16 Days Lhasa Mt.Everest Mt.Kailash Guge Kingdom: Mysterious Tibet Group Tour

Complete the 52-km sacred Kora (circumnavigation) around Mt. Kailash — one of the world's great pilgrimages → Stand at Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) for the ultimate Himalayan view → Explore the mysterious ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom and Zanda Earth Forest → Visit the sacred Lake Manasarovar and witness Monks' Debating at Sera Monastery

1. Day1

   Arrival in Lhasa — Airport Pick-up

   Meals None

   Upon arrival at Lhasa airport your guide will greet you and transfer you to your hotel. Rest and acclimatize for the remainder of the day.

2. Day2

   Lhasa Culture Tour — Lhasa Traditional Handicraft Art Center, Sera Monastery

   Meals Breakfast

   Morning at the Lhasa Traditional Handicraft Art Center experiencing Tibetan incense-making, calligraphy and block printing. Afternoon visit to Sera Monastery to witness the Monks’ Debating session (15:00–17:00, except Sundays).

3. Day3

   Lhasa City Tour — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Tibetan-style Featured Dinner

   Meals Breakfast / Dinner

   Visit the iconic Potala Palace, the sacred Jokhang Temple and the vibrant Barkhor Street pilgrim circuit. In the evening enjoy an authentic Tibetan group dinner.

4. Day4

   Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Karola Glacier → Kumbum Monastery → Shigatse

   Meals Breakfast

   Drive over the Kampala Pass (4,797 m) for stunning views of Yamdrok Lake, then visit the Karola Glacier. Continue to Gyantse to visit the impressive Kumbum Monastery before arriving in Shigatse for the night.

5. Day5

   Shigatse → Gawula Pass → Rongbuk Monastery → Everest Base Camp

   Meals Breakfast / DinnerOvernight Everest Base Camp

   Drive south-west over the Gawula Pass. Stop at Rongbuk Monastery — the world’s highest monastery (4,980 m) — before spending the night at Everest Base Camp (5,200 m). Enjoy a hot-pot dinner under the stars.

6. Day6

   EBC → Shishapangma Protection Zone → Pelkhu-tso → Saga

   Meals Breakfast

   After the Everest sunrise, drive west along the old Tingri Road with views of Everest and Mt. Shishapangma (8,012 m). Pass the cobalt-blue Pelkhu-tso Lake (4,600 m) before arriving at the small town of Saga.

7. Day7

   Saga → Drongpa County → Lake Manasarovar → Lhanag-tso → Darchen

   Meals None

   Drive through the desolate plains of Digur Tang past Old and New Drongpa, stopping to see yak heads carved with sutras and mantras at the ancient monastery. Drive around the sacred Lake Manasarovar (4,588 m) before arriving at Darchen — the starting point of the Kailash Kora.

8. Day8

   Mt. Kailash Trek Day One — Darchen → Driapuk Monastery

   Meals None

   Begin the 52-km sacred Kora around Mt. Kailash (6,638 m) — one of the most important pilgrimages in the world. Trek from Darchen (4,560 m) through the Sarshung valley, meeting nomads and pilgrims along the way, to Driapuk Monastery guesthouse (4,920 m). Porters and yaks are available locally to carry gear (not included).

9. Day9

   Mt. Kailash Trek Day Two — Driapuk → Dolma La Pass → Dzultripuk

   Meals None

   The toughest day of the trek: ascend 762 m to the Dolma La Pass (5,630 m) — the highest point of the Kailash Kora. Enjoy extraordinary views from the summit before descending to the Lhachu Valley and trekking on to Dzultripuk (Milarepa’s Cave) for the night.

10. Day10

    Mt. Kailash Trek Day Three — Dzultripuk → Darchen → Zanda

    Meals None

    Complete the final section of the Kailash Kora, visiting caves, temples and shrines around Milarepa’s legendary meditation cave. Walk back to Darchen (about 3 hours), then drive to Zanda for the night.

11. Day11

    Zanda → Guge Kingdom → Zanda Earth Forest → Torling Monastery → Darchen

    Meals None

    Visit the awe-inspiring ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom — an imperial estate that once ruled western Tibet. Explore the spectacular Zanda Earth Forest, a geological wonderland of eroded pillars and canyons. Visit the ancient Torling Monastery before returning to Darchen.

12. Day12

    Darchen → Saga

    Meals None

    Drive back east from Darchen to Saga across the windswept Tibetan plateau. The bumpy road passes through small towns, nomad camps and stunning high-mountain landscapes.

13. Day13

    Saga → Sayka (via G219 Highway)

    Meals None

    Drive east along the scenic G219 Highway towards Sayka. The route passes through vast open plains and majestic mountain vistas — an extraordinary drive across the Tibetan plateau.

14. Day14

    Sayka → Sakya Monastery → Sakya

    Meals Breakfast

    Visit the famous Sakya Monastery — founded in 1073 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its fortress-like walls, ornate courtyards and vast collection of Buddhist texts, thangkas and ritual objects. The monastery is the seat of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism.

15. Day15

    Sakya → Shigatse → Tashilhunpo Monastery → Lhasa (by tourist bus or train)

    Meals Breakfast

    Drive to Shigatse and visit Tashilhunpo Monastery — founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama and the seat of successive Panchen Lamas. Explore its ancient tombs, chapels and the giant Maitreya statue before returning to Lhasa by tourist bus or train.

16. Day16

    Lhasa Departure — Hotel Check-out and Airport Transfer

    Meals Breakfast

    Your 16-day Mysterious Tibet Group Tour comes to an end. Your guide will escort you to Lhasa airport or train station for your flight or train to your next destination.

    Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.