Trek from Nepal to Tibe

Different from regular programs, which are always staring Nepal to Tibet trip from Kathmandu by air or by plan, I recommend a very interesting 23 days program. you trek to Tibet from Nepal's Simikot and enter Tibet through Purang, a town very near to Mt. Kailash. I had picked up one group at Tibet border Purang, their plan is quite unique and like this.

trek to Tibet

 

 

Day 01

Arrive Kathmandu, transfers to Hotel.

Day 02

Sightseeing: Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath, Pashupatinath temple and Patan durbar square with professional English speaking tour guide. 4/5 Hrs. China Visa Apply and Simikot Restricted Area Permit Apply. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 03

Simikot Restricted Area Permit Issue and fly to Nepalgunj afternoon. Overnight at Nepalgunj

Day 04

Fly to Simikot and short trek. Overnight at Tented Camping

Day 05

Trek to Kermi ( 2690m) Overnight at Tented Camping (O/N TC)

Day 06

Trek to Yalbang Gompa. (O/N TC)

Day 07

Trek to Tumkot Khola(O/N TC)

Day 08

Trek to Thado Dhunga(O/N TC)

Day 09

Trek Nara La Pass to Hilsa (O/N TC) or Guest house

Day 10

Short trek and drive to Taklakot (O/N TC) or Guest house

Day 11

Drive to Mansarovar Lake (Fullmoon Celebrate) (O/N TC)

Day 12

Drive to Darchen and Visit Tharboche (O/N TC)

Day 13

Start pilgrimage trip (entitled Kora from Buddhist and Parikarma from Hindu followers) around Holy mountain- Kailash . Camp at Damding Donkhang (4890m)

Day 14

Continue trek – camp at Jarok Donkhang (5210m)

Day 15

Continue trek around Holy Kailash – Zutul Phuk (4790m) Camp

Day 16

End trek at Darchen Camp and drive Thirtapuri hot springs (O/N TC)

Day 17

Drive Gudge Kingdom (O/N TC)

Day 18

Excursion Zandra Gudge Kingdom (9th century Kingdom of Guge but in ruin forms) (O/N TC)

Day 19

Drive Tsaprang – Horfe (4520m) (8hrs) (O/N TC)

Day 20

Drive Horfe – Paryang (4450m) (5-6hrs) hotel / camp Scenic drive through the Tibetan countryside past Palutso Lake and small villages plus the Nyalam Pass (3800m) from where one can enjoy lifetime view of Mt. Everest Mt. Xisapagma and Mt. Cho yu ( weather permitting ) and then descend the plateau through the winding mountainous road and overnight at Nyalam

Day 21

Drive Nyalam – Zhangmu – Kathmandu (5-6 hrs.) Overnight in Kathmandu hotel at BB plan.

Day 22

Day free at Kathmandu. Overnight hotel

Day 23

Departure from Nepal.

Choose the best time to visit Tibet Nomads

Choose the best time to visit Tibet Nomads

My clients always question me, what is the best time to visit Tibet to see the grassland and nomad people. actually, nowadays, Nomad people, who use to travel from place to place for their cattles food ,living and resident together in a village or town, some of the people finish the nomad life and have their own fixed house. However, life is life, the nomadic Tibetans still keep their ancestral primitive lifestyles, to shepherd.


Tibet Nomads

If you want to see the nomads and their lifestyle, their tents, their dogs. you must visit Tibet at the nomadic season. the nomads season usually starts in April and that people go up on the hill for grazing for their hundreds of cattle. Nomads still do butter system on things they want and they exchange things like butter with barley with farmers. And these nomads can tell you weather condition by looking on sky and wind blowing. their nomadic season ends at the beginning of September.

If you visit Lhasa and do a Lhasa tour, you may plan a 2 or 3 days tour north of Lhasa to Namtso Lake, you can see the nomads tents and their cattle on the way. if you want to go deeper and experience more, you can arrange a Tsurphu to Yangpachen trek tour, walk across the grassland and even live by the nomadic tents, visit the nomadic family.

Recommend some Tibet treks in August

Recommend some Tibet treks in August

Actually August is a very beautiful season in Tibet, air is fresh and plants grow flourishing, In August you can see villages, mountains and open Spaces. but August is the right season to trek in Mt. Everest areas, it is the rainy season and the clouds are always surrounding the summit of the mountains, road is muddy to walk and ride.


Mt. Everest

However, August is the best time to visit grassland and villages, if you trek, do trek in village and grassland areas.

I would like to recommend two trekking programs:

1. Gandan Monastery to Samye Monastery Trekking

it takes 4 days, you will across the mountain pass, the original Tibetan Farming Area, river, ect. This route is not far away from Lhasa, so the price can be affordable. You can find this route in famous guide book: the Lonely Planet.

This trek has much to offer: Lakes, landscapes, herder's caps and sared sites. it is known one of the greatest centers of religious culture, connects two biggest monasteries in Tibet, Gandan Monastery, the seat of Gulupa and the Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet history.

2. Thurspu Monastery to Yangpachen Monastery Trekking

Feature: Green Grass Land, Tibet village, Ice Mountains, Nomad tents, hot springs, etc.

the trek takes around 3-4 days with a distance about 60km. not hard just at a level of medium, staring Tserphu Monastery 70km north of Lhasa, finish at Yangpachen Monastery 100km north of Lhasa. the highest pinot is Lasar-la, which is 5400m above sea level. there is no hostel on the trekking path, you have to camp or live in local Tibetan house during trekking. best time to trek is from mid-April to mid-October.

For more about trek in Tibet, you can view our Tibet Travel Website.

Anyway, through these two treks I recommend is not difficult, a thoroughly acclimation in Lhasa is necessary for high-elevation trek, which never dips below 4400m.

Lhasa to Mt. Kailash Itinerary Planning

Lhasa to Mt. Kailash Itinerary Planning 

Here I take one tour planning for example, you can follow this to arrange your trip to Mt.Kailash. 2 to 3 travelers is the best group size to keep the tour best price, because a 4WD can at most load 5 passengers, 1 tour guide, 1 driver and 3 travelers. If the group size raise up to 5, you need arrange a bigger car or one more 4WD. for such a long trip, 4WD is the best tool.

Mt. Kailash

 

Day 01 Arrive in Lhasa by train or air from Kathmandu or China Mainland 

Day 02 Programme in Lhasa 

Day 03 Programme in Lhasa 

Day 04 Lhasa - Gyants, Yamdrok 

Day 05 Palhoe, khumdum monastery. Gyants - Sakya 

Day 06 Sakya - Saga 

Day 07 Saga - Darchen

Notice: the tour program includes Guge Kingdom Ruins.

Day 08 Tolling - Trithapury 

Day 09 Tolling - Tsaparang - Tolling 

Day 10 Tolling - Darchen 

Day 11 Kailash Trek, the first day 

Day 12 Kailash Trek, the second day 

Day 13 Kailash Trek, then from Darchen - Manasarover, only 40km distance.  

Day 14 Lake Manasarover relax and campping

Day 15 Shepeling, khocha 

Day 16 Manasarovar saga 

Day 17 Sga shogats 

Day 18 Monastery, shigatse - lhasa 

Day 19 End trip, Lhasa departure.

How to plan a Lhasa to Kashgar tour

I have had a group of 4 clients from Italy planning a trip from Lhasa to Kashgar in June,2011. Lhasa to Kashgar overland tour is considered the most difficult road trip in China, as a big part of the land driving is above 5000m. and the natural condition is extremely rough,even be called no man's land. 

The road named Xingjiang Tibet Highway, national road 219 (G219), runs along the southwestern border of the China, starting from Yecheng in the Xinjiang and ending in Lhasa, It is 1,296 miles (2,086 kilometers) in length. Tourists need to arrange a two weeks journey from Lhasa or from Yecheng, including visiting the sightseeing spots on the way.  let me  advice something about how to arrange the trip.

First of all, I highlights some important tourist attractions on the way you may take it into consider if you would like to pay a visit for them.

1) Shigatse and Gyantse

If starting the trip in Lhasa, the first two tourist cities is Gyantse and Shigatse, if travel to Gyantse, you need make a detour to Yamdrotso Lake, Karola Gleirs, and Gyantse city, which makes 1 day tour longer and 100km driving longer than driving directly from Lhasa to Shigatse. but the 1 more day tour is worthwhile.

2) Mt. Everest
First section of your road is from Lhasa to Lhatse, Lhatse is a small town of a few thousand people in Tibet, in the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (aka Brahmaputra) in Lhatse County, 151 km southwest of Shigatse and just west of the mountain pass leading to it. Lhatse is 4,050 m. The main road from Lhasa devided into two roads, one is to Everest Base Camp and the other is to Kashgar. At this point, you need to make a decition if you pay a visit to Everest Base Camp in Tibet, it takes you 6 hours and 188km driving. you need to arrange 2 more days for tour to Everest Base Camp.  

2) Mt. Kailash Kora

Mount Kailash Kora is a trekking around Mt. Kailash. Kailash trek  is one of the most demanding and challenging of treks for pilgrims in the world. Pilgrims throng to the mountain: not just Tibetans, but Hindus and Buddhists from India to Japan, joined by Western and Chinese travelers who travel to Tibet to visit this holy mountain, most foreigners take two to three days for the trekking. 

3) Guge Kingdom

Ruins of Guge Kingdom are the Old Palace of Tibet. it was stablished in about the 10th century, and founded by Guge Kingdom. There were about 16 kings with armies of tens of thousands of soldiers during the over 700 years during its flourishing time. if you want to pay a visit to this Ruins, you need arrange one or two days into your long trip. 

I guided Kailash Tour very often, almost more than 10 times a year since I have been a tour guide working for Tibet Travel Org. 

As it is a quite a long trip, the cost is awaresome, you have to take it into consider and prepare enough money to cover all the cost along the trip. 

Cost One: Getting into Tibet

You need to consider the cost for getting into Tibet:

By air from Beijing to Tibet or Shanghai to Tibet, it takes about 400-500 USD per person for a 4 hours flying. 

By train to Lhasa from any starting city in China Mainland, takes you 45 to 56 hours, 2 days and 2 nights. price is from 100USD to 250USD, depends on the tickets grade you choose. 

For organizing the overland trip from Lhasa to kashgar. 

I believe everybody has fully realized that this is a long journey and the land cruiser will need drive for more than 3000km for one way, the living conditions after 2 to 3 days you leave Lhasa is quite poor. That means the services Tibet travel agency is able to give you are poor too; no need to reserve hotels in remote area, no need to specify the restaurants, etc. I suggest, you requires "permit + tour guide + 4WD rental" package, the more service you required the more service charge you need pay to tour operator. the hostels, food, admission fee of tourist attractions you can arrange it on your own on site. do not need worry about hotel booking, there is no need to reserve hotels along this poor way. some hostels has no contact at all.  

Then you make sure what the trip is, and how to plan this trip.  I believe you can start to prepare the itinerary, contact our agency Tibet Travel Org to offer you a wonderful and affordable trip in Tibet.