwise circuit.
After a 4-hour trek, we will reach to Tamdin (4780m) where we will have a simple lunch inside a nomadic tent. It is only 4km hike to Dirakpuk Monastery from lunch spot. This 4km stretches some of the best scenery of the entire kora.
Dirakpuk Monastery was rebuilt in 1985 and is located on the north side of the Lha-chu River facing to the Northern face of the Mt. Kailash. Dirakpuk name originally comes from a word Dira, meaning “female yak horn” and Puk, meaning, “cave.” As per to the sayings, a female yak used her horn to create the cave, so it is known as Dirapuk Valley.
Facts of the day: Total distance 18.6km or 11.56 miles. Time: 6:58 hours with lunch breaks based on average speed of 3.4km/hour, approximately 30,699 steps.
Darchen altitude: 4,700 m or 15,420 feet. Dirapuk altitude: 5,050 m or 16,568 feet.
Ascent for the day: 350m or 1,148 feet
Accommodation: Dirakpuk
This will be the most challenging trekking due to the high altitudes of Dikpala (5000m) and Dormala (5600m) passes. Yet, you will observe the best view of Mt. Kailash from these two high snow capped peaks. Then, we will climb down through a beautiful long valley and stop for lunch at the Shabjay Dakpo nomadic tent.
Trek continues to Zultul Puk for the night stay. Zultul Puk Monastery (4790m) was built by two important religious figures, Jetsun Milarepa and Naro Bonchung. You could spot the footprint and handprint of Jestun Milarepa inside the cave.
Facts of the day: Total distance 19.2km or 11.93 miles. Time: 8:19 hours with lunch breaks based on average speed of 3.6km/hour, approximately 42,206 steps.
Dirapuk altitude: 5,050 m or 16,568 feet. Dzultrulpuk altitude: 4,950 m or 16,240 feet.
Ascent for the day: 100 m or 328 feet
Dolma la pass altitude: 5651 m or 18,540 feet.
Distance from Dirapuk to Dolma pass: 6.1 km or 3.79 miles, Time: 3:24 hours with rest
Accommodation: Zultulpuk
Today you will find it easier for trekking as you already accomplished the tougher ones and saw the end results. Complete the circuit and your driver will be waiting for you at Tashi Do (which is also called as Dzongsar). Then the trip continues to Manasarovar Lake. Rejoice with the beauty of the lake after 3 long days of trekking and have a calm evening at the guesthouses nearby the lake. You may have a short visit to the Chiu monastery by strolling up on a small hill.
Facts of the day: Total distance 12km or 7.46 miles and 5:33 hours trekking with rest.
Ascent for the day: 200m or 656 feet
Accommodation: Lake Manasarovar
After your breakfast, we are going to trace back to Saga by a long and smooth drive for the night.
Accommodation: Saga
This morning, we are heading to Everest Base Camp, located in the Rongbuk Valley. Rongbuk Monastery is the highest Buddhist monastery in the world and houses both for monks and nuns.
Driving along the Pekutso Lake, you will have a picturesque view of Mt Shishapama and other peaks of the mighty Himalayas. Mt Shishapama is the only Peak above 8000m that fully located in Tibet. After passing Old Tingri, you cannot keep your eyes off from the tallest peaks of the Himalayas. Our guide will introduce you Mt.Makalu (8463m), Mt.Lotse (8516m), Mt.Everest (8844m) and Mt.Cho Oyu (8201m).
In the afternoon, you have an option to do a short trek from the tent guesthouse community to the actual Everest Base Camp. It will take you about 2 hours or more depending on your physical condition (6Km), or you can take the dedicated minibus instead.
We suggest you to bring your own sleeping bags as accommodations at the tent guesthouses which are very simple. We will stay
Accommodation: If you are making this trek between November and March, the tent guesthouses are closed and Rongbuk monastery guesthouse is available.
After we enjoy the sunrise view through the Mt Everest, we are driving back to Shigatse through the friendship highway. In Shigatse, you can enjoy a good shower at the hotel .
Accommodation: Shigatse.
We will reach back to Lhasa in the afternoon. Eventually, you have enough time to explore around the town or revisit your favorite spots.
Accommodationt: Lhasa
Our guide and driver would drop you at airport/ train station to continue your journey! Thank you for choosing us!
