Day 01: Lhasa Arrival
Welcome to the mysterious and sacred place, Tibet! Our local tour guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa Gonggar airport or Lhasa train station. After transferring you to the hotel, you can have a good rest and use the rest of time explore the holy city by yourself. If you need any help, our tour guide will give you the most useful tips and recommend local tasty restaurants for you.
Accommodation: Downtown Located local 4 star standard Snow Heaven Hotel or Ganggyan Hotel, Lhasa Tibet or the equivalent one
Tips: 1. Please do not exercise heavily because you need time to get accustomed to the plateau climate. 2. Stay hydrated and eat some fruits. 3. Have a good sleep.
Day 02: Norbulingka-Drepung Monastery-Sera Monastery
Today we will begin our tour from Norbulingka first and drive to Drepung and Sera Monastery. Norbulingka is located near Potala Pace in the west part of Lhasa city. It is the summer palace of Dalai Lama and collect many precious stuff, such as Italian chandeliers, Ajanta frescos and Tibetan carpets. We will spend around one hour and a half here. Then we will drive to Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery housing 10,000 monks once in history. We will spend two and a half hours here. You can explore the monastery with plenty of time. After lunch, we drive to Sera Monastery, which is in the north of Lhasa city. The monastery is famous for the debating among monks about philosophies and Buddha scriptures. You will be impressed by their serious attitude toward studying Buddhism. Then we will drive back to Lhasa and you can freely explore the city at night.
Accommodation: Downtown Located local 4 star standard Snow Heaven Hotel or Ganggyan Hotel, Lhasa Tibet or the equivalent one
Tips: 1. The debate in Sera Monastery will happen from 3:30 pm to 5pm from Monday to Saturday. We may exchange the schedule with the first day-tour in Lhasa to make sure you will see the debate. 2. When in monasteries, do not touch statues and other religious stuff. 3. When in August, there is Giant Buddha Display in Drepung monastery for celebrating Sho Dun Festival.
Day 03: Lhasa city-tour (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street)
Today we will go to the must-see attractions in Lhasa city. In the morning, we will start our tour from the world’s highest palace, Potala Palace. There are so many to see inside of the palace, such as marvelous Buddhism frescos, statues, scriptures and other religious stuff. After about one hour visiting, we will head to Jokhang Temple, the most significant Buddhism temple in Tibet. You will see the famous Sakyamuni statue which was brought by Princess Wencheng in Tang Dynasty. There are many pilgrims worshiping in and around the temple, which add strong religious atmosphere in the holy temple. Around Jokhang Temple lies Barkhor Street which sells many Tibetan local artifacts, religious stuff an etc. You can buy what you want but remember bargain with the vendors. There are also many pilgrims circumambulating around Barkhor Street. Their devoutness will definitely leave a deep impression on you. The Barkhor Street is a window to know local Tibetan life and provides a real taste of Tibet.
Accommodation: Downtown Located local 4 star standard Snow Heaven Hotel or Ganggyan Hotel, Lhasa Tibet or the equivalent one
Tips: 1. You only have one hour to stay inside Potala Palace so please manage your time reasonably. 2. When entering the palace or temple, please keep quiet and obey every rule inside. 3. Please do not disturb the pilgrims and show respect to them. 4. When you are outside, prevent sun burning because the sunlight is strong in Lhasa city.
Day 04 Lhasa-Shigatse, 280 km, about 5-6 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 14:30
Attractions for today: Yarlung Tsangpo River Landscape along the way, and Tashilhunpo Monastery, also known as ‘the heap of Glory’, located at southwest of Shigatse city. Shigatse city is the second-largest city in Tibet, just after Lhasa city.
You will be picked up from your hotel, after 4-5 hours’ drive around 13:00, we will have lunch at Nyemo County. During the trip, we will stop at some beautiful palaces for you to take pictures. Upon the arrival at Shigatse, the first thing to do is check-in, and then our expert Tibetan guide will arrange your PSB permits (Alien Tibet Permit).At around 16:00,we will head to Tashilhunpo Monastery where we will spend a few hours.
Tips: Tashilhunpo Monastery will close at 18:30 in winter, close at 19:30 in summer.
Accommodation: Gesar Hotel or Shigatse Manasarovar Hotel if late booking
Day 05 Shigatse –Saga, 450 km, about 8-9 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 17:30
Attractions for today: Lake Lang Tso and Landscapes along the way.
Take breakfasts around 8:00 am, we will start the drive from Shigatse to Saga, the last sizable county on the way to the starting point for your Mt Kailash trekking. We will have lunch at local restaurant nearby Sangsang town around 13:30. And then we will keep driving to Saga. You can view typical plateau scenery on the way and have stopovers to take photos if you want.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saga or similar if booking late.
Day 06 Saga-Mt. Kailash (Darchen), 510 km, about 10 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 18:30
Attractions for today: Payang town and landscapes along the way.
Take breakfasts around 8:00 am, we will start the drive from Saga to Mt. Kailash, the holy mountain for Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon. We will have lunch at Payang town around 13:30 and continue the drive. Along the road, you can enjoy the mountainous view and we will arrive Darchen (the starting point of your trekking) at 18:30. You can have a good rest upon the arrival and prepare for the pilgrimage tour tomorrow.
Accommodation: Hotel in Darchen
Day 07 Mt. Kailash (Darchen)-Dira-puk Monastery (4,950 m), first day of trekking, 20 km, 7-8 hours
Attractions for today: Mt. Kailash and Dira-puk Monastery
Start at 8:30 am and you need to bring water, snacks and altitude medication for emergency. During the trekking, you can view the mystical Mt. Kailash from different angles and there are many prostration pilgrims and nomads who take more time to finish the Kora.
After 4 hours of trekking from Darchen (4,650 m) to Chuku Monastery (4,810 m) which covers 9 km. Then we stop at a nomad tent for a simple lunch. And continue another 4 hours’ trekking to Dira-puk Monastery which covers 11 km, stop for the night at the monastery, enjoy the eye-catching scenery of the north face of Mt. Kailash.
Accommodation: Dira-puk Monastery guesthouse
Tips: Eco-bus is available during the first 9 km, but it charges 60 RMB per person. Some tourists who can’t make the first 9 km trek have the option to take the vehicle, don’t worry, each of the tourists will meet together at the same time in the Chuku Monastery then go on the next 11 km trek.
Day 08 Dira-puk Monastery-Zultul-puk Monastery, second day of your trekking, 21 km, 8-9 hours trek
Attractions for today: Zultul-puk Monastery (4,835 m), Droma-la Pass (5,630 m)
Today comes the most difficult part of the trekking, with two mountains to cross and 21 km to hike in the eight hours walking.
Wake up in the morning at 7:30, after breakfast, our trek begins. After 5-6 hours trekking, which covers 10km from Dira-puk Monastery to Shabje Drakthok, we will stop at a nomad tent for lunch and rest a while. At the Dromala Pass, pilgrims walk through with prayer flags around. From Shabje Drakthok to Zultul-puk Monastery covers 11 km which takes 4-5 hours with easier road.
Accommodation: Zultul-puk Monastery guesthouse
Day 09 Zultul-puk Monastery-Darchen, last day of your trekking, 12 km, about 4 hours trek, Darchen-Lake Manasarovar, 70 km, about 1.5 hours’ drive
Attractions for today: Lake Manasarovar
Last day of trekking with an easier course of 12km that takes about 4 hours. Enjoy a rest breakfast before starting the trek, we set off at 8:30 after the beautiful sunrise. What comes to your horizon is the holy Mt.Kailash and the canyon. At noon, we will reach Darchen, the ending point of the trekking. After lunch, we will head to Lake Manasarovar, which is a freshwater lake in the Tibet. Just like Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar is also a place of pilgrimage, attracting religious people from India, Nepal and neighboring countries. Stay overnight here, and celebrate the completion of your trek around Mt. Kailash beside the lake.
Accommodation: Lake Manasarovar guesthouse
Tips: There are 4 km of the last day have the option to take the bus which charges 50 RMB per person.
Day 10 Lake Manasarovar-Saga, 450 km, about 8-9 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 18:00
Attractions for today: sunrise over the Lake Manasarovar and landscapes along the way
Recuperate the tired body on the way back to Saga, where you spend the upcoming night. At noon, lunch will be settled at Payang town just the same as coming.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saga or similar if booking late.
Day 11 Saga-Everest Base Camp, 300 km, about 7-8 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30 am-arrive at around 16:30
Attractions for today: Peikutso Lake, Menbu Town, Gangga town (also known as old Tingri), Rongphu Monastery, Mt.Everest (8,843.43 m)
After a nice breakfast, we set off to Peikutso Lake which is at 4591 meters elevation, spend there for 2 hours, and then continue driving through Menbu Town where a natural village locates, arrive at Gangga Town (Old Tingri) where we will have lunch there. Rest a while, we keep moving to get to Rongphu Monastery. After visiting the monastery, we will drive to campsite. And normally tourists will challenge the 4 hours trek (or take the local shuttle which is RMB 30-35 per person) from the campsite to the Everest Base Camp. If god stands with us, we will see the breathtaking view of the sunset over Mt.Everest.
Accommodation: Nomad tent house at Mt.Everest campsite or guesthouse near Rongphu Monastery
Day 12 Everest Base Camp-Shigatse-Gyantse, 430 km, about 8-9 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 18:30
Attractions for today: Sunrise of Mt.Everest, Gyantse County
Wake up this morning below the stunning north face of Mt. Everest with its amazing sunrise. (For those tourists who want to go to Base Camp in the morning to have closer view of Everest, we can take the local shuttle to Everest. B.C) and after shooting the photos, we come back to Campsite and then we drive back to Gyantse. As it’s a long way landscape that meal time and place are flexible depending on our journey circumstances.
Accommodation: Jianzang Hotel or Yeti Hotel or similar one if late booking
Day 13 Gyantse-Lhasa, 260 km, about 5-6 hours’ drive, set off at 8:30-arrive at around 17:00
Attractions for today: Pelkhor Choede Monastery, Kumbum Pagoda, Karola Glacier, Lake Yamdrok
In the morning after breakfast, we will start drive to Pelkhor Choede Monastery which architecturally is a merging of Han, Tibetan and Nepali architecture. The most remarkable architecture also a symbol of Gyantse, is the Bodhi Dagoba (Tibetan name: Pelkhor Choede), called ‘Kumbum’, it is also well-known as “the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagodas”. Then we will drive over Karola Glacier (5,150 m), which looks spectacular from the highway. And Karola Glacier is half an hour away from Yamdrok Lake. The scenery between Karola glacier and Lake Yamdrok is truly miraculous. As we keep going to Lake Yamdrok via Nagartse where we will have lunch and take a rest there, in the afternoon, we will be close to Lake Yamdrok. And you may have a wonderful time along the lakeside, the lake has fantastic blue water with yaks, goats around the lakeside, beautiful photographs is easily taken here. After the leisure time, we will return to Lhasa by 17:00.
Accommodation: Downtown Located local 4 star standard Snow Heaven Hotel or Ganggyan Hotel, Lhasa Tibet or the equivalent one
The rest time in on your own, if the schedule has no change, our agency would love to arrange a group dinner.
Day 14: Lhasa Departure
Today is free for you until our tour guide transfer you to the airport or drop you off at the train station. Your Kailash Everest Group Tours holiday ends. Hope you have a nice trip with us. And we welcome you for your next Tibet trip!
Tips: 1. Pack your luggage carefully before departure and make sure you bring all important stuff, like ID card, passport, mobile phone, wallet, mobile phone charger. 2. The hotel checkout time is usually on 12 pm. If you have flights in the afternoon, you can leave you luggage in the storing room and remember to take it when leave.
Tour Reviews
This is a mature Kailash Everest Group Tour itinerary. Our agency’s highlight is that: on Day7, you may expect the full moon date and begin the first day kora from Darpoche to Dirapuk Monastery because this is the better location to view the Kailash together with the moon. And more over, there are lots of departures for this lower season pilgrimage trip. You are welcome to join this one. If you have your own group of 6-10 people, we can discuss further and run your own private “group tour” of Tibet.
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