15 DAYS TIBET SAGA DAWA FESTIVAL TOUR TO MOUNT KAILASH AND MANASAOVER PILGRIMATE KORA

Welcome to Lhasa! Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport or Lhasa Railway Station, your professional Tibetan guide will meet you right in the hall on time, with your name sign. Then a comfortable private car and experienced driver will take you to Lhasa hotel safely. It is about 65km from the airport to Lhasa city and takes less than an hour through the Airport Expressway. It is only 25km from the railway station and takes about half an hour. After arriving at hotel, tour guide will help you check in. You can take a rest and get acclimatized to high altitude.

After breakfast at your hotel, driven to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung Monastery was ever the largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, and now is one of three great monasteries in Lhasa. Seen from the distant, its grand, white construction gives the appearance of a heap of rice. In the afternoon, driven to visit Sera Monastery, which is famous for the unique “Daily Scriptures Debating” activity held from 3:30pm to 5pm in the central courtyard. Then transfer back to the hotel.

After breakfast, your tour guide & driver will pick you and drive to visit the splendid Potala Palace, which is Lhasa’s cardinal landmarks. You will have a whole morning to explore this world-level architectural works: White Palace, Red Palace, corridors and stairs and countless lama’s dormitory. Others include: Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted, murals, etc. In the afternoon, you will walk to visit the age-old Jokhang Temple, as the spiritual center of Tibet, which will deeply impress you with its magnificence and sincere pilgrims. You will see pilgrims donating butter oil to keep the lights burning for the Buddha; learning Tibetan Buddhism; hearing the red-robed Lamas praying; taking photos of the gold roof and enjoying the beautiful sunshine of Lhasa. Finally, you will have a relaxing walk around Jokhang Temple at Barkhor Street, which is the oldest street in Lhasa, and full of religious atmosphere, showcasing Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble. Then transfer back to the hotel.

On leaving the Tibetan capital, we will first drive southwest towards the beauty of Lake Yamdrok taking the winding road up to the crest of the Gampa La pass at 4794 meters. From the pass you get the first glimpse of the beauty of Lake Yamdrok below ringed by snowy mountain peaks and stretching out across the whole landscape before you. In the distance the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar stands tall in the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain Range. We will drop down to the lake shore for a closer look before continuing on to Nagartse for a delicious local lunch. On the way to Gyantse, after lunch, we cross over the pass at Karo La (5159m) where we can view the beautiful glacier that falls from the slopes of Mount Nyenchen Khangsar. In Gyantse we will stop at the Pelkor Chode Monastery to explore both the monastery and the outstanding 32-meter stupa that is the highlight of the day. Known as the Kumbum Stupa this one-of-a-kind stupa has nine floors and 108 chapels which contain thousands of images and statues throughout. Then we will continue on in the late afternoon to reach Shigatse before nightfall.

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. Then, we’ll leave Shigatse after getting your Alien’s travel permit, and then drive direct to the base Camp of Mount Everest near the Rongbuk Monastery. The route takes us over several high passes and the first outstanding view you will see is from the Gyatso La pass at 5400 meters. From the viewpoint at the crest of the pass you can see Mount Everest standing tall in the distance. At Old Tingri we will turn off the Friendship Highway and take the Zhufeng Road over the Gawu La Pass (5250m) from which you get an amazing view of the Himalayan panorama. The view of the peaks includes several mountains above 8000 meters including Mount Everest (8848m) Mt. Lhotse (8516m) Mt. Makalu (8463m) Mt. Shishapangma (8020m) and Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m). On our arrival at the Rongbuk Monastery we will first check into the tent guesthouse or Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse depending on the time of year. The tent guesthouses are not available in the winter months from November to March and are sometimes full in the peak months of summer. After a light lunch we will get time to explore the famous Rongbuk Monastery the official highest Buddhist monastery in the world. Housing both monks and nuns the monastery was a regular stopping point for explorers heading for Mount Everest in the early days after it was first discovered.

n the morning, we can enjoy the sunrise of Everest Peak at lodging area if weather permits; then as we head to saga, you can view of the worlds’14th highest peak Mt.Shishapangma (8012m), and Turquoise Lake Peiku tso(4590m). If you are lucky enough, you are very likely to see wild animals like wild donkey, wild antelope etc.

On the way to Darchen, you will have a chance to appreciate the stunning view of the Saga valley between Gangdise Range and Himayala Range. Meanwhile, the beautiful grassland and local's villages can also be seen. As we cross the Mayomla Pass(5112M), you can enjoy the spectacular vista of Mt. Naimonanyi (7694M). Then we are supposed to pass by the holy Lake Manasarover and finally arrive at the southern foot of Mt. Kailash, the most holy mountain in Tibet.

In the morning, we are supposed to take eco-bus from Darchen to Sarshung valley. Then we will meet Yaks and porters at Sarshung village. (the cost of hiring yaks, horses, and porters are not included in the package) After that, we can begain the trek (Around 13km) from Sarshung to Drirapuk Monastery along the Lachu valley and rivers. You can enjoy the both west and north face of mountain Kailash today. Finally, we will visit Drirapuk Monastery.

Today, we will trek over Dromala pass(5630m), the highest pass of the Kora. On the way you can have a rest in a teahouse. All the way, you can see locals Tibetans prostrating in the Kora path and beautiful Kadoe Lake when walk downhill. We may also visit Zutulpuk Monastery.

On the day three of the kora. you will trek 7km to Zongto where you can take bus to Darchen. Along the Kora, you can see piles of Mani Stones. We will end the Trek around noon, rest in the lodging place.

Drive from Darchen to Saga via Lake Manasaovar

Drive from Saga to Sakya.

In the morning, we will visit ancient Sakya town and you can tour Sakya monastery with amazing murals and huge collection of scriptures and statues. Originally, it comprised both the Northern and Southern Monasteries. In 1073, Khon Konchog Gyalpo, the founder of Sakyapa Sect, built a white palace on a grey clay hill near the northern bank of the Chun Qu River. The locals named the palace 'Sakya' which means grey soil. This was the Northern Monastery but today it is visible only as a ruin. The Southern Monastery was built like a fortress and was surrounded by a moat. Construction work began in 1268 and was led by Benqen Sagya Sangbo under the commission of Choygal Phakpa, the fifth descendent of Sakyapa Sect. The walls here were painted in red, white and grey which indicate Manjusri Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and Vajradhara. Then we are about to drive from Sakya to Shigatse.

After breakfast we will spend the first part of the morning touring around the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery the seat of the Panchen Lama before heading off along the Friendship Highway towards Lhasa. Built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, the monastery is now the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama Tibet’s second highest religious incarnation. There you will be able to see the tombs of 7 Panchen Lamas explore the twisting cobbled streets and get a peek into monastic life. On the rout drive back to Lhasa by following Yalong Valley, you can stand on the viewing platform and view the vast Yalong River bed. Finally the guide will transfer you back to your hotels in Lhasa.

Today is free for you until you are escorted to the airport or railway station for departure and the guide will help you get on board.