Kailas - Tibet's Sacred Peak - Saga Dawa Festival
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 dramatic flight across the Nepal Himalaya from Kathmandu to Lhasa. We are met at the airport and make the transfer to our hotel in the city.
Day 4: A day in Lhasa for sightseeing and acclimatisation. We visit the Jokhang Temple and the adjacent market area of the Barkor.
Day 5: Another Lhasa sightseeing and acclimatising day. We visit the Sera Monastery and the Drepung Monastery, each of which is located just outside the city.
Day 6: In the morning we will visit the Potala Palace, the most spectacular of the sights of Lhasa.The afternoon is free for relaxing.
Day 7: Taking the new paved highway beside the Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) we drive to Shigatse where we visit the Tashilunpo Monastery. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 8: We drive across a pass (4500m / 14,765ft) which offers views of the Himalayas. Beyond the town of Lhatse we cross the Tsangpo River by a vehicle ferry and set up our first camp of the trip.
Day 9: A long drive today is compensated by spectacular views of the Himalayas. Camp at the town of Saga.
Day 10: Another day of driving on rough roads to Paryang, where we camp.
Day 11: A spectacular finale to our drive across western Tibet, with holy Mount Kailas ahead of us as we reach Lake Manasarovar. Camp on the lakeshore.
Day 12: 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 13: 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 14: 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 15: 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 16: Today we complete the circuit or 'kora' of Mount Kailas on arrival at Darchen. From here we walk into the La Chu Valley once more and trek to the festival site.
Day 17: Pre-festival day. At the gathering for the Saga Dawa prior to the festival there is usually horse racing and a variety of market stalls.
Day 18: The Saga Dawa flagpole raising is normally mid morning. We stay at the festival until midday, then trek out to Darchen and drive to the camping place beside Lake Manasarovar.
Day 19: We spend the morning at the lake and in the afternoon drive to our camp at the village of Hor Manasarovar.
Day 20: Return drive to a camp midway between Paryang and Saga.
Day 21: 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 22: 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 23: KE Land Only package services end with breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are provided.
