From Lhasa to Mount Kailash

Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Night at the hotel.

Free day in Kathmandu. Night at the hotel.

Transfer to Kathmandu International Airport. You fly over the magnificent Himalayan range, admiring its snow-capped summits and untouched peaks from the air. Arrival at the airport, located 80km from Lhasa, then transfer to the hotel. Free afternoon. Night at the hotel.

You spend two days in Lhasa, Tibet's holy city. Lhasa is home to numerous unmissable sites, starting with the old Tibetan quarter, where you discover the Jokhang, Tibet's most sacred temple, as well as the Potala, the majestic residence of the kings and Dalai Lamas. You also visit the monasteries of Ramoche, Sera, Drepung and Norbulingka. These few days also allow you to gently acclimatise to the altitude. Nights at the hotel.

You cross the spectacular Khamba-La Pass, with views down onto the turquoise waters of the sacred Lake Yamdrok Tso. The scenery is incredible: prayer flags, glaciers, snow-covered mountains... Although Gyantse sits at the junction of the trade route to India, the town has retained a genuine Tibetan authenticity. Night at the hotel.

Gyantse is famous for its 15th-century monastic sanctuary known as Pelkor Choede. There you discover the fascinating Gyantse Kumbum. From Gyantse, you cross the Nyang-chu valley, which leads you to Tibet's second city, Shigatse. Night at the hotel.

In Shigatse you visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama and one of the most important monasteries of the Gelugpa order. You also have the option of visiting the carpet factory, where carpets are entirely hand-woven with traditional Tibetan designs.
After lunch, continue to Sakya, once the seat of political power in central Tibet. The fortified monastery still leads one of the most important schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Night at the hotel.

Road to Dzongba across Tibet's vast prairies. Night at the hotel.

You continue west along the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) to the foot of Mount Kailash. Kailash is the holy mountain at the centre of the Buddhist, Hindu, Bon and Jain universe; it is the earthly manifestation of Mount Meru. Circling Mount Kailash (a kora) purifies the sins of a lifetime. Night at a guesthouse.

You take the Kora, following in the footsteps of pilgrims making their way around the holy mountain of Kailash. After the 108th circuit, it is said that a pious person can then escape the cycle of reincarnation and reach Nirvana. Along the way, you stop at Chuku Monastery, which you visit before climbing up the western bank of the Kangjam Chu. You visit Drira Phuk temple before settling in at the guesthouse for the night.

You continue walking to Drira Phuk Monastery, at 5,636m altitude. You ceremonially cross the pass, whose passage symbolises absolution of sins and the mercy of the goddess Drolma. You then reach the bottom of the Lham Chu valley to visit the mysterious 'Cave of Miracles', a Buddhist monastery at 4,863m. Night at a guesthouse.

Today you follow the Zhong Chu before returning to the Kora and reaching Darchen, where your trek ends. You travel by private vehicle to Manasarovar (4,588m), Tibet's most sacred lake. This is one of Tibet's most spectacular sites: this high-altitude lake, in shades of blue, green and emerald, stands out against a mountainous landscape dominated by Mount Kailash. You encounter pilgrims collecting pebbles and gathering sacred lake water in bottles. Some even bathe in it to wash away their sins. You visit Chiu Monastery before spending the night at a guesthouse.

You head towards Saga through this exceptional natural setting. Night at a guesthouse.

You continue towards Zhangmu (3,700m) and rejoin the Friendship Highway.

You cross the border between Tibet and Nepal and find once again the lush vegetation characteristic of the southern Himalayan range. Night at the hotel.

Transfer to the international airport according to your flight time.