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Itinerary
Day 1: Flight from Beijing / Shanghai / Chengdu to Lhasa
Take a flight to Lhasa. meet with your guide at the Airport and transfer
to your Hotel.
Day 2: Lhasa
We will have a full day in this mystical capital exploring the Potala
Palace, Jokhang (Dazhao)Temple and Norbulingka, the Summer Palace of the
Dalai Lama.
Day 3: Lhasa to Gyantse (Jiangzi)
The road to Gyantse meanders down through the Kyichu Valley to Yarlong
Tsampa (Brahmaputra)River before climbing over Khama La Pass at 4,900
m(16,076 ft).We will stop to take a breath in this majestic topography -
the serene turquoise lake of Yamdrok Tso with a backdrop of snow-topped
mountains. Before reaching Gyantse, we will make one more ascent over
Karo La at 5,200 m(17,060 ft).
Day 4: Gyantse to Shigatse(Rikaze)
Here we will soak up the old-world atmosphere of Tibetan rural life. For
centuries, this town has dominated the wool and timber trade routes from
Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.We will explore the 14-15th century fortress
and temples, most notably the Gyantse Kumbum, the Stupa of 100,000
Deities, which is one of Tibet's most famous architectural achievements.
In the afternoon we will head to Shigatse.
Day 5: Shigatse
Shigatse is pleasantly covered in trees, a view which is quite rare in
Tibet. The city is divided into two parts - the charming old town
retaining old Tibetan homes lining the narrow streets, and the newer
commercial district with department stores and karakoke bars. We will
take the whole day to tour around the grand Tashilhunpo Monastery, which
was founded by Pachen Lama I in 1447 and remains the center of the
Shigatse's community.
Day 6: Shigatse to Lhase (Lazi)
We will leave Shigatse in the morning for Lhase.
Day 7: Lhase to Saga
From Lhaze onwards, we will be driving on rugged roads. Saga, meaning
'Happy Land', is situated along the Tsangpo River in a region
criscrossed by the upper Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The land
becomes rugged, the air thinner and the sky endless and impossibly blue.
Day 8: Saga to Paryang (Payang)
Another day's driving will take us to Paryang in the heart of western
Tibet, where the four great rivers of South Asia diverge from their
glacial sources around Mount Kailash. During the rainy season, the roads
to Paryang are likely to be washed out by floods, in which case we may
need to drive the truck through a 30 cm(11.7 inches)deep stream.
Day 9: Paryang to Darchen (Taqing)
In the higher altitudes you would be able to enjoy an uninterrupted view
of the Himalayas bordering India and Nepal.
Day 10: Darchen
Darchen, situated at 4,000 meters(13,123 ft), is the starting point of
the route around Mt. Kailash. The town itself may trigger mixed feelings
- you may encounter the fascinating sight of pilgrims camping by the
town, cooking and washing to prepare for their journey to Mt. Kailas
Kora, while the inspiring view of beer bottles, left by tourists who
have finished the trek, is likely to bring you back to reality. We will
have an early start this day to begin our 3-day trek in Mt. Kailash.
Day 11 -12: Mt. Kailash
The highest pass of the hike is at 5,600 meters(18,373 ft), an altitude
at which walking can become quite a demanding task. We will move at a
slow pace and take plenty of breaks along the way. Back at Darchen, we
will get into our car and drive to Lake Manasorovar to camp for the
night.
Day 13: Lake Manasarovar
We will camp another night at this sacred lake. We will take a walk up
to the Chiu Monastery, located atop a cliff, to enjoy the spectacular
view of the lake.
Day 14-15: Zhanda (Zhada)
We will spend a day driving to Zhanda, a small town situated deep in a
valley. The drive itself offers a breathtaking view of sand-rock
formations shaping the deep valley. We will spend another day in the
area to visit the ruins of the Guge Kingdom, which ruled western Tibet
300 years ago.
Day 16-17: Zhanda to Lhasa
We will return to Lhasa by retracing the original route we took,
stopping on the way to play frisbee in the grasslands with Tibetan
children or photographing golden haired yaks grazing in the sunset.
Lhasa to Chengdu.
Day 18: Departure, Trip ends.
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Adventure in Tibet