Lhasa and Mount Kailash Tour

After breakfast, we will visit the sacred Jokhang Temple, built in the middle of the 7th century, in a square called Barkhor in the centre of the old part of Lhasa. It was later extended by successive rulers and finally rebuilt by the fifth Dalai Lama. It is now a vast architectural complex. Located in the east and facing the west, Chyokhang is a four-storied temple with a beautiful golden roof. The Tang dynasty influenced Chyokhang Temple architecture but has also assimilated many features of Nepalese and Indian Buddhist temples. The murals in the temple depict the life stories of historical and religious characters. The temple houses the statues of King Songchen Gompo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhrikuti Devi (Nepali), and many important Buddhist statues and images brought as dowries by queens from China and Nepal. Also, there are the Princess Willow (a tree) and the Uncle-Nephew Alliance Tablet (a stone pillar with treaty inscriptions). Chyokhang is the spiritual centre of Tibet and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It houses a 12-year-old idol of Shakyamuni (Chyo Rinpoche).

We then proceed to the Potala Palace, one of the most famous architectural works in the Tibetan world, located on top of a red hill in Lhasa. It was built in the 7th century after the Tibetan King SongchenGompo married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Palace for the second time. They built the Potala Palace to provide a place for worship and meditation. In the mid-17th century, it was rebuilt to its present form by the 6th Dalai Lama and became the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas. A saying is that it took fifty years to complete the construction of this Palace.

The Potala Palace is divided into two parts, the Red Palace and the White Palace. The total height of the Potala spread over thirteen floors is 117 meters. The length of the Palace from east to west is 400 meters, and the width from south to north is 350 meters. The building is made of stone and wood with a golden roof. It is a magnificent architectural masterpiece of Tibet.

In the evening, we will visit Barkhor Square, the holiest shrine in Lhasa, where countless shops and street vendors mingle with devotees walking clockwise around the Chyokhang. There are four large prayer flag pillars at each corner of Barkhor Square, which are respectively called Gadhen Dharchen in the northeast, Juyak Dharchen in the west, KelsangDharchen in the southwest and Shyar Kyaring Dharchen in the southeast. We will gather the unique experience of a lifetime by taking an evening walk (Kora) around Chyokhang Temple with Tibetan pilgrims.

After breakfast, we will tour Tak Yerpa, a historical complex of ancient caves and temples. Tak Yerpa, the entrance to the Yerpa Valley, is located on the north bank of the Kichu River, about 16 kilometres northeast of Lhasa. It is another 10 km from there to reach the famous ancient meditation caves in the spectacular limestone cliffs of Yerpa Valley. Yerpa has many small temples, shrines and meditation sites, and the cliffs of Yerpa contain some of the earliest known meditation sites in Tibet. Some of these are from pre-Buddhist times. The well-known cave is traditionally associated with SongchenGampo, 604–650 AD, the 22nd king of the Yarlung dynasty and the first emperor of United Tibet. His Tibetan queen, MonjaTriucham, established the TakYerpa temple here.

King Songchen and his two foreign queens meditated at the ‘Piu Marsargi Temple’ and the ‘KsyogyalPhuk’ and are said to have discovered the ‘self-origin symbols’ of the Buddha’s body, speech and mind. Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche (early 8th century), meditated and practised tantric yoga here with his yogini Yeshe Ksyogyal and spent seven months meditating at ‘DawaPhuk’. Therefore, this place is considered one of the three most important places of achievement of Guru Rinpoche.

After this, Yerpa is considered one of the three most important meditation centres in Central Tibet. Many disciples of Guru Rinpoche are also said to have done meditation here. Atishya (982 – 1054 AD) preached widely in the valley. Atishya’s hermitage is in ruins, but in the 19th century, there were 300 monks. It was a summer college for the Ramoche Temple (Upper Tantric College). After the Cultural Revolution, the people rebuilt most of the temples and monasteries in TakYerpa. Enormous ruins of monasteries destroyed during the Cultural Revolution are in the scene.

There is only one basic eatery, so you can take packed food from your hotel in Lhasa or stop for lunch on the way to Ganden.

After Tak Yerpa, we will visit Gaden, 40 km west of Lhasa. Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect (Yellow Hat Sect), established this Gonpa in 1409. The Chinese destroyed the Gonpas at Gaden after conquering Tibet, but people have almost completely rebuilt them. In earlier times, Gaden had 5,000 monks. After the visit, we will return to Lhasa by car.

After breakfast, we will go to visit Drepung, a monastery that once had 10,000 monks in residence. This monastery and Sera Monastery were damaged during the turbulent days of the Red Guards and their Cultural Revolution, but they have now been restored, and the monks have returned, although in smaller numbers. After Drepung, we will visit the Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace, the Norbulingka Palace, which is now a simple museum.

After visiting the Norbulingka, we will continue to the Sera Monastery, located about 3 km north of Lhasa and at the foot of Tatipu Hill. Sera monastery, founded in 1419, was the second Gelug monastery of Lhasa and once had 7,000 monks. It is one of the most important monasteries and is dedicated to Gelukpa sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Tsong Khapa. It has several buildings, mainly the Coquen Hall and the specialized schools. Inside the monastery, sacred scriptures written with gold dust, murals and unique statues are preserved. Its main statue is of the Horse-headed Dharma protector Hayagriva. At the end of the, we will also visit the local tea houses run by the monks and stay with local people and have a tea or lunch.

After breakfast, we will make a road trip to Tsetang, 160 km southwest of Lhasa. Tsetang is located on the south bank of the Yarlung Changpo River at an altitude of 3,600 meters. Tsetang is known for its grasslands, beautiful river valleys, snow-capped mountains and glaciers, and a rich variety of flora. Important places in Tsetang include the first Palace of Tibet, the first monastery of Chetang, the first Buddhist Hall and the tombs of ancient Tibetan kings.

After reaching Tsetang, we will rest a while at the hotel and start sightseeing from Yumbulagang, the first Palace in Tibetan history,  built on top of a mountain in the 2nd century. The Palace contains statues of the Buddha from three eras, as well as statues of the Tibetan kings Nyathi Kshenpo, Lha Tho-Tho-ri Nyanchen, Thi Ralpchen, Songchen Gompo and Trisong Deuchen. Afterwards, we will visit Tarduk Temple, founded by King Songchen Gampo in the 7th century and belongs to the Gelugpa sect. The ancient paintings preserved here are bronze, and the corridors are lined with frescoes. Finally, we will visit the tombs of the ancient kings. The tombs are still in good condition. Tomb of the Ancient Kings refers to the group of tombs of the kings of the Tubo Kingdom. Eight or nine tombs, including King Songchen Gompo, Triad Sukten, and Trisong Deuchen, can be seen.

After breakfast, we will depart for Samye Lhakhang, located on the northern bank of the Yarlung Changpo River. Once we arrive at Samye we drive another 16 kilometres to Chim-Puk and visit the sacred sites. The Chim-Puk Hermitage site is one of the most sacred pilgrim’s site in Tibet. The mountain slope of Chim-Puk is filled with meditation caves and hermitages that yogis used for centuries for their meditation retreats. The story describes having 108 meditation cells in the past, including the Drakman Keutsang cave,  where Guru Padmasambhava gave teachings to his eight disciples. As in Drak Yerpa in Yerpa Valley in Lhasa, there are caves associated with Padma Sambhava, Indian teacher Atisha and Tibetan king Trisong Detsen.

In the afternoon we will visit the Samye Gonpa, considered the first Gonpa in Tibet, was built in 779 A. D. under the supervision of Guru Rinpoche and Tibetan King Trisong Detsen. The grand and unique central hall is three stories high. The monastery’s first floor is built in Tibetan style, the second in Han style and the third in Nepali style. There are many statues and murals in the halls of the monastery. The monastery has bronze bells, lions and carved marble tablets, on which records of the development of Buddhism in Tibet are engraved.

We depart from Tsetang in the morning. On the way, we visit the sacred Yamdrok Lake, Nyochen Kansang and its glaciers and Gyantse Kumbum. Yamdrok Lake is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in Tibet. We will drive for about 2 hours on the shores of this lake and observe the scenery. Yamadroka means blue yung (turquoise) on days of good weather. This lake is said to be different from other Tibetan lakes as its water is sweet, has no salt and spreads over 624 square kilometres.

After a short drive, we will reach our lunch spot, Nagarche. After lunch, we will continue the journey through a beautiful narrow snow valley and cross the Nyochen Kansang mountain. In front of Nyochen Kansang, we will stop for photography and continue towards Gyantse, a small Tibetan town between the Gonpas and the old fort. The Gyantse Valley is rich in agriculture and famous for wool, carpets and its Kumbum Gonpa.

At Gyantse, we will visit Kubum and Palchoi Gonpa. Palkhor, a unique structure built in 1414 in collaboration with Nepali Newari artists and Tibetan artists, has nine floors, 108 doors, 77 clay sculptures, and various murals. Palkhor is said to have 100,000 sculptures, paintings, and images. Its name, “100,000 Kshyorten” (Kumbum), is the reason for this.

After the tour, we will continue our drive to Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. Shigatse is 355 km west of Lhasa, where the Nyangchu River meets the Yarlung Changpo River. Shigatse is the centre of distribution of agricultural products, animal husbandry products and transportation in the southeastern part of Tibet. In Tibetan, Shigatse means “one’s wish-fulfilling heritage”. After arriving in Shigatse, we will rest at the hotel.

In the morning, we will visit the famous Tashilhunpo Gonpa in Sigatche. This gonpa is the largest Gelugpa gonpa in the Chang region of Tibet. GedunDrup, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect, founded TashilhunpoGonpa, and GedunDrup is known as the first Dalai Lama. It was first built in 1447 and later continuously expanded by the Penkshen Lamas. The largest statue in this Gonpa is the giant Maitreya (Future Buddha) statue built by the 9th Pengchen Lama in 1914. They made the statue twenty-six meters tall and used 275 kg of solid gold and other precious items such as pearls, turquoise, coral and amber. The funeral stupa of the 4th Penkshen Lama in 1662 is eleven meters tall and made of solid gold and silver.

After the visit, we will start the day trip. Today, we will also visit Shakya Lhakhang, the most precious Gonpa in Tibet. Shakya Lhakhang is one of the most important historical places in the Chang region. The peculiar colour of the buildings, painted in grey with red and white vertical stripes, symbolizes the trinity of Shakya, Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajradhara.

The Shakya Lhakhang contains a collection of numerous inscriptions, murals from the Yuan Dynasty, more than 3,000 thangkas, designations, stamps, crowns, porcelain objects, embroidered cloths, textiles and jewellery from the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and a huge vermilion pillar. During his visit to Shakya, King Kublai Khan gave the vermilion pillar as a gift to Shakya Lhakhang. Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the fifth emperor of the Yuan Mongol dynasty ruled from 1260 to 94. Kublai Khan completed the conquest of China begun by Genghis Khan in 1279 and became the first Yuan ruler of all of China.

After visiting one of the most important Gonpas in Tibet, we proceed to the Tibetan settlement of Shyelgar, a typical Tibetan-style village at the foot of a small hill. A town tour can give you an insight into the typical remote Tibetan lifestyle. Mount Everest is in view from the roadside of Shyelgar towards the south.

In the morning, we will wake up early to watch the sunrise on Mt. Everest, and after lunch, we will head towards RongbukGonpa and Everest Base Camp for a sightseeing tour. Shortly after departure from Shyelgar, from Pangla 5150m pass, we will enjoy the incredible views of the Himalayas uninterrupted from Makalu to Shishapangma. Everest remains hidden from view from the Pangla Pass, but when we reach the corner of the Rhombuk Valley, it reappears more impressively than before.

RongbukGonpa, located at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, is the only Gonpa situated at such a height in the world, where the community of monks and nuns is small compared to other Gonpas in Tibet.

After a scenic visit to Everest base camp, we will depart for Saga. The journey continues amid picturesque landscapes with views of Mount Cho Oyu. On the way, we will enjoy beautiful views of the Peiku Tso Lake and Shishapangma mountains to the right. Before reaching Saga County, we will cross the Brahmaputra River, which originates from the mount Kailash, flows through the western part of Tibet, including Sigatche, and finally reaches the Bay of Bengal.

After Saga, we will continue our journey by road through the western Tibetan Plateau, the vast grasslands dotted with nomadic camps, grazing yaks, and sheep. In the far south, you can see snow-capped peaks, many rocky mountains, and dunes (Himalayan desert), giving us the feeling of a world apart. On the way, we will visit the Gonpa in the ancient village of Dzongba at an altitude of 4,500 meters.

After visiting the Gonpa, our journey will continue. One can see the holy Kailash and Mansarovar lake from the road for the first time. At an altitude of 4,558 meters, the holy Mansarovar Lake is a turquoise-coloured freshwater lake teeming with fish and ducks at the highest point in the world. The sacred Mount Kailash, Mount Gurla-Mandhata and Rakshesi Lake are around Mansarovar. The area is rich in gold, other minerals, hot springs, and hundreds of wild animals. We will arrive at Mansarovar Lake by lunchtime. After lunch, we will leave for Tarchen, about 27 km away.

We wake up early in the morning, have tea and breakfast and drive to Tarboche, a distance of 8 km in 30 minutes. Tarboche is a ground of great importance, where the important annual puja (Saga Dawa) of raising the prayer pole is held on the full moon day of Baisakh (April/May). Tarboche is also the base camp of the holy mountain Kailash Kora, where the yak and horse ride start. After sightseeing, we will return to Tarchen and visit Chiu Gonpa and Mansarovar Lake.

Chiu Gonpa or Sparrow Monastery, a Gonpa of the Nyingmapa sect, is located 33 km from Darchen, at an altitude of 4590 meters on the west bank of Lake Mansarovar, with a panoramic view of Lake Mansarovar, Mount Gurla Mandhata (7,694) and Mount Kailash. Towards the end of the 7th century, Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, spent seven days in this cave and left his footprints on the rock. Chiu Gonpa has been constructed keeping the holy cave in the central part. From Chiu Gonpa, we can enjoy the best views of Mansarovar, the lake of peace, compassion and joy, if the weather is clear. So, in the afternoon, we will spend time around the corners of the lake and enjoy some magnificent views of the lake.

A visit to Holy Mount Kailash is the completion of the visit to one of the holiest places in the world. Therefore, with the great accomplishment of a lifetime journey, we will return to Saga. On the way back, we can see Mt Kailash with piles of prayer flags hoisted by pilgrims by the roadside. We stop here for a final view of the holy Kailash and pass Gungyo Cho (lake) to Maryum La at 5,140m. At Maryumala, we will stop briefly to take in the views of the vast Tibetan Plateau and mountains.

We continue our journey to Saga, passing through the town of Dzongba and some small passes and looking out across vast open fields filled with herds of Yaks. Views of the snow-capped Nepalese Himalayan range fill the horizon to the south. After crossing the villages of Dzongba and a small pass, we reach Saga, a small town of Chinese and Tibetans.

We set out for the trip to Kyirung, the new border between Nepal and Tibet. Due to the April 2015 earthquake, the old border (Tatopani border) was closed. Today’s route is breathtaking, with the view of Shishapangma, the only 8,000-meter mountain in China-Tibet, and the sight of PelkhuTso. The highest pass today is Gongthangla, which is 5000 meters. Today is also visually stunning and offers plenty of photo opportunities. On the way, we will also visit the Drak Kharthaso (Milerapa’s Enlightenment Cave) and Jamtin Temple (built by Dharma king Songtsen Gampo).

We will leave the Tibetan part of Kyirung in the morning and head towards the Nepalese border. Our Tibetan guide and driver will help us pass through Chinese customs and immigration. We will find our Nepali vehicle waiting for our arrival when we reach the Nepalese border. After completing the immigration formalities to re-enter Nepal, we will continue our journey to Kathmandu, enjoying the beautiful Nepali countryside. Since the road towards Nepal is not as good as in the plains of Tibet, it may take at least 5 hours to travel the distance of 150 kilometres by vehicle! Therefore, it will take at least 7 hours from Kyirung to Kathmandu. After arriving in Kathmandu, we will say goodbye to all the members and take them to their respective locations.