12 Days Tibet Mt. Everest & Mt. Kailash Trekking Tour + Optional Tour

Itinerary Details Day by Day

Day 1 Lhasa Arrival

Welcome to Tibet! You will be met at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station by our professional employee, and sent to the reserved hotel in midtown Lhasa. Enjoy the rest of the day to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude.

Day 2 Lhasa ( B )

In case of special condition, such as weather, festival, etc, this morning's activity is subject to change. There are two other options for you: Drepung Monastery and Drak Yerpa. Drepung Monastery was ever the largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, and now is one of three great monasteries in Lhasa. Seen from the distant, its grand, white construction gives the appearance of a heap of rice. Drak Yerpa is the most holy meditation place. It is famous for a Tibetan monastery built on the cliff and a number of ancient meditation caves. Many great Buddhist meditated here, including the first King of Tibet - Songtsen Gampo, Buddhism master - Padmasambhava and Guru Atisha.

In the afternoon, visit another famous monastery - Sera Monastery, where you will get the chance to experience "Buddhism Scriptures Debating" which make Sera unique and famous. Enjoy the debates!

Day 3 Lhasa ( B )

After breakfast, pick you up from your hotel and drive to visit the overwhelming Potala Palace; the symbol of Tibet and the heart of Lhasa city. 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 will visit the Jokhang Temple; the spiritual center of Tibet. From earliest dawn to last dusk, daily worshippers and once-in-a-lifetime pilgrims circuit Jokhang for religious merit. Some prostrate outside of the temple. In the temple, there is a life-sized statue of the twelve year-old Sakyamuni brought by Songtsan Gampo's Chinese wife - Princess Wencheng.

Day 4 Lhasa - Gyantse ( B )

Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Karo-la Glacier, Pelkhor Monastery

It takes you about 1.5 hrs to drive from Lhasa to Kambala Pass[4794m high], visit Yamdrok Lake there, which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet.

Mt Nojin Kangsang stands tall with an elevation of 7,191 m (23,592 ft) between Gyantze County and Nagarzê County, with several snow-capped mountains over 6,000 m (19,685 ft) surrounding it. Mount Nojin Kangsang is the most accessible glacier site on the Tibetan Plateau. The famous Kharola Glacier (elevation 5,560 m or 18,241 ft) is below the south ridge of Nojin Kangsang.

Palkhor Monastery lies about 230 kilometers south of Lhasa and 100 kilometers east of the Shigatse Prefecture, 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.

Day 5 Gyantse - Shigatse ( B )

Highlights: Tashilunpo Monastery

Drive from Gyantse to Shigatse and visit Tashilunpo Monastery . It 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.

Day 6 Shigatse - Tingri - EBC ( B )

Today visit the Tashilunpo Monastery; built firstly in 1447, the structure was repaired and expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lama. There are now nearly 800 lams here.

Then drive 3.5 hours to Rongbuk monastery in the afternoon, which is the highest monastery in the world and explore it and enjoy the stunning sunset if the weather is good.

Overnight in nomad tent( or dorm bed ) of EBC.

Day 7 EBC - Saga

Early in the morning to see the sunrise from Rongpuk, then explore Mt. Everest. Get on the local bus and after half of an hour, arrive at Everest Base camp (or trek to the Base Camp around 2 hours one way as you like). At the top point, take pictures of the splendid- Mt. Everest. Drive to Saga in the afternoon.

Day 8 Saga - Darchen

The sprawling town of saga is the last of any size on the route and your last chance to ear a lavish meal.

A photogenic section of dunes, lake and mountains kicks in 60km from Zhongba. About 23km before Paryang you creast a pass and drop past more dunes to Paryang. Photos taken along this route can often fet steppe,streams,desert dunes and snowcapped mountains in the same shot.

Overnight in Darchen

Day 9 Trek from Darchen - Dirapuk Monastery

( 6hrs/ 20km/ 200m ascent )

Today, you will start your treck from the kora path, 4km later, the trail climbs up over the southwest end of the ridge to reach a cairn at 4730m. Along the train, you will enters the barren Lha-chu Valley, which is so open at this point you can see ahead to the tall Tarboche flag pole(4750m).

Then you reach a small bridge - Chuku bridge, which is less than an hour's walk to Dirapuk Monastery. From the bridge, it’s about 3hrs walk to Dirapuk Monastery. Take your time here as this stretch has some of the best scenery of the entire kora. Also, along the way, you ll find the 2nd prostration point with its prayer flags & clear view of the east side of Mt.Kailash.

Day 10 Trek from Dirapuk Monastery - Zutulpuk Monastery

(7~8hrs/ 18km/ 550m ascent/ 600m descent)

Today, we will head the east to ascent up the Drölma-chu valley. Less than 1 hour arrival at the meadow in Jarok Donkhang (5210m); Then treck the rocky expanse of Shivatsal (5330m). Here Pilgrims are supposed to undergo a symbolic death at this point, entering in the realm of the Lord of the Death, until they reach the top of the Drölma-la and are reborn again.

Soon after, Gauri Kund (5608m), Lake of Compassion, comes into view below. It takes approximately an hour to make the long and very steep 400m descent to the grassy banks of Lham-chu Khir. Treck towards south about 30 minutes, you will see a valley from the Khando Sanglam-la. The valley provides the only glimpse of Mt. Kailash's eastern or crystal face. An hour or so, you will reach Zutul-puk Monaster(4790m).

Camping near Zutulpuk Monastery

Day 11 Zutulpuk Monastery - Darchen - Manasarovar

(3~4hrs/ 14km/ 150m descent)

Today, you will trek from Zutulpuk Monastery for about 1 hour to enter the lovely Gold & Red Cliffs, a narrow canyon whose walls are stained purple, cobalt and rust. Then you will view Gurla Mandata in the distance. It is now an easy 1-hour walk back to Darchen along a dirt road.

Meet your driver at Darchen and drive to Manasarovar, which is the most venerated of all Tibet's many sacred lakes. It is especially sacred to Hindus, who have been walking round it for approaching 2,000 years.

Overnight in Manasarovar.

Day 12 Manasarovar - Payang - Saga

Today, you will be trasfered from Manasarover and pass through Payang to Saga. Overnight at Saga.

Option Tour

We have two options to end the tour in Lhasa or Zhangmu for the extra same price. More details, contact us by email.

Option A:
Day 13 Saga - Lhatse - Shigatse
Day 14 Shigatse - Lhasa
Day 15 Lhasa Depature

Option B:
Day 13 - 14 Saga – Zhangmu – China & Nepal Border