Kora around Kailash +Lhasa, Tibet

Meeting at Tribhuvan Airport. After receiving the visa and luggage, we head in a minibus to the hotel, which is located in the tourist area of ​​Thamel. After a short rest, we immerse ourselves in the bustle of Thamel. There are many hotels, guest houses, small and large shops with souvenirs and mountaineering equipment. We will walk past small bazaars and many religious buildings in the direction of the old Royal Square of Kathmandu – Durbar Square.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the famous Swayambhunath stupa, located on top of a hill that rises above the Kathmandu Valley at a height of 70 meters. You can to admire the panorama of the Kathmandu Valley, spin prayer wheels on the Buddhist stupa, observe the behavior of monkeys, of which there are a huge number (monkey hill), visit Hindu temples and finally make a wish at the pool of desires.
Then we will move to the largest Buddhist stupa Boudhanath. And to mark the beginning of our program, we will make a kora around this stupa. From this place, trade caravans began their journey to Tibet in past centuries.
Then we will move to the city of Bhaktapur and walk along the lively streets and squares of this city. In one of the squares, we will have lunch and admire the five-tiered Nyatapola pagoda, then in the square of pots we will test our pottery skills.
And at the end of the day, we will find ourselves in the village of Nagarkot at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level. Overnight at the hotel.

If the weather is good, we will be able to see the sunrise over the Himalayas. If the air is clear, you can see the summit of Everest from here. We return to Kathmandu. On this day, we fly to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan region. The altitude is 3,630 meters above sea level.
Upon arrival, we check into the hotel and take an acclimatization walk along Bargkhor Street. It surrounds the legendary Jokhang Temple and there are constant processions of pilgrims, monks and tourists.

Registration of documents and permits for Tibet. *A visa to Tibet is issued in Nepal in 4 days.

Today we will visit two of the most revered religious and historical sites in Tibet. The Potala Palace is the ancient residence of the Dalai Lamas since the 17th century. After a tour inside the palace to see the thousand-year-old artifacts, we will take a break in one of the traditional Tibetan restaurants and enjoy lunch and the famous tea.
If time permits, you can walk around the Potala Palace with many local Tibetans.
No tour can be imagined without a visit to the Jokhang Temple.
Built in the 7th century, the temple complex contains a gilded statue of Jowo Shakyamuni. According to legend, this is what Buddha looked like at the age of twelve, before enlightenment. The statue was created during the life of Buddha himself and consecrated by him. It is one of the most revered relics of Buddhists around the world. The roof of the temple offers a stunning view of the square in front of it and the Potala Palace.
After visiting Jokhang, you can take another stroll along Bakhor Street.

Acclimatization continues. Today is a sightseeing tour of Lhasa. We will visit Drepung Monastery, Sera Cave Complex. These shrines are some of the oldest religious buildings.
For example, Drepung Monastery was once the largest monastery on the planet, where 10,000 monks lived at the same time. Before the construction of the Potala Palace, Drepung was the residence of the Dalai Lamas, and still holds many artifacts with more than a thousand-year history. Sera Monastery is younger – it was founded “only” six hundred years ago by a disciple of Tsongkhapa.

We leave Lhasa and go towards Shikadze, which we will reach only in the evening. On the way we visit the sacred lake Yandrouyung-tsho with an unusually beautiful color of water.
Then we go to Gyantse, where we visit the Pelkor monastery and the Kumbum stupa, the largest stupa in Tibet. After that we go to Shikadze. Overnight.

On the way we visit the Tashilumpo monastery, where there is a 26-meter statue of Buddha Maitreya. Saga is located along the Dargye Tsangpo River above its confluence with the Brahmaputra River.

Transfer Saga – Darchen. Passes, Dunes, Lake Manasarovar. Overnight in Darchen.

In the morning we leave for the Garuda Valley. In the upper valley of the Sutlej River, not far from the town of Monser (16 km) and the Tirthapuri Monastery (8 km), is the so-called Garuda Valley or Kunlung.
The valley is believed to have once been home to the ancient kingdom of Zhangzhung, which was dominated by Bon, the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet. The ruins are often referred to as the “Silver Palace of Garuda” due to the distinctive color of the limestone in the valley.
On the way you will come across hot springs located in terraces, a suspension bridge over the Sutlej River. Return to Darchen.

This day is the first in a three-day journey around the sacred mountain Kailash. The western wall of Kailash, Dirapuk Monastery. Numerous pilgrims…
After completing the trek Walk to the North Face of Kailash. Overnight in a tent or guesthouse 5100 m.

Trekking from Dirapuk Monastery through the Green Tara Pass. 5660 m to Zutul Puk Monastery. For many pilgrims, trekking through this pass is the path to a new life…
Overnight in a tent or guesthouse near the monastery. Height 4800 m.

Night at Lake Manasarovar. Visit to the monastery. Thermal springs.

We cross the border into Nepal and head to Kathmandu by jeep

Flight home.