Mt. Kailash With Guge Kingdom Via Kyirong Border

On arrival at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport where you will be received by Dream Tibet guide and staff with warm welcome and then transfer to your hotel in the hub of the city, with time for talks and briefing regarding your stay in Nepal and of Mt. Kailash with Guge Kingdom with full information of the trip.

In Kathmandu free day, where you can join in our half day tour around Kathmandu at places ofgreat interest, as Kathmandu valley steeped with history and culture with most of the world heritage sites of Pashupatinath a Hindu temple, Bouddhanath Stupa Buddhist sites also known as ‘Little Tibet’ or tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square of old palace courtyard and a temple resident of Kumari (Living Goddess). Visit Swayambhunath Stupa of more than 2,500 years old also popularly called ‘Monkey Temple’ with free afternoon preparation for Tibet trip to Mt. Kailash with Guge Kingdom.

Mt. Kailash with Guge Kingdom starts with an exciting drive towards North West of Kathmandu through nice and lovely towns and villages with excellent scenery of hills, farm terraces and snowcapped peaks reaching around warm sub tropic areas, slowly drive climbs towards cooler region at Langtang National Park entrance in Dhunche of 1,950 m high, a major and headquarter town of Rasuwa district and of Langtang area, populated with mostly Tamang ethnic tribes.

From here on downhill road for few hours to Syabrubesi village for overnight stop, Syabrubesi a gateway point towards Langtang, Ganesh and into Tamang Heritage Trail and as well to Tibet border.

From this lovely Syabrubesi morning drive leads on newly constructed road that links Nepal / Tibet border at Rasuwa Gadhi at 1,800m which is 15 km distance of an hour drive from Syabrubesi, on reaching Nepa-Tibet frontier received by our Tibetan guide and drivers, after completing immigration & custom formalities on the both sides of Nepal / Tibet at Rasuwa Gadhi, drive leads further to Kyirong county with first overnight stop in Tibet with accommodation at local guest-house or with camping facilities.

An important and necessary rest day for acclimatization, before heading higher areas of dry and high Tibetan terrain, as Kyirong a perfect spot for rest with an altitude of 3,950 m as next day adventure drive leads at above 4,500 meters and much higher over passes. At Kyirong relax and enjoy views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal peaks towards south that borders Nepal and Tibet.

Kyirong is also a famous religious and historical place, home of 11 th Centaury great saint and Guru Milarepa known for his tantric wisdom as well a poet and folk singer, his song are still remembered by local herdsman and villagers.

After a nice pleasant rest and wonderful stop at Kyirong morning continue drive on world highest and largest Tibetan plateau into inner Tibet wild windswept high and dry landscapes, as the drive joins on the road coming from Nylam / Zhangmu near Paikutsho huge salt lakes.

From here heading over a small pass to reach Bhramputra River or Yalung Tsangpo after crossing the river on a bridge reach at Saga town, a growing moderate size town located on route Mt. Kailash and Shigatse / Lhasa.

From Saga few hours’ drive over a pass then descending to long stretch of Tibetan plains, with great views of distant peaks. Drive passes few villages and nomads / yak herders’ camps and then reaching a windswept village at Paryang. Paryang at approx 4,550m is a village of 15-20 houses mainly serving as Guest houses and Lodge, where the facilities are very simple and basic.

Morning continues drive passing some small villages and nomads camps, and then over Mayam-la at 5,150m to reach at east of Lake Manasarover for overnight stop near Horpa town with first view of Mt. Kailash towards North West direction.

Rest day for acclimatization with optional short walk around Manasarover, a sacred lake located between Mt. Kailash 6,714m and the Gurla Mandhata mountain range at 7,694 m. Manasarover floats beneath the shadow of holy Kailash as the lake formed in the mind of Gods. The best time to circle Manasarover is in late autumn and early spring when the streams and rivers flowing into the lake are low. It is then possible to walk very near the shoreline. An optional circuit or parikrama on drive trip around Manasarover Lake can be done on request which takes about 3-4 hrs of 110 k.m distance round trip.

After a wonderful rest at holy Lake Manasarover, a short drive to Darchen town with many hotels and guesthouses, a busy small town with pilgrims during auspicious time for parikrama / kora (circumambulation). Darchen located South Face of Mt. Kailash where holy walk / kora start and ends, our drive leads North West at holy spot of Tarboche where walk starts with view of Mt. Kailash West Face. Kailash (6,714m.), the heart of ancient Shangshung kingdom supposed country of pre-Buddhist Bonpos origin. After 4 hrs walks brings you at Diraphuk Gompa for overnight stop in a simple lodge.

After Dhiraphuk, morning walk on gradual path for an hour then climb to reach top at Dromo-la the highest point of the journey and a holy spot at 5,470m /18,525ft. A big boulder represents the goddess Dolma or Dromo (Tara) festooned with prayer flags. This spot is the physical and spiritual high point of pilgrimage.

From here descend to the bottoms of the hill and walk to Zutul-Puk Gompa for overnight stop, Zuthul means cave. The place is named after a cave in which the poet, saint Milarepa stayed meditating. His footprint still remains on the roof.

Last day of holy walk ‘kora’ or parikrama, starts with an easy walk of three hours on a wide plain passing by mani walls, then entering a narrow valley and a gorge as the route leads west of Darchen, the last walk makes a dramatic exits from river valley to a plain, walk passes mani walls decorated with carved yak skulls.

A short walk from here brings at near Darchen with an end of this great trek, from here drive further west to reach a barren and desolate areas at Tirthapuri located within eroded high red cliffs and canyon with overnight stop, Tirthapuri has an old monastery where you can visit Guru Gem near a fresh water from a natural spring.

After a peaceful and pleasant time around Tirthapuri and its interesting monastery of Guru Gem, morning drive further west to reach at Toling, drive leads on the Ali Highway which is the end of Tibet border joining with east mainland of China and Pakistan border and close to India’s Kashmir Ladakh. After an exciting drive of 4-5 hours reaching at Toling which is a small growing country town joining the road to Lhasa-Taklakot and Ali towns.

At Toling check into a local Guest-House or camp near the town premises with time for short walk around its white and red temples, as Tsaparang are the main focus of our trip.

At Toling morning after breakfast a short drive to Tsaparang which is beyond Toling to enter the hidden areas of South West Tibet at Tsapanrang and visit Guge Kingdom with view of Sutlej valley. Toling and Tsaparang, was earlier royal cities of the Kingdom of Guge located in a spectacular canyon within Sutlej River, not far from the Indian border of Kashmir and Ladakh. During its good old days around 11 th Century, Tholing and Tsaparang was most important cities in Tibet. 

In 1,042 a Buddhist scholar Atisha was invited to India and used the route by Toling, the Guge now a ruin kingdom, with impressive amazing murals in the palace and the monasteries are perched on a hilltop in a bizarre and strange landscape. In the 10 th and 12th Century it was the center of Tibetan culture, which still testifies to the impressive murals, after a great and mystical tour return back to Toling for overnight stop before heading back to Kathmandu.

A long and interesting drive leads towards east using the same route past many farm villages and nomads / Drokpa camps on the way might spot some will animals like Kang (Wild Ass) or Tibetan antelopes, slowly our day journey completes on reaching at Darchen for last overnight stop around Kailash area.

From this busy pilgrims town our overland journey leads towards Myam-la pass to enter a back into a wide valley to reach a new town at Dzongba for overnight stop before heading back to Nepal.

Morning drive leads on the same route heading due south towards Kyirong County driving past Saga town and at the end of vast dry windswept Tibetan plateau following the road to Kyirong for last overnight stop in Tibetan soil.

Morning drive leads towards border outpost of Tibet / China and Nepal at Rasuwa-Gadhi after completing visa and custom formalities and then bid farewell to our Tibetan guide and drivers then enter Nepal border side at Rasuwa Gadhi, here again to complete immigration rules and process and then continue drive on a rough road for a while to reach at Syabrubesi village, after a short refreshing break, drive continues on a winding uphill to Dhunche town for overnight stop.

After completing a wild and mystical exciting journey within Tibet glad to be around green vegetation with alpine tall trees, with views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal, as our morning drive leads on the downhill road reaching much warmer areas into farm country of rice fields and terraces around Ramche, Manibhajyang and Trisuli Bazaar. From Trisuli Bazaar few hours of good drive brings you back to Kathmandu and then check into your hotels.

A free day today for individual activities, for interested people can join in for another interesting tour around Kathmandu-Patan and Bhaktapur rest of the day free for shopping souvenirs.

Last day in Nepal with wonderful memories of Tibet trip to ‘Mt. Kailash with Guge Kingdom’ adventure and then transfer to Kathmandu airport for final departure homeward ward bound or to respective countries.