Kailas - Tibet's Sacred Peak
Tibet & Nepal, Trek & Walk, 20 days - from $4,775 (land only)
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only package services begin with dinner and overnight at the group hotel.
Day 2: A free day in Kathmandu while our agent processes the group visa for Tibet. There is the option for a guided tour of some of the city's most important sights.
Day 3: We make the short internal flight to Nepalgunj close to the border with India. Here we check into a basic but comfortable hotel.
Day 4: We return to the airport to take our morning charter up into the Himalayan foothills. After a spectacular flight we land at Simikot, and set off on trek. We camp at Masigaon. 2600m. / 8530ft. 3 hours.
Day 5: Trek through terraces of millet and barley and several Bhotia villages to reach Kermi. 2900m. / 9514ft. 6 -7 hours. Camp
Day 6: Trek through the Karnali Valley with views towards Saipal to the monastery at Yangur. 4 - 5 hours. Camp.
Day 7: Trek to Thumkot. En-route we complete border formalities at the nepalese post. 6 - 7 hours. Camp.
Day 8: Continue through the valley of the Karnali, passing caravans of goats transporting salt from Tibet. We camp at a pasture above the village of Yari at 3900m. / 12,795ft.
Day 9: Today we cross Nara Lagna (4460m. / 14,632ft.) to Hilsa,. We enter Tibet and drive to Purang. Altitude 3800m. / 12,467ft. 4 hours trek, 2 hours drive
Day 10: A spectacular drive across the Gurla La with holy Mount Kailas ahead of us as we reach Lake Manasarovar. Camp on the lakeshore.
Day 11: After a short drive to Darchen, we start our circuit of Kailash, trekking into the Lha Chu Valley to our camping place near Darboche (4700m / 15,420ft).
Day 12: Today's trekking takes us to Choku Gompa and on beside the Lha Chu to Driraphuk Gompa. We set up our highest camp at Diraphuk Gompa.
Day 13: We cross the Drolma La (5600m / 18,370ft), festooned with colourful prayer flags and resonating with repeated mantra. Descend into the the Lham Chu Valley.
Day 14: Trekking beside the Lham Chu, we visit Zutulphuk Gompa and the cave of Milaripa before reaching a camping place at the corner of the valley.
Day 15: Today we complete the circuit or 'kora' of Mount Kailas on arrival at Darchen. From here we drive to the camping place beside Lake Manasarovar.
Day 16: We spend the morning at the lake and in the afternoon drive to our camp at the village of Hor Manasarovar.
Day 17: Return drive to a camp midway between Paryang and Saga.
Day 18: Today we cross the Lalung La and then the Shung La (5200m / 17,060ft) before descending to Zangmu on the Nepal/Tibet border, where we overnight in a hotel.
Day 19: We say goodbye to our Tibetan guide and drivers and cross the border into Nepal. Onward drive to Kathmandu, where we check into our comfortable hotel.
Day 20: KE Land Only package services end after lunch. Complimentary airport transfers are provided.
Altitude
This holiday involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 metres and/or trekking to 5000 metres or above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude.
