Tibet Everest with Kailash Group Tour

Day 1: Lhasa Arrival

You are warmly greeted to Tibet by hearing TashiDelek at the Train station/airport from the local guide, and then be escorted to your reserved hotel in Lhasa. After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimate yourself to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa.

In today(or tomorrow)'s evening, a welcome dinner will be held to meet other members of this group tour. Enjoy the party.

Tips of today:

1. Go for some walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activities;

2. You’d better not have bath; 3. Drink more water.

Day 2: Lhasa

After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up in your hotel. Then drive about 30 minutes to visit the Drepung Monastery. This Gelug monastery has a history of more than 500 years. It used to be the largest monastery in the world with totally 10,000 monks there. Many precious stupas, sculptures, paintings, Thangka are displayed in the hundreds of chapels. And the annual Shoton Festival is organized here.

In the afternoon, you will visit another famous Gelug monastery around Lhasa city - Sera Monastery, which is famous for its “Buddhism Scriptures Debating”. It is only 3km away from Lhasa city. Enjoy the debating.

Tips of today:

1. Feel free to ask tour guide questions about Buddhism or else;

2. Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately; 3. If you don't know where to have meals, restaurant in your hotel is a great choice.

Day 3: Lhasa

In the morning, the overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street where you can buy Tibetan traditional or religious things as souvenir.

Tips of today:

1. Wear hat and sun glasses to prevent ultraviolet radiation, but remember to take off when visiting in the monasteries.

2. Usually taking photos is not allowed in chapels inside monastery. 3. Remember to bring your passport which is needed to showcase when check in Potala Palace.

Day 4: Lhasa - Gyantse

After breakfast, start your overland tour from Lhasa to Gyangtse. After about 2 hours driving along Nyangchu Valley, crossing over the summit of Kamba La Pass(altitude: 5,030m), you’ll get to the tranquil turquoise Yamdrok Lake. Stop and enjoy the stunning views. Yamdrok is one of the clearest lakes without any pollution in Tibet. The water is as clean as crystal, and the glimmering water will shock you in sunshine. Far in the distance you’ll spot the towering massif Mt. NojinKangtsang (altitude: 7191m). Leaving Yamdrok and driving forward, you can see the imposing Karo-la Glacier (5045m) along the highway.

Once arrival at Gyantse, feel hungry? Have a good lunch, then stroll to visit the Palcho Monastery. The highlight is the Kubum Stupa has a 35m-high chorten with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome.

Stay overnight in Gyantse.

Tips of today:

1. Wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild;

2. Prepare some food and drinks in advance because you will spend much time on the road.

Day 5: Gyantse - Shigatse

After breakfast, drive about 2 hours to the second largest city in Tibet - Shigatse. It is another important Tibet Buddhist center in Tibet region.

After arrival at Shigatse city, your tour guide will go to apply the Alien's Travel Permit(PSB) with your original passport, which will take about 30 minutes. Then drive across several streets to visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the home of the Panchen Lama. The monastery was founded in 1447, and has been the seat of sucessive Panchen Lamas for centuries. It remains popular among the tibetans, as they carry on coming here on pilgrimage. The monastery is an interesting sprawling amalgam of traditional Tibetan monastic style halls, chapels and other structures connected by precipitous steps and narrow cobblestone alleys. The interplay between Tashilumpo's golden roofs and its white, red and black exterior walls creates a striking composition.

Have a good rest in Shigatse City.

Day 6: Shigatse - Rongbuk Monastery

After breakfast, set out to chase the journey to the peak of the world - Mt. Everest. Departing from Shigatse city, via Lhatse, you will witness spectacular high plateau views that you can never see in other places - super blue sky, float light clouds, stretching snow mountains, endless grasslands... Finally you will reach the outstanding Everest. Stop at the foot of Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. Enjoy the intoxicating view of Mt. Everest. (Rongbuk Monastery visiting is optional at your own expense, and charges 35 RMB)

Stay overnight at Rongbuk Monastery Guest House or local Tibetan tents.

Tips of today:

1. Bring more food and drinks for long driving;

2. Bring a warm and thick coat for low temperature in Everest; 3. Avoid strenuous activity.

Day 7: Mount Everest - Saga

Wake up early to enjoy the marvelous sunrise on the peak of the world. After breakfast, take a sightseeing bus to the Everest Base Camp which is about 8 km from Rongpuk Monastery. While you can also hike up if you are energetic. In the EBC, you can get the best Everest view. The peak is blessed with many extreme wonders. The top part of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round, when the sun shines on the mountain, the peak is like white pyramid. More often, the thick freely moves clouds and fogs, seems as if a flag with the mast of the peak was swinging, will shroud the peak. This peculiar phenomenon of Mt. Everest is known as “Flag Cloud”. An additional wonder generated here are the bright glaciers, where ices are formed into various shapes like bridges, pagodas and others.

Lastly, go down from EBC back to Rongpuk Monastery area, then leave for next destination - Saga County. About 8 hours driving may be long and tough, but the landscape you can enjoy on route is fabulous - witness the dominating snow peak Shishapangma from afar, get shocked by desolate and wild plains, enjoy the pure scenery of the Pelkhutso Lake (4600m)...

Tips of today:

1. Sunrise starts around 6:30 am to 7 am.

2. Get well prepared for long driving on the road.

Day 8: Saga - Darchen

After breakfast, you have to take another long driving about 550km from Saga to Darchen (4,575m), a small village located as the starting point of  the walking kora of the holy Mount Kailash. During the auspicious pilgrimage times, Darchen will be flooded with Pilgrims with hundreds of tents all over the small village.

Accommodate at local guesthouse in Darchen.

Day 9: Trek from Darchen to Dirapuk

Trekking Time: 5-6 hrs, 20km

Trek from Darchen (4,560m) to Dirapuk Monastery (4,750m). The trek is a gradual walk in the clockwise circuit at the average altitude of more than 4,700 meters. You will be accompanied by many local Buddhist pilgrims also walking the same kora. If you meet people who come the anti-clockwise direction, don't be surprise, they are Bon pilgrims. You will stop at the Tamdin (4,780m) for lunch and hot water supply. Then keep trekking 4km to the final destinations of today - DirakpukMonaster. This section of trekking boasts some of the best scenery of the entire kora.

Accommodate at Dirapuk guesthouse.

Day 10: Trek from Dirapuk to Zutulpuk

Trekking Time: 6-7 hrs, 18km

Trek from Dirapuk Monastery uprising 762 meters at altitude to Zutulpuk Monastery by crossing Drolma-la Pass (5,630m) before quickly descending to Dzutul-puk monastery (Dzutul-puk means "magical cave" in Tibetan).

Stay overnight at the tent guesthouse of monastery.

Day 11: Zutulpuk - Darchen - Lake Manasarovar

Trekking Time: 3 hrs,11km

Wake up in the holy sunrise of Mount Kailash, after breakfast, you will trek back to Darchen. Todays' trekking is leisure and relaxing, which can be done in 3 ~ 4 hours. On route, explore the meditation cave of Milarepa, the famous Buddhist master and Yoga meditator. Surrounding the cave are many temples and shrines.

Once you exist from the valley, your driver will pick you up and transfer to visit the famous holy lake Manasarovar. Like Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar is a holy place of pilgrimage, attracting religious people from India, Nepal, the neighboring countries and Tibet. Believers bath in the Manasarovar Lake and drink its water are believed to cleanse all sins. Every summer, pilgrims from Tibet, India and Nepal cluster to make circumambulation and bathe in the lake. After that, they will return home and bring some samples of the holy water to family and friends as precious gifts.

Stay over night in a local guest house near the Lake Manasarovar.

Day 12: Manasarovar - Payang - Saga

Drive through the windswept territory passing many villages and camps of Yak herders, and back to Saga. There are many opportunities to take great pictures!

Day 13: Saga - Shigatse

Today, you will drive back to Shigatse from Saga, which is a driving distance of about 448km (abourn 9 hours).

(Note: Once the Jilong port on the Tibet-Nepal border is opened for travlers, you can also drive from Saga to Jilong on the Day 13, and leave Jilong for Kathmandu on the Day 14)

Day 14: Shigatse - Lhasa

After breakfast, drive about 6 hours to Lhasa. On the halfway, you will take a visit to NyemoTunba which was the home of TunmiSangbuzha who invented the Tibetan character as well as the famous Tibetan Tibetan Incense. Here in Tunba, you also have chance to witness the process of making Tibetan Incense with water mill. At the same time, the scenery here is fabulous - ancient cypress trees, green willows, murmuring river...

Have a good rest in Lhasa.

Day 15: Lhasa Departure

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of today: 1. please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel. 2. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.

Compliments by Kailash Yatra Team of NTP

·  Duffle Bag

·   Cap

·   Jacket

·   Carry Bag, Passport Pouch

·   Yatra Completion Certificate 

Useful Trip Notes:

1. What Are the Features of Our Group Tours

Our Group Tours are budget tour packages with great service which have covered the most popular destinations in Tibet with reasonable trip lengths. Joining in our group tours, you will choose your travel dates from our fixed departures and travel in a small group with maximum members of 12 people.

2. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (NTP Representative office, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

3. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, May to early October is the best time to for a Mount Kailash trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It may be too cold to travel in Kailash area from November to March. There is usually heavy snow. The conditions in Namtso Lake and Mount Everest area are quite similar with Kailash. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.

4. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

5. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. Kathmandu also has several flights to Lhasa each week.

If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

6. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.

As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.

Special Notes:

1.    We strongly advise to allot 1-2 extra days to overcome any delays.

2.    Due to the nature of travel, there is always the possibility of change in the schedule. The Tour Operator or its partners shall not be liable for any such delays.

3.    NTP Tourism Affairs Ltd.  Has the right to change the Itinerary in the event of adverse weather condition or any unforeseen reason.

4.    The Group will be required to follow the itinerary strictly. The entire Group will enter & exit together as per schedule.

 Delays though not perceived as rule but eventuality to safeguard your back home engagements such extensions are suggested, likewise the insurance cover to augment.