Day 01 - Arrival in Kathmandu (4265 ft/ 1300m) - Namaste! Welcome at the Trivubhan International airport with flower garlands. Assistance by STS representatives and transfer to your hotel - O/N Hotel
 KATHMANDU: The arrival point for visitors, Kathmandu is the historical and architectural center-point of Nepal, which was crowned with the title of "Capital City" after the unification of Nepal in 1768 AD. Surrounded by tier upon tier of green mountain walls above which tower the mighty snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Consists of three main cities of cultural interest: Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon).
In the evening, you will enjoy a traditional Nepalese dinner with cultural songs and dances |
Day 02 - Kathmandu Sightseeing – O/N Hotel
AM: Half-day sight seeing tour of Pashupatinath and Swoyambhunath
 PASHUPATINATH is one of the four most important religious sites in Asia for Shiva devotees. Pashupatinath, dedicated to Shiva, is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage destination in Nepal. Although the Pashupatinath Temple was only built in the fifth century and later renovated by Malla kings, the holy site is said to have existed from the beginning of the millennium. A gold-plated roof, four silver doors, and wood carvings of the finest quality decorate the pagoda temple of Pashupatinath. Temples dedicated to several other Hindu and Buddhist deities surround the temple of Pashupatinath. Nearby is the temple of Guheshwori dedicated to Shiva's consort Sati Devi. Behind the temple is the River Bagmati. On the banks of Bagmati are raised platforms used as cremation sites for Hindus.
 Swoyambhu literally means 'Self Existent One.' An inscription dated 460 A.D. states that the construction was carried out by King Manadeva. By the thirteenth century Swoyambhu had developed into an important Buddhist learning site. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal is in a monastery next to the stupa. Behind the hilltop is a temple dedicated to Manjusri or Saraswati - the goddess of learning. Statues and shrines of Buddhist and Hindu deities dot the stupa complex. Large numbers of Buddhists and Hindus alike visit Swoyambhunath: Perhaps the best place to observe the religious harmony in Nepal.
PM: Reps from STS will come to your hotel to give a briefing about the Kailash Parikrama trip
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Day 03 - Fly Kathmandu to Lhasa (12139 ft/ 3700m) – O/N Hotel
We leave Kathmandu to commence our yatra (journey) to Tibet, with a quick 1 hour flight to Lhasa,
the capital city of Tibet.
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Day 04 - Full day Sightseeing in Lhasa – O/N Hotel
We set out for some cultural adventure in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet located at an altitude of 3700m. In the morning, we will be taken on a guided tour of Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Market. The Jokhang temple is an intensely spiritual site for Tibetans and on our visit we will see pilgrims from all over the country making offerings of butter lamps. The Barkhor Circuit sits around Jokhang Temple, through which we will continue our medley of pilgrims, incense, and prayer flags. In the evening, we will visit the famed Norbulingkha Palace, summer retreat of the Dalai Lama.
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Day 05 - Full day sightseeing and leisure in Lhasa. O/N Hotel
The Potala palace lures hundreds of thousands of people. Today, we will discover for ourselves its charm. Perhaps it is the drama of a 13 storey structure set against a bright blue skyline. Or perhaps it is the historical and religious significance of the place; the Potala was constructed in 1645, and within its maze-like structure are housed many religious chapels. Visiting the Potala will make you a bit giddy – and most likely it is not the altitude.
We have one more sight to visit today after lunch - Drepung, the biggest Monastic University of Tibet 7 km west of Lhasa.
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Day 06 - Day hike to Bumpari (14250 ft/ 4340m)
Starting from the end of the Lhasa Bridge, we will hike along the banks of the Kyi Chu river. It is a rewarding climb to the twin summits of the Bumpa Ri (Bumpa means vase and Ri means mountain in Tibetan). The hike offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Lhasa valley, with prayer flags fluttering against the golden rooftop of the Sera monastery. This hike is also good for acclimatization as our bodies need to get used to the thin air of the Tibetan plateau. The day hike will take about 5-6 hours, with breaks for lunch and snacks.
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Day 07 - Drive Lhasa to Tsethang (en-route visit Samye monastery) – O/N
Today we begin our journey by road, making our way from Lhasa to Tsethang along the turquoise waters of the beautiful Yamdrok Lake. On the way, we will visit Samye monastery. Founded in 775 A.D, Samye was the first great Buddhist monastery in Tibet. It was built as a ‘mandala,’ a three dimensional model of the Buddhist universe. Most of it lies in ruins today.
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Day 08 - Drive Tsethang to Gyanste – O/N Hotel
In Gyanste, we continue our cultural odyssey as we visit one of the most unique cultural sites in Tibet. The Kumbum Chorten also known as the 10,000 images
Stupa is a pyramid-like structure – only, the top-most
part is not conical but more rounded, typical in Buddhist
Chortens. As we climb up the nine storyes of the
Kumbum, we venture into sacred chapels with priceless
statues, frescoes and murals. We won’t make it into
every chapel (there are a total of 108), so we will
wander along the Kumbum’s balconies for the
wonderful views of Gyanste and the surrounding hills.
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Day 09 - Drive Gyanste to Shigatse - O/N Hotel
Capital of the western province of Tsang, Shigatse is Tibet 's second largest and second most important city. We will visit the highlight of Shigatse, the Tashilunpo monastery with its gigantic sitting statue of the Maitreya Buddha (the Future Buddha, also the Laughing Buddha). Tashilunpo contains chortens, temples and the Panchen Lama's palace. Every year, the Tashilunpo Monastery hosts the Thangka Unveiling Festival.
In the evening, we will get a chance to visit the vibrant Shigatse market. Expect a colorful display with turquoise and coral beads, silver and brass ware, and colorful Tibetan carpets.
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Day 10 - Drive Shigatse to Lhatse – O/N Guesthouse
The town of Lhatse is located on the side of a hill, with the spectacular Himalayas surrounding its vast plains. Approximately 60km north-west of Mount Everest in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Lhatse is known for its spectacular views of Mount Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Cho Oyo. Lhatse used to be an important trading post where Sherpas from Nepal exchanged rice, grain and iron for Tibetan wool and salt.
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Day 11 - Drive Lhatse to Saga – O/N Guesthouse
We continue driving today from Lhatse to Saga along the Brahmaputra River.
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Day 12 - Drive Saga to Paryang – O/N Guesthouse
After breakfast we begin our journey to the town of Paryang, driving in our 4WD
Land cruisers across the vast dry Tibetan plains. Packed lunch will be served on
the way. Overnight at guesthouse.
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Day 13 - Drive Paryang to Hore (4400m) near Mansarovar Lake – O/N Tented Camp
Today we arrive closer to the shores of Lake Manasarovar after a 6-7
hrs drive. Once we leave Paryang, we will have to ford several river crossings in
our 4WD land cruisers. From the Horr Chu pass, we get our first view of the holy
Mount Kailash. We then arrive at the beautiful Lake Manasarovar, just 30km
south of Mt Kailash. It is separated from another lake, Rakshas Tal, by a narrow
strip of land and the two lakes are linked by a small channel. On the rare
occasions when water flows in this channel, it is said to be a good sign for the
Tibetan people. Overnight in our tented camp in Hore.
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Day 14 - Lake Mansarovar Parikrama – O/N Tented Camp
After breakfast, we start our Mansarovar Parikrama. We arrive at our Mansarovar camping site near Chiu Gompa (Chiu means ‘bird,’ Gompa means monastery in
Tibetan).
In the background of Chiu Gompa looms Mt. Kailash, adding to this picturesque and powerful setting. Of note are Chiu Gompa’s three chortens and a small Guru Rinpoche cave, the most sacred part of the monastery complex. The Ganga chu (chu means river) marked by prayer flags is near the bottom of the cliff and a Tibetan village can be seen across the water channel.
Freshly cooked lunch will be served at the edge of lake Mansarovar. Overnight in our tented camp near Chiu Gompa.
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Day 15 - Lake Mansarovar Exploration and Drive to Darchen (4,540 m) – O/N Guesthouse
According to Hindu mythology, the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Bhrama. Therefore ‘Manasarovar’ in Sanskrit is literally a combination of the two words - Manas (mind) and Sarovar (lake). Buddhists believe that the lake is the site where Queen Maya, the birth mother of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, conceived her son.
If we wish, we can take a holy bath in the lake, as the pilgrims do, or simply relax by the edge of the lake.
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Day 16 - Drive to Tarboche (4750m) Hike to Dira Puk - O/N Tented Camp
Perched above Tarboche, is the Sky Burial Site of 84 Mahasiddhas, a spot revered for once having been the burial site for lamas, and containing numerous sacred springs and power places. Inside the ‘Chuku Gompa’ is a revered marble statue called ‘Chuku Opame’ and a silver-inlaid conch shell with silver wings, which is said to have flown here from afar. A blessing by the local lama is an extremely good start for the parikrama!
We begin day 1 of our parikrama by walking for four to five hours to Dira Puk. We walk up the Lha Chu Valley through beautiful green meadows and streams, with Mt Kailash towering above us. We follow the river which enters a narrow canyon with high, steep cliffs and spectacular waterfalls. Continuing up the valley, the north face of Kailash comes into view before we reach the 13th century monastery at Dira-puk. Packed lunch will be served on the way. Overnight in our tented camp.
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Day 17 - Continue over Dromala pass (5,585m) to Zuthul Puk - O/N Tented Camp
We cover another 22 Km (14 miles) of our parikrama over a seven to eight hour hike. Today we leave the Lha Chu Valley and enter the Drolma Chu Valley, heading up towards a high pass, the Drolma La (5630m). The summit is festooned with prayer flags, with views of one of the highest lakes in the world, Thukpe Dzingbu Lake, known as the ‘Lake of Compassion’. In addition to the monastery at Zutul-puk, there are several meditation caves and another cave containing an image of Milarepa, the Tibetan meditation guru. Overnight in our tented camp.
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Day 18 - Last day Kailash Parikrama – Drive to Paryang – O/N Guesthouse
On the final day of our journey around Mt Kailash, we cross several streams, and follow an impressive gorge. We hike over 9 miles of this landscape which will take us about three to four hours of steady walking. Along the way, we are once again treated to magnificent views of Mount Kailash. Once we enter the Bharka plain, it is about an hour's walk through desert-like terrain to Darchen.
After our hike to Darchen, we will drive back to Paryang, re-crossing the Mayun-la and several rivers.
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Day 19 - Drive Paryang to Saga – O/N Guesthouse
After breakfast we begin our journey to the town of Saga, driving back in our 4WD
Land cruisers across the vast dry Tibetan plains. Packed lunch will be served on
the way.
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| Day 20 - Drive Saga to Nyalam – O/N Guesthouse
En-route from Saga to Nyalam, we will cross the Laluna La Pass (5050 m) and a huge
lake called Palku-tso (tso means Lake in Tibetan) Packed lunch will be
served on the way.
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Day 21 - Drive Nyalam to Zhangmu – drive to Dhulikhel – O/N Hotel
Today will be our last day on the Tibetan side, as we drive for about 123 km through the vast arid Tibetan plains into the beautiful Nepalese countryside. We will enter Nepal through the Friendship Bridge, the boundary between Tibet and Nepal. STS representatives will transfer us to Dhulikhel, a picturesque mountain resort town, with views of the Himalayas and warm Nepalese hospitality.
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Day 22 - Drive to Kathmandu via Bhaktapur – O/N Hotel
We leave Dhulikhel for the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, making a stop en-route at the
medieval city of Bhaktapur. World renowned for its elegant art and indigenous culture, Bhaktapur is a well preserved world heritage site. Wander through the brick-lain Durbar Square, capture the magic of its monuments, observe craftsmen and potters busy at work, and enjoy the open museum feel that Bhaktapur evokes.
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Day 23 - Kathmandu half day sightseeing - O/N Hotel
AM: Half day spent at leisure – rest, relax, catch up on email, postcards…
BOUDHANATH:One of the world's largest stupas, Boudhanath is generally acknowledged to be the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside Tibet. Over the years, it has also become the main center for Tibetan refugees in Nepal. Tibetans call it Chörten Chempo: "Great Stupa." The dome is elevated on three twenty-cornered plinths of decreasing size, which reinforces the notion of the stupa as a mandala. Above the central spire with the all-seeing eyes of wisdom, rise the 13 steps to nirvana. 108 images are set in niches around the dome. Prayer wheels are mounted around the perimeter wall. It is said that each spin of a prayer wheel here is the equivalent of reciting the mantra embossed on it 11,000 times.
PM: Half day sightseeing of Boudhanath Stupa and farewell dinner at Sherpa family home
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Day 24 - International Departure
• Breakfast at the coffee shop of the Hotel.
• • Transfer to the airport for your flight back to your home country
We hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Sacred Sites of Tibet - Holy Mt. Kailash Parikrama and Lhasa with Sherpa Trekking Service (STS)! |
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