MOUNT KAILASH : FESTIVAL OF TARPOCHE
MOUNT KAILASH: FESTIVAL OF TARPOCHE
A spiritual journey from the start, that gets only more intense as you approach the sacred Mount Kailash. From Lhasa, we embark on the usual monastery and palace visits, starting with the renowned Potala and moving on to Jokhang, Norbulinkha right up to Tashilhunpo in Shigatse. Attend the Saga Dawa festival at Tarpoche and start the kora of Mount Kailash, the ultimate pilgrimage!
JOURNEY THROUGH THE TIBETAN PLATEAU: THE KORA OF KAILASH
This exclusive journey takes you through the vastness of the Tibetan plateau to Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, a pilgrimage site that attracts followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bönpo. The trip also gives an insight into the rich Tibetan culture as we pass through Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. We then travel to the extreme west in the desert steppes of the old Kingdom of Guge, where Tibetan Buddhism first emerged.This great journey of discovery is best done between May and September and is ideal for lovers of Tibetan culture and the wilderness on the roof of the world. The Kora (circumambulation) of Mount Kailash is achievable by anyone in good shape either on foot or on horseback.
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Itinerary
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Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m). Transfer to the hotel. Check-in and acclimatization walk through the old town.
- Accommodation: Hotel
Our tour in Lhasa begins with a visit to the most famous landmark, the Potala Palace, once the residence of the Dalai Lama before his exile in 1959. Our next stop is the famous Jokhang Shrine, the most sacred temple and pilgrimage site in central Tibet following which we go to the market of Barkhor. We end the day at the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulinka. It is located within a park with a large number of trees and flowers and also a lake.
- Accommodation: Hotel
In the morning, we climb up to the great Monastic University of Drepung which once housed more than 7000 monks in a maze of chapels, dormitories, and temples. In the afternoon, we visit the Monastic University of Sera where rhetorical contests and philosophical debates are always in session.
- Accommodation: Hotel
Today we drive to a town named Gyantse. Taking the mountain road we cross the Kampala Pass and the Karo La pass which are over 5000 m high. We pass at the foot of the glaciers and on the way, we get to enjoy the grand view of the sacred Yamdrok Lake. We stop for lunch at Nakartse between the sacred Yamdrok and the Karola Glacier. In the afternoon we finally reach Gyantse.
- Duration of drive: 6 hr
- Distance: 350 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
In the morning we visit a Tibetan carpet factory in Gyantse and then drive to Shigatse and visit the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery. After visiting the monastery, we walk around and do a Kora along the foot of the Shigatse Dzong where we also visit a beautiful local market.
- Duration of drive: 1 hr
- Distance: 90 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
After breakfast we continue our Kailash pilgrimage, crossing several passes including Ngamring (4,650 m.), and encounter some beautiful villages along the way.
- Duration of drive: 7-8 hr.
- Distance: 440 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
Today we follow the route to Mount Kailash through breathtaking scenery and come across some lovely Tibetan nomadic camps and animals grazing on the grassland. We also get to see Manasarovar Lake and Mount Kailash. They are both visible from Chaktsal Kang, which has breathtaking views of the mountain.
- Duration of drive: 6-7 hr
- Distance: 435 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Duration of hike: 1-2 hr
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Duration of walk: 6-7 hr
- Distance: 18 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Duration of hike: 7-8 hr
- Distance: 15 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Duration of drive: 7-8 hr
- Distance: 435 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Duration of drive: 7-8 hr
- Distance: 405 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
We continue our Tibet tour early in the morning, along the Brahmaputra River. It’s a landscape of dunes and Tibetan villages. We can see the Rulak Yungdrung, a monastery on the other side of the river in the Tsang area. We stop for lunch in a small town called Nyenmo which is the border point between Shigatse and Lhasa. Afternoon Free in Lhasa.
- Duration of drive: 4-5 hr
- Distance: 430 km
- Accommodation: Hotel
Transfer from Lhasa to Gonggar Airport for your return flight.
- Duration of drive: 1 ½ hr
- Distance: 60km
- End of our services
NOTES
Festival date from 10 to 23 June
02 to 15 August (Same itinerary but without festival)
What's included
- All necessary entry and circulation permits in Tibet
- Special permits for Mount Kailash
- 1 English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Private vehicle transport
- All entrance fees to sites and monasteries
- Conservation costs of Kailash and Manasarovar
- Conservation costs of Yamdrok Lake
- Conservation costs of Karola glaciers
- Conservation tax of the Kingdom of Tholing and Guge
- Breakfasts throughout the stay
- Carriers around Mount Kailash
- Oxygen if necessary
- Transfer from the border to Kathmandu
What's not included
- Visa for China or Nepal and service outside Tibet
- Flights, train & international shipping to and from Lhasa
- Lunch and dinner throughout the stay
- Sleeping bags
- Compulsory repatriation insurance
- Any additional costs for landslides and personal expenses.
Suppliments
Option only for departures from Katmandu:
Flight option Kathmandu - Lhasa - Kathmandu: from $.650 / person
Tibet Visa from Nepal: $.100 / person
Individual transfer supplement to Lhasa airport: $.80 / transfer
Individual transfer supplement at Lhasa station: $.55
