Lhasa Kailash Tour

After an early morning breakfast, we will depart together for the excursion tour of Kathmandu City. The planned activity today for you is to get the grand darshana of Budhanilkantha Temple (Sleeping Lord Vishnu Temple) just beneath the cool towering shade of Shivapuri Hill, only 9.7 km far from Kathmandu.

Then, the tour will be followed to the grand mandala of Boudhanath, its small surrounding monasteries, and a 365-step climb to a green velvety hill of Swayambhunath.

Once purified by the all-seeing eyes of divine Buddha, we will be back in our hotel to enjoy some time off in the city.

We have planned a sacred ceremony for you at the holiest Pashupatinath Temple, a site with the true embodiment of Lord Shiva’s blessings. In its premise, we will earnestly participate in a Rudravishek Puja ceremony of Lord Shiva and pray to give us his blessings for our Lhasa Kailash tour.

We will then extend our visit to the Pashupatinath vast complex and observe the uniquely bizarre cremation rite at Aryaghat beside the Bagmati River.

Guheshwori Temple (Goddess Sati Temple, the first late consort of Lord Shiva) is also on our touring list, lying in the Pashupati complex.

We will now head back for our final preparation for the pilgrimage trip of our Lhasa Kailash tour 16 days journey. We will be reviewing all the equipment, and you can purchase or rent any gear that you will require in Thamel.

We will also be receiving our Chinese Group visa, which comes in the white paper with Chinese script. Sleep early for our very early Lhasa journey tomorrow.

Very early morning, a very short mountain flight will carry us to Tibet, a beautiful, remarkable Himalayan country with countless 7000 and 8000 m peaks shining and looming in the sky.

At first, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, and Mount Everest peaks will steal your glance, and later, the vast rugged terrain of Tibet. Gonggar International Airport at Lhasa will welcome us graciously, where we will also meet our Tibetan crew.

After the necessary airport formalities, our crew will drive us toward our accommodation situated in Central Lhasa town, around 60 km farther from the airport.

The sacred white currents of the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo) will lead the way through numerous historical Tibetan ruins. Eventually, rising in the clean Lhasa air, we will see the dazzling features of the Potala Palace up above the high cliff.

No touring actions are planned for today, so once we get into our hotel room, we will focus on rest and sleep. Acclimating to the dry and new air of Lhasa is important before we make its grand tour tomorrow.

What we have planned for you today on our Lhasa Kailash tour will amaze you and make you understand why Lhasa was once forbidden.

First on our activity planned is the visit to the Tibet icon, Potala Palace, which served as the snug winter home for many Dalai Lamas over the centuries.

The 5th Dalai Lama had this palace built over the 130 m towering red cliff of Marpo Ri overlooking the entire Lhasa city. It has white and red colored two palaces called Potrang Karpo and Potrang Marpi, respectively.

Potrang Karpo was made in 1845, and Potrang Marpi in 1694, and together they have 1000 rooms, making the palace the largest in Lhasa. Inside, the Dalai Lama’s study, private quarters, uncountable Buddhist carvings, statues, 698 paintings on the wall, and ten thousand painted scrolls can be seen.

Next, we have the eternal Jokhang Temple standing tall in Lhasa for over 700 years. The oldest corners of this temple were commissioned by Songtsen Gampo in honor of his wife Bhrikuti, a beautiful Nepali Princess.

Along with several large prayer wheels and rooms, the huge lifelike Shakyamuni Statue will steal our gaze. Outside the temple, we can see the Buddhist pilgrims walking and chanting mantras along the Barkhor Street, which by evening turns into Barkhor Market.

What we have in store for you today is a visit to Drepung and Sera Monasteries. The Drepung Monastery was erected by the high orders of Chojey Tashi Palden, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, in 1416 and had seen many hard destructive times during the Chinese revolution.

Before, it used to house over ten thousand monks and was at its peak as an influential Buddhist education center. Now, the number has reduced to around 500 monks, but it still stands as one of the great pillars of Tibet.

Once we peek inside what this amazing structure holds, and get the insight knowledge of the monks and their disciples, we will head to see one of the interesting debates at Sera Monastery.

Positioned just beneath the cool shade of the ridge of Phurba Chok Ri in the vast Tatipu massif, the monastery is the residing place of around 3000 monks and disciples.

Sakya Yeshe, one of the followers of Tsong Khapa, initiated its construction. Along with numerous eye-catching and authentic Buddhist relics, the monastery is more popular for the weekday afternoon philosophical and religious debate.

We will now bring a conclusion to our Lhasa excursion and get an early sleep to prepare for the journey ahead.

Our Lhasa Kailash tour will now progress us towards the eagerly anticipated Mount Kailash. From Lhasa, our luxury transport will drive along the southwest road of the very exquisite Friendship Highway.

It will uplift us to an elevation of 4797 m over the Kampala Pass lying between Lhasa and Gyantse. Look at the magical expanse of the Yamdrok Lake, shaped gracefully like a scorpion. This Lake of Tibet is respected as one of the third pious lakes beside Lhamo Latso, Mansarovar, and Nam Tso.

Take a moment to also gaze at the 7191 m tall beautiful Nyenchen Khangsar mountain. The attractive Highway will again elevate us over a 5010 m towering height of Karo La Pass.

A steep downward drive will now be followed towards the fourth major Tibetan city of Gyantse. A pristine Nyang Chu River flows peacefully by it while Pelkor Chode Monastery beautifully dominates its landscape.

We can also see the 32 m tall extraordinary Kumbum Stupa, rich in Nepali crafts, showcasing the beauty of Bodhisattvas. From Gyantse, we will now advance further for around an hour to reach Shigatse.

Leaving Shigatse without seeing the grand Tashilhunpo Monastery will make our Shigatse stay a bit emptier. Early morning, we will drive towards the Tara Peak, aka  Drolmari Peak, over which this beautiful Sumeru Monastery is positioned.

From 1447, this revered structure has proposed its duty as home of the Panchen Lamas. Its grand hall has a lifelike statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, the 4th Dalai Lama, and Gendun Drup.

It’s now time for us to progress our Lhasa Kailash tour towards Saga. Overcoming the massive heights of two passes of Tso La and Ngamring La (4650 m), the road will continue through Lhatse.

The road will once again climb over the 5220 m towering wall of the Gyatchu La pass, after which our drive will occur beside the placid waters of Pekutso Lake 4330 m) through Sangsang of the Brahmaputra Valley. Soon enough, the happy Tibetan town of Saga will be arrived.

We will have the sacred first view of Mount Kailash today as we touch the ground of the motherly Lake Mansarovar. From Saga, the placid waves of the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo) will detect our path through the solitary town of Old Dzongba.

On the way, we can behold the sight of the very inspiring Dargyeling monastery as we progress toward Paryang. Now, the Horchu River will direct our path and lead to the military checkpoint where our permits will be registered and checked.

Once again, the Tibetan road will ascend over the 5211 m towering height of the Mayumla Pass. The 7694 m towering snowy walls of the Gurla Mandhata/Naimonanyi Peak dominate the picturesque horizon.

Now, the Tibetan road will travel downward for around two hours till we reach the very meditative landscape of Lake Mansarovar. The Kailash rises splendidly in front of our eyes, captivating not only our gaze but also our souls.

Very early in the morning, we will select a place for a bath with the pious water of Lake Mansarovar. Then, we will engage in puja, havan, and yagya according to the tradition and custom.

Take some very harmonious moment by its shore to be with oneself. If you wish, you can also take a bus or jeep (added price to be paid in situ) to circle the lake and undertake your first parikrama on your Lhasa Kailash tour.

Nearby stands the very calming Chiu Gompa, which you can take some moment to explore and bathe in its hot spring (again, an extra fee to be paid in situ).

The 40 km of sandy Tibetan road awaits to carry us onto the starting point of our Lhasa with Mount Kailash tour. It is a destination and trading town for large pilgrim communities from across Tibet and India.

Once we are comfortable in our room in Darchen, our guide will share his knowledge about the upcoming program. He will also tell us about the rental of the yaks, yakmen, porters, and horses.

If you would like to choose any of these services to ease your parikrama, he will make all the advance arrangements (hiring fees to be paid in situ).

From Darchen, a short 5 km rocky road will lead us to the very altitude of the Yamdwar, which is the Gate of Tarboche for the Tibetans. A multitude of very colorful prayer flags are hung over its pole, which are changed every year at the auspicious date of the Saga Dawa Festival.

The Yamdwar in Hinduism is the gate guarded under the very watchful eyes of God Yama (Deity of Death). As per belief, only the unblemished souls will be allowed to cross its threshold.

After circling the gate, our special Kailash trek will now commence. If you have rented yaks or horses, they will carry your luggage and you from here onward.

Walking upward gradually through the wide open area, we will soon see the ancient Tibetan Sky Cremation Site, where the massive white garment can be seen fluttering above its very ground.

The route will march on towards the Lhachu Valley and keep your eyes peeled on for you may even get a momentary glance of the West Face of Mount Kailash.

Moving along the wild donkeys’ route, we will soon reach the humble ground of Dirapuk Monastery. We can see several new establishments funded by the government for the facilitation of the pilgrims of the Lhasa Kailash tour.

Still, the settings will be quite rudimentary, but we will have all the essentials that we will need for a good night’s sleep. In the meantime, you can behold the magnificent glory of the north smiling face of Mount Kailash.

Today, we will tackle the most challenging stretch of the Lhasa Kailash tour 16 days journey climbing to the Dolma La Pass (5630m). This strenuous journey contains around 8 km upward ascent, followed by 5 km steep descent, and a comfortable flat 22 km walk to Zutulpuk.

Kindly know that some sections towards the Pass may need you to dismount your yaks or horses, as it can be difficult for both you and the horse to proceed.

At first, the route will elevate gently through some delightful lakes of Jarok Donkhang. Then, we will reach a place just before the Dolma La pass called Shiva Tsal Cemetery (5330 m), where pilgrims traditionally leave something personal: a piece of clothing, a lock of hair, a tooth,
as a symbol of their death and rebirth into a new, more spiritual life.

Progressing without any hurry along the slippery glacial and rocky trail, we will reach the Dolmla La Pass, where countless prayer flags flutter in the wind, and the summit of Mount Kailash is no longer visible.

As per the faith, the nurturing mother Goddess Tara lives here, so the summit is also called the Green Tara Pass. We will now descend along the other side of the Pass and come across Gauri Kunda (5608 m).

The waters of this serene lake are considered very sacred for containing the energy of the divine Goddess Parvati (Lord Shiva’s wife). For the Buddhists, the lake is home to Thukpe Dzingbu and is also referred to as Tso Tuksche.

Following the custom of the Hindus, we may also collect their water to purify our business and office place. We will then cross through the site called the Axe of Karma, where we will sever our ties with the consequences of all our past wrongdoings.

Now, the gentle plains of the valley below will advance us to Zutulpuk Monastery.

The final stretch of our trek today will take us back through Barkha Plain to Darchen, thus marking the conclusion of our last parikrama day. By our vehicle, we will travel through Lake Mansarovar, Mayum La Pass, and Paryang towards Saga.

We have a short transfer stage today that completes the plateau route and leads to Nepal. The road running alongside the Brahmaputra River will carry us toward Peiku Tso Lake and then ascend over the Passes of Lalung La (5030 m) and Thong La (5153 m).

The Himalayan chain of Shishapangma (8027 m) and Gaursishankar (7181 m) will make our up and down travel more pleasing to the eyes. The road now plunge down steeply to the village of Kerung, located on the Nepalese border.

After an early breakfast, we will get ready to cross the border into Nepal through Rasuwagadhi. The Nepali road and team will receive us now, assisting us with the visa procedures.

Then, continuing along the bumpy mountain road of Nepal, our journey on a 4WD will occur through Ghatte Khola, Timure, Syabrubesi, Dhunche, Rani Pauwa, and Trishuli to Kathmandu.

Evening farewell dinner at Nepalese cultural restaurant with Nepali Thali set and Nepali cultural dance program.