Day 6. Saturday, September 13. Lhasa: Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery (B/L/D)

  
Left to Right: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery - Wiki

Breakfast at your leisure.

After breakfast, we depart to visit two of the most important of the local monasteries, the Drepung Monastery and the Sera Monastery.

The Drepung Monastery, located about 5 miles to the west of central Lhasa, is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden and Sera. It's the largest monastery in Tibet, and formerly the largest in the world, housing 10,000 monks. Today there are less than 500 monks in residence. The fertility of its fields supported a monastic community that before 1959, ranked as Tibet’s largest monastery with 7,770 monks. Seen from afar, Drepung’s grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. Hence its name literally means "heaps of rice".

Afterwards we enjoy our group lunch at a local restaurant.

Then we continue to the Sera Monastery, 3 miles north of Lhasa, and one of the prettiest in the region, hugging the ridge that forms the Northern wall of the Kyi Chu Valley. Founded in 1419, it's also one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries in Tibet. The origin of the name "Sera" is not certain, but it may have come from the wild roses (se ra in Tibetan) surrounding the original site.

Return to the hotel. Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Lhasa. Hotel Banak Shol or similar.

Day 7. Sunday, September 14. Lhasa: Potala Palace, Norbulinka Gardens,
Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Market (B/L/D)

   
Left to Right: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple

Breakfast at your leisure.

After breakfast, we depart to visit the Potala Palace, Norbulinka Gardens, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Market.

The Potala Palace, one of the most spectacular buildings in the world, and the chief residence of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century. Inside are His quarters and huge, golden tombs of past Dalai Lamas. Considered one of the most famous architectural works of Tibet and a world wonder, it's been the focus of the travelers for centuries. A cardinal landmark and a structure of massive proportion, it symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its role in the traditional administration of Tibet. It's an architectural gem that was built in the colossal monastic style of Central Tibet in the 7th century, and then was rebuilt in the mid-17th century. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala", but rather as "Peak Potala" (TsePotala), or usually as "The Peak." It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Built 100 years after the Potala Palace, Norbulingka means "Treasure Park" in Tibetan and is situated in the western suburb of Lhasa City, on the bank of the Kyichu River, about a half mile southwest of the Potala Palace. It's the biggest man-made garden in Tibet. Norbulingka reflects both the ethnic and religious traits of the Tibetan people and embodies the architecture style of inland China. It's of great cultural value and was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2001, as an extension of Potala Palace.

We enjoy our group lunch at a local restaurant.

Jokhang, meaning "House of the Lord" in Tibetan, is located at the center of the old Lhasa and is the oldest and the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Built in 647CE by Songtsen Gampo, it has a history of more than 1,300 years. It was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China and Nepal and thus features an intriguing mix of architectural styles. Jokhang Temple also houses many invaluable cultural relics.

Barkhor Street is the oldest street in Lhasa and runs through the center of the old city. It's a circular street where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble. The Barkhor Circuit runs through the heart of the old city where life has changed little down the centuries, so it gives you a curious sensation of having slipped through time into a medieval carnival. Barkhor Street is known as Tibet's "Sacred Way". Each day hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims flow in from every corner of Tibet and across China to make the trek through it. Some merely walk, but some progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise, all day and into the night to worship Sakyamuni. (Siddhartha's caste was the Kshatriya caste (the warrior rulers caste). He belonged to the Sahkya clan and was born in the Gautama family. Because of this, he became to be known as Shakyamuni “sage of the Shakya clan”, which is the most common name used in the Mahayana literature to refer to the Buddha.) Barkhor will certainly allow you to experience firsthand the religious fervor of Tibet!

Return to the hotel. Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Lhasa. Hotel Banak Shol or similar.

Day 8. Monday, September 15. Drive to Shigatse via Gyantse (B/L/D)

   
Left to Right: Yamdrol Lake, Phalkor Monastery, Kumbum Stupa

Breakfast at your leisure.

Today we depart Lhasa and begin making our way to the base of Mt Kailash. We drive to Shigatse via Gyantse which is one of the important cities in Tibet.
Drive Time: approx. 6 hours. Altitude: 12,795 ft.

En route we visit Yamdrok Lake, one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet, which is over 45 miles long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. According to local mythology, YamdokYumtso Lake is the transformation of a goddess.

We also stop at the unique Phalkor Monastery, also named Palcho Monastery, which is very different from other monasteries. It's reputed as the lord of Tibetan stupas and is famous for its architecture, sculpture, and mural painting art. Because it houses three sects, Sakyapa, Kadampa and Gelugpa together Palkhor Monastery enjoys a high status in Tibetan Buddhism history. It was built in collaboration with the Newari architects and Tibetan artists.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

Our last stop is in Gyantse at its most famous attraction, the spectacular Bodhi or Kumbum Stupa, built in 1412 and completed 10 years later. Deemed as the symbol of the monastery, the spectacular "stupa" consists of hundreds of chapels in layers, housing about a hundred thousand images of various icons. (Kumbum means "100,000 images"). Pilgrims climb up each level of the temple in a clockwise (circumambulation) fashion. Dozens of chapels are built into each level, housing about a hundred thousand images of various icons which include Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Dharma Kings, Arhats, Disciples, great adepts of different orders in Tibetan Buddhist history, as well as outstanding figures in Tibetan history. In total there are about 3,000 statues, thus giving it the name "Myriad Buddhas Stupa". Covering a space of 23,680 square feet, this huge complex has a total of 108 gates and 77 chapels, each of which has a dominant religious figure and murals. The cylinder, 65 ft. in diameter, has four chapels inside.

The famous Kumbum pagoda, built in collaboration with Newari artists from Nepal and Tibetan artists, also stands in the same courtyard with nine stories, 108 doors and 77 chapels containing clay sculptures and various murals. The Stupa raises over four symmetrical floors and is surmounted by a gold dome. The dome rises like a crown over four sets of eyes that gaze serenely out in the cardinal directions of the compass.

Continue to Shigatse, the 2nd largest city in the country, and check in at the hotel.

Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Shigatse. Gesar Hotel.

Day 9. Tuesday, September 16. Drive to Saga (B/L/D)


Left to Right: Tashilhunpo Monastery, Green Tara

Breakfast at your leisure.

We depart after breakfast for our drive from Shigatse to Saga.   Drive time: approx. 7 hours. Altitude: 15,223 ft.

On our way out of town this morning we visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, a historic and culturally important monastery in Tibet. Located on a hill in the center of Shigatse, Tashilunpo means "all fortune and happiness gathered here" or "heap of glory". Founded by the First Dalai Lama in 1447, and later the residence of the Panchen Lamas, the monastery in its prime had over 4,000 monks.

It's one of the four great monasteries of Central Tibet and was supervised and looked after by the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas of the Gelugpa, or Yellow Hat tradition. It has the glory of producing thousands of renowned scholars in the field of Mahayana Buddhist Philosophy and Tantra. The Kelsang Temple, a colossal compound, is one of the oldest and biggest buildings in the monastery, and where there is a 16 ft high statue of Sakyamuni, which legend says contain some of his relics. Two chapels sit on both sides of the Main Chanting Hall; the left one is devoted to Tara, the goddess who is believed to be the avatar of Avalokitesvara. A White Tara is in the middle and two Green Taras on each side. The right chapel is dedicated to Maitreya Buddha, with a 36 ft. statue in the middle of the chapel. The Great Courtyard of the Kelsang Temple is the place for lamas to practice and debate. The wall around the courtyard is covered by thousands of images of Sakyamuni in different postures and expressions. Since the early 1980s parts of it have been open to the public, making it an important tourist attraction today.

After the visit, we drive to Saga over the sandy and rocky land of Tibet. Enjoy sites of lakes and nomads chasing thousands of yaks and sheep.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

We cross the Bhramha Purtra River on the way to the typical Chinese and Tibetan town of Saga, arriving in the later afternoon.

Group dinner at the hotel.

Important Note! Today is the day to decide if you will make the Yatra or go on the alternate 2-day excursion! If you've not already done so when you registered for this journey, we ask that you decide today if you're fit enough to do the Yatra with Mark Amaru, or if you will take the alternate 2-day excursion with the group going with Andrea to Tholing and Tsaparang (see alternate itinerary below, beginning on Day 11.)
Overnight Saga. The Saga Hotel.

Day 10. Wednesday, September 17. Drive to Lake Manasarovar; Continue to Darchen (B/L/D)

     
Left to Right: Lake Manasarovar with Mt Kailash in the distance (Wiki https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yaks-Kailash-Manasarovar.jpg); Yak Ride; Holy Mt Kailash, Darchen (Wiki)

Breakfast at your leisure.

We depart after breakfast. Today we drive through more typical picturesque landscapes. We reach Lake Manasarovar (Altitude: 14,796 ft.), a high altitude freshwater lake fed by the glaciers of holy Mount Kailash. This ancient lake is revered as a sacred place in four spiritual traditions: Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. During our stop here you'll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the friendly Yaks!

We then continue on to Darchen (Altitude: 15,092 ft.) Drive time: approx. 7-8 hours

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

In the later afternoon we finally view ancient Mt Kailash! As we begin connecting with its powerful energies, our Yatra begins!

We arrive later afternoon in the small village of Darchen, located at the base of Mt Kailash. It was previously an important sheep station for nomads and their flocks and had only two permanent buildings; only one of which survived the Cultural Revolution and is now used to house Tibetan pilgrims. Darchen is situated right in front of the sacred mountain and is the starting point for pilgrimages around its base.

Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Darchen. Himalaya Hotel. (No link available - This hotel is considered to be the best option in the region and offers basic but comfortable accommodations for travelers. The rooms are simple and clean, with private bathrooms and hot water showers. The hotel also has a restaurant that serves Chinese and Western dishes, as well as a tea room.)

FOR THOSE CONTINUING ON THE MOUNT KAILASH SACRED YATRA with Mark Amaru Pinkham
(For those who are NOT continuing on the Yatra, scroll down to Day 11 listed below for that alternate itinerary.
Note that both groups will meet back up on Day 13.)

YATRA ITINERARY: Day 11. Thursday, September 18. Drive to Tarboche. Trek to trek to Diraphuk (B/L/D)

  
Left to Right: Tarboche (Walkopedia - https://www.walkopedia.net/walks/display-walk.asp?WalkID=1

Altitude: Diraphuk - 16,043 ft.
Driving Time: approx. 30 mins
Walking Time: approx. 5 – 6 hours

This is the first day of the Kailash Yatra - the day to start walking! We start our journey after breakfast, as early as possible. Yaks will carry all our goods and equipment. First we take a short drive of about 7.5 miles to reach Tarboche, the flagpole which is the starting point for the trekking on Holy Mount Kailash. Today is a gradual walk with multitudes of other local pilgrims. Like them we will have time for meditation, chanting and reflection. This is the time of the New Moon, which corresponds to the beginning of a new cycle of time. Having it occur during our sacred Yatra around Mt. Kailash indicates that each one of us will be initiating a new cycle of experience in our respective lives. And since this one falls in the Zodical sign of Virgo, the servant, each of us will be contemplating how we can best serve the Earth and those we love in the months and years that lie ahead of us. is a time of new beginnings. Mark Amaru, a professional astrologer, will share this and more information with those who are interested.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

The trek today leads us to a few ups and downs till we reach our camp/guest house at Dirapuk.
 
Important Notes:
1) In case you do not feel fit to continue the Yatra, you will be driven back to Darchen by a guide/helper, where you will have to wait for the other group members to return. If you stay at Darchen, there will be a small supplement charge of around $45.00 per person/per night on a full board basis for the two nights.
2) In case you are not well enough to stay at Darchen and have to be evacuated to a lower altitude at Kyirong (12, 139 ft.), the supplement cost for Jeep and personnel to take you there will be $1895.00 per Jeep. In the most extreme cases there might need to be an evacuation by helicopter. We highly recomment that you take out trip cancellation / trip interruption insurance, and include a supplement for that possibility. Information about the insurance will be sent to you once you register for this journey.
3) So, we highly encourage you to decide by the time we reach Saga on Day 9 if you're fit enough to do the Yatra, or if you will need to take the alternate excursion with the group going with Andrea to Tholing and Tsaparang (see itinerary below, beginning on Day 11.) In this case, there will be a supplement for the alternate itinerary; see the TOUR PRICING section below.

Group dinner at the guest house.
Overnight Diraphuk. Local Guest House. Note: No single rooms are available at the guest house. Those who registered for single rooms will share a twin-bedded room with another person of the same sex.

YATRA ITINERARY: Day 12. Friday, September 19. Trek Diraphuk to Zhulthulphuk (B/L/D)


Drolma La Pass https://kailash.home.blog/tag/kailash/

Altitude: 15,715 ft.
Distance: approx. 13.7miles
Walking Time: approx. 8 hours

This day is difficult and full of climax on the Holy Kailash Yatra. After an early breakfast we begin our trek to the higher side of the mountains, just under the Holy Mount Kailash. The walk along will bring us to Drolma La, at 17,060 ft., which is one of the highest points in the trek. Here we take a bit of time for meditation, reflection and offering our chants and prayers. From here we descend towards the gradual fields of Zuthulphuk where we will stay overnight. The descent is steep to the valley below. From the valley below, the walk becomes pleasant and a bit relaxing. The path takes you through some gentle slopes over the grassy field.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

We reach Zuthulphuk in the later afternoon for our overnight stay.  Group dinner at the guest house.
Overnight Zuthulphuk. Local Guest House. Note: See Day 11 for information regarding accommodations.

YATRA ITINERARY: Day 13. Saturday, September 20. Zhulthulphuk to Darchen (B/L/D)


Back at Darchen!

Walking Time: approx. 4 Hours
Drive Time: approx 30 minutes to Darchen

Trek down from Zuthulphuk to the vehicle pick-up point and then ride to Darchen.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

We arrive at Darchen in the afternoon and meet up with the rest of our group who took the alternate 2-day excursion.

Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Darchen. Himalaya Hotel

ALTERNATE ITINERARY FOR THOSE TAKING THE 2-DAY EXCURSION
TO THOLING & TSAPARANG with Andrea Mikana-Pinkham

Day 11. Thursday, September 18. Drive to Tarboche (with all the group).
Drop off those who are taking the Kailash Yatra. Continue to Tholing (B/L/D)

  
Tholing Monastery - Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tholing_Monastery#/media/File:Tholing_Monastery_(Tibet)_White_Temple_Dieter_Schuh.JPG
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tholing_Monastery#/media/File:Wandgem%C3%A4lde_Wei%C3%9Fer_Tempel_Tholing_(Tibet)_Dieter_Schuh.JPG

After an early breakfast we depart with the entire group for a short drive of about 7.5 miles to reach Tarboche, where we drop off our fellow pilgrims for the starting point for the Mount Kailash Yatra.

This is the time of the New Moon, which corresponds to the beginning of a new cycle of time. Having it occur during our time near sacred Mt. Kailash indicates that each one of us will be initiating a new cycle of experience in our respective lives. And since this one falls in the Zodical sign of Virgo, the servant, each of us will be contemplating how we can best serve the Earth and those we love in the months and years that lie ahead of us. is a time of new beginnings.

We continue our drive to Tholing to visit Tholing Monastery, the oldest monastery in the Ngari Prefecture of western Tibet. In Tibetan language Tholing means "hovering in the sky forever". This is exemplified by the location of the monastery, which is at 12,400 ft. Founded by Richen Zangpo in the 10th century, it was once Ngari's most important monastic complex. It was due his influence that Tholing became the main religious center of the Guge kingdom after he invitied the famous Indian master Atisha. Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055), was a principal translator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan during the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet. He was a student of Atisha.

The kings of Guge replaced the city as a political center of power by establishing the capital slightly closer to the Indo-Tibetan trade routes. But the monastery is still an important cultural heritage of Ngari.

The Tholing Monastery complex has many rectangular buildings. It is a walled complex facing east. Built of mud bricks, the style became the forerunner for similar temples built in the kingdom. Before the Cultural Revolution the monastery had six chapels. There are portrait paintings of Tsong Khappa, Sakya Panchen and many Buddhist monks dated to 15th and 16th centuries.

The most prominent among the temples, the Yeshe-Ö Temple, the "golden house", is built of mud-brick with red mud-brick towers. Colorful chortens are outside at each corner of this temple. The temple has elaborate-looking towers, with red-painted doors. The temple, in the shape of a mandala, contains several chapels; some have murals that are exquisite. There's also a museum hall in the entrance chapel. The Assembly Hall is single-storied and has paintings of Yeshe-Ö, the first notable lama-king in Tibet. Born as Khor-re, he is better known as Lhachen Yeshe-Ö, his spiritual name. He was the second king in the succession of the kingdom of Guge. These paintings and others of personages of note are painted with considerable detail, showing the clothing of those times. Deities deified in the walls of the hall, in a seated posture, are peaceful in appearance, and are clothed with textiles and jewelry. The paintings are traced to the 15th and 16th centuries, and are a fusion of styles from Tibet, Kashmir and Newari art of Nepal Himalayas. The Dukhang is where Rinchen Zangpo is said to have lived. Kashmiri art is seen here, as are the Dipankar, Sakyamuni and Maitreya, the Buddha images of the past, present and future.

The Lhakhang Karpo, White Chapel, has a high ceiling with thin wooden pillars made of Deodar wood and is painted red. The floor is of cobblestones while the ceiling is decorated in geometric designs. The Lakhang Karpo's murals, dating to the 15th and 16th centuries, are well preserved.

Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

Group dinner at the guest house. Note: No single rooms are available at the guest house. Those who registered for single rooms will share a twin-bedded room with another person of the same sex.
Overnight Tholing. Guest House.

ALTERNATE ITINERARY: Day 12. Friday, September 19. Excursion to Tsaparang (B/L/D)

  
Left to Right: Tsaparang Monastery - Wiki:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsaparang#/media/File:Tsaparang-ruins_of_ancient_capital_of_Guge_Kingdom_03.JPG ;
Red Temple Painting - Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsaparang#/media/File:Guge-householder-yasa.jpg

Driving distance: approx. 16 miles - one way
Drive time: approx. 1 hour - one way

After breakfast, we drive to Tsaparang, which was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Guge. TV Presenter and historian Michael Wood, in the "Shangri-La" episode of the BBC TV/PBS documentary series In Search of Myths and Heroes, suggested that Tsaparang was the historical origin of the legend of Shangri-La, and that its two great temples were once home to the kings of Guge in modern Tibet. We'll explore this myth during our visit.

Tsaparang is a huge fortress perched on a pyramid-shaped rock rising about 500 to 600 ft. at the end of a long narrow spur. It contains numerous tunnels and caves that have been carved out of the rock. At its base was a village where the common people lived. Above them were two public temples - the Lhakhang Marpo or Red Chapel and the Lhakhang Karpo, or White Chapel, and quarters for the monks. Further up, ascending a twisting stone staircase in a tunnel, were the royal quarters, and at the very top, the summer palace.

Afterwards, we drive back to Tholing. Lunch today will either be a packed lunch, or at a local restaurant.

Group dinner at the guest house. Note: See Day 11 for information regarding accommodations.
Overnight Tholing. Guest House.

Day 13. Saturday, September 20. Pick up Yatra Pilgrims; Drive Back to Darchen (B/L/D)
GROUP REUNITED!


Group Reunited at Darchen!

After an early breakfast we drive back and meet/picup up our group members from the Kailash Yatra.

Continue to Darchen. Lunch at a local restaurant or packed lunch.

Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Darchen. Himalaya Hotel.

Day 14. Sunday, September 21. Drive Back to Saga (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we begin our drive back to Saga retracing the same route. Drive Time: approx. 7 hours

We have time to rest, relax and integrate the powerful energies we've encountered, during the Yatra or the alternate exursion...all in the shadow of sacred Mount Kailash!

Lunch at a local restaurant or packed lunch.

Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Saga. Saga Hotel.

Day 15. Monday, September 22. Drive to Kyirong (B/L/D)

  
Left to Right: Pagong Lake - Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangong_Tso#/media/File:Pangong_Tso_2.jpg
and Mount Shisha Pangama - Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shishapangma#/media/File:Shishapangma.jpg

Altitude: 12,139 ft.
Drive time: approx. 6 hours

After breakfast, we begin our drive to Kyirong or Kerung. During the journey, we'll cross the bridge over the Brahmaputra River. Relax and enjoy the mesmerizing views of  Mount Shisha Pangama, the 14th highest mountain in the world at 26,335 ft. above sea level. We'll also travel near Pagong Lake, a terminal lake (with no outlet) at an elevation of about 14,270 ft. The lake is about 3 miles wide and approximately 60% of its length lies within the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Lunch at a local restaurant or packed lunch.

Arrive Kyirong in the afternoon. Group dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Kyirong. Hotel Mustang or similar.

Tuesday, September 23. Drive to Kathmandu via Rasuwagadhi (B/L/D)


Rasuwagadhi Border Friendship Bridge Crossing into Nepal - Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Nepal_border#/media/File:Sino-Nepal_Friendship_Bridge.JPG

Distance covered: approx.155 kms
Drive time: approx. 8 hours

After breakfast, drive to Rasuwagadhi (China-Nepal Border). Complete all the re-entry formalities. After a short work to the Nepal border, we'll be picked up in our motorcoach for our drive back to Kathmandu.

Lunch at a local restaurant or packed lunch.

Arrive and check in at the hotel. Group Farewell Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Kathmandu. Nepali Ghar Hotel.

Day 17. Wednesday, September 24. Depart Nepal (B)