TIBET TOUR » Lhasa - Mt. Kailash - Kashgar Tour:
Fly in - Drive out (19 Nights - 20 Days)
is a spectacular journey to fly from Beijing to Lhasa. We land at Gongga Airport, which is located in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley and about 100 kilometers far away from Lhasa proper. We will spend two full days for sightseeing in and around Lhasa, the holy land and religious center for pilgrims from all parts of the country. Afterwards we travel by 4WD jeep along the south route to West Tibet. During the long (some times 12 hours driving within one day) driving on bad roads we enjoy the unforgettable fantastic landscapes between Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya. We’ll pass by the beautiful Yamdrok Lake and cross over the Karo La (5.010 m) (La=Pass) and Simi La before we reach Gyantse and Shigatse, where we visit the famous and beautiful monasteries of monasteries Pelkor and Tashilunpo to enjoy the magnificent religious constructions, great Buddhist statues and excellent murals. Kailash (6.714 m) is regard as "center of the world" by Hinduism and Buddhism. We get across the 5.600 m high Doelma La (La=Pass), decorated with fluttering prayer flags and mani stones, we trek around the snow-crowned dome of the glacier mountain along the pilgrimage path in three days. Before the trekking we visit Manasarovar - the holiest lake in Tibet. The enormous canyons appear along the Sutlej River. Here the ruins of Tsaparang, the capital of the former Guge Kingdom stands. After the visit of these 900-year old places by the deep ravine of the Sutlej River drive northwards to Kashgar in the Southwest of Xinjiang. On the way we enjoy the landscape of oasis, Taklamakan desert the grandiose Kunlun mountain ranges. In Kashgar the largest oasis city of China we experience prosperity and minority folkways of Uigur in the Sundays market before we fly to Urumqi, where we fly back to Beijing.
Itinerary:
- Day 01: Arrive at Lhasa airport. Pick up and greet transfer to Lhasa city and rest for acclimatization for high altitude. O/N at hotel.
- Day 02: Morning visit Potala Palace, the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet. The palace was built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and later renovated by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Afternoon visit Sera monastery (5km north of Lhasa), It was built in 1419 by Jamchen Choejie, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. Sera is one of the three major monasteries of yellow sect in Tibet.
- Day 03: Morning visit Drepung monastery, which is the largest monastery of the Gelugpa sect in Lhasa, it was built in 1416 by Jamyang Choejie, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. After visiting Drepung, drive to Norbulingkha, the summer palace of Dalai Lama, which was built in the 18th century. Afternoon visit Jokhangn Temple and Barkhor market. Jokhang is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses of golden statues of the Shakyamuni Buddha that was brought to Tibet by Chinese princes Wenchen.
- Day 04: LHASA-GYANGTSE (3950m) 261 km
Full day picturesque drive crossing over high passes like KAROLA (5,010) and KAMBALA (4,794) via Yamdrok lake and the Tibetan lifeline river YARLUNG TSANGPO (brahamaputra ) o/n at hotel.
- Day 05: Visit Kumbum stupa and palchok monastery, which is said to be the home of 10000 images. Afternoon drive to Shigatse and visit Tashilunpo monastery, which is the seat of the Panchen Lama. O/n at hotel.
- Day 06: Drive Shigatse to Lhatse (150 km) via visiting Shakya monastery. O/n in hotel.
- Day 07: Drive Lhatse to Saga (293 km). O/n at guesthouse.
- Day 08: SAGA-PARYANG (4,700m) 255km, 7hrs. Another day’s driving will take you to Paryang (15,700 feet or 4,750m) in the heart of western Tibet, where the four great rivers of South Asia diverge from their glacial sources around Mount Kailash. En route you will pass through the village of Dongba. O/n at hotel or camping.
- Day 09: PARYANG-MANASAROVAR LAKE-DARCHEN (255 km) driving again on rugged roads to Darchen (15,150 feet or 4,620 m) enjoy the views of Mount Kalaish, lake of manasarovar and an uninterrupted views of the Himalayas bordering Nepal en route. The windblown settlement of Darchen is the Pilgrim’s gate way to Mount Kailash. Here you will prepare for next day’s trekking. O/n at hotel or camping.
- Day 10: DARCHEN-KAILASH TREK (Kora)
The pilgrim’s kora around Mount Kailash starts and finishes in Darchen, on the first you will trek 6 hours from Darchen to Dhira Phuk (16,450 feet or 5,010m) and camp at the Gompa near the back side of holy Mount Kalaish where you can see beautiful view of Kailash. O/n camping.
- Day 11: DHIRA PHUK-DZUTRUL PHUK
Today you will trek 6-7hours from Dhira Phuk to Dzutrul Phuk (15,700 feet or 4,790m). You will leave the Lhachu valley and enter the Dorma Chu valley, heading up towards a high pass above Gaurikund lake or Tuje Dzingbu (the bathing pool of Compassion) which is one of the highest lake in the world. Hindu pilgrim’s are supposed to take a ritual bath here. O/n camping at the Dzutrul Phuk. O/N camping.
- Day 12: Dzutrul Phuk to Tirthapuri. It is about 57 km. After the Circumambulating of Kailash. The best choice is camp at Tirthapuri, which is used to be a meditation cave for Padmasambayva and his consort Yeshe Tsogyel. O/n camping.
- Day 13: Drive Tirthapuri to Tsaparang. O/n at guesthouse
- Day 14: Visit Guge Kingdom. O/n in guesthouse
- Day 15: Drive Tsaparang to Gar (shiquanhe)
- Day 16: Drive Gar to Doma (230 km). Along on the Silk Road, the highest road in the world which leading from Tibet to Xinjiang. En route visit the remarkable pre-historic rock carving. O/n at guesthouse
- Day 17: Drive Doma to Tibet-Xinjiang (230 km) border at a pass marked with a plaque in 4 hours.
- Day 18: Drive Dahongliutan to Mazar (253 km). O/n at guesthouse
- Day 19: Drive Mazar to Yecheng (240 km). O/n at hotel.
- Day 20: Drive Yecheng to Kashgar (236 km). O/n at hotel. (End of trip)
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