LHASA-GYANTSE
It is about 270km from Lhasa to Gyantse, En road, you will appreciate the holy Lake of Yamdrok Yumtso Lake.The sacred lake of Yamdrok Yutso is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and revered as a talisman, supporting the life-spirit of Tibet. It is said that should its waters dry, Tibet will no longer be habitable.
On the way to Gyantse, have a look at the Karola Glacier. Visit the Pelkhor monastery for its famous Kumbum Pagoda. Besides Pelkhor, we will also visit a Nunnery to watch the chanting.
GYANTSE-SHIGATSE
Morning visit the historical city Gyantse, you will have great chance to appreciate the Old Town's sunrise at Dzong Castle. Drive about 90km to Shigatse which is the second largest city in Tibet, It’s also the home town of Banchen Lama.
En route, visit Shalu monastery, which the construction was started in 1027. Its architecture is of typical combination of the Tibetan and Chinese styles with archways, carved pillars, tilled roofs and the Song and Yuan style murals. In Shigatse, you will drop a visit of Tashilumpo monastery.
FROM SHIGATSE TO LHATSE
A short drive will take us to the small town of Lhatse. Along the way we will visit the beautiful Sakya monastery. Towering walls surround this intricate maze of ancient monasteries and red and white striped buildings. After exploring for a while we will spend the night in Lhatse.
LHATSE TO SAGA
Our final destination today is the small town of Saga. We will cover many miles during the day but also encounter alluring river valleys and scattered villages.
SAGA TO PARYANG
Even more gorgeous Tibetan Landscape will surround us as we drive to Paryang. Today is arguably one of the most beautiful days of our entire journey.
PARYANG TO MANASAROVAR
From Paryang to Lake Manasoravar is a long drive of 10 hrs or more. There will be several river crossings and we drive past Mayum La Pass (4,600 M). The scenery is stunningly beautiful with panoramic views of the Himalayas.
LAKE MANASORAVAR TO DARCHEN
Experience the magic of this holy site. We will take it easy but also meet with local pilgrims and visit the beautiful Chiu Monastery. Mt. Kailash looms in the distance.After only a 35 km drive we will reach Darchen. Darchen marks the start of our religious 53 km trek around the mountain. Finally we have arrived!
TREK TO DIRA-PUK
From Darchen, we walk up the Lha Chu Valley through beautiful green meadows and streams with Mt Kailash towering above us. We follow the river which enters a narrow canyon with high, steep cliffs and spectacular waterfalls. Continuing up the valley, the north face of Kailash comes into view before we reach the 13th century monastery at Dira-puk.
TREK TO ZUTUL-PUK
We now leave the Lha Chu Valley and enter the Drolma Chu Valley, heading up towards a high pass, the Drolma La [5630m]. It's a tough climb to the summit which is festooned with prayer flags but from there it is all downhill or flat to Zutul-puk, with views of one of the highest lakes in the world, Thukpe Dzingbu Lake, known as the Lake of Compassion. As well as the monastery at Zutul-puk, there are several meditation caves and another cave containing an image of Milarepa.
TREK TO DARCHEN
On the final day of the kora we cross several streams, and follow an impressive gorge. Along the way we are once again treated to magnificent views of Kailash. We then enter the Bharka plain and it's about an hour's walk through this desert-like landscape to Darchen.
DRIVE TO PARYANG
Today is a long drive, about 300km, to Paryang. Along the way, we cross the Mayun-la and make several river crossings. The scenery along this section is some of the most panoramic of the entire journey.
DRIVE TO SAGA
Today is another driving day as we head towards Saga. Take in the sights of the small dusty towns along the way! Today gives us more time to appreciate this truly ancient Tibetan culture.
DRIVE TO PEIKU-TSO
In the morning we will take a ferry across the Yarlung Tsangpo [Brahmaputra River]. As we continue our journey stunning Himalayan views surrounds us once again. Some of the attractions include Shishapangma and our end destination of Peiku-tso, a large majestic lake.
DRIVE TO ZHANGMU
Another 180 kilometers is tackled as we head down the Friendship Highway. Along the way we pass through the small town of Nyalam. After Nyalam we descend down through a mossy gorge and brilliant cascading waterfalls. We will spend the night in Zhangmu, a border town.
DRIVE TO KATHMANDU
In the morning we cross the Bhote Kosi River using the Friendship Bridge. At this point we must bid a fond farewell to our Tibetan guide and go through all the border formalities. Our last night will be spent in the bustling city of Kathmandu. Sadly our trip has come to an end.
