14-Day EBC & Kailash Kora Tour

Day By Day Itinerary    ( B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner )

We offer free pick-up service from Lhasa Airport. If it doesn't fit with your schedule, or you are taking train to Lhasa, we also offer individual Airport & Railway Station pick-up service with extra charge. See detailed in the Booking Note A.

From Lhasa Airport to Lhasa city, usually takes about 1.5hrs; from Lhasa Railway Station to Lhasa city, about 20mins. After transfer to hotel, try to rest & drink as much water as you can to better acclimatize the high altitude.

Overnight in Lhasa ( 3 star hotel

Highlights: Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

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 star hotel )

Highlights:
AM: Subject to change! one of these three: Drepung Monastery, Drak Yerpa, Ganden Monastery
PM: Sera Monastery

AM: Drepung Monastery was built in 1416 and is the largest monastery of the Gelug Sect. It covers an area of 250,000 square meters. Drak Yerpa is a place that has deep meanings in the Tibetan spiritual culture. There is a saying goes like this: "Lhasa is the shrine of Tibet, Drak Yerpa is the shrine of Lhasa. Not seeing Drak Yerpa in Lhasa is just like making a dress without the collar." The entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about 16 km northeast of Lhasa on the northern bank of the Kyichu River. From there, it is another 10 km to the famous ancient meditation caves.

Ganden Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, Tagtse County, 36 kilometers ENE from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, at an altitude of 4,300m.

PM: 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 star hotel )

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 Shigatse ( 3 star hotel )

Highlights: Tashilump Monastery
Optional: Rongbuk Monastery

Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in the morning. 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.

Drive to Rongbuk Monastery in the afternoon. It's bumpy road with stone paved from Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery which takes abt 3 hrs’ drive. After your arrival, rest for acclimatization at the guesthouse of Rongbuk monastery, explore around and visit the highest monastery in the world on your own expense or enjoy the stunning sunset if the weather is good.

Overnight in Guesthouse of Rongbuk Monastery or nomad tent in EBC

Highlights: Everest Base Camp

Get up early, you can enjoy the stunning sunrise at the top of the world. Then drive to Mt. Everest Base Camp [5200m] and touch the roof of the world. Drive to Shigatse in the afternoon.

Overnight in Saga ( Guesthouse ).

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 ( Guesthouse ).

Highlights: Mt Kailash

The kora path begins on the western edge of Darchen. 4km later the trail climbs up over the southwest end of the ridge to reach a cairn at 4730m. The cairn is bedecked with prayer flags and marks the first views of Mt.Kailash's southern face, the first of Kailash Kora's four prostration point.

Very quickly the trail bends round to the north and enters the barren Lha-chu Valley, which is so open at this point you can see ahead to the tall Tarboche flag pole(4750m),which is another hour's walk. The Tarboche area is one of the most significant sites for Tibet's most important festival—Saga Dawa.

Beyond Tarboche, the valley narrows dramatically at an area called Sershong. You can begin to get clear shots of Mt.Kailash now. After passing a series of ruined Chörtens and a number of long mani (prayer) walls the trail reaches a small bridge across the Lha-chu at 4710m. The bridge is less than an hour's walk from Tarboche, abt 3hrs from Darchen, and is directly below Chuku Monastery.

From the Chuku bridge, it's abt 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.

Camping near Dirapuk Monastery

We'll head off to the east. The long ascent up the Drölma-chu valley that will eventually lead up to the Drölma-la has begun.

Less than an hour along is the meadow at Jarok Donkhang(5210m);

After a short distance abv Jarok Donkhang, abt 2hrs from the day's starting point, is the rocky expanse of Shivatsal (5330m). 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. 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.

Abt 30mins from Shivatsal the trail turns eastward for the completion of the ascent to the 5630m Drölma-la. After a few false summits, the rocky pass is reached. The great cubic Drölma Do (Drölma's Rock) that marks the top is barely visible behind an enormous number of prayer flags. 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. You may have to cross snowfields at first, sometimes leaping across streams that have cut through the valley floor, but later the trail turns dry & rocky.

Abt 30mins 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.

An hour or so, u ll reach Zutul-puk Monastery(4790m).

Camping near Zutulpuk Monastery

Hightlights: Lake Manasarovar

From Zutulpuk Monastery, the trail follows the river closely for an hour or so, then climbs abv the river and enters the lovely Gold & Red Cliffs, a narrow canyon whose walls are stained purple, cobalt and rust.

Where the trail emerges onto the Barkha plain, close to the 4th prostration point (4610m), Gurla Mandata is again visible in the distance. It is now an easy 1hr walk back to Darchen along a dirt road.

Meet your driver at Darchen. 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. Buddhists associate the lake with Maya, Buddha's mother.Hindu and Buddhist cosmology had it that nearby Mt. Kailash is the centre of the world and that Manasarovar is the source of four of Asia's great rivers.

Overnight in Manasarovar.

Overnight in Saga.

Driving from Saga to Shigatse (460km).

Tips: The drive today is quite long. Please don't hesitate to ask the driver to stop so you can get out and stretch your legs or take pictures of the beautiful surroundings.

Stay overnight at Shigatse.

Today you'll be driven back to Lhasa (5 hours) along the legendary Yaluzangbu River, the mother river of Tibet. Along the journey, you will view fantastic landscape of the valley and snow mountain, and get the special feeling of traveling in the wilderness, far from modern civilization.

Overnight in Lhasa ( 3 star hotel )

Your tour ends today. We offer free Airport Drop-off Service. If it doesn't fit with your schedule, or you departs by train, we also offer individual Airport & Railway Station Drop-off Service with extra charge. See detailed in the Booking Note A.

Price List for this tour (Price per person in US dollars)

Price inclusion: 1. Accommodations ( 3 star hotels, guesthouses or Camping) as listed 2. All the necessary Permits: including TTB, Tibet Entry permit 3. Breakfasts 4. Mini Van or coach according to group size 5. Gas and parking fee of the vehicle 6. Local English-speaking Tibetan tour guide 7. All entrance fees as listed 8. Government Tax

Price exclusion: 1. Tips to your tour guide and driver (suggested US$ 5 per day per person) 2. China visa, All air tickets and train tickets to and from Tibet. 3. Accommodation & Services of non-Tibet parts; 4. Lunch and dinner, your guide will assist you to locate the local comfortalbe restaurants. 5. Private expense like laundry, IDD calls, drinks in the room, etc. 6. Extra expenses and/of additional days caused due to unexpected events (delays, porterage because of land slides and other natural events.)

Booking Note A 1. All the group tours above must be booked two months in advance. For less than two months booking, please contact your trip advisor for the tour availability. 2. Prices listed above are based per person with double occupancy and breakfast. If you prefer a single room on your own, please contact your trip advisor to get the quotation for the extra single supplement. 3 The listed prices exclude transportation cost to and from Lhasa. 4. The prices inlude the complimentary transfer service from airport to Lhasa downtown at 3:20 pm and Lhasa downtown to airport at 12:00 pm; from Lhasa train station to Lhasa downtown at 8:00pm and Lhasa downtown to Lhasa train station at 9:00am. If your arrival or departure time is outside our complimentary transfer time, you arrange your transfer on your own or book our private transfer service as below: Private van airport transfer service: RMB 400 per ride per van Private van train station transfer service: RMB 200 per ride per van

Reservation Notes