10 Days Ngari Adventure for Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
- Duration: 10 days (published programme)
- Collection: Mount Kailash Tours
- Sincere greetings & airport-hotel transfer.
- Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B)
- Visit Drepung and Sera Monastery
- Review the programme below for included and optional arrangements.
Planning 10 Days Ngari Adventure for Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
The published idea runs for 10 days. Consider whether that timing fits your arrival, departure and preferred sightseeing pace.
The published material highlights Sincere greetings & airport-hotel transfer.; Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B); Visit Drepung and Sera Monastery. Use these details to decide which parts of the journey matter most to your group.
- Discuss walking comfort, hotel preferences and any activities you would like to prioritise. Changes are subject to the final agreed programme.
- Check the daily programme, transfer days, optional activities and exclusions before confirming.
- Share your group size and any practical preferences when requesting a proposal.
Ask about this travel idea. The full original programme remains below for reference.
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Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa
Highlights: Sincere greetings & airport-hotel transfer.
Upon your arrival in Lhasa, our Tibetan guide will be greeting you at airport or train station with auspicious white Hada. Then you will be transferred to hotels in Lhasa. The guide will briefly introduce the itineraries and remind you about other dos and dont's for newcomers. To quickly get acclimatized to Tibetan plateau, it’s better to have a good rest in the hotel.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing
Highlights: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the incredible Potala Palace – the highest palace in the world. As we climb to the entrance gate, you will have a spectacular view over all of Lhasa. After exploring the numerous interesting chapels and learning about the traditional culture and history of the palace and the city, we will move on to the spiritually significant Jokhang Temple, one of the most important temples in Tibetan Buddhism. To see the “real” Lhasa, we’ll stroll through Barkhor Street with its thriving local market where you can pick up some local Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian handicrafts and souvenirs.
Meals: Breakfast Provided by the hotel
Accommodation: Lhasa Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)
Day 3 Lhasa Tour (B)
Highlights: Visit Drepung and Sera Monastery
In the morning tourists will have a tour for Drepung Monastery , the ever largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, Buddhist debates often occur there. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. As such, it was given its name which, in the Tibetan language, means Monastery of Collecting-Rice. Learn about the lives of Tibetan monks there.
The afternoon is spent touring Sera Monastery , have a little hike for the beautiful valley scenery nearby and picnic there, in the afternoon, visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. Catch the famous debate session of the monks (usually from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) before returning back to Lhasa.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 4 Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse(B)
Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Kumbum Monastery
In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Shigatse .On the way, drive over the Gampala pass (4790 m), and you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and in the distance you can have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar , (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa .
Later, we will pass and enjoy the Korola Glacier on the roadside; At Manak Dam Lake , you can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass; Then, we will arrive in Gyantse, historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse).In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum and enjoy the Far view of Gyangtse Fortress.
After one and a half hours of driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we may visit traditional Barley Mill and view the l andscape of Barley Field (in summer).
Meals: Breakfast Provided by the hotel
Accommodation: Shigatse Economic/Comfortable Standard Hotel (Twin sharing)
Day 5 Shigatse to Saga (B)
Highlights: Tashilunpo Monastery
This morning you'll have a chance to visit Tashilunpo Monastery , the home of the Panchen Lama, which is essentially a walled town with cobbled and twisting lanes that revolve around a magnificent monastery. Then be driven to Saga via Lhatse and Sang sang, pass several lakes, towns and high plateau nomadic sites. In Saga, you will find a number of Indian pilgrimages heading toward Mt. Kailash. Overnight in Saga.
Day 6 Drive to Lake Manasarovar
Highlights: Zhongba
From Saga it is 145 km to Zhongba , the road is good and there is also a small monastery at the western end of town on a hill. From Zhongba onwards the southern road deteriorates. There is also danger of vehicles getting stuck. But this section of the road has panoramic views of mountains on either side of the road. There will be several river crossings and we drive past Mayum la pass (4600 M) from Paryang to Lake Manasarovar The scenery is stunningly beautiful with panoramic views of the Himalayas.
Meals: No Meals
Accommodation:Local Hotel
Day 7 Drive to Darchen, then back to Saga
Highlights: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar
In the morning, you can hike around the lake and take pictures of Mt. Kailash in distance. Lake Manasarovar is one of the holiest lakes in Tibet which covers 400km sq. Lake is devoted by billions of buddhists and hindus. In the afternoon, drive forward to Darchen, the main gateway and the village in front of Mt. Kailash. It is also the Point of Exit to the Sacred Mount Kailash (Kang Rimpoche) for the Kailash Pilgrimage Circuit (Kailash Kora). Have a short stop there, then drive back to Saga.
Meals: No Meals
Accommodation:Saga Local Hotel
Day 8 Continue to Lhatse
Highlights: Enjoy the scenery along the way
enroute from Saga to Lhatse, during which tourists can have a good rest and enjoy the veiw of villages and wilderness outside the window of tour bus.
Meals: No Meals
Accommodation:Lhatse Guest House (Dorm Bed with humble facility)
Day 9 Drive back to Lhasa
Highlights: Enjoy the scenery along the way
arrive in Lhasa safe and sound.
Meals: No meals
Stay overnight in Lhasa
Day 10 Finish this unforgettable tour
Highlights: markets of the Barkhor
Free time at your disposal this morning, you can explore the bustling markets of the Barkhor to buy some souvenirs for your families and friends. After lunch, departure transfer to see off, tour services end and Tibet welcome you back forever.
What’s Included
- Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet
- All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary
- Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide
- Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size
- All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
- Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary
- All meals listed in the above itinerary
- Tourist accident/casualty insurance
- First aid kit
- International flight to and out of China
Not Included
- Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.
- Trip Notes:
- Tibet Travel Permit is a must for Tibet tour. Its cost is included in the tour quotation. Send your passport and China visa copies to us 20 days in advance, and we will apply for the permit after you book a Tibetan tour with us. Shortly after we get your permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau, we will inform you and mail it to your hotel in China via express.
- In some extreme cases, our staff will hand it over to you at the airport or railway station. In our experience, we can virtually guarantee to get your permit during times when Tibet is open to foreign travelers.
- Tibet is never known for its 5-star luxury resorts, though you can find some like Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise, St.Regis Lhasa Resort, Sheraton hotel, etc in Lhasa. Overall, the accommodation facilities and services are not as good as those in coastal and central parts of China. However, from cheap and clean youth hotel, to distinct Tibetan style 3-star and international 5-star luxury hotel, you will find one that suits your interest and pocket in Lhasa.
- We’ve handpicked cozy and safe hotels in the central area of Lhasa, where you will find Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street are just steps away from you. You can easily experience more of the local life and culture. Normally, as you travel to remote areas in some parts of Shigatse like Tingri, or EBC, Ngari, Nagqu, etc. the accommodation would be much poorer. Some may have air-conditioning in the hotel;others may only have electric blanket in the guesthouses. And the food is also very basic.
- 3.Guiding and Tipping
- Our English-speaking guides are natives of Tibet with good knowledge of Tibetan culture, history, and Buddhism. Most are trained to offer Western-standard service. Throughout your stay in Tibet, we will minor your health and provide prompt help to you. If you run into any trouble, please do not hesitate to reach them or our customer service manager.
- Travelers’s tipping to Tibetan guide and driver is taken as an extra gratitude to their good service, just like what you do in the west. Normally, a tipping of 7 USD/day is acceptable. The basic rule is good service for good pay.
- Admittedly, to many western tourists, using toilets in Tibet is the most dreadful experience. So, please down play your expectation. If you take Tibet train to Lhasa, both western toilet and squat toilet are available in the train. If you stay in hotel above 3-star hotels in Lhasa, Shigatse, etc. you will have no complaining using standard western flash toilet.
Pricing Note
Final pricing is tailored to your travel dates, party size, hotel preferences and confirmed services. Your proposal will clearly list every included and excluded item.
Travel Tips
Pack comfortable walking shoes and clothing suited to the season. Keep your passport available on travel days, and tell your planner about mobility or dietary needs before departure.
