Day01 To Lhasa, transfer to hotel
Accommodation: any nice 3 star hotel in Ancient Downtown Barkhor area or similar due to late booking. Upon arrival at train station or Ghongkhar Airport, your driver and guide will pick you up (with your name sign), then we drive to the downtown ancient Lhasa city. Stay at the hotel for adapting to the high attitude. It is helpful to take things easy for the first few days. You’d better drink little bit more water than usual and walk light (be noted the first day’s acclimation is important to ensure you a good health status for the following tour, so behave wise)
Day02 Lhasa Sightseeing: Jokhang, Barkhor, Sera
Accommodation: any nice 3 star hotel in Ancient Downtown Barkhor area or similar due to late booking. In the morning visit Jokhang Monastery, then walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties. And in the afternoon go to visiting Sera Monastery. Jokhang Monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Sera Monastery was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called the court of wild rose Today still 200 lamas live in there. Luckily you could see the line-up for visit the god as long as you could imagine, also the exciting debating situation of monks there every afternoon.
Day03 Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala, Drepung Monastery
Accommodation: any nice 3 star hotel in ancient downtown Barkhor or similar due to late booking.Visit Potala Palace, have a view of the Drepung monastery and Norbulinka. Potala Palace was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet , and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet . The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. Drepung Monastery, the sacred land of Gelug Sect, which was established in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. Norbulinka: Dalai Lamas' summer place and also the place in holidays for local people to put up tents for the enjoyment.
Day04 Lhasa Lake Yamdrok-Gyantse
Accommodation: hotel Drive Lhasa Lake Yamdrok-Gyantse (261km) On the Gangbala (4,796m), we will have a fantastic view of the holy lake of Yamdrok Yumtso (4441 m). Upon arrival, have a tour to Pelkor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Yamdrok Yumtso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. On one of the peninsulas of the spear-shaped lake lie the holy Mt. Donang Sangwari (5,340m), and the snow peaks of Nojin Kangsang (7,191m) and Jangsang Lhamo rise in the distance. The lake and the Yarlung Tsangpo River (3570) are separated by a mountain and the shortest distance between them is only 6 kilometers. The 800m -high difference contributes a rich water resource to this region. Many Tibetans believe that the life of Tibet will no longer continue when the lake dries up. Pelkor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse. This typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the only one large building complex in Tibet that old monastery and Stupa are completely preserved and characterized as a monument. It is recorded 14,000 kilograms of copper was used to make the 8-meter-high sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha housed in the grand hall of the temple. The 8-storey Stupa is 42m high and 62m in diameters contains a total of 76 chapels with wonderful murals revered by art scholars around the world.
Day05 Drive 90km to Tibet's second largest city-Shigatse
visit Tashilhunpo Monastery after lunch, free afternoon, do some easy shopping, final preparations for the Kailash journey. Today we get further acclimatization and all of us will be not under weather, and be ready to go far west Tibet.
Day06 Shigatse/Saga (about 400 km)
Accommodation: Hotel (hot water, standard room with private bath)
Day07Saga-Paryang 4750M, 250km, 8-9hrs
Accommodation: Budget guesthouse From Saga it is 145 km to Zhongba. The road is good and the trip can be completed in 4-5 hrs. There is also a small monastery at the western end of town on a hill. From Zhongba onwards the southern road deteriorates. There is also danger of vehicles getting stuck. But this section of the road has panoramic views of mountains on either side of the road.
Day08 Paryang- Lake Manasarovar, 4560m, 260km, 10hrs
Accommodation: Camp From Paryang to Lake Mansarovar is a long drive of 10 hrs or more. There will be several river crossings and we drive past Mayum la pass (4600m). The scenery is stunningly beautiful with panoramic views of the Himalayas.
Day09 Darchen (4560m), 30km
Accommodation: Budget guesthouse About 30 km north of Lake Manasarovar is Darchen, the main gateway and the village. The monastery at Darchen, Darchen Gon, is a part of the Drukpa sect. The two-story monastery structure in the center of the town serves as a trading post and shelter for pilgrims. Within the dukhang assembly hall are new and old thangka paintings and some statues, the main image being Sakyamuni. West of the gompa is the Mani Lhakhang that has a large, new Mani prayer wheel. This is the site where the original old flagpole (a Darchen is a flagpole for prayer flags) of Darchen was located. When beginning their Kora pilgrimage around Kailash, many pilgrims often circumambulate the Darchen Gon monastery and the Mani Lhakhang before setting out. We organize yaks or ponies for the Kailash circuit trek at Darchen.
Day10Kailash Circuit trek-Dira Puk: (6 hrs)
This Kailash circuit covers 53 km and can be done in 3 days. We head west in clockwise direction and after a few kilometers the trail climbs up to a cairn at 4730 m from where the southern face of Mt. Kailash comes to view. En route we will visit Tarboche where annual flagpole raising ceremony takes place during Saga Dawa. Accommodation: Camping or in local tented camp or simple guesthouse.
Day11Dira Puk-Zuthul Puk, 6 hrs
Today we cross Drolma la pass (5630m) and Gauri Kund Lake (5608m) where Hindus worship and immerse themselves in the icy waters of the lake. Accommodation: Camping or in local tented camp or simple guesthouse.
Day12 Trek back to Darchen (trek ends)
The final end of the Parikrama is an easy 2-3 hrs walk down to where the river emerges on to the Barga plain. We complete the 3 day circuit trek of Mt. Kailash. Accommodation: Camping or in local tented camp or simple guesthouse.
Day13 Darchen-Paryang
Accommodation: Budget guesthouse Drive from Darchen to Paryang (4550m, 340km, 9hours).overnight at Paryang
Day14 Paryang-Saga Accommodation: hotel Drive from Paryang to Saga (252km, 7-8hours). Overnight at Saga
Day15 Saga/Nyalam/Zhangmu (about 280km),o/n in hotel
Day16 Zhangmu-friendship bridge-Katmandu
In the morning drive to the Friendship Bridge of the border. Our guide and driver will see you off at the Kodari of the China side at 11:30 Beijing time. And our Nepal staff who depart KTM for border in the early morning and get to Border around 11:20 am, will pick you up and transfer to KTM, check in hotel (on your own), any additional tour services in Nepal, we would be more than happy to help you arrange.
