Your tour guide will greet you upon your arrival at Lhasa airport to transfer you to your hotel, where you will have the rest of the day to relax and acclimatize to the high altitude. Travel tips: Because Tibet lies at such a high altitude, it is important to remember to take everything slowly to minimize the symptoms of altitude sickness. Drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep that first night – you should feel fine by the next day. However, if you feel extreme discomfort, please notify your tour guide immediately.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel
D2Lhasa City Sightseeing - Potala Palace - Jokhang Temple - Barkhor Street
After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the incredible Potala Palace – the highest palace in the world. As we climb to the entrance gate, you will have a spectacular view over all of Lhasa. After exploring the numerous interesting chapels and learning about the traditional culture and history of the palace and the city, we will move on to the spiritually significant Jokhang Temple, one of the most important temples in Tibetan Buddhism. To see the “real” Lhasa, we’ll stroll through Barkhor Street with its thriving local market where you can pick up some local Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian handicrafts and souvenirs. Tips for Visiting Potala Palace 1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket. 2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance. 3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort. 4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs. 5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace. 6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel
D3Lhasa City Sightseeing - Sera Monastery – Drepung Monastery
Today features visits to 2 of the most important monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism – the Drepung and Sera Monasteries. Drepung Monastery is located on the hillside west of Lhasa – at one time the world’s largest monastery with about 10,000 monks living there. A pleasant walk up the hill leads to the solemn ambience inside the monastery’s many halls and chapels. After Drepung, we will move on to the Sera Monastery. The main highlight of the Sera Monastery is watching the crowd of monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. Every day except Sunday, hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups and practice their debating skills – a very impressive sight to behold as the monks are very animated in their debates on the various attributes of Buddhist scriptures.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel
D4Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Gyantse (Kumbum Monastery) – Shigatse
This morning we’ll take a drive up to the Kampala Pass (elevation 4797 meters) where you’ll have a glimpse of Yamdrok Lake down below as well as spectacular views of the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. You will want to have your camera at the ready for the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake, which is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and the beautiful Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar glacier as seen from the Karol la Pass. Later on we’ll be able to visit the Karola Glacier before continuing along the southern Friendship Highway to Gyantse, where you will be able to see the famous Gyantse Kumbum, one of the most stunning architectural wonders in Tibet. Late in the afternoon we will continue on to Shigatse, the location of the Tashilunpo Monastery.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: Overnight at Shigatse 3-Star hotel
D5Shigatse – Tingri – Rongphu Monastery – Everest Base Camp
After breakfast we’ll set out towards the peak of the world – Mount Everest. Departing from Shigatse and traveling via Lhatse and Tingri, you will see some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in the world – incredibly blue skies, floating high clouds, endless grasslands and the highest mountain peaks in the world. We’ll also stop by the Rongbuk Monastery – the world’s highest altitude monastery before spending the night at the Everest Base Camp. Travel Tip: Due to the high altitude, it is possible that you may have some symptoms of altitude sickness. We recommend that you stay well hydrated, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery to minimize your symptoms.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: Overnight at Guest house or Tent
D6Everest Base Camp - Shishapangma Protection Zone – Pelkhu-tso - Saga
Today we will drive the old Tingri Road to Saga County, with views of Mount Everest and Mount Shishapangma (elevation 8012 meters), which was the last of the world’s 8000-meter peaks to be climbed. The road conditions get rougher from the old Tingri Road as it runs parallel to the to the Himalayan mountain ranges and the Nepalese sides known as the Anapurna Ranges. The main road passes through the desolate plains of Digur Tang, with its enormous sand dunes contrasting with the neighboring snow peaks of Shishapangma and Langtang to the south. As we leave the Bum-chu basin, we will descend into the relatively lower elevations of the Pelkhu-tso (elevation 4600 meters), a cobalt blue lake. After checking out the lake, we’ll drive the additional 69 kilometers on to Saga County and spend the night in the small town of Saga.
On this 8th day we will drive to Drongpa County, which was founded around the bountiful resources of the Brahmaputra River. We will make a stop in a small village along the main road that consists of only a few basic guesthouses, restaurants and a small monastery known as “Old Drongpa”. Scattered around the monastery you will be able to observe a pile of yak heads that are carved with “sutras” and “mantras”. New Drongpa is another small town with a few shops, hotels and restaurants located about 25 kilometers from Old Drongpa monastery. We will continue on to the Baryang Township (elevation 4750 meters) and drive around Lake Manasarovar before reaching our final destination for the day, Darchen, where we will spend the night.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Overnight at local Guest House
D8Trek Along the Mt. Kailash Circuit OR Visit Guge Kingdom
Option1 -Mt. Kailash Trek Day One – Darchen – Drirapuk (11 kilometers) Buddhist pilgrims traditionally begin the 52-kilometer religious trek around Mt. Kailash at Darchen (elevation 4574 meters), which is also the finishing point for the circumnavigation of the sacred mountain. After hiking for a few hours out of Darchen, we will reach a valley known by the locals as “Sarshung” where we will meet an eager group of porters who will be happy to help us carry our gear on yaks and horses along the rest of the trek. After another couple of hours of trekking, we will find a grassy plain populated by nomads, who will be happy to offer up their tents as a place to relax with some soft drinks for a while. From here, we will travel on for another approximately two hours to a place known as Drirapuk (elevation 4920 meters) where we will spend the night in a monastery’s guesthouse that offers the best accommodations in this area (although it is still very rustic.)
Option 2 - Full-day at Lake Manasarovar With this more relaxing option you can spend a full day on the lakeshore exploring the natural beauty and wildlife of Lake Manasarovar. In the summer, flocks of swans gather on the lake, giving a sense of grace and life to the area as they feed to prepare for the long winter months ahead. Many Tibetan and Hindu Buddhists can also be found around the lake as they make a religious trek along the lakeshore. With the snow-capped mountains and wonderfully blue skies in the background, the swans on the lake and the beauty of the lake itself attract tourists and photography enthusiasts from all over the world. It is a truly beautiful place in which to relax and spend the day just enjoying the wonders of nature.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Overnight at local Guest House
D9Mt. Kailash Trek Day Two or Darchen – Tsada
Option 1 - Mt. Kailash Trek Day Two – Drirapuk – Dzultripuk (22 kilometers) This second day of our circuit of Mt. Kailash will be the toughest as we ascend 762 meters up to the Dolma-la Pass. The peak of this pass lies about 5630 meters above sea level, so we’ll get an early start as the sun begins its rise over the mountain ridges above us. Once we have reached the peak of the Dolma-la Pass, we’ll stop for a rest and the opportunity to admire all of the fantastic scenery around us. Then we will begin our descent to the Lhachu Valley, which will take us about one hour. After another short rest, we’ll trek on for another four hours to our final destination for the day. We will walk along the right side of the river to finally reach Dzultripuk, whose name means “miracle cave of Milarepa” in the local language. We will be glad that we got an early start to reach Dzultripuk so that we will get there before the other groups – there are a limited number of rooms available here. We will have time this evening for some rest and relaxation in the guesthouse as we prepare for the final stretch of our trek tomorrow.
Option 2: Darchen – Tsada (300 kilometers, 6-hour drive time) Fresh from our day of relaxing and exploring Lake Manasarovar, we’ll continue on to Tsada and the unique natural beauty of Tsada Tulin.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Overnight in local guest house
D10Mt. Kailash Trek Day Three or Tsada – Guge Kingdom
Option 1: Mt. Kailash Trek Day Three – Dzultripuk – Darchen (11 kilometers) Today we will complete our trek around Mt. Kailash, beginning by visiting the many caves, temples and shrines that have been built upon around Milarepa’s cave. It is an easy walk back towards Darchen, taking only about 3 hours of trekking to reach the end of the valley where our driver will meet us to take us back up to Darchen where we will spend the night.
Option 2: Tsada – Guge Kingdom – Darchen (350 kilometers, 8-hour drive time) After breakfast, we will visit the ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom and the Torling Monastery. Located in the Ngar Region of Tibet, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom were once an imperial estate that fell into disrepair after the civil war revolt and the invasion of the 8 Allied Forces of foreign countries that destroyed the once prosperous state. Luckily the legendary kingdom has not been totally lost as much can still be learned from what remains of it. After our visit there, we will continue on with more scenic driving to Darchen where we will spend the night.
Transportation:BusWeather:Altitude:4500 Meters Today we will drive through the windswept territory of rural Tibet, passing through numerous small villages as well as camps of yak and sheepherders on our way back to Saga. With all of the beautiful scenery surrounding us, we will have plenty of opportunities to stop and take photos if you like.
We will get an early start today to visit the Tashilunpo Monastery, which was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama. After visiting this ancient monastery, one of the most important sites in Tibetan Buddhism, we will take the 80-kilometer drive back to Lhasa along the northern Friendship Highway. This route will take us through Daktuka across the bridge over the Bramaputra River and along the valley in the north to Namtso Lake. During today’s journey we will pass through many typical Tibetan villages with their traditional houses and peaceful environments. We will also cross the Shuege-la Pass (elevation 5300 meters), arriving at beautiful Namtso Lake in the afternoon with time to hike around the Tahi Do peninsula.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: Overnight at Namtso Lake Tent guest house
We will arise early to view the magnificent sunrise over this holy sky lake before we begin the drive back to Lhasa. On our return journey we will pass the famous Yampanchen Hot Spring. If you are interested, we can make an optional stop here although the cost for visiting the hot spring is not included in the cost of the usual tour itinerary. You will have some free time this evening in Lhasa.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel
D15Transfer to Lhasa Airport – Depart Lhasa
Your day will be free until we pick you up to take you on the 30-minute drive to the Lhasa airport for your departing flight.
Meals: Breakfast None
Accommodation: None
2018 Departure Date & Tour Cost
2018 Departure Date & Tour Cost
15 days In-depth tour to Mt. Kailash
Departure Date
Tour Cost(3-Star)
Tour Cost(4-Star)
May 20th
USD1578
USD1628
June 16th
USD1578
USD1628
July 28th
USD1890
USD1960
Sep 09th
USD1890
USD1960
Oct. 01st
USD1578
USD1628
Price Guide
Price Includes:
Free Airport or train station transfer at any time
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Meals: Breakfast only. See detailed itinerary for complete listing.
English Speaking Guide: All of our guides are local Tibetans with infectious smiles and a passion for sharing their homeland. From them you’ll receive extensive information about the history, geography, culture, religion, traditions, art and music.
Vehicle Rental & Driver: All of our vehicles are well maintained and safe. Our drivers are experienced in driving in the Tibetan landscape. Vehicle type will be arranged according to group size.
Travel Permits: All Tibet traveling permits.
Entrance Fees: All entrance fees listed in the itinerary, (except optional sites) including vehicle and personal entry permit for Qomolangma Nature Preserve
Welcome Dinner
Price Exclude:
Transportation to and from Tibet.
Other services of non-Tibet parts.
Private expense like laundry, IDD calls, drinks in the room, etc.
Extra expenses incurred due to unexpected natural events (delays, road washouts, etc.)
Meals not specified in the tour itinerary
Cost for hiring yaks or horse during trekking.
Tips to the guide & driver
Booking Instructions
1.Reservations
1) Send your request through our website form or send us an email at inquiry@tibettravel.com . With each inquiry, please include the following information:
a. Your desired destinations;
b. Departure date
c. Length of your trip
d. Your name, email address and country of citizenship.
We will confirm your inquiry with a reply within 24 hours.
2) You can call us directly at our service center at +86-28-85012991 (landline) or +86-1889089998 (mobile)
3) You can come to our office in Chengdu in person to make reservation
We highly recommend you that you reserve your tour at least 30-50 days before the actual travel date. We will send you a letter of confirmation
via email once you have confirmed your booking with us, informing you of the your proposed flights, hotels and your trip details.
2. Payment Methods
We can confirm your tour reservation with a payment of 30% of the total tour cost plus 100% of the cost of any flights or train tickets required for your tour. You can then pay the balance due for your tour to our local staff after your arrival in Lhasa.
3. Luggage Allowances
The regulations of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China states that, the free baggage allowance within China is 20kg (44 pounds) for economy class flights, 30kg (66 pounds) for business class flights, and 40kg (88 pounds) for first class flights, plus limited carry-on luggage. Excess baggage charges are the sole responsibility of the traveler. Regulations within China specify that all suitcases must have a locking device attached. Failure to follow this regulation may result in refusal by airport staff to load suitcases onto the aircraft.
4. Itinerary changes and cancellations
We make every effort to operate tours as listed on our website, however, we reserve the right to modify the itinerary, or substitute the activities, hotels, meals or transportation as we deem necessary. We also have the right to cancel a trip at any time prior to its commencement for every reason, like unforeseen circumstances, or circumstances beyond our control. In this cases we will re-book you on different day, however if we are unable to rebook you, we will issue a full field claim.
5. Meals
All of our tours include a daily breakfast. Lunch and dinner is not included as we prefer to give the freedom to our clients to try the local food by themselves. Meals are usually served at the hotel. Dinner may also be served at a local restaurant. Although we cannot guarantee special meal requests, we will do our best to provide you with specialized dietary needs for meals as well as your special needs for hotel rooms such as adjacent or connecting rooms, bed sizes, etc.
