15 Days Mt.everest & Mt Kailash Kora Pilgrimage Group Tour

After breakfast in the hotel, tour guide and driver will meet you in the lobby of the hotel and pick you up to Drepung monastery, located about 45km to the north of Lhasa. Drepung monastery is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet with Sera Monastery and Ganden Monastery.

­ 

In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka Palace, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★ 

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace according to the time of ticket and in peak season, there is a visit time limitation. Potala Palace is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. 

­ 

At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, you will head to Jokhang Temple, which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do Kora with pilgrims and locals and explore the old market.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Meals: Breakfast

You will pass by Kampala pass (4794m) on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and visit Yamdrok Lake, it is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet, and it’s around 70km long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. 

­ 

Later you will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier on the roadside. It is about 300m from the main highway with easy access on your way to Gyantse.

­ 

Then visit Pelkor Chode Monastery is the main monastery in Gyantse. Pelkhor Choede in Gyantse town is located about 230km to the south of Lhasa and 100km to east of Shigatse. The monastery is a short walk from the heart of the town.

Stay overnight in Shigatse, 3★/4★

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you will leave Shigatse to Lhatse, a small town located 150 km from Shigatse, and you may have lunch in a local restaurant. After a short rest, you will go ahead to Tingri. You will pass Tsola Pass(4600m) and Gyatsola Pass(5248m). In the late afternoon, you enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve. You can enjoy the panorama of the Himalayas at Gawula Pass (5198m). Then we drive along the New zigzag road to the Everest Base Camp(5200m). If the weather is good, you can have a clear view of the sunset of the golden Everest peak.

From April to October, you will stay overnight in EBC tents. From November to March, you will stay overnight in Everest Town instead.

Stay overnight at EBC/Everest Town, Nomad Tent(Dorm Bed)/Guesthouse

Meals: Breakfast

You can get up early and enjoy the sunrise of Everest Peak in the lodging area if the weather is good. Then you will visit Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world, also a holy place at the foot of Mt.Everest.

­ 

After that, drive to Saga. On the way, you can view the 14th highest peak, Mt.Shishapangma (8012m). Later, you will pass by Lake Peiku tso(4590m), then continue to Saga. If you are lucky enough, you are very likely to see wild animals like the wild donkey, wild antelope, etc.

Stay overnight in Saga, Guesthouse

Today, you will spend a lot of time on the way, but it’s worth seeing the landscape along the way.You’ll have stunning views of the great Himalayas to the south and Trans-Himalayan to the north as we drive across the vast plains. This region is home to nomads, you’ll see the beautiful grassland and local villages. As we cross the Mayomla Pass (5112m), you can enjoy the spectacular vista of Mt. Naimonanyi(7694m).

­ 

During this thrilling journey, you’ll pass by sand dunes, mountains, and sandstone valleys before we reach the Darchen(4560m), a small nomadic village and an important launch point for pilgrimages around Mt. Kailash. Upon your arrival, you can explore the Darchen town on your own. If you need porters and yaks, your tour guide will arrange it for you this afternoon.

Stay overnight in Darchen, Guesthouse/4★

In the morning, you will take an eco-bus (included in the cost) to Sarshung Valley and start your Mount Kailash Kora from there. If you have hired porters and yaks on the last day, you’ll meet them there. (The cost of hiring yaks, horses, and porters is not included in the package). You’ll trek about 13 km from Sarshung Valley to Drirapuk Monastery, where you will stay overnight there in a guesthouse.

Stay overnight in Guesthouse, Dorm Bed

Today is the most challenging day of trekking as you’ll climb over the highest pass of your Kailash Kora, the Dromala pass(5630m). After a short rest at the top, we will climb down into the long valley and stop for lunch at the Shabjay Dakpo nomadic tent. On the way, you can have a rest in a teahouse. Then you will continue to the Zultulpuk, built by two important religious figures, Milarepa and Naro Bonchung. At last, you will visit Zutulpuk Monastery. You will find the footprint and handprint of Milarepa on a cave above the monastery. 

Stay overnight in Guesthouse, Dorm Bed

It's an easy day of the trek. You'll trek 7 km to complete Mt.Kailash Kora. In the afternoon, the car will pick you up in Darchen and drive you to the holy Lake Manasarovar, which is just 40 km southwest of Darchen. If the weather is good, you can see the splendid sunset of the lake Manasarovar. If you feel good, you can do a trek along the shore of the lake for a while. And then you'll head to Zhongba.

Stay overnight in Zhongba, Guesthouse

Today we will drive from Zhongba to Lhatse. Although there is no famous scenic spot on the way, the scenery is endless. On the way, you will see a lot of unnamed lakes and rivers, cross 7 high mountain passes, and experience different weather. You will see natural scenery, rural cattle and sheep, wild animals, and unknown purple flowers all over the mountains all the way.

If any group members would like to continue to Kathmandu, we will send them off at the Gyirong border. Therefore you'll have a chance to explore the Gyriong Valley, called the backyard of the Himalayan Mountains.

Stay overnight in Lhatse, 3★

If there is enough time that day, you can go to visit Sakya Monastery on the way back to Shigatse. There is a famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Sakya County - Sakya Monastery, the main monastery of Sakyapa. It was built in the 1360s. The walls around this monastery were mainly gray, but the top part of the walls was painted in red and white stripes. That’s why Sakyapa is also called Variegated Buddhism. There are many cultural relics such as seals, Buddha statues, a large collection of books, exquisite murals, etc. The murals of the Yuan Dynasty are the most distinctive, which makes Sakya Monastery known as the "second Dunhuang".

If not, you will visit Sera Monastery when getting back to Lhasa via Shigatse-Lhasa Express Way.

Stay overnight in Shigatse, 3★/4★

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa from Shigatse along the Friendship Highway, the northern route. On the way, you’ll see the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley. In Nyemo, you’ll have a chance to visit the Tibetan Incense Workshop. Nyemo County has a history of more than 1,000 years. Except for sacrificial ceremonies, this fragrant incense also can be used to prevent infectious diseases like flu and influenza, for its ingredients contain herbal medicines such as saffron, Sandalwood, Chinese Usnea, and borneol.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Meals: Breakfast

There are no designated tourist attractions today. You will have free time in Lhasa city with your tour guide. If you want to arrange some activities, you need to get permission from the other members and do it together. According to the regulations, foreigners are not allowed to travel to Tibet alone, and you must be escorted by a tour guide.

Of course, you could also choose to leave Lhasa today. We will drop you off at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★ 

Meals: Breakfast

Tour ends today. Tour guide and driver will drop you to the Lhasa airport or railway station for your next stop.