A Great Simikot Kailash Lhasa Tour 23 days

 Upon arrival at Kathmandu, we receive you there and drive to Hotel. There are no planned activities for today, so check into the hotel. Enjoy your day on your own.

Sightseeing of world heritage sites in Kathmandu valley including Kathmandu Darbar square, Swayambhunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa and Pasupatinath Temple. Overnight at hotel.

Today we take a 45 minute flight to Nepalgunj in the far south-west of Nepal. It is a busy crowded city which lies close to the Indian border. Overnight at hotel.

This morning we fly north for about 35 minutes to Simikot, the headquarters of Nepal’s most remote district, Humla. After meeting our crew, we set off on our trek, climbing up from the airstrip on a rocky trail past fields of barley and wheat. We ascend a forested ridge above the town of Simikot, before making a long steep descent past Dandaphoya. The trail is then fairly level, through walnut and apricot trees, until we come to the scattered village of Dharapokhari which is divided by the Yakba Khola. Overnight at tented camp.

Leaving our campsite, we cross a long scree slope and follow the river to a waterfall near the at Chachera. We then climb over a ridge and bypass the village of Kermi before entering a big valley with walled fields of potato and buckwheat. After walking through a sparse pine forest we descend from the ridge to the Salli Khola and camp by the river. Overnight at tented camp.

We cross the river and climb over a rocky ridge before descending to the grey waters of the Humla Karnali. After crossing another ridge we come to a sandy meadow where goat herders often camp by the river. Beyond the meadow the valley narrows and we cross several more ridges, passing the villages of Yalbang and Yangar. The trail then winds its way precariously above the river. Overnight at tented camp.

We follow the trail over a ridge to the Tumkot Khola and then walk along the rocky stream bed for a short distance before beginning a steep climb through a rock-filled gully. We pass through Palbang and its bright yellow mustard fields to the small settlement of Yari and beyond here the route climbs up the valley towards a pass, the Nara Lagna. We camp below the pass in a meadow known as Sipsip. Overnight at tented camp.

From Sipsip we ascend steeply to a rock cairn marking the top of the Nara Lagna (4580m). Descending from the pass, we have views of the Tibetan Plateau before arriving at the village of Ranipauwa. Beyond here, we slip and slide on a surface of loose pebbles down to the Humla Karnali. Overnight at tented camp.

Shortly after crossing the Nepal/Tibet border which is marked only by a stone pillar, we meet our transport and drive about 130km, via the large trading centre of Taklakot, to Manasarovar, the most venerated of Tibet’s many lakes. Overnight at tented camp.

Today will be spent at Manasarovar, allowing our bodies time to acclimatize to the altitude and exploring this fascinating place. We will visit the picturesque Chiu Monastery on the north-west shore of the lake with the imposing sight of Mt Kailash in the background. Overnight at tented camp.

We drive for about 35 km towards Mt Kailash and Tarboche which is marked by a tall pole adorned with prayer flags. This is the starting point for our Kora, the 53 km trek around the mountain. Overnight at tented camp.

From Tarboche, we walk up the Lha Chu Valley through beautiful green meadows and streams with Mt Kailash towering above us. We follow the river which enters a narrow canyon with high, steep cliffs and spectacular waterfalls. Continuing up the valley, the north face of Kailash comes into view before we reach the ancient monastery at Dirapuk. Overnight at tented camp.

We now leave the Lha Chu Valley and enter the Drolma Chu Valley, heading up towards a high pass, the Drolma La (5630m). It is a tough climb to the summit which is festooned with prayer flags but from there it is all downhill or flat to Zutul-puk, with views of one of the highest lakes in the world, Thukpe Dzingbu Lake, known as the Lake of Compassion. At Zutul-puk, there is a monastery and several meditation caves and a cave containing an image of Milarepa. Overnight at tented camp.

On the final day of the Kora we cross several streams, and follow an impressive gorge. Along the way we are once again treated to magnificent views of Kailash. We then enter the Bharka plain and it is about an hours walk through this desert-like landscape to Darchen. Overnight at tented camp.

Today is a long drive, about 300km, along the way, we cross the Mayun-la and make several river crossings. The scenery along this section is one of the most panoramic of the entire journey. Overnight at tented camp.

We continue driving today along a 255km stretch of road to Saga, passing through the small, dusty town of Zhongba en route. Overnight at tented camp.

Today is the longest drive of our journey, 452km to Shigatse. Leaving Saga, we pass the turn-off for the northern route and skirt around a lake, passing through a series of valleys. Approaching Kaga, we will come across the first trees and agricultural fields that we’ve seen for many days and the town itself is situated next to a picturesque lake. We continue on to Lhatse where we join the paved Friendship Highway and follow it for the final 150km to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. Overnight at hotel.

This morning in Shigatse we have time to visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet, before driving 90km to Gyantse. Once in Gyantse, we can explore the Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Gyantse Kumbum. The Kumbum is a large gold-domed stupa and its many chapels house an impressive array of Tibetan Buddhist murals. Overnight at hotel.

A spectacular 261km drive today will take us over the Karo La (5045m), where we are treated to the awesome sight of a huge glacier tumbling down to within a few hundred metres of the road. Beyond the small, developing town of Nagartse, the road follows the bank of a beautiful turquoise lake, the Yamdrok-tso, for about 20km. We then cross the Khamba La (4794m) and continue on to Lhasa. Overnight at hotel.

We spend today visiting many monasteries in Lhasa one of this is Sera Monastery which is the best-preserved monasteries in Tibet, within its whitewashed walls and golden roofs, several hundred monks live and study. After lunch we will visit the Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, as well as the Jokhang Temple. Overnight at hotel.

In the morning, we visit Potala Palace which dominates the city of Lhasa it’s a spectacular building, containing private quarters of the Dalai Lama as well as numerous grand state rooms and many important chapels. There has been a Palace on this site since the 5th or 6th century, but the present Palace was constructed in the 17th century. We also visit Drepung Monastery, which was founded in the 14th century and was once the largest in the world, with a population of around 10,000 monks. Overnight at hotel.

You shall be driven to Gonggar airport in time to catch your flight to Kathmandu. Overnight at Hotel.

Final transfer to Kathmandu airport to get flight back to home.

Note: If the above itinerary does not meet your needs, we can design individual travel plans based on your preferences. Meeting and receive at Kathmandu airport upon arrival and drive to hotel. Overnight at hotel.