Tibet overland tour, Kailash & the Gu-ge Kingdom

country:	Tibet
location:	Mount Kailash, Tibet Everest base camp
departures:	2008: 9 Sep 2009: 21 May, 6 Aug, 10 Sep
price:	From €1490 - €2200 (26 days) excluding flights. (Flight costs: Kathmandu-Lhasa US $360 or Chengdu-Lhasa US $220.) Prices depend on departure date & group size. Private departures available at any time
offers:	Tibet is again open for travellers! Places still available on our 26 day "Kailash & the Guge Kingdom " expedition to western Tibet and Asia's most sacred mountain - for the special price of €1800 per person plus flights. 9 September - 4 October 2008

read 1 travellers review

Tibet holidays

Everest Base camp

Overland holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Sacred spaces and stunning landscapes!

Magnificent temples, mountain passes, snow-capped peaks, nomad camps, pilgrims – this is truly a journey to stir the senses and nourish the soul - of all the destinations in Asia, the most sacred and sublime.

Explore the heart of central Tibet, the great temples, monasteries and palaces of Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse & Sakya before traveling west, back in time and history through dramatic landscapes to Tibet's most sacred pilgrimage sites - Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tithapuri - and to the region that was once the heartland of Tibet, the ancient kingdom of Guge.

The 3-day circumambulation of Mount Kailash is challenging due to altitude, but within the capabilities of any healthy person – all departures are timed to coincide with the full moon.

Stunning views of Qomolangma (Mt Everest) and a day trip up to base camp are a fitting finale to this incredible journey before we leave the Tibetan Plateau behind, plunging into a lush green world as we descend almost 2000 meters in just 30kms to the border town of Zhangmu.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Rich in cultural and artistic heritage blending the traditional and the modern, Kathmandu is a vibrant, chaotic, colorful city - one not to be missed. The markets, bazaars and narrow streets are home to holy men, sacred cows, bicycles, street sellers… you name it, it is here.
Day 2-6:	Colorful and historic, the holy city of Lhasa lies in a small valley 3700 meters above sea level. During our time in the heart of Tibet, we visit the Potala Palace, the Jokhang, the huge university monasteries of Drepung and Sera and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit.
Day 7:	Leaving Lhasa behind it is a long, yet spectacular drive to Gyantse. From the top of the Kamba Pass (4794m) the views of the turquoise lake, Yamdrok-Tso are unforgettable. The road winds down towards it and we travel along its shores, before climbing again to the Karo La (5054) and the glaciers of Mt Nojin Kangtsang, reaching Gyantse in the late afternoon. Once of major importance as a trading center on the routes between India, Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet and China, its imposing fort, Gyantse Dzong, dominates views of the town. It is also the site of Pelkor Choede and the fascinating Gyantse Kumbum.
Day 8-9:	Follow the Nyang-chu valley towards Shigatse, stopping en-route at the 11th century Shalu Gompa, famous for its well preserved 14th century Newar wall murals. Continue on to Tibet's second largest town, Shigatse, site of Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama and one of the most important monasteries of the Gelukpa order.
Day 10:	Stopping to visit Sakya, once the political center of Tibet we begin camping near Lhatse.
Day 11-13:	Fully experience the splendor, enormity and isolation of western Tibet as the camping section of the trip begins. Magnificent valleys, herds of grazing yak, goats and sheep, passes topped by prayer flags and few permanent settlements mark the journey west towards Tibet's ancient heartland.
Day 14-17:	En-route to Guge the dramatically situated gompa and hot springs at Tithapuri are closely linked to Padmasambhava and are traditionally visited in conjunction with a Kailash kora. The road into Tholing, once the most important monastic complex in western Tibet, is one of the most awesome sights in a region of awesome sites. Below stands the first capital of Guge whilst the skyline comprises a vast sweep of the Ladakh Himalaya. Guge's later capital at Tsaparang is of even greater significance in the history of Buddhist art, its fantastic wall murals displaying evidence of close links with Ladakh and Kashmir
Day 18-20:	The giant snow-topped pyramid of Kailash stands apart and distinct from those around it, dominating the landscape. Along with Lake Manasarovar it was the heart of ancient Zhangzhung and soul-mountain of the pre-Buddhist Bonpo. To the Bon it is called Yungdrung Gu Tse (Nine-Storey Swastika Mountain) and is the place where their legendary founder, Tongpa Shenrab descended from heaven to earth. In the 11th century however Naro Bonchung 'lost' both Kailash and Lake Manasarovar to Milarepa in a contest of magical powers. To complete a kora (circumambulation) is the goal of every Tibetan; a single kora cleans the sins of a lifetime whilst 108 guarantee enlightenment.
Day 21-23:	Retrace the route as far as Saga before turning south via Paiku Tso (lake) to the small town of Lao Tingri.
Day 24:	A day trip into Qomolangma National Park and Everest Base Camp. Some of the most stunning views of the mountain are from the tiny Rhongphu monastery (5000m) seven kilometers below Base Camp.
Day 25:	At Nyalum we reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the road descends sharply towards the Nepal border, some 40kms and 2000 meters below. Moisture returns to the air, the colors change, trees appear, lush green vegetation and the Bote Khose river thunders below as we spend a final night in Zhangmu.
Day 26:	From Kodari, the Nepalese side of the border, the road continues its winding descent, hopefully unhindered by landslides, towards Kathmandu. Rich in cultural and artistic heritage blending the traditional and the modern, Kathmandu is a vibrant, chaotic, colorful city - one not to be missed. The markets, bazaars and narrow streets are home to holy men, sacred cows, bicycles, street sellers… you name it, it is here. *Saga Dawa departure spends an extra night at Mount Kailash.

travellers' tales

Seeing the Tibetan culture up close and watching it flourish despite the Chinese occupation were highlights. Talking in slow Tibetan with the locals, laughing and sharing tea, photos and so on. Seeing the Himalaya up close. (more)

this type of trip

Small group departures escorted by an experienced tour leader and a Tibetan guide. Our itineraries operate in remote areas and are by nature 'expeditions' not conventional holidays; conditions are harsher, events less predictable, infrastructure less developed and the lifestyles very different to those you are familiar with. The standards of accommodation and communications are often not up to Western levels. This trip includes 9 nights camping with all meals provided whilst camping. However good our organization is, we are at the mercy of the unexpected, and while most of the time things go smoothly, this cannot be guaranteed. The unpredictable, however often leads to unexpected encounters and the best experiences.

how this holiday makes a difference

Group tour accompanied by Western tour leader as well as TTB appointed interpreter/guide (Tibetan)

Tibetan drivers and interpreter/guide
RT guidelines distributed to all pax.
Tibetan camp staff and cook
All garbage removed or buried/burned as appropriate
Refilling water bottles from boiled water strongly encouraged.
Gas used for cooking whilst camping
Privately owned Tibetan hotels
Groups encouraged to visit and support Project for the Blind, Lhasa
Groups strongly encouraged to respect non-photography in temples
Visits to small 'off the beaten track' temples which offer quite a different atmosphere to the larger institutions.
Group discussions of history, religion, culture, politics etc.

Project for the Blind commenced in 1998 in Lhasa with the opening of the first rehabilitation and training center for the blind in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Groups are encouraged to visit and make contributions both through interaction and financial. The main goal is the integration and acceptation of the blind in the Tibetan society, through the four major projects:

Implementation of a preparatory school for blind children
Production of educational materials for the blind.
Preparation of a reintegration program, facilitating the return to local schools and home life.
Realization of a vocational training which gives blind people an opportunity and skills to generate their own income.

Schools: Whilst remote schools are financially supported by the government access to learning materials is often restricted by access to cities to purchase supplies. In some villages, eg Samye, leaders have developed relations with schools and purchase materials (exercise books, pencils etc) in Lhasa for delivery to the school. This is administered on an order taken on one visit, materials delivered next visit basis to ensure schools receive exactly what they need (learning to write in 3 very different scripts means differently ruled exercise books for each). Groups are offered the option to contribute to or cover the cost of such purchases.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.