Lhasa to Mt. Kailash Trek - 12 Days

Tour Type:         Join in small group tour ( Min 1 – Max 12)
Tour Service:    Tibetan Local Tour Guide & Driver
Time to visit:    Available all year around
Trip Level:         Easy trip for all ages

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Tour Highlights

For the journey from Lhasa on to Mt. Kailash, you will begin by exploring the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and its many ancient monasteries and temples, including the famed Potala Palace.

From Lhasa, you will then travel to the beautiful alpine lake of Yamdrok Tso before visiting KaroLaGlacier, Tibet’s most famous glacier. Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city and home toTashi Lhunpo Monastery, one of the largest in Tibet. From there, you will go to the holylakeofManasarovar and Mt. Kailash, Asia’s most revered peak.  You will spend 3 days trekkingaroundthis mountain, which is holy to both Hindu’s and Buddhist’s. This trek attracts Buddhist pilgrimsfrom across Tibet and offers spectacular views of the Himalayas. From Mt. Kailash, you will go to the North Face Everest Base Camp where you will get an up close look at the world’s highest peak.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Lhasa Elevation: 3600 meters

Arrive in Lhasa. When you arrive to Lhasa, you will be met by your guide and transportedtoyour hotel. You can spend the afternoon wandering around the Barkhor, Tibet’s ancient market
area that surrounds Jokhang Temple. Each day thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make their wayaround this sacred temple.

Day 2

Lhasa

You will explore the Jokhang, the holiest Buddhist temple in the Himalaya’s. Founded nearly 1400 years ago, Jokhang Temple houses the most sacred statue of Buddha. You will work your way through this fascinating temple alongside Buddhist pilgrims from the faraway regions of Tibet. The sound of pilgrims chanting mantras fills the air as does the smell of yak butter candle offerings. In the afternoon, you will go to the 600 year old Sera, one of Tibet’s largest Buddhist monasteries. Each weekday afternoon starting at 3pm, monks engage in Buddhist philosophy debates, which are fun to photograph.

Day 3

Lhasa

You will start the day by exploring the Potala Palace, Tibet’s most iconic building. Toweringabove Lhasa with more than 1000 rooms, the Potala Palace served as the winter residence of theDalai Lama’s for hundreds of years. After lunch, you will go to Drepung, another of Tibet’s hugemonastic complexes. The pilgrimage circuit around Drepung takes about an hour andoffersspectacular views.

Day 4

Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Karo La Glacier—Gyantse - Shigatse Distance:360kms Elevation: 3840m

In the early morning you will depart Lhasa and drive to Yamdrok, one of Tibet’s most beautiful
lakes. From the lake, you can see the 7191 meter peak of Nojin Kangtsang in the distance. Youwill then travel along the lakeshore and drive up to the amazing Karo La Glacier before arrivingin the town of Gyantse.In Gyantse, you will visit the Pelkhor Chode Monastery where youcansee the largest stupa (Buddhist pagoda) in Tibet. From Gyantse, you will then make theshort
drive to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. Between Gyantse and Shigatse, you will stopat acouple of traditional farming villages. In Shigatse, you will explore the large monastery complexof Tashi Lhunpo.

Day 5

Shigatse - Saga Distance: 448km Elevation:4500m

Today we will drive straight to Saga through a long valley of Brahmaputra tributary, comparetothe last few years, the road condition is much better as it is recently reconstructed and paved. Overnight at Saga. 448Km, 4500m

Day 6

Saga –Manasorva Lake or Dharchen Distance: 520km. Elevation: 5000m

Today the thrilling journey across the dry and vast plain with stunning views of great Himalayain the south and Trans-Himalayan in the north, the moonscape plain of the region is home for
sparse lone nomads whose lifestyle remains close to what it has been for centuries, and numbersof plateau wild lives. Different natural landscapes like sand dunes and picturesque mountainviews are not only the great beauty of the day but also the holy lakes and mountains. Thenwewill reach to the Manasarovar Lake (victorious lake) in the late afternoon, which is one of theholiest lakes in Tibet and every year it receives hundreds of hundreds of pilgrims fromall cornerof Tibetan plateau, India and Russia. The lake is surround by several prominent peaks like GurlaMandata (7760m). Then we will further drive to Darchen which is the starting point of the Mt
Kailash (7762m) trekking, you will also have great view of the Kailash fromthe front. Darchenis a small nomadic village and now increasing number of guesthouses and restaurants makeit
more commercial. At your arrival you have plenty of time to explore around the town andprepare for the trekking, you can also hiking around the hills to get physically ready for the
trekking. In the afternoon, your guide will arrange others trekking necessities like porters andyaks for your luggage transportation. You can find different restaurants according to your tasteor your guide will help you to find some better ones.Overnight at Manasorva guest house. 520km, 5000m

Day 7

1st Day Trekking: to Dirapuk Distance: 20km Elevation: 4790m

Today our trekking start from Darchen and tracing the small trail in the clockwise circuit aroundthe Peak on an average altitude of 4700m. You will encounter numbers of local Buddhist
pilgrims doing along your way and several Bon believers in the anti-clockwise direction. After
4hours trek we will reach to Tamdin(4780m) where a nomadic tents serves simple lunch andboil
water. From there it is only 4km to Dirakpuk monastery but between this stretches has the someof the best scenery of the entire kora. Dirakpuk was rebuilt in 1985 located on the northsideofthe Lha-chu River facing to the north face of the Mt. Kailash. Dirakpuk name originally comesfrom a word Dira that means female yak horn and Puk means cave that in a mythical storysaysafemale yak opened the cave. Overnight at Dirapuk guesthouse. 20km

Day 8

2 nd Day Trekking: to Zultul Puk Distance: 18kms Elevation: 4790m

Today is the most challenging part of the trekking where we will cross two passes, thoughthereare not too steep but the altitude make is more tiring and slow, after we cross Dikpala (5000m) &Dormala (5600m), the passes are remarked by heaps of prayer flags and cairns, It is worthwhileto spend some minutes on the pass to view and relax, as you are right backside of the Mt. Kailashand offers great view of the holy peak. Then we will climb down into the long valley andstoplunch at Shabjay Dakpo nomadic tent for lunch. Zuktul puk monastery (4790m) also calls themiracle cave that is built by two religious figure Milarepa and Naro Bonchung. And still youcansee the footprint and handprint of Milarepa inside the cave. Overnight at Zultul Puk

Day 9

3 RD Day trek from Zutulpuk to Darchen, Drive to lake manasarovar. Distance: 12kms trek and 80kms drive Elevation: 4400m.

Last day of Trekking and drive to Lake Manasarovar
Today is an easy day trek to complete the circuit and your driver will pick you up fromTashi Do(which is also called as Dzongsar). Then continues drive to Lake Manasarovar and overnight at
guesthouses near the lake.

Day 10

Trace the road back to Saga Distance: 480kms Elevation: 4200m

Today we will trace the road back to Saga.overnight at saga town

Day 11

Saga to Kyirong Distance: 201 KM Elevation:5200

Today we will drive around three to four hours drive and overnight at Kyirong hotel

Day 11

Depart from Kyirong border

Lhasa to Mt. Kailash

The package journey from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash can be done anytime frommid-April throughlate October, however, the months that offer the best views are from mid April throughmidJune and again from mid-September through October

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Lhasa Elevation: 3600 meters

Arrive in Lhasa. When you arrive to Lhasa, you will be met by your guide and transported to your hotel. You can spend the afternoon wandering around the Barkhor, Tibet’s ancient market area that surrounds Jokhang Temple. Each day thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make their wayaround this sacred temple.

Day 2

Lhasa

You will explore the Jokhang, the holiest Buddhist temple in the Himalaya’s. Foundednearly1400 years ago, Jokhang Temple houses the most sacred statue of Buddha. You will workyourway through this fascinating temple alongside Buddhist pilgrims from the faraway regionsofTibet. The sound of pilgrims chanting mantras fills the air as does the smell of yak butter candleofferings. In the afternoon, you will go to 600 year old Sera Monastery, one of Tibet’s largest Buddhist monasteries. Each weekday afternoon starting at 3pm, monks engage in Buddhist philosophy debates, which are fun to photograph.

Day 3

Lhasa

You will start the day by exploring the Potala Palace, Tibet’s most iconic building. Toweringabove Lhasa with more than 1000 rooms, the Potala Palace served as the winter residence of theDalai Lama’s for hundreds of years. After lunch, you will go to Drepung, another of Tibet’s hugemonastic complexes. The pilgrimage circuit around Drepung takes about an hour andoffersspectacular views.

Day 4

Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Karo La Glacier—Gyantse - Shigatse Distance:360kms Elevation: 3840m

In the early morning you will depart Lhasa and drive to Yamdrok, one of Tibet’s most beautiful
lakes. From the lake, you can see the 7191 meter peak of Nojin Kangtsang in the distance. Youwill then travel along the lakeshore and drive up to the amazing Karo La Glacier before arrivingin the town of Gyantse.In Gyantse, you will visit the Pelkhor Chode Monastery where youcansee the largest stupa (Buddhist pagoda) in Tibet. From Gyantse, you will then make theshort
drive to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. Between Gyantse and Shigatse, you will stopat acouple of traditional farming villages. In Shigatse, you will explore the large monastery complexof Tashi Lhunpo.

Day 5

Shigatse - Saga Distance: 448km Elevation:4500m

Today we will drive straight to Saga through a long valley of Brahmaputra tributary, comparetothe last few years, the road condition is much better as it is recently reconstructed and paved. Overnight at Saga. 448Km, 4500m

Day 6

Saga –Manasorva Lake or Dharchen Distance: 520km. Elevation: 5000m

Today the thrilling journey across the dry and vast plain with stunning views of great Himalayain the south and Trans-Himalayan in the north, the moonscape plain of the region is home for sparse lone nomads whose lifestyle remains close to what it has been for centuries, and numbersof plateau wild lives. Different natural landscapes like sand dunes and picturesque mountainviews are not only the great beauty of the day but also the holy lakes and mountains. Thenwewill reach to the Manasarovar Lake (victorious lake) in the late afternoon, which is one of theholiest lakes in Tibet and every year it receives hundreds of hundreds of pilgrims fromall cornerof Tibetan plateau, India and Russia. The lake is surround by several prominent peaks like GurlaMandata (7760m). Then we will further drive to Darchen which is the starting point of the Mt Kailash (7762m) trekking, you will also have great view of the Kailash fromthe front. Darchenis a small nomadic village and now increasing number of guesthouses and restaurants makeit
more commercial. At your arrival you have plenty of time to explore around the town andprepare for the trekking, you can also hiking around the hills to get physically ready for the trekking. In the afternoon, your guide will arrange others trekking necessities like porters andyaks for your luggage transportation. You can find different restaurants according to your tasteor your guide will help you to find some better ones.Overnight at Manasorva guest house. 520km, 5000m

Day 7

1st Day Trekking: to Dirapuk Distance: 20km Elevation: 4790m

Today our trekking start from Darchen and tracing the small trail in the clockwise circuit aroundthe Peak on an average altitude of 4700m. You will encounter numbers of local Buddhist pilgrims doing along your way and several Bon believers in the anti-clockwise direction. After 4hours trek we will reach to Tamdin(4780m) where a nomadic tents serves simple lunch and boil water. From there it is only 4km to Dirakpuk monastery but between this stretches has the someof the best scenery of the entire kora. Dirakpuk was rebuilt in 1985 located on the northsideofthe Lha-chu River facing to the north face of the Mt. Kailash. Dirakpuk name originally comesfrom a word Dira that means female yak horn and Puk means cave that in a mythical storysaysafemale yak opened the cave. Overnight at Dirapuk guesthouse. 20km

Day 8

2 nd Day Trekking: to Zultul Puk Distance: 18kms Elevation: 4790m

Today is the most challenging part of the trekking where we will cross two passes, thoughthereare not too steep but the altitude make is more tiring and slow, after we cross Dikpala (5000m) &Dormala (5600m), the passes are remarked by heaps of prayer flags and cairns, It is worthwhileto spend some minutes on the pass to view and relax, as you are right backside of the Mt. Kailashand offers great view of the holy peak. Then we will climb down into the long valley andstoplunch at Shabjay Dakpo nomadic tent for lunch. Zuktul puk monastery (4790m) also calls themiracle cave that is built by two religious figure Milarepa and Naro Bonchung. And still youcansee the footprint and handprint of Milarepa inside the cave. Overnight at Zultul Puk.

Day 9

3 RD Day trek from Zutulpuk to Darchen, Drive to lake manasarovar. Distance: 12kms trek and 80kms drive Elevation: 4400m.

Last day of Trekking and drive to Lake Manasarovar Today is an easy day trek to complete the circuit and your driver will pick you up fromTashi Do(which is also called as Dzongsar). Then continues drive to Lake Manasarovar and overnight at
guesthouses near the lake.

Day 10

Trace the road back to Saga Distance: 480kms Elevation: 4200m

Today we will trace the road back to Saga.overnight at saga town..

Day 11

Saga to Kyirong Distance: 201 KM Elevation:5200

Today we will drive around three to four hours drive and overnight at Kyirong hotel

Day 12

Depart from Kyirong border

Lhasa to Mt. Kailash

The package journey from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash can be done anytime frommid-April throughlate October, however, the months that offer the best views are from mid April throughmidJune and again from mid-September through October.

  • All accommodations (based on double occupancy)
  • Breakfast each morning in Tibet
  • Bottled drinking water
  • All ground transportation in Tibet
  • All entrance fees for the itinerary listed
  • All Tibet travel permits
  • Local Tibetan guide fees
  • All meals and accommodations for your driver and guide
  • Lhasa Airport or train station pick up and transfer
  • Passport and Chinese Visa fees
  • International airfare to/from Lhasa, Tibet
  • Yak, horse or porter fees at Mt. Kailash
  • Lunch and dinner
  • Bottled water along the Kailash trek
  • Travel vaccinations
  • Insurance (travel, medical, etc)
  • Souvenirs or personal items such as laundry, snacks, alcohol drinks, etc
  • Photography fees inside temples and monasteries
  • Gratuities to the Tibetan guide and driver
  • Slight additional cost to depart Tibet at the Nepal border

Upon joining, each participant will be sent a list of required and recommendedgear for this journey that they will be responsible for.

In Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Saga, you will be staying in comfortableandpleasant locally-rated 3 or 4 Star Tibetan-owned hotels. At Lake Manasarovar and alongthetrekaround Mt. Kailash, accommodations will be very simple guesthouses as these areas areveryremote and poor. Guesthouses have no heat, but plenty of blankets. Toilets are usuallyoutsideand are not always clean. Showers are often unavailable at guesthouses or are available at alocal
shower house that is not attached to the hotel. Hotel upgrades available in Lhasa upon request.

Breakfast is included in the price for each morning you are in lhasa and shigatse. Lunchand dinner are not included in the price.

Participants must be in good health and be able to spend each day walkingaroundtowns, villages and monasteries. Most of this tour will take place in mountainous terrain between3600 meters and 5200 meters (11,800 feet to 17,000 feet) above sea level. The 3 day trekaroundMt. Kailash is 52 kilometers long and will take 3 days to complete. This trek is beautiful, but isquite demanding as the high pass rises to 5630 meters (18,465 feet). You will spend 3 nightsinLhasa for altitude acclimatization before going above 3600 meters. Ascent will be slowandgradual along the way from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash.

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