TBT – 11 Kailash Pilgrimage &
Guge via West Nepal
In May 1993 the governments of Nepal and China agreed to
open the border between their countries. From that time on,
travelers are able tomake tours to Mt. Kailash & Lake
Manasarovar through Humla, Nepal’s most remote district in
the Northwest of the country. Simikot Kailash trekking is
one of the popular trekking trail from Nepal to Tibet side.
A pilgrimage trek to Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain of
Tibet is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Simikot
kailash trekking tour, though challenging, presents amazing
experience that stands beyond human imagination and is
almost mysterious .Simikot Kailash trek takes you from the
far western town of Simikot, along an old trade route into
Tibet. Simikot Kailash trekking route leads through a
magnificent mountain area, past villages of the Thakuri,
along rivers and across the Nara Lagna Pass 4580m from where
you will see the immense Tibetan plateau. Simikot, in Far
Western Nepal’s Humla District, is one of the world’s most
remote regions and is the starting point of our trek into
the ‘Kailash Mandala’. We travel along ancient pilgrimage
routes and trading links, trekking across the border into
Tibet to Mt Kailash, the sacred Lake Manasarovar,
representing purity and Lake Rakshas Tal, representing
power. We complete this incredible experience by joining the
pilgrims and circumambulating the holy Mt. Kailash, washing
away the sins of a lifetime and enjoying one of the most
stunning walks on the planet. After a truly incredible
Kailash immersion, we'll travel on overland through Tibet’s
amazing landscape exploring Lhatse, Gyantse, Shigatse and,
finally, the Forbidden City of Lhasa.
Itinerary:
Day |
Activities |
01 |
Fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj
(150 m). |
02 |
Fly Nepalgunj to Simikot,
Start trek to Dharapuri. |
03 |
Trek to Kermi. |
04 |
Trek to Tumkot via Yalbang |
05 |
Trek to Tharedhunga. |
06 |
Trek to Sipsip. |
07 |
Trek through Nara Lagna Pass
and to Hilsa
(Nepal Border)
and to Sher.
Drive to Purang. |
08 |
Drive to Lake Mansarovar.
Visit Serlung
Gompa. |
09 |
Drive to Darchen. Kora
begins: Trek to
Tarboche below
Chukku Gompa. |
10 |
Trek to Driraphuk. |
11 |
Trek to Drolma Pass and Lham
Chu Khyr Valley. |
12 |
Trek to Zutrulphuk Gompa to
Darchen. Drive
Tirthapuri. |
13 |
Drive to Toling. |
14 |
Visit Tsaparang and Toling
Gompa. |
15 |
Drive to Langohen River. |
16 |
Drive to Lake Mansarovar. |
17 |
Rest day. |
18 |
Drive to Paryang. |
19 |
Drive to Saga. |
20 |
Drive to Ngamring. |
21 |
Drive to Shigatse. |
22 |
Drive to Gyantse. |
23 |
Drive to Lhasa. |
24 |
Lhasa. (Sightseeing Tour). |
25 |
Lhasa (Sightseeing Tour). |
26 |
Fly Lhasa / Kathmandu or
Chengdu. |
|

Day |
Activities |
01 |
Fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj
(150 m).
This morning we take a flight to Nepalganj, on the southern
border of Nepal. Nepalganj is hot, flat and completely
different from the usual perception of Nepal as a
mountainous country! It is home to a diverse population who
have migrated here for farming, business or study. We will
spend the night here before flying up to Simikot to commence
our trek tomorrow morning. |
02 |
Fly Nepalgunj to Simikot,
Start trek to Dharapuri.
Fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot (2900 meters) and trek to
Dharapuri. Once you are at Simikot, you feel like you are in
a different realm because of the sudden rise in altitude and
sudden fall in temperature. To leave behind the scorching
hot climate and be in a tiny mountain village, breathing
cool, fresh air gives you an adrenaline rush as well as a
refreshing feel. We then start our trek to Dharapuri. We
pass through a pine forest where we see local Hindu and
Buddhist people in their traditional attire accompanied by
their herds of cattle. The cattle carry the load for the
people in this part of the world because there are no other
modes of transport. |
03 |
Trek to Kermi.
Today we start our trail following the Karnali River. We
walk along the fields cultivated mainly with barley,
buckwheat, rice and potatoes. In afternoon we relax in
natural hot springs. Kermi is a small agricultural, Buddhist
village. We visit two interesting, ancient Buddhist
monasteries close to Kermi; Laikyo Gompa and Lhundrup
Choeling Gompa. |
04 |
Trek to Tumkot via Yalbang
Trekking to Yalbang is a flat & steep ascent until reaching
a small pass and crossing an iron suspension bridge over the
Sali River. From here there are beautiful pine trees & the
emerald Karnali downhill. We will visit Namkha Khyung Dzong
Monastery and a clinic in the monastery.
The path leaves the Karnali River below when it reaches the
tiny village of Yangar. The greenery begins to vanish and so
do the smaller bushes. They give way to pine trees and rocky
hills. In the afternoon, after reaching Tumkot, we visit to
Dhungkar Choezom Monastery, one of the most important Sakya
monasteries in the Tibetan region. |
05 |
Trek to Tharedhunga.
Trek to Tharedhunga at an altitude of 3854m |
06 |
Trek to Sipsip.
Continue trek to Sipsip (4300 m) |
07 |
Trek through Nara Lagna
Pass and to Hilsa (Nepal Border) and to Sher. Drive to
Purang.
A steep ascent in the morning will take is to the top of the
Nara Lagna pass. Our first amazing views of the Tibetan
Plateau come into view as we climb down the pass. Shortly
after crossing the Nepal/Tibet border which is marked only
by a stone pillar, we meet our transport and drive to Purang |
08 |
Drive to Lake Mansarovar.
Visit Serlung Gompa.
Early morning drive to Serlung Gompa. Start Nandi Parikarma,
about 7 hours to complete round. Return back to Sheralung
Gompa and return back to Mansarovar Lake. |
09 |
Drive to Darchen. Kora
begins: Trek to Tarboche below Chukku Gompa.
Today, start your holy trek (Parikrama / Kora) in which you
circumambulate Mt. Kailash. You begin with less than an
hour’s drive towards Tarboche Flagpole / Sershong, after
which you have to trek for approximately four hours via
Chuku Monastery to reach Dirapuk. By now you would have
traveled 20 km and would have climbed 200 mt. above Darchen.
The trek offers myriad views the western face of Mt. Kailash
and its fantastically changing hues at sunrise and sunset. |
10 |
Trek to Driraphuk.
Today, start your holy trek (Parikrama / Kora) in which you
circumambulate Mt. Kailash. You begin with less than an
hour’s drive towards Tarboche Flagpole / Sershong, after
which you have to trek for approximately four hours via
Chuku Monastery to reach Dirapuk. By now you would have
traveled 20 km and would have climbed 200 mt. above Darchen.
The trek offers myriad views the western face of Mt. Kailash
and its fantastically changing hues at sunrise and sunset. |
11 |
Trek to Drolma Pass and
Lham Chu Khyr Valley.
Trek from Dirapuk via the Drölma-la Pass (5,630 mt.) and
Gauri Kund. En-route, you will also pass Shivasthal (5,330
mt.), one of the highest point in your trek and if legend is
to be believed, where Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati used
to sit. Pilgrims are supposed to undergo a symbolic death at
this point, entering the realm of the Lord of the Dead,
until they reach the top of the Drölma-la and are reborn
again. It is customary to leave something behind at
Shivasthal – an item of clothing, a drop of blood or a lock
of hair, to represent the act of leaving this life behind. |
12 |
Trek to Zutrulphuk Gompa
to Darchen.
Drive Tirthapuri.
The final end of
the parikrama is
an easy 2-3 hrs
walk down to
where the river
emerges on to
the Barga plain.
We complete the
3 day circuit
trek of Mt.
Kailash and
drive to
Tirdapuri where
there is a hot
spring.
Pilgrimage to
Mt. Kailash is
not complete
without visiting
Tirthapuri for
the Tibetan
Buddhists. |
13 |
Drive to Toling.
Visit Kyunglung
Guru Gyam and
then drive
across one of
the biggest
passes during
your journey
called Jiangla
pass (5100Mts )
and from the top
of the pass, you
will enjoy a
unique land view
resembling to a
pool as it is
just consumed
it's water from
the pool or
similar to Egypt
mud towers. |
14 |
Visit Tsaparang and Toling
Gompa.
Drive to
Tsaparang the
capital of Guge
Kingdom. Guge
Kingdom was
founded in the
late 10 th
century by
lineages of Lang
Dharma, King
Palkor Tsen's
son Kyede Nyima
Gon after the
Tsenpo period
was diminished
in the late 10
th century and
it was resided
by 16 lineages
of the Kings
respectively.
The citadel of
Guge is situated
up on a giant
cliff and it has
(300Meters) in
height and
18,0000 square
Meters in
length. Even
though the
citadel of Guge
was heavily
destroyed, it
still remains
important
Buddhist arts in
Tsaparang. The
wall paintings
and the statues
paint were
influenced by
Kashmiri style
in 11 th
century, Newari
style in 14 th
and 15th
century, and
Tibetan style in
17 th century
respectively.
The least
damaged temples
now are White,
Red and Demchok
temples and you
can see damaged
heads or
shoulders of the
statues and
destroyed wall
paintings on the
wall in those
temples.
Toling Monastery(Gompa) the
temples and
religious
buildings of
Tholing are the
most significant
in far west
Tibet . The
monastery was
constructed
under the
guidance of the
great Tibetan
translator
Rinchen Zangpo
in around 11 th
century although
some historian
refers to the
date of
996.During his
life time, he is
said to have
built 108
temples
throughout far
west Tibet and
Ladhak
eventhough few
still exist,
those at Tholing
are considered
to be the best
examples of Guge
style of
Buddhist art.
Tholing was the
main religious
centre prior to
the visit of the
great Indian
Pandit Atisha
due to the
influence of
Rinchen Zangpo.
Atisha was
invited by
Rinchen Zangpo
under the
instruction of
the Guge King
Yeshe-O. As the
history goes by,
Yeshe-O was very
devoted to
Rinchen Zangpo's
activities and
he himself
founded the
monasteries in
Tholing. Yeshe-O
sent his men to
India to invite
Atisha several
times but they
returned after
being refused
their request
several times.
Yeseh-O
sacrificed all
his life in
order to invite
Atisha. He was
captured by
invading troops
from Qarloq who
demanded ransom.
When Yeshe-O's
nephew Jangchub
O tried to save
his life, Yeshe-
O responded to
his nephew by
saying " I am an
old man. My life
now is short.
Use the ransom
to invite and
assist Atisha to
come to Tibet .
When Atisha was
moved by Yeshe-O's
dedication to
Buddhism, Atisha
finally agreed
to visit Tibet
and he was
amazed to see
Buddhism
flourishing when
he arrived in
Guge |
15 |
Drive to Langohen River.
|
16 |
Drive to Lake Mansarovar.
Lake Mansarovar
is the highest
freshwater lake
in the world
with its
altitude of
4,556 mt. or
14,947 ft. and
is relatively
circular in
shape with a
circumference of
88 km. (55
miles) and
average depth of
90 m (300 ft.).
The entire lake
with its stark
turquoise
complexion
freezes over in
winters and then
melts again only
in spring!
According to
legend, the lake
is a
personification
of purity and
anyone who
drinks water
from the lake
will go to the
heavens after
death. Also,
anyone who
bathes in the
lake is assumed
to have washed
away all sins
committed over a
hundred
lifetimes! The
belief in this
legend is such
that it brings
the lake and the
adjoining
mountain,
thousands of
visitors each
and every year. |
17 |
Rest day. |
18 |
Drive to Paryang.
Drive from
Mansarovar to
Paryang which is
around 260 km
away and should
approximately
take six to
seven hours to
reach. |
19 |
Drive to Saga.
Drive from
Paryang to Saga
which is around
255 km away and
should
approximately
take six seven
hours to reach. |
20 |
Drive to Ngamring.
The road follows
along Pelgu-Tso,
continues across
the plain with
stunning
Himalayan views.
The route then
follows a narrow
gorge before
climbing to a
pass and
dropping steeply
down to a ferry
crossing over
the Yarlung
Tsangpo to reach
Ngamring |
21 |
Drive to Shigatse.
Drive about 160
km from Ngamring
to Shigaste
which takes
about 6 hours.
On the way visit
Sakya Monastery.
Located in Sakya
County southwest
of Shigatse, the
Sakya Monastery
is the principal
monastery of the
Sakyapa Sect of
Tibetan
Buddhism.
Originally, the
Sakya Monastery
comprised both
the Northern and
Southern
Monasteries. In
1073, Khon
Konchog Gyalpo,
the founder of
Sakyapa Sect,
built a white
palace on a grey
clay hill near
the northern
bank of the Chun
Qu River. The
locals named the
palace 'Sakya'
which means grey
soil. This was
the Northern
Monastery but
today it is
visible only as
a ruin. Sakya
Monastery has
many murals and
'Thangkas'. Most
of the murals
are from the
Yuan Dynasty
(1271-1368).
Among them, the
most outstanding
and precious are
the murals which
depict portraits
of the former
Sakya ancestors,
Phakpa's meeting
with Kublai Khan
(the founder of
the Yuan
Dynasty) and
mandalas. There
are over 3,000 'Thangkas'.
The 360 from
Song (960-1279),
Yuan and Ming
(1368-1644)
Dynasties are
the most
precious. |
22 |
Drive to Gyantse.
Visit Tashilunpo
Monastery which
is the seat of
Panchen Lama.
Each year, there
is a display of
a gigantic
thangkas of
Buddha will on
its Thangka
Wall. Beside the
trove of
thangkas, its
murals and other
religious and
artistics
treasures
certainly will
impose an
indelible
impression upon
visitors. After
the sightseeing
drive to Gyantse
The Gyantse Town
is located 100km
southeast of
Shigatse. It
takes about 2
hours to drive
from Gyantse to
Shigatse. Upon
reaching Gyantse
visit Phalkor
Monastery, the
only monastery
that houses
monks from
different rders
(Gelupa, Sakyapa
and Kahdampa) in
harmony. Phalkor
also features
its Bodhi Stupa
or Kumbum Stupa,
which consists
of hundreds of
chapels in
layers, housing
about a hundred
thousand images
of Buddha, so it
is called Myriad
Buddha’s Stupa
as well. |
23 |
Drive to Lhasa.
In the morning,
your guide and
driver will
accompany you to
Lhasa (250 km, 6
hours approx.),
the capital city
of Tibet. On the
way there, you
will visit one
of the holiest
lakes in Tibet,
a pilgrimage
site, The
Yamdrok Yumtso
Lake, which is
compared as “the
fairyland in
heaven” by
Tibetans. You
will also have
view of the
Karola Snow
Mountain. |
24 |
Lhasa. (Sightseeing Tour).
Full day
sightseeing
takes you to
Drepung
Monastery. "Drepung"
means "the hill
of rice',
because this
white Monastery
looks like a big
hill of rice in
Tibetan. This
monastery
occupies an area
of 150,000
square meters
with 7700 lamas
and becomes the
largest
monastery in
Asia. After
that, you will
visit Jokhang
Temple, situated
in the old
section of Lhasa.
King Songtzen
Gampo built this
temple in the
mid-7th century
A.D. Now it is
the most sacred
place in Tibet.
Pilgrims come
here to pay
homage from all
over Tibet. Take
a leisure walk
at Barkhor
Street, located
in the heart of
Lhasa circling
the Jokhang
Temple. It means
a pilgrim's
inner circuit,
and is the
earliest street
of old Lhasa
city. |
25 |
Lhasa (Sightseeing Tour).
Tour starts from
the religious
Potala Palace
built in the 7th
century by the
famous Tibetan
king-Songtzen
Gampo. The
present one was
built by the 5th
Dalai Lama in
the 17th
century. It
became known as
the "Winter
Palace" by the
1750, when the
7th Dalai Lama
built the
Norbulingka Park
as his summer
residence. fter
that, you will
visit
Norbulingka
Park. In 1752,
the 7th Dalai
Lama built the
first palace in
this summer
palace for
successive Dalai
Lamas to carry
out their
political and
religious
activities
during the
summer season.
Today
Norbulingka has
become a public
park for
picnicking,
relaxing and
entertainment.
Later, visit
Sera Monastery
which is
dedicated to the
Gelugpa or
Yellow Hat Sect,
a branch of
Tibetan
Buddhism,
founded by Tsong
Khapa. Jamchen
Chojey, one of
Tsong Khapa's
disciples built
the monastery in
1419 during the
Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). The
monastery was
named Sera which
mean wild rose
in the Tibetan
language,
because the hill
behind it was
covered with
wild roses in
bloom when the
monastery was
built. |
26 |
Fly Lhasa / Kathmandu or
Chengdu. |
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Note: Airfare, taxes and schedules are
subject to change without prior notice. |
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Cost
Include |
-
|
All necessary
airport transfers |
-
|
Twin sharing
accommodation with breakfast based on
Standard hotel/Guesthouse (wherever
applicable) |
-
|
All
sightseeing with English speaking local
Tibetan
guide |
-
|
All
activities & excursions as per itinerary |
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All
applicable surface transfer by private non
AC vehicle |
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|
All
applicable permits in Tibet |
-
|
All camping
equipments |
-
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3 meals daily
except in the major cities |
-
|
Porters/yak
for equipments only |
-
|
Monument
entrance fee |
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Cost
Exclude |
-
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Any
international airfare and airport taxes |
-
|
Nepal entry
visa fees |
-
|
Tibet/China
visa fees |
-
|
Lunches and
dinners in major cities |
-
|
Insurance and
Tips |
-
|
Bottled
drinks |
- |
Emergency/Rescue in any form |
- |
Expenses of
personal nature such as bar bills, laundry,
telephone calls etc |
- |
Any cost
arise due to flight cancellation, landslide,
road blockage, political disturbance etc |
- |
Any other
arrangements not mentioned in the above cost
include section |
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