Once your flight or train arrives at Lhasa airport or train station. Our guide will be waiting for you there. If you take flight into Lhasa, please go out to the entrance of the parking lot where your guide will be waiting for you. Should you take the train in, you will meet our guide once you come out of the train station and get to the plaza. The guide will always hold your name sign or other placard your travel consultant tells you. The rest of the day is at your own to wander around or just rest to acclimatize.
Today, you’ll visit Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace. Potala Palace is the worldwide known cardinal landmark of Tibet. The massive structure itself contains a small world within it. Mostly it is renowned as residence of the Dalai Lama lineages (Avalokiteshvara). Jokhang Temple is the most scared shrine in Tibet which was built in 7th century and located at the heart of old town in Lhasa. The circuit around the Jokhang called Barkhor Street is a good place to purchase souvenirs. Both of them are the focal points of pilgrims from entire Tibetan world, multitudinous pilgrims are circumambulating and prostrating in their strong faith. Afterwards stroll on the narrow streets of Lhasa old town to meet local people and visit their markets. Overnight in Lhasa.
Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple
Drive about 8km west of central Lhasa, we come to the Drepung Monastery, once world's largest monastery with about 10,000 monks. This day's sightseeing begins with these white monastic buildings piled up on the hillside. Walking up to the hill is a pleasant thing, an easy break from the solemn ambience inside the halls and chapels. At the plat roof of hillside, you can have very good views of the whole Lhasa city and the distant mountains. Drepung is one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries. Later after lunch, witness the Buddhist doctrines debating session at Sera Monastery. With golden roofs and whitewashed walls, this fifteenth-century monastery is one of the six great Gelukpa sect academies in Tibet.
Drepung Monastery
Sera Monastery
Today, take the morning flight to Nagri. After arrival, we’ll drive to visit Lake Manasarovar. You can relax around the lake shore for a while and experience the natural beauty of the lake. In the summer time, flocks of swans will gather on the lake, bringing grace and life to the area. You can also see so many Tibetans and Hindus praying and circling around the lake shore for the whole day, snow-capped mountains on the background and hundreds of swans gathering on the lake, attracting hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the world. Then drive forward to Darchen, where is the beginning of the Mt. Kailash Kora, Your tour guide will help arrange trekking animal and porter (self-paid) and doing some preparation for your following 3 days trekking around Mt. Kailash. Overnight in Darchen.
Lake Manasarovar
Darchen
Today you'll commence your challenging trek of the Kailash Kora. The devout believe this demanding 52km circumambulation of the holy mountain through treacherous terrain will bring good fortune. We head west in clockwise direction and after a few kilometers the trail climbs up to a cairn at 4730m from where the southern face of Mt. Kailash comes to view. En route visit Tarboche where annual flagpole raising ceremony takes place during Saga Dawa.
Darchen
Kailash Kora
The second day is the hardest and most tough circuit with the Dolma-la pass lying 6.4km ahead but 762m above Drirapuk. The peak of Dolma-la pass is about 5630m above sea level, so it is better to set off early in the morning as the sun rays break over the ridges above. After taking a rest at the peak of Dolma-la pass, you will descending staircase bringing you to Lhachu valley floor, taking about one hour from the pass. From here it is still four hours trekking to the today's final destination with no shelters on the way. It is better to walk on the right side of the river and finally get to Dzultripuk (with miracle cave of Milarepa). It is advisable to get there before other groups because limited number of rooms are available there in Dzultripuk. Take a good rest in the guest room and prepare for next morning's departure.
Dolma-la Pass
Kailash Kora
Today you will trek to Darchen. This 5 hours trek takes you 14km downhill. From Zutrulpuk Monastery, trek on a riverside trail for about an hour, then climbs above the river and enters the lovely Gold & Red Cliffs, a narrow canyon with its walls being stained purple, cobalt and rust. Where the trail emerges onto the Barkha plain, a short distance to the 4th prostration point (4610m), Gurla Mandata is again visible in the distance. It is now an easy one hour walk back to Darchen along a dirt road. We complete the 3 day circuit trek of Mt. Kailash. Have a good rest in the afternoon. Stay overnight at Darchen.
Kailash Kora
Kailash Kora
Today, we take flight back to Lhasa, and have a good rest and free time at your own disposal. Overnight in Lhasa.
Airport and train station send off will be arranged today, the time to say your farewells to your guide and driver, end the trip.
Note: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
※What is a Private Tour?
A Private Tour Package means you will have your own private guide, driver, and vehicle for your own disposal. You don't have to share the vehicle with others even if you are a single traveler. You would have full attention of your guide and driver. Our professional guide would love to share local culture, knowledge and stories.
Your private guide would also help you make an easier, comfortable, flexible and enjoyable tour. You can stop on the road to get a rest or take pictures during the drive. You have the flexibility of changing the visiting order of attractions or extending the visiting time at some tourist sites.
We will arrange the private airport or train station pick-up and see-off for you. Upon your arrival, you can find our guide waiting at the pick-up area, holding a name sign, welcome you with a warm smile. You will be transferred to hotel.
When traveling with your family or friends, a private tour would be your first choice.
※Accommodation Choices
For private tour, we can arrange hotels according to your requirements. There are options of budget guesthouse, 3 star hotel, 4 star hotel, high-end luxury hotel or bouquet heritage hotel. If you have your own preferred hotel, just let us know, we will help you with the booking, everything would be arranged as per your interests.
※Meal Choices
Our tour packages generally include breakfasts. Meanwhile, lunches and dinners are optional to be arranged either by yourself or by us.
It’s easy to find nice restaurants in China, and you could also ask for suggestions from your guide. They always know where you can find something tasty.
The price would be different according to different food:
1. If you choose noodles, around RMB 15-30 per person.
2. If you like some fast food like KFC, around RMB 25-40 per person.
3. If you prefer some food at a decent restaurant, around RMB 70-150 per person.
Potala Palace
Mt. Everest
Yamdrok Lake
Sera Monastery
Namtso Lake
Mt. Kailash
From Mr. Gerard AdrienHi Daniel. We are already on our way back to Shanghai. We would like to thank you for the great trip we had. Our guide Jampa and our driver did an excellent job. They are both very recommendable! We enjoyed the trip despite the altitude discomfort we experienced during the first 3 days. Thank you!
From Ms. Elena Maria ValisiI highly recommend this agency. I travelled with other 2 couples who booked through different agencies and they paid a lot more to have less assistance, same hotels/tour/guide/car, less flexibility and no travel insurance included.
