Top 4: 15 Days Kailash Pilgrimage Group Tour

Highlights

This is a comprehensive Tibet group tour, designed specifically for travelers who long for a deep connection with the rich history and exotic landscape of Tibet. The tour traverses more than 3600km on the grand Tibetan plateau and covers three regions of utmost importance in Tibet: Lhasa, Mt. Kailash and Mt. Everest. With personalized and quality service from us, the 15 Days Kailash EBC Group Tour will certainly give you the time of your life!

After arriving in Lhasa and acclimatization, you will spend two days exploring this beautiful city. Situated at an altitude of 3490m, it is undoubtedly the cultural center of Tibet and offers world class attractions for its guests. You will visit the iconic Potala Place, the revered Jokhang Temple and the bustling Barkhor Streets. You can also observe Tibetan monks debate at Sera Monastery, and enjoy the garden of Dalai Lama’s summer palace Norbulingka. Once city sightseeing comes to an end, you will venture into the great mountain ranges outside Lhasa. The stunning holy lake of Yamdrok-Tso, Karola Glacier and Pelkor Chode Monastery await you on the way to Shigatse. Once in Shigatse, you will visit two more high status Tibetan Buddhist venues: Tashilhunpo Monastery and Sakya Monastery.

You will then travel vast distance to enter Ngari area of western Tibet. On your way, you can take in as many views as you want of wild animals, sand dunes, nomadic people and snow-capped mountains. The next destinations, Lake Manasarovar and Mt. Kailash, give you an especially unique spiritual journey. The two holy sites are considered the center of the world by Buddhism, Bon, Hinduism and Jainism, and see huge influx of pilgrims every year from all over the world. The worshippers believe that drinking lake water and finishing the pilgrimage trek circling Mt. Kailash will rid them of all the sins. Whether you believe in this profound connotation or not, you will follow the footsteps of the faithful and experience the once in a lifetime three-day 52km trek.

Last but not the least, you encounter the magnificent Mt. Everest. You will stay one night at the Everest Base Camp, and watch the sun rise and set near the highest peak in the world. Some light trekking leads you to Rongbuk Monastery, where nuns and monks live together. Also on you way are hidden gems such as Peikutso Lake and Yarlung Tsampo River. We take the northern scenic road to return to Lhasa, during which you will enjoy last glimpses of rural Tibetan villages and hot springs. After your last moments in Lhasa, you will have countless memories of Tibet that you can cherish and share on your future adventure.

15 Days Mt Kailash Kora with Mt Everest Group Tour

	Route	Activities	Accommodations	Meals
D1	Arrival in Lhasa	Shared transfer from Lhasa Airport/Railway	Accommodation or
D2	Lhasa Highlight Sightseeing	Summer Palace Norbulingka, Sera Monastery	Accommodation or	Breakfast
D3	Lhasa Highlight Sightseeing	Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street	Accommodation or	Breakfast
D4	Lhasa > Yamdrok > Karola > Gyantse > Shigatse (360km)	Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum, Gyantse Dzong (outlook)	Accommodation or	Breakfast
D5	Shigatse > EBC	Sunset of Mt Everest	EBC, Guesthouse	Breakfast
D6	EBC > Saga	Rongbuk Monastery, Lake Peikutso, Mt Shishapangma (far view)	Saga, Guesthouse
D7	Saga > Zhongba > Payang > Hor Qu > Darchen (490Km)	Landscape driving	Manasarovar, Guesthouse (dorm)
D8	Mt Kailash Kora: Darchen > Dirapuk (20km, 5-6 hours)	Mt. Kailash, Tarboche Flagpole, Drirapuk Monastery	Dirapuk, Guesthouse (dorm)	Breakfast
D9	Mt Kailash Kora: Dirapuk > Zuthulphuk (18km, 6-8 hours)	Mt. Kailash, Zuthulphuk Monastery	Zuthulphuk, Guesthouse (dorm)
D10	Mt Kailash Kora: Zuthulphuk > Darchen >(14km, 3-4 hours) > Manasarovar	Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar	Manasarovar, Guesthouse
D11	Manasarovar> Saga (495 km)	Landscape driving back	Saga, Guesthouse
D12	Saga > Sakya (400km)	Landscape driving back	Sakya, Guesthouse
D13	Sakya > Shigatse (340km)	Sakya Monastery	Accommodation or
D14	Shigatse > Lhasa (340km)	Tashilhunpo Monastery, local market	Accommodation or	Breakfast
D15	Departure from Lhasa	Group transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway

Trip Highlights:

Handpicked Tibetan travel guide and driver;

Comfortable Tourism Licensed vehicle

100% Tibet Kailash Travel Permits Guarantee;

Using reputable accommodation recommended on TripAdvisor

Off the beaten path experience in remote regions

4-10 pax per group

For authentic Tibetan experiences, our offer is the most reasonable in whole Tibet. Please contact our travel experts and they will help you plan a delightful vacation to Tibet at the BEST local price.

Itinerary

Day 1	Arrive in Lhasa Our Tibetan guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Railway or Lhasa Gongkar Airport with a big smile and present a white hada to welcome you in Tibetan style. Transfer to hotel in downtown Lhasa. You will have the rest of the day to yourself. A light stroll at Potala Square is recommended, but pray not to exhaust yourself for the first day’s well rest helps tremendously with high altitude acclimatization in Tibet highland. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 2	Lhasa sightseeing Attractions: Summer Palace Norbulingka, Sera Monastery We start the day by visiting Norbulingka, the summer palace of Dalai Lamas, a palace with its surrounding garden. The most dramatic and popular area inside Norbulingka called the Lake Palace. Norbulingka hosts celebrations of several Tibetan festivals where local people gather here to sing, dance and perform Tibetan opera. After lunch we will visit Sera Monastery. The highlights of our visit include touring the main architectural structures of the monastery and watching a monk-debating session in the main courtyard. Inside the halls, you can find delicate religious objects and decorations such as scriptures in gold powder, colorful statues, and narrative murals. During the debate session, you will see hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups striking different poses as a way to engage in religious topics. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 3	Lhasa sightseeing: Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Streets We visit the single most iconic architecture in Tibet, Potala Palace, which is the winter palace of Dalai Lama. You will see both the public offices and residential quarters of Dalai Lama, as well as a massive collection of artworks and religious treasure, including stupas of past Dalai Lamas and a statue of Tsongkhapa. After lunch, we will head to Jokhang Temple, the most important and sacred temple in Tibet. The architecture of the temple displays influences from Indian, Tibetan and Nepalese design. Numerous famous Buddhist teachers had also conducted teaching there. Today, it houses a variety of Buddhist scriptures and objects. Surrounding the temple are Barkhor Streets, a busy and lively area for dining, shopping and entertainment. You will also encounter many local Tibetans performing pilgrimages and ritualistic prostrations. A welcome group meal of Tibetan cuisine will be arranged tonight to welcome you in Tibet. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 4	Lhasa > Yamdrok > Karola > Gyantse > Shigatse (360km) Attractions: Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum Our adventure into the grand Tibetan plateau starts today! We head west towards the second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse. On our way, we cross Kampala Pass (4797 m) and then Karola Pass (5050 m). We will first encounter the stunning holy lake of Yamdrok-Tso and then Karola Glacier only steps off the main road. We will visit Pelkhor Chode Monastery in Gyantse that houses the most important Tibetan paintings in its Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, and the outlook of Gyantse Dzong/Fortress that overlooks the Nyang-chu Valley. We will finally reach Shigatse before dinner. Sun sets very late in Tibet, so you will have plenty of time to explore Shigatse town on your own. Overnight in Shigatse.
Day 5	Shigatse-Everest Base Camp(340km) We arrive below the stunning north face of Mt. Everest (8844.43 m), the highest mountain on earth. To have the closest view, you can trek 4km or take the local environment tour vehicle to the final milestone. We pay a visit to the nearby Rongbuk Monastery, also the highest monastery in the world. Overnight at Everest Base Camp guesthouse.
Day 6	Everest Base Camp-Saga (330km) We drive west to the direction of Mt. Kailash. We will pass Mt. Shishapangma and discover the turquoise water of Lake Peikutso. Overnight at Saga Hotel or similar.
Day 7	Saga-Darchen(500km) We will enter the nomadic regions of Tibet’s far west today. We will appreciate the Tibetan landscapes during this long drive journey. We follow Yarlung Tsampo River west until we reach Darchen just below Mt. Kailash. For the rest of the day we will get ready for our upcoming 3-day trek. Overnight at Himalaya Kailash Hotel or similar.
Day 8	Mt. Kailash Trek Day 1: Darchen – Dira-Puk Monastery 20 km, 5-6 hours We begin the Mt. Kailash Pilgrimage in the clockwise direction. 4km into the path, we reach the height of 4790m and the first prostration point that marks the first views of Mt. Kailash’s southern façade. The next important landmark is Tarboche flagpole (4750m), where the main rituals of Saga Dawa Full Moon Festival takes place here every year. You can pay a visit to the nearby Chorten Kangnyi and Sky-Burial Site of the 84 Mahasiddhas. Coming up next is Chuku Monastery (4820m), where you can find a revered marble statue inside. After some break time when you can take in more views, we will head towards the second prostration point, where you see prayers flags and views of the west side of Mt Kailash. The second Buddha footprint is a short distance ahead. There are several trails to reach our destination of the day: Dira-Puk Monastery (5080m). It faces the north side of Mt. Kailash and provides viewpoints for peaks in other direction. Overnight at guesthouse near Dira-Puk Monastery. Sleeping bag is recommended.
Day 9	Mt. Kailash Trek Day 2: Dira-Puk Monastery - Zuthul-Puk Monastery 18 km, 6-8 hours We continue the main Kora path towards the east. We pass through Kangkyam Glacier and Jarok Donkhang (5210m) meadowland. A short distance above is Shivatsal (5330m). Pilgrims go through a symbolic death here and are reborn at Drolma-la (5630m), which is half an hour away. After some rest and refreshments, we soon arrive at lake Gauri Kund. We gradually descent to the grand valley of Lha-chu and begin a long journey in the grassland. The day concludes at Zuthul-Puk Monastery. Overnight at guesthouse near Zuthul-Puk Monastery. Sleeping bag is recommended.
Day 10	Mt. Kailash Trek Day 3: Zuthul-Puk Monastery- Lake Manasarovar 14 km, 3-4 hours We follow the river and then climbs the Gold & Red Cliffs. Pilgrims search for holy stones on these cliff walls. We will see prayer flags across the river, and Lake Rakshas Tal in the far distance. After reaching the fourth prostration point, the final walk back to Darchen is quite easy. We then drive to holy lake Manasarovar. Overnight at guesthouse near Lake Manasarovar. Sleeping bag is recommended.
Day 11	Lake Manasarovar-Saga(500km) Full day of landscape driving. Return to Saga from Lake Manasarovar. Overnight at Saga Hotel or similar.
Day 12	Saga-Sakya(400km) Full day of landscape driving. Overnight at local guesthouse.
Day 13	Sakya-Shigatse(110km) We visit Sakya Monastery today, a Sakyapa Sect monastery with a unique Mongolian architectural style. We then arrive at New Tingri only 100km from the Everest and rest. Overnight at Shigatse Gesar Hotel or similar.
Day 14	Shigatse-Lhasa(280km) We will visit Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning and explore the local market. Afterwards, we head our way back to Lhasa and spend the rest of day relaxing in the capital city. Overnight at Tashi Nota Hotel or similar.
Day 15	Departure Day You will enjoy your last moments in Tibet. Our guide and driver will then pick you up and transfer you to the airport or train station. We hope you have gathered precious memory of your time in Tibet, and we wish you the best on your future adventure.

Dates & Price

Kailash Pilgrimage Expedition Schedules 2020-2021 (minimum departure 4pax) The first tour date in each month coincides with full moon date at Mt. Kailash as specified below.
Months	Available Departure Dates	Trip Price
April	April 27	From $1880 available
May	May 12, May 30	From $1880 available
June	June 10 June 25	From $1980 available
July	July 10, July 25	From $2180 available
August	Aug. 8, Aug. 23	From $2180 available
September	Sept. 6, Sept.21	From $2080 available
October	Oct.6	From $1880 available

Single supplement applies when there is single room used in cities at Lhasa, Shigatse, County of Lhatse and Saga, Township of Darchen. Domitory room basis at guesthouses at Dirapuk, Zhutul Puk and Lake Manasarovar.

Service Details

Service Included:

English-speaking local Tibetan guide
Transport by shared tour van or coach with driver
Lhasa accommodation according to the price options (twin share room basis)
Single room supplement applies during hotel in Lhasa and Shigatse if there are individual travelers who cannot find the other same sex traveler to share the room, single room supplement
One night tent/dorm bed accommodation near base camp (dormitory basis-without breakfast)
All entrance tickets
Oxygen cylinder in the car
Bottled mineral water (two bottles per person a day, 500 ml/bottle)
Travel agency's liability insurance
Welcome dinner in local restaurant when group members meet in Lhasa
Service fee regarding arrangements of planning, handling, operational and communication.
All Tibet Travel Permits (The duration of your entire time in Tibet covered)