Details itinerary
Day 01: Arrive at Lhasa airport/Train Station.
Welcome to the roof of the world! Your Tibet journey starts with warm greetings from Tibet tour Operator.com with Khaada/Mala/White Scarf from your l tour guide. Khaada is a Tibetan traditional welcoming and blessing scarf which consists of the meaning of good luck. You will be picked up at the airport or train station, then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city at the comfort of your own private vehicle. During the hour-long drive to your hotel in the city, enjoy the breathtaking view along the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Tibetan features can be seen along the way, including Big Buddha engravings on the hill near the road, colorful prayer flags and friendly Tibetan people. Overnight at Lhasa.
After you arrive at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore around Lhasa and acclimatize yourself to this high altitude city at the top of the world. The altitude in Lhasa is about 3,650m above sea level.
Day 02: Lhasa Sightseeing
After Breakfast visit Potala Palace, the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet. The palace was built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and later renovated by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Afternoon visit Sera monastery (5km north of Lhasa), It was built in 1419 by Jamchen Choje, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. Sera is one of the three major monasteries of the yellow sect in Tibet.
Day 03: Lhasa Sightseeing
After Breakfast visit Drepung monastery, which is the largest monastery of the Gelugpa sect in Lhasa, it was built in 1416 by Jamyang Choejie, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. After visiting Drepung, drive to Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, which was built in the 18th century. Afternoon visit Jokhang Temple and Barkhor market. Jokhang is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses golden statues of the Shakyamuni Buddha that was brought to Tibet by Chinese princes Wenchen.
Day 04: LHASA-GYANTSE (3950m) 261 km
After breakfast, drive from Lhasa to Gyantse (5-hour). Crossing over the summit of Kamba La Pass (4,794m), you’ll see the tranquil turquoise waters of Lake Yamdrok below. Far in the distance you’ll spot the towering, massive, Mt. Nojin Kangsang (7,191m), and the stunning Karo-la Glacier (5045m). After arrival in Gyantse, you will tour Pelkor Monastery to admire fancy frescoes, statues and sculptures. Stay overnight in Gyantse.
Day 05: Gyantse-Shigate
After Breakfast Visit Kumbum stupa and palchok monastery, which is said to be the home of 10000 images, then drive to Shigatse. Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of Panchen Lama and one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet, as well as the oldest and largest Gelugpa Monastery in Tibet. Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. Stay overnight at Shigatse
Day 06: Drive Shigatse to Lhatse (150 km) via visiting Shakya monastery.
After Breakfast you will drive along the Friendship Highway amidst picturesque landscape driving past the small town of Lhatse and Gyamtso La pass at 5,220m. As the route opens into plains, many monasteries and camps of nomadic herders become visible while on the way to Lhatse.
En route visit Sakya monastery. In the 13th century, the monastic town of Sakya emerged as an important center of Buddhist scholarship. With Mongolian military support, the Sakya lamas became rulers of all Tibet. Sakya Monastery, built in 1268, is a massive fortresslike compound with high defensive walls in the southern section of the monastery. There are a lot of historical articles in the monastery, among them are: Imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, and clothes given by the Yuan Dynasty emperors. Sakya monastery has over 84,000 Tibetan volumes of on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history
.
Day 07: Drive Lhatse to Saga (293 km).
After Breakfast drive to Saga from Lhatse enjoying the stunning landscape along the way. Drive through typical Tibetan villages where you can see how normal Tibetans live surviving.. Saga's altitude is 4,640m above sea level. Saga is the last stop for pilgrims and travelers on their way to Mt. Kailash
Day 08: SAGA-PARYANG (4,700m) 255km, 7hrs.
Another day’s driving will take you to Paryang (15,700 feet or 4,750m) in the heart of western Tibet, where the four great rivers of South Asia diverge from their glacial sources around Mount Kailash. En route you will pass through the village of Dongba..
Day 09: PARYANG-MANASAROVAR LAKE-DARCHEN (255 km)
After Breakfast start driving again on rugged roads to Darchen (15,150 feet or 4,620 m) enjoy the views of Mount Kalaish, lake of manasarovar and an uninterrupted views of the Himalayas bordering Nepal en route. The windblown settlement of Darchen is the Pilgrim’s gate way to Mount Kailash. Here you will prepare for next day’s trekking.
Day 10: DARCHEN-KAILASH TREK (Kora)
The pilgrim’s kora around Mount Kailash starts and finishes in Darchen, on the first you will trek 6 hours from Darchen to Dhira Phuk (16,450 feet or 5,010m) and camp at the Gompa near the backside of holy Mount Kailash where you can see beautiful view of Kailash..
Day 11: DHIRA PHUK-DZUTRUL PHUK
Today you will trek 6-7hours from Dhira Phuk to Dzutrul Phuk (15,700 feet or 4,790m). You will leave the Lhachu valley and enter the Dorma Chu valley, heading up towards a high pass above Gaurikund lake or Tuje Dzingbu (the bathing pool of Compassion) which is one of the highest lakes in the world. Hindu pilgrim’s are supposed to take a ritual bath here. O/n camping at the Dzikrul Phuk.
Day 12: Dzutrul Phuk to Tirthapuri.
After the Circumambulation of Kailash. The best choice is camp at Tirthapuri, which used to be a meditation cave for Padmasambayva and his consort Yeshe Tsogyel..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 and drive to Tirthapuri where there is a hot spring. Pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash is not complete without visiting Tirthapuri for the Tibetan Buddhists.
Day 13: Drive Tirthapuri to Tsaparang.
The Northwest from Tirthapuri, in the middle of the canyon erosion landscape of the Sutlej River, lie the impressive ruins of Toling and Tsaparang - flourishing centers of the former Kingdom Guge. Tsaparang disappeared in the middle of 17. Century; the Tholing monastery, our today's goal was until the 1960's religious center. Fortunately, despite the devastation caused by the Culture Revolution some buildings and temples remained.
Day 14: Visit Guge Kingdom.
Early in the morning we will drive to Tsaparang (10 km, 3.800 m), the oldest center of Guge Kingdom. A group of four temples surround the lower part of the fortress walls, one fifth of which lie above the remains of the city, the former Summer Palace of the kings.
Day 15: Drive Tsaparang to Gar (shiquanhe)
Experience various landscapes on the way to Shiquanhe (280 km), the capital of Ngari Prefecture in West Tibet, a city at the confluence of Indus and Gar. Shiquanhe River, the main source of the Indus, originates from the Kailash.
Day 16: Drive Gar to Doma (230 km).
Along on the Silk Road, the highest road in the world which leads from Tibet to Xinjiang. En route visit the remarkable prehistoric rock carving.
Day 17: Drive Doma to Tibet-Xinjiang (230 km) border at a pass marked with a plaque in 4 hours.
Soon after passing by Mazar we begin to cross the Kunlun Mountains. The Chiragsaldi (4.960 m) is the last pass we have to cross on the way. Afterwards we drive downward along the Yecheng ravine to Xinjiang. Situated at the edge of the Taklamakan desert, Yecheng is a city with a pretty Bazaar inhabited by Uigur and Han Chinese.
Day 18: Drive Dahongliutan to Mazar (253 km).
We will drive 253 km to Mazar. We are now on the Lingzi Thang Plains; the Kunlun mountain ranges are on the right and the Karakoram mountain range left. The road is very straight, and the landscape fantastic: out of the window scenery appears in brown and red alternatively; emerald small lakes shine under the sunlight
Day 19: Drive Mazar to Yecheng (240 km).
Soon after passing by Mazar we begin to cross the Kunlun Mountains. The Chiragsaldi (4.960 m) is the last pass we have to cross on the way. Afterwards we drive downward along the Yecheng ravine to Xinjiang. Situated at the edge of the Taklamakan desert, Yecheng is a city with a pretty Bazaar inhabited by Uigur and Han Chinese
Day 20: Drive Yecheng to Kashgar (236 km).
Early in the morning we drive about 250 km to Kashgar (1.300 m), the largest oasis of China. The tar road runs at the edge of the Taklamakan desert. On the way enjoy the landscape of Kunlun.In the afternoon we visit the Sundays market of City Kashgar, one of the largest weekly markets of Asia.
Day 21: Kashgar
Situated at the foot of the impressive Pamir mountains, Kashgar was once the key trading post bridging the East and the West. Largely inhabited by the Uygurs, this ancient city is dotted with Muslin architecture and still retains the exotic feel of the Silk Road era. We will visit Kashgar's lively markets, which attract thousands of people from the far corners of the region. They come here to sell, bargain, and trade everything ranging from camels to raisins. Our sightseeing tour will also include the Id Kah Mosque and the tomb of Abjak Hoja. Our tour includes the tombs of Abakh Hoja, the famous Eidgah Mosque and the most unique old town with typical Uyghur styled homes. We visit the various shopping alleys full of noodle shops, bakeries, tea shops, blacksmiths and carpenters. Time has stood still - try a local taxi, which is a donkey cart.
Day 22: Kashgar - Urumqi
Today we will have a free day, allowing you to explore Kashgar's old quarter, home to a fascinating mix of ethnicities - Uygurs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks - or visit one of Kashgar's many other sights. In the evening we will take a flight back to Urumqi.
Day 23: Urumqi - Beijing
Fly back to Beijing. Rest of the day free at leisure.
Day 24: Beijing - Home
Transfer to Airport for homebound flight to departure from Beijing