15 Days Lhasa to Kailash Pilgrimage Tour

Welcome to Lhasa! It can be said that Lhasa is a city with both human and natural landscapes. Lhasa is the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region and the political, economic, cultural and religious center of Tibet; it is also the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa is located in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau and the north of the Himalayas, with an altitude of 3650 meters. After arriving in Lhasa, local tour guide will welcome you at the airport/train station, then transfer the guests to the hotel. Acclimatize the high altitude in the hotel.

Lhasa has sunny weather throughout the year with little rainfall. There is no severe cold in winter and no intense heat in summer; the climate is pleasant. The annual sunshine time is more than 3000 hours, which is known as the "sunshine city". The tour will begin from UNESCO World Heritage site - Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of Dalai Lama. It's situated at 12,139 feet above sea level. It's a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts. Potala Palace is located on the Maburi mountain in the northwest of Lhasa city. It is a palace-castle style building complex. It was originally built by Zanpu Songzanganbu of Tubo Dynasty to marry Princess Wencheng. Potala Palace is an outstanding representative of Tibetan architecture as well as the essence of ancient Chinese architecture. The architectural art of Potala Palace is the most outstanding representative of thousands of Tibetan Buddhist temples and palaces. It is a unique example in China and even in the world. In addition, about 200 cultural relics in the Potala Palace treasure museum are on display, including letters of patent, seals, gifts, documents and classics, palm leaf scriptures, statues of Buddha, Thangka, magic tools, etc. Therefore, you can explore more about traditional Chinese culture and religious culture and also can get spiritual strength in this unique holy land.

Then continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It's a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Located in the center of the old urban area of Lhasa, it is a Tibetan Buddhist temple built by Tibetan king Songzanganbu. The reason why Lhasa has the reputation of "holy land" is related to this Buddha statue. Jokhang Temple has a history of more than 1300 years and has a supreme position in Tibetan Buddhism. Jokhang Temple is the most brilliant architecture in Tibet during the Tubo Period, and it is also the earliest civil structure architecture in Tibet. It has created the Tibetan Pingchuan style temple Municipal Bureau style. 

And next to the temple there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry. It has strong local style and national characteristics. Bakhor Street is the most famous commodity street in Lhasa. It is also an ancient and sacred place in Lhasa; you can visit Bakhor street for a long time and buy some souvenirs if you like.

In the morning, tourists are going to visit Drepung monastery which was one of the "three greet" Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416. Drepung monastery is one of the six temples of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the largest monastery in the world. Before liberation, there were as many as 10000 monks here.Drepung monastery has a tight architectural structure, connected temples and stacked buildings. Each building unit is basically divided into three horizontal levels: the courtyard, the Sutra hall and the Buddha Hall; forming a pattern of rising layer by layer from the gate to the Buddha Hall, emphasizing and highlighting the noble status of the Buddha Hall. Among them, the large-scale, magnificent and solemn Cuoqin hall is arranged in disorder; and it is the main building of Drepung monastery. Ganden palace is used as Dalai Lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.

Afternoon, Sera Monastery---It was one of the "three great" Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon. And a lot of people come here for watching the debate, so if you can get earlier then you will get a good seat. Besides, the older murals are preserved in many large halls of Sera Monastery. It is best for tourists to bring a flashlight or headlights for easy appreciation. Tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues are also preserved in the temple, some of which are made locally, and a few are brought from the mainland or India. You can see the whole Sera Monastery in the northeast of the Buddha platform ; every year, the Sutra ceremony is held here on the Sho Dun Festival.

Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. Admire the Gampala pass (4790 m) on the way, and get a glimpse of YamdrokTso Lake (4400m), which is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains. In the hearts of Tibetans, YamdrokTso Lake is regarded as "Turquoise Earrings scattered by goddess". In the Gangbala mountain pass, you can overlook the lake. When irradiated at different times, it will show different levels and extremely rich blue. Water sources come from snow water in the Tanggula Mountains and the water changes with light and evolves into a thousand changes in blue. There is a section of road along the lake not far from Gangbala Snow Mountain and you can have a walk here for a while. 

Then continue to drive west towards Gyantse. Gyantse is one of China's historical and cultural sites and an emerging tourist town. In Gyantse, tourists will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum. Gyantse Kumbum has a certain position and influence in the history of Tibetan Buddhism because it has a large temple, many monks and disciples, and can gather various sects such as Sakya, Gelu and Budun in one temple. It also attracts many art connoisseurs and tourists with its unique architectural style and different sculpture and painting. Besides, it is a typical Tibetan Buddhist temple building with a combination of pagodas and temples. There are pagodas in the temple and temples in the pagoda. The pagodas are naturally integrated and complement each other; and it is also considered as the king of towers in Tibet. This temple is admired for its ingenious use of the architectural layout of topography and landform, its magnificent and unique "Pelkor Monastery" and its tolerance of inclusiveness to all Buddhist sects in Tibet. At the same time, it is also famous for its unique architecture, sculpture and mural art. After one and a half hour's drive, clients will arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet.

Drive to Lhatse where tourists can take lunch. Visit Tashilunpo Monastery,Then drive to Shegar and if the weather is clear enough, tourists can view the Mt. Everest in the distance on the way back down. After 4 to 6 hours, arrive at Rongbuk monastery, but on the way there, clients will pass Pang la Pass, one of the highest passes in Tibet at 5050m. From that pass, enjoy view all of the five highest peaks in the world. To Rongbuk monastery, the most attractive place is the nearby Mount Everest. Mount Everest is the main peak of the Himalayas. It is located on the border between China and Nepal. With a height of 8844.43 meters, it is the highest peak in China. Mount Everest is a huge pyramid. Powerful and majestic, the terrain is extremely steep and the environment is very complex. Here you have enough time to take some photos or videos and enjoy the spectacular and amazing views. 

Drive to Saga，in the morning,we can enjoy the sunrise of Everest Peak at lodging area if weather permits; then As we head to saga, you can view of the world's 14th highest peak Mt.Shishapangma (8012m), and  Turquoise Lake Peiku tso(4590m). The natural landscape comes from the special geographical environment. And the terrain of Saga County belongs to the plateau mountain type; the terrain slopes from north to east with large fluctuations. There are the Gangdise Mountains in the northwest and the Himalayas in the south. The main peaks in the territory are: Gangri Lunbu, 7000 meters above sea level, covered with snow all year round; in Rujiao Township there is Baili Kangri, 7095 meters above sea level. So, it is an ideal mountaineering place for mountaineering enthusiasts.

Darchen is a small mountain village at the foot of the mountain in Gangrenbuqin. On the way to Darchen, you will have a chance to appreciate the stunning view of the Saga valley between Gangdise Range and Himayala Range. Meanwhile, the beautiful grassland and local's villages can also be seen. As we cross the Mayomla Pass(5112M), you can enjoy the spectacular vista of Mt. Naimonanyi(7694M).  

Then we are supposed to pass by the holy Lake Manasorova. Located in Pulan County, Ali Prefecture, more than 200 kilometers away from Shiquanhe Town, the capital of Ali, with an altitude of 4,588 meters and an area of 412 square kilometers, it is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and the source of four major rivers in Asia. The entire lake is shaped like a full moon, surrounded by six temples, and the pilgrimage circle is 80 kilometers; the lake is 4,400 meters above sea level and the deepest is about 81 meters. And the lake is clear and the scenery is beautiful. In addition, this lake is considered to be the symbol of Parvati, the mother of the universe in Hinduism, and it is also regarded as the habitation of the legendary swan king. And finally arrive at the southern foot of Mt.Kailash, the most holy mountain in Tibet. 

In the morning, we are supposed to take eco-bus from Darchen to Sarshung valley. Then we will meet Yaks and porters at Sarshung village. (the cost of hiring yaks, horses, and porters are not included in the package) After that, we can begain the trek (Around 13km) from Sarshung to Drirapuk Monastery along the Lachu valley and rivers. You can enjoy the both west and north face of mountain Kailash today. Finally, we will visit Drirapuk Monastery. Located in Pulan County, Ngari Prefecture, it is small in scale and faces south. It was founded by Gu Tsangpa, a famous master of the Drukpa Kagyu School. At an altitude of 5,210 meters, it is the best place to see the north side of the Sacred Mountain, and also the place for people to rest for the night. There are three rivers: Bailong River, Zhonglong Qu and Zhuomalaqu.

Today, we will trek over Dromala pass(5630m), the highest pass of the Kora. On the way you can have a rest in a teahouse. All the way, you can see locals Tibetans prostrating in the Kora path and beautiful Kadoe Lake when walk downhill. We may also visit Zutulpuk Monastery. Here, you can have some time to explore more about this holy land.

On the day three of the kora, you will trek 7km to Zongto where you can take bus to Darchen. Along the Kora, you can see piles of Mani Stones. We will end the Trek around noon, rest in the lodging place.

Drive from Darchen to Saga via Lake Manasorova. Located in Pulan County, Ali Prefecture, more than 200 kilometers away from Shiquanhe Town, the capital of Ali, with an altitude of 4,588 meters and an area of 412 square kilometers, it is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and the source of four major rivers in Asia. The entire lake is shaped like a full moon, surrounded by six temples, and the pilgrimage circle is 80 kilometers; the lake is 4,400 meters above sea level and the deepest is about 81 meters. And the lake is clear and the scenery is beautiful. In addition, this lake is considered to be the symbol of Parvati, the mother of the universe in Hinduism, and it is also regarded as the habitation of the legendary swan king.

Drive from Saga to Sakya. Take your time and enjoy the beautiful view outside the window and don't forget to take some photos.

In the morning, we will visit ancient Sakya town and you can tour Sakya monastery with amzing murals and huge collection of scriptures and statues.Then we are about to drive from Sakya to Shigatse. 

We will follow Yalong Valley back to Lhasa. On the way, you can stand on the viewing platform to view the vast Yalong River bed and visit Water Mill making Tibetan Incense material (in Summer, if time permits). You can enjoy the river view of Brahmaputra along the way back to Lhasa. The Brahmaputra is the longest plateau river in China. Located in the Tibet, it is also one of the largest rivers in the world. Drop off at hotel in Lhasa.

Transfer clients to the airport or train station. Wish you have a pleasant journey home!