Day 01: 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 02: 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 03: 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 04: 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 05: 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 06: Shigatse to Lhase (Lazi)
We will leave Shigatse in the morning for Lhase.
Day 07: 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 08: 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 09: 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 16-19: 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 20: Departure, Trip ends.
