Mt. everest & mt kailash kora piligrimage group tour - 15 Days

Our staff will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway to transfer you to the hotel. From Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa, usually takes about 1.5hrs; from Lhasa Railway Station, about 20mins. After being transferred to the hotel, the rest of the day you will be free to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day’s well-rest is crucial to acclimatize to high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and not shower if you can help it. For our free Lhasa Airport/Railway transfer, please check the Inclusions for the information of our free Lhasa Airport/Railway transfers.
Overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Highlights: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Today you will visit attractions in the Lhasa suburb. You will stay for long hours sightseeing under the fierce sun of Tibet, so arm yourself with sunglasses/ hat/ sunscreen, etc.

A welcome dinner will be held tonight to introduce you to the whole gang that you are going to travel with. We have customers from all over the world. Shall be fun to meet people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds.

Located about 8km west of central Lhasa, Drepung Monastery was once one of the world’s largest monasteries. The word Drepung literally translates as ‘rice heap’, a reference to the huge numbers of white monastic buildings that once piled up on the hillside.
Sera Monastery is located in the northern suburb of Lhasa City. The monastery was named Sera which means wild rose in the
Tibetan language, because the hill behind it was covered with wild roses in bloom when the monastery was built. From of
Mon ~ Fri, every afternoon, you’ll be able to see monks debating at Sera Monastery.
Overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Highlights: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
As the capital city, Lhasa is the political, economic, cultural, communication and tourism center of Tibet with a history over 1300 years.

This morning, visit Potala Palace. It is more than 3,700 meters above sea level and it is the highest palace in the world! At the top the palace called golden roofs, you can have a bird-eye view of the whole of Lhasa. In the distance there are undulating mountain ranges, the beautiful Lhasa River, tracts of fields, tree-shaded villages and the glistening Jokhang Temple.
Afternoon, visit Jokhang Temple, it is the first built during the period of Sontsan Gambo in the 7th century, features Buddhist prayer wheels, reclining deer, golden sutra streamers. You’ll find that many Pilgrims pray before the monastery.
The circuit around it called Barkhor Street, a famous local handmade crafts market, which is a good place to purchase souvenirs.
Overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkor Chöde Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum
From Lhasa to Gyantse is abt 264km, en route you will pass by Khamba-la Pass (4794m), and with the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m) at far distance in view.

Yamdrotso Lake: dazzling Yamdro-tso(elev 4441m) is normally first seen from the summit of the Kamba-la(4700m). The lake lies several hundred meters below the road, and in clear weather is fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang(7191m).
Karola Glacier: Mt Nojin Kangsang stands tall with an elevation of 7,191m between Gyantze County and Nagarzê County, with several snow-capped mountains over 6,000m surrounding it. Mount Nojin Kangsang is the most accessible glacier site on the Tibetan Plateau. The famous Kharola Glacier (elev 5,560m) is below the south ridge of Nojin Kangsang.
Pelkor Chöde Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum: the sprawling compound in the far north of town houses Pelkor Chöde Monastery and the monumental Gyantse Kumbum, a chörten filled with fine paintings and statues. Both are deservedly top of the list on most travellers’ must-sees. Palkhor lies at the foot of Dzong Hill. It is well-known for its Kumbum, which has 108 chapels in its four floors. The multi-storied Kumbum Stupa was crowned with a golden dome and umbrella, surrounded with more chapels filled with unique religious statues and murals.
Overnight in Gyantse,3★

Highlights: Tashilump Monastery
Travelling from Gyantse to Shigatse will lead you through the fertile Nyangchu Valley, a wide agricultural plain where colourfully decorated yaks and horses are used by Tibetan farmers to till the land.
After arrival in Shigatse, we will first go to apply the Alien’s Travel Permit (PSB) with your original passport presented which usually takes abt 30mins before sightseeing. Bear with us.

Tashilunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat Sect) in Tibet. Also called the Heap of Glory, the monastery is located at the foot of Drolmari (Tara’s Mountain), Shigatse. Founded by the First Dailai Lama in 1447, the monastery’s structure was expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas. It covers an area of nearly 300,000 square meters. The main structures found in the monastery are Maitreya Chapel, Panchen Lama’s Palace, and Kelsang Temple. Tashilhunpo is the seat of Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.
Overnight in Shigatse, 3★/4★

Optional: Rongbuk Monastery
Tibet has a serious rule about speed limits. Though from Shigatse to Everest region is only about 350km or so in the book, the no-more-than-40km/hr regulation, and the many road checks dotted on the way, really slow us down. So be prepared to spend around 10~12hrs on the road including mealtime. The upside is that the view along the way is superb. Get your camera ready. Also, prepare some snacks with you to bring along.
You will arrive at Rongbuk Monastery in the late afternoon. The monastery itself is quite tiny, but from here the view of Mt Everest is fantastic.

Rongbuk Monastery is located in the Shigatse Region, southwest of the mysterious Tibet Autonomous Region, and to the north of the oblate Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. Seen from here, Mt. Everest appears like a lofty pyramid surrounded by mountains that touch the sky. On sunny days, a pile of thick clouds, just like a white flag floats lightly above the peak, which is known to be the miracle of ‘The Highest Flag Cloud in the World’. Nowadays, with the golden travel boom to Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery is gradually becoming a highlight for tourists in its own right.
Overnight in EBC, Nomad Tent (Dorm Bed)

Highlights: Everest Base Camp, Peikutso Lake
From EBC to Saga is about 460km, a hard drive of about 10~12hrs. The sprawling truck-up town of Saga is the last of any size on your tour to Mt Kailash. Cherish it – have a lavish meal and take a long hot shower, which you have to do without for the following days.

Everest Tent Camp is the furthest point vehicles can drive to. From here you will have to take the shuttle bus for the last glorious 4Km which is incredibly scenic. You’re hemmed in by high grey ridges to the east and west and as you look to the south, Everest’s north face dominates the skyline. Endowed with springs, Everest Base Camp (level 5150m) has a couple of permanent structures and a small army base. Clamber up the small hill festooned with prayer flags for great views of the star attraction, Mt. Everest, then have your photo taken at the base camp marker, reads ‘Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp’.
Peikutso Lake: the beautiful turquoise Peikutso (4590m) is one of Tibet’s magical spots with stunning views of the snowcapped
Shishapangma (8012m) and the Langtang range bordering Neppal to the south.
Overnight in Saga, Guesthouse

Drive from Saga to Zhongba to Paryang to Hor Qu then finally today’s destination of Darchen. A photogenic section of dunes, lakes, and mountains kicks in 60km from Zhongba. About 23km before Paryang you create a pass and drop past more dunes to Paryang. Photos taken along this route can often get steppe, streams, desert dunes, and snowcapped mountains in the same shot.
Overnight in Darchen, Guesthouse /4★

Highlights: Mt. Kailash
The Kora path begins on the western edge of Darchen. Quickly leaving all traces of the village behind, you head westward across the Batkha plain, a sandy expanse speckled with greenery like a massive camouflage jacket. To the north, the east-west ridge blocks your view of Mt Kailash, but to the southeast are clear views of huge Gurla Mandata(7728m). API and other peaks in Nepal are visible to the south while looking to the southwest for the twin, sharp humps of Kamet(7756m) in India.
Only 4km from Darchen the trail climbs up over the southwest end of the ridge to reach a cairn at 4790m. The cairn is bedecked with prayer flags and marks the first views of Mt Kailash’s southern face, the first of the kora’s four prostration points.
Very quickly the trail bends round to the north and enters the barren Lha-chu Valley. The valley is so open at this point you can see ahead to the tall Tarboche flagpole (4750) in the distance, one of the most significant sites for the Saga Dawa Festival.
Just west of Tarboche is the ‘two-legged’ Chorten Kangnyi. It’s an auspicious act for pilgrims to walk through the small Chorten’s archway. A short climb above Tarchorten to the east is the sky-burial site of the 84 mahasiddhas(Tantric practitioners who reached a high level of awareness). The first of the kora’s three Buddha footprints are here, but hard to find. The views of the valley are superb from here.
Beyond Tarboche the valley narrows dramatically at an area called Sershong. You can begin to get clear shots of Mt Kailash now, standing to attention above the eastern ridge.
Chuku Monastery (4820m), founded in the 13th century by Gotsangpa Gompo Pel, a Kagyupa-order master, is perched high above the valley floor on the hillside to the west. It bends so secretly into its rocky background you may not be able to notice it’s there.
From the Chuku it’s about 3 hrs to Dir-Puk Monastery. Take your time between this stretch for it has some of the best scenery of the entire Kora. High sedimentary faces, wonderfully puckered and dented, and chiseled into shapes that seem alive, hem you in on both sides. When the weather is warmer there’s even the occasional ribbon of water tumbling down the slopes from hundreds of meters high. Along the route, you will find the second prostration point, with its prayer flags and clear view of the east side of Mt Kailash. 30mins later, just past a tea tent selling the usual drinks and snakes, look for the second Buddha footprint, and a carving of the god Tamdrin, a wrathful horse-headed deity, on a black stone smeared with eons of yak butter. From the rock, the trail starts to climb and heads northeast toward Dira-Puk Monastery.
Dira-Puk (Lhalung Dira) Monastery (5080m) sits in a superb location on the hillside north of the Lha-Chu. It directly faces the astonishing north face of Mt Kailash, which from this angle appears as a massive, jet-black slab of granite ornamented with alabaster-white strips of snow. Three lesser mountains are arrayed in front of Mt Kailash: Chana Dorie to the west, Jampelyang to the east, and Chenresig in the center.
Overnight in Dirapuk, Camp/Guesthouse (Dorm Bed)

Highlights: Mt. Kailash
No doubt when you wake in the morning and step outside you’ll want to revel in the glory of your surroundings. Mt Kailash’s dramatic black face dominates the skyline, while the middle slopes echo with the moans of yaks.
The main kora path heads off to the east, crossing the Lha-chu by bridge, and then climbs on to a moraine to meet the trail on the east bank. The long ascent up the Drolma-chu Valley that will eventually lead to the Drolma-la has begun.
Less than an hour along is the meadow at Jarok Donkhang (5210m). Near Jarok Donkhang a trail branches off to the southeast, leading over the snow-covered Khando Sanglam-la. Also nearby, Polung Glacier descends from the east ridge off the north face of Mt Kailash, down through the Polung Valley between Chenresig and Jampelyang.
Only a short distance above Jarok Donkhang is the rocky expanse of Shiva-tsal (5330m). Pilgrims are supposed to undergo a symbolic death at this point, entering the realm of the Lord of the Deas, until they reach the top of the Drolma-la and are reborn again. It is customary to leave sth behind at Shivatsal, an item of clothing, a drop of blood, or a lock of hair, to represent the act of leaving this life behind.
After Shiva-tsal the trail mercifully flattens for a time and proceeds along a glacial ridge. There are a number of interesting sights ahead, such as the sin-testing stone of Bardo Trang (a flat boulder that pilgrims are supposed to squeeze under to measure their sinfulness).
About 30 minutes from Shiva-tsal the trail turns eastward for the final ascent. Allow around an hour for the 200m climb to the top of the Drolma-La (5640m). After a few false summits, the rocky pass is reached. The great cubic Drolma Do(Drolma’s Rock) that marks the top is barely visible behind an enormous number of prayer flags.
Weather permitting, most pilgrims and trekkers pause at the pass for rest and refreshment before starting the steep descent. Almost immediately, Gauri Kund(5608m), the Lake of Compassion.
It takes approximately an hour to make the long and steep 400m descent to the grassy banks of the Lham-chu Khir. En route, there is a much-revered footprint of Milarepa. When the trail reaches the valley, you may find nomad tents and a teahouse selling drinks and noodles. A huge rock topped by the kora’s third Buddha footprint stands nearby.
About 30 mins south, a valley comes down from the Khando Sanglam-la to join the western trail. This valley provides the only glimpse of Mt Kailash’s eastern or crystal face. The kora’s third prostration point is at the valley mouth.
Grassy fields start to appear alongside the river. A couple of hours from the third Buddha footprint a side valley enters from the left. From here on the river changes its name to the Dzong-chu, translated as ‘Fortress River’.
Soon you will see Zutul-Puk Monastery (4820m). The miracle cave that gives the monastery its name is at the back of the main hall. Milarepa’s footprint and handprint can still be seen today.
Overnight in Zutulpuk, Camp/Guesthouse (Dorm Bed)

Highlights: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar
From Zutul-Puk Monastery the trail follows the river closely for an hour or so then climbs above the river and enters the lovely Gold & Red Cliffs, a narrow canyon whose walls are stained purple, cobalt, and rust.
When the canyon narrows look for holes gouged into the cliff walls. These are not natural but made by pilgrims looking for holy stones. Also, look for prayer flags festooned across the river, and in the far distance the blue waters of lake Rakshas Tal.
Where the trail emerges onto the Barkha plain, close to the fourth prostration point, Gurla Mandata is again visible in the distance. It’s now an easy 1hr walk back to Darchen along a dirt road.

Meet your driver at Darchen. Drive to Lake Manasarovar, which is the most venerated of all Tibet’s many sacred lakes. It is especially sacred to Hindus, who have been walking around it for approaching 2,000 years. Buddhists associate the lake with Maya, Buddha’s mother. Hindu and Buddhist cosmology had it that nearby Mt. Kailash is the center of the world and that Manasarovar is the source of four of Asia’s great rivers.
Overnight in Manasarovar, Guesthouse (dorm bed)

Enjoy the ride back with leisure. Our vehicle will stop along the ride for you to take photos.
Overnight in Saga, Guesthouse

Enjoy the ride back with leisure. Our vehicle will stop along the ride for you to take photos.
Overnight in Shigatse, 3★/4★

Highlights: Tibetan Incense Workshop in Nyemo
We will depart today from your hotel in Lhasa around 08:00ish. The road condition is pretty good but because of the speed limit, we will spend about 6 hrs on the road.

Tibetan Incense Workshop in Nyemo: with a unique harmless formula—adequate water supply, favorable climate, and various plants, the Tibetan incense produced in Tomba Township, Nyemo County has a history of more than 1,000 years. Except for sacrificial ceremonies, this fragrant incense also can be used to prevent infectious diseases like flu and influenza, for its ingredients contain herbal medicines such as saffron, Sandalwood, Chinese Usnea, and borneol.
Overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Your tour ends today. Our guide and driver will collect you from your hotel to transfer you to Lhasa Airport/Railway for your next destination.

End of tour!