15 days Mt. Everest and Mt. Kailash group tour

Upon your arrival at Lhasa Gonggar airport or Lhasa railway station, you will be greeted by your Tibetan guide and transferred you to your hotel in the city. From the airport to Lhasa is 68 km (42 mi), roughly an hour drive to your hotel. After checking into the hotel, you will have the remainder of the day to rest and acclimatize to the high altitude.

For the first day in Lhasa, you will visit Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. Potala Palace is the best known cultural landmark in Tibet. It is most renowned as the residence of the lineage of Dalai Lamas (Avalokiteshvara), though the massive structure contains a small world within itself. 

Jokhang Temple is the most scared building in Tibetan Buddhism, located in the heart of Lhasa old town. It is the most sought after pilgrimage destination for all Tibetans.

Barkhor Street is a popular Kora (holy walking path) which surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Always full of Tibetan faithful, visitors may find mingling with local pilgrims around the Barkhor Street uniquely engaging. It is also a popular shopping district where you can buy gifts for your family and friends. (B) = Breakfast

Today you will visit the two famous monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and Sera Monastery.

Drepung Monastery was the seat of the Government prior to Potala, it was once the world largest monastery in the history with 10,000 monks hailed from different monasteries all over Tibet.

Sera Monastery's famous debating monks go back and forth in their debates every day between 3 pm to 5 pm (except on Sunday), performance is well worth seeing.

Make your first day driving towards Everest, today's highlight is Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse Kumbum.

Yamdrok Lake is one of the 3 holiest lakes in Tibet and the easiest one to reach from Lhasa. The scenery on the way to Yamdrok Lake is fantastic - the road winds through snow-capped mountains and drives along the lake for about half an hour, during which you can get out of the car to go down to touch the blue water and take photographs.

Karo La Pass [5,100 m] overlooks Mt. Nyenchen Kangsar glacier. A short stop is arranged for this great photo opportunity.

Gyantse Kumbum is one of the most stunning architectural wonders in Tibet. A Kumbum is a type of Tibetan chapel, and Gyantse's boasts multiple levels and 108 small chapel rooms.

After breakfast, you will visit Tashilunpo Monastery, it is one of the six prominent yellow hat sect monasteries and is the seat of the Panchen Lama lineage. There is a panoramic view of the whole monastery from the entrance, as well as a massive Jamba Buddha Statue. 

In the afternoon, drive further to Rongbuk, cross Gyatsola Pass [5,200 m] and Gawula Pass [5,250 m] to see the spectacular Himalayan Ranges and the glorious peaks of Mt. Makalu [8,463 m], Mt. Lhotse [8,516 m], Mt. Everest [8,844 m], Mt. Cho Oyu [8,201 m] and Mt. Shishapama [8,020 m]. Enjoy the splendid sunset at EBC.

Note: It is cold and windy in the valley, so we recommend taking the warm clothes. Also, food options are scarce, so be sure to prepare for providing your own meals at Rongbuk.

If the weather permits, you will see the sunrise at E.B.C. Late morning start driving northern to Saga, pass several high plateau lakes, towns, herders tents and along the route with plateau mountain ranges, diverse forms of mountains are overlooking through the valley.

Morning drive from Saga to Paryang, you will pass through the small dusty town of Zhongba amidst enchanting panoramic views, dotted nomads tents are mingled with their herds of animals on the open plateau. Pass numbers of villages and camps of Yak herders with the distance view of snow-capped mountains, cross the Mayun-la pass [5,216 m], if lucky might see many wild animals at the plateau grasslands. Finally reach the tiny village of Darchen, it is the starting and ending point of the Mt. Kailash trekking.

The first day's trekking starts from the Sershong and a gradual walk with multitudes of other local pilgrims chanting and praying. From the valley, you can see the Choku Monastery up on the hillside. The trail leads to a few ups and downs until you reach the camp at Dirapuk [4,750 m]. You will meet many more Bon pilgrims going in the opposite direction (Anti-clockwise) because Mt. Kailash is being worshiped by four different religions, viz Buddhisms, Bons, Hindus, and Jains.

Today your trekking leads to the much higher side of the holy path just beneath the Mount Kailash. It will bring you to one of the highest points at Drolma La [5,200 m], and the pass is quickly descending to the gradual field towards Dzutul-puk for the overnight camp, Dzutul Puk in Tibetan and which means magical cave, this small monastery is connected to an interesting story of talent competition between Great Yogi Milarepa (Buddhist) and Naropa (Bon).

The winding gradually comes out of the valley and the river allows to follow into the Barka plain, the trekking stops at Trangser Trangmar and your car take you to Darchen. Afterward, we will drive to visit the Lake Manasarovar. Manasarovar is the lake of compassion, tranquility, and bliss.

Today drive back to Saga retracing the same route, you will have the last view of the Mt. Kailash on the way.

Today drive back to Sakya. Enjoy the views along the way.

After breakfast, you will visit Sakya ancient town and Sakya monastery, to see the amazing murals and huge collection of scriptures and statues. Afterward, head back to Shigatse. 

Morning drive back to Lhasa via northern friendship highway, along the body of Brahmaputra River, various landscapes will attract your attention. In the afternoon, you will have the free time in Lhasa on your own, enjoy the last day of the holy city Lhasa and its beauty.

Today is your last day of this 15 days group tour in Tibet, your guide and driver will see you off at the Lhasa Airport or Train Station, which concludes the tour.

Note: The tour is also available for tourists who end in Gyirong border, if the group has members to exit Tibet to Kathmandu from Gyirong, we will see them off at the Tibet-Nepal border, and the itinerary from the Day 12 will be done with a detour to Gyirong, which will give you one extra destination to Kelong Valley.