Tibet Mountain Focus Outdoors
Everest- Kailash Trekking
In this 16 days high quality journey, we will take you from the Buddhist holy city of Lhasa to Everest Base Camp and on the epic 3 days trek around Mount Kailash.
We will spend three days exploring Lhasa's main Buddhist pilgrimage sites such as Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, the Potala Palace and the famous Barkhor Street. After these days you will have a general understanding of the history and cultures of Tibetan people and you will be pretty much acclimatized to the high altitude.
From Lhasa, the real adventure begins, we start the splendid road trip through Central and Western of Tibet. We will start by photographing Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's most sacred and beautiful lake, we will drive side by side to the lake too. We will also visit Karo La Glacier before visiting the historic town of Gyantse and the Pelkhor stupa. Passing through Farmers, villages, we will then go to Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. In Shigatse, we will explore the massive monastery Tashi Lhunpo and walk the ancient pilgrimage circuit. After Shigatse, we will drive overland to Mt Everest's spectacular North Face Base Camp Region at Rongphu Monastery, where you will get the single best view of the world's highest peak Mt. Everest.
After Everest Base Camp Region, we will be driving towards the Ngari region, the western part of Tibet. On the clear days, we will see Shishapangma, one of the 14th highest peak on the planet and the highest mountain that is completely inside Tibet. We will also visit Peiku Lake, one of Tibet's most remote and beautiful alpine lakes. Then, we will go to Manasarovar lake, Tibet's most sacred lake. We will stay the night near the shores of this stunning lake that looks out to the Himalaya range. Next, we will go to the small town of Darchen and complete the epic 3 day trek around Mt Kailash, the holiest mountain on the planet. The best trekking time for Kailash is from late April to June or from September to early October.
Day 1 : Arrival in Lhasa(3650m) and Acclimatization
This is your first day in Tibet. Your guide will greet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport/Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel. It usually takes around 1.5hrs to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20mins from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel from the airport. After check-in, you can have a good rest first. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light food and do less exercise on the first few days so that you could acclimatize better to the high altitude.
Stay overnight in Lhasa (Elevation 3650m)
Day 2: Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala palace Jokhang temple, Barkor street
In the morning, we will be visiting the famous Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was first built by the 33rd King - Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and rebuilt later by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Potala served as winter residence for the successive Dalai Lama for hundreds of years. Now it's a museum and world heritage site. (Note: We can visit Potala only with the time issued by the local government, so it might be also in the afternoon.)
In the afternnon, we will visit Jokhang Temple which lies in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang was built during reign of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century with history of 1400 years. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always crowded with devoted local pilgrims .After visiting the temple, you can take a 15-minuttes walk around the bustling and vibrant Barkhor Street. Barkor Street is a very ancient pilgrimage circuit surrounding the Jokhang Temple with numerous shops and stalls selling different items.
Stay overnight in Lhasa(Elevation 3650m)
Day 3: Lhasa Sightseeing: Drepung monastery, Sera monastery
In the morning, we will be heading to Drepung Monastery, which means “Rice Heap” in the Tibetan language as a reference to the large number of white monastic buildings that once piled up on the hillside. Drepung was founded in 1419 by Jamyang Choje (one of the disciple of master Tsongkapa). Drepung is one of the biggest monasteries inside Tibet which once had more than 10000 monks at its prime.
In the afternoon, we will visit Sera Monastery which was built in the early 15th century by Jamchen Choji Sakya Yeshi (disciple of great master Tsongkapa). Sera is one of the main monasteries of Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. While at Sera, you can watch the monks engage in entertaining Buddhist philosophical debates which will start around 3PM and end at 5PM in the debate courtyard. (Note: There won’t be debate session on Sundays.)
Stay overnight in Lhasa(Elevation 3650m)
Day9:Zanda- Darchen (250km 5 hours’ drive)
We will then drive 250 kilometers back to the small town of Darchen, the starting point of the Kailash Trek. We will spend the rest of the afternoon preparing for our upcoming 3 day trek. Note: If you need porters, horses and yaks for your coming tour, please ask your tour guide to make the arrangement this afternoon.
Stay overnight at Darchen(4625m)
Day10: Kailash Trek Day 1 (20km 6-7hours)
Today we begin the trek around Kailash, Asia's most sacred peak. The trek today will cover 20 kilometers from Darchen to Dira Puk Monastery, while going along the west side of the mountain and ending near the peaks stunning north face. There are great views throughout the day. Overall, this section is relatively easy and gains just over 400 meters in altitude. We will stay in the very basic Dira Puk Guesthouse. Dorm bed with shared bathrooms are available and showers are not an option.
Stay overnight at Dira Puk Guesthouse(5050m), Sleeping bag is recommended.
Day11: Zanda- Darchen (250km 5 hours’ drive)
The second day of the Mt Kailash Trek will take us over the Dolma La Pass, elevation 5640 meters. This will be more a more challenging section, but we will go nice and slow while enjoying the stunning view of the north face of Kailash. On the back side of the Dolma La Pass, there is a small snow-fed lake called Gauri Kund. We will continue to go around Kailash to the monastery of Zultul Puk, elevation 4800 meters. The distance from Dira Puk to Zultul Puk is 18 kilometers. In Zultul Puk, we will stay at a basic guesthouse. Dorm bed with shared bathrooms are available and showers are not an option.
Stay overnight at Zutul-puk Guesthouse(Elevation 4800m)
Day12: Kailash Trek Day 3 (14km 3-4hours)
We will then drive 250 kilometers back to the small town of Darchen, the starting point of the Kailash Trek. We will spend the rest of the afternoon preparing for our upcoming 3 day trek. Note: If you need porters, horses and yaks for your coming tour, please ask your tour guide to make the arrangement this afternoon.
Stay overnight at Darchen(4625m)
Day13: Darchen –Saga (485km 8 hours’ drive)
Today we will begin making the journey back to Lhasa, the Tibetan capital city. We will travel thru the stunning wilderness of the Western Himalaya Mountains that offer mountain views as well as the possibility of seeing wildlife.
Stay overnight in Saga(Elevation 4500m)
Day14: Saga-Shigatse (450 km 8hours’ drive)
We will continue the journey back to Lhasa by driving from Saga to Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. There will be more views of the Himalayas, as well as some small villages along the way.
Stay overnight in Saga(Elevation 4500m)
Day15: Shigatse-Lhasa (280km 5hours’ drive)
Today, we will drive back to Lhasa from Shigatse along the friendship highway(318 National Highway), the northern route to Lhasa. This is the most direct route to Lhasa and we will be driving along the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo(Brahmaputra) for most of the time. On the way, we’ll make a short stop to learn how traditional incense is made. We will arrive Lhasa in the late afternoon. You can have some free time in Lhasa.
Stay overnight in Lhasa(Elevation 3650m)
Day16: Depart Lhasa
Enjoy your last hours in Tibet exploring Lhasa by your own until your guide and driver meet you at your hotel to transfer you to the airport for your next destination!
Day 5 : Gyantse-Shigatse-Sakya 240km 4hours’ drive
In the morning we drive North-West to reach second largest city in Tibet,Shigatse. We will explore Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the main attraction in Shigatse. Tashi Lhunpo was founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama(Gendun Drup) and is one of the six major Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet. Tashi Lhunpo is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is the second most important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama. It is renowned for its grand and impressive structures, including the Maitreya Chapel, which houses the largest indoor statue in the world, measuring 26.2 meters in height.
Back to the Friendship Highway and a small detour from the highway, we continue to Sakya Monastery; the principal seat of Sakyapa School founded in 1073 and one of four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its powerful abbots governed Tibet during the whole of the 13th century until they were eclipsed by the rise of the Gelukpa Sect. Sakya Monastery is known for its unique architecture, which features a combination of Mongolian, Tibetan, and Han Chinese styles. The monastery is surrounded by a fortress-like wall, which is 6 meters high and 1.2 kilometers long. The monastery also has a large number of murals, thangkas, and other religious artifacts and is home to over 40,000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures.
Stay overnight in Sakya(Elevation 4300m)
Day 4 : Lhasa- Gyantse 260km 5-6hours’ drive
On our way from Lhasa to Gyantse, we have to pass by Kampala pass(4,790m)and visit Yamdrok Lake. From Kampala Pass, you can get a panoramic view of this spectacular lake with the snow-capped Mount Nojin Kangtsang(7,191m) in the distance. Yamdrok is one the Tibet’s three sacred lakes and is regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in the Himalaya due to its stunning blue color. Next,we will drive along the lake shore to Nangartse, where we will stop for lunch.
In the afternoon we will begin ascending again to Karola Glacier. Here you can get a close up view of the Mt. Nojin Kangtsang and the glaciers coming pouring off its 7000m peaks. Our next stop is the pleasant town of Gyantse where we will visit the massive Gyantse Kumbum Stupa as well as Pelkhor Chode Monastery.
Stay overnight in Gyantse (Elevation 3980m)
Day 6: Sakya- Mt. Everest Base Camp at Rongbu
Today is one of the main highlights of our trip! After breakfast, we will depart Sakya monastery and begin driving up to the Everest Base Camp Region. The journey involves crossing two high passes, Gyatso La[5240m] and Geu La[5198m ]. If the weather is clear, you can see 5 of the world's highest peaks all rising more than 8000m from Geu La Pass including Everest, Lhotse (4th highest), Makalu (5th highest), Cho Oyu (6th highest) and Shishapangma (14th highest). From the pass, we will continue on to the Mt Everest Base Camp Region at Rongphu Monastery. From here, you will get stunning view of the North Face of the Everest. You can watch an epic sunset on Mt Everest! You will also visit Rongphu Monastery which is regarded as the highest monastery of the world! At Rongphu, we will stay at either the basic Monastery guesthouse or the nearby tent guesthouse. Accommodations here are all very basic with only shared bathrooms and no showering facilities. NOTE: The real EBC is only a few kilometers from Rongphu monastery. Since 2018 tourist are not allowed to visit EBC used by climbing expeditions. Without an Everest Climbing Permit, you will not be permitted to go beyond Rongphu Monastery.
Stay overnight at Everest Base Camp Region(Elevation 5100m) Sleeping bag is recommended.
Stay overnight at Everest Base Camp Region(Elevation 5100m) Sleeping bag is recommended
Day 7: Mt. Everest Base Camp at Rongphu- Saga 360km 7hours’ drive
If you would like to start your day early, you can do it by enjoying the beautiful sunrise on Everest. After finishing our breakfast, we will travel west to the small town of Old Tingri where we will have lunch. Next, we will go to the remote, high altitude lake of Peiku Tso, with views of Cho Oyu (6th highest) and Shishapangma (14th highest peak) along the way.
Stay overnight in Saga(Elevation 4500m)
Day 8: Lake Manasarovar-Zanda 280km 5hours drive
We will have a long day drive along rough road where we will enjoy beautiful views of the unique landscapes of Geological Earth Forest of Zanda until we finally reach the oasis town of Zanda. We will explore Tholing Monastery and Ruins of Guge Kingdom. Tholing, which was once the most important monastic complex in western Tibet. You can visit three main buildings of the monastery where you could find these old beautiful murals drawn in Kashmiri and Nepali Style. 18km west of Zanda, we will visit the citadel of Tsaparang or the ruins of Guge Kingdom. Guge kingdom was an ancient kingdom that existed in western Tibet from the 10th to 17th century. The kingdom was known for its unique culture and architecture, including its distinctive rock-cut temples and caves.
Stay overnight in Zanda (3760m)
