Kathmandu – Guge Kingdom – Mt.Kailash – Kathmandu

Nepal Tour 

October 12: Arrival in Kathmandu

You can arrive in Kathmandu at any time, but no later than this date. If desired, we can meet you at the airport and arrange a transfer to the hotel.

October 13: Kathmandu

Morning – visit to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal to submit documents for a group visa to China. After lunch – sightseeing: you will visit the Pashupatinath temple complex, the most significant Hindu religious center in Nepal. Pashupati is an epithet of Lord Shiva. Pashupatinath is a little corner of Varanasi in Kathmandu: here you can see Hindu temples, funeral pyres, and Hindu pujas.

After this “little India,” you will move to a completely different atmosphere – to the Boudha stupa, a “little Tibet.” The stupa itself, the largest chorten in Asia, stands at the beginning of the trade route to Lhasa, where all Tibetan merchants once stopped to pray before the long journey. Today, Boudhanath is home to many Tibetans and numerous Tibetan monasteries.

October 14: Kathmandu

In the morning, you will submit biometrics at the embassy, after which – continuing your acquaintance with Kathmandu. First – an excursion to Swayambhunath stupa, one of the most sacred stupas in Nepal, as well as the temple complex built around it. Around the large Buddhist stupa, there are several monasteries belonging to different schools of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as several Hindu shrines, as Swayambhunath is also revered by Hindus. Sometimes Swayambhu is also called the Monkey Temple, as many monkeys live on the hill where it is located.

Afterwards – visit to Patan. This ancient city, once the largest in the world, is now part of the Kathmandu urban agglomeration. However, it still remains one of the most beautiful cities, as evidenced by its second name – Lalitpur, simply “beautiful city.” You will see Durbar Square in Patan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the royal palace is located.

October 15: Kathmandu – Nagarkot

In the morning, you will visit Bhaktapur, another ancient capital in the Kathmandu Valley. Like Patan, Bhaktapur is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the architecture of medieval Newars, admire the stone carvings that adorn the temples. Towards evening – transfer to Nagarkot. Overnight at a hotel in Nagarkot.

October 16: Nagarkot – Namo Buddha – Kathmandu

Located at an altitude of 2195 meters, Nagarkot was once the summer residence of Nepalese kings. Now this small town is a mountain resort, famous for its sunrises and stunning views of the Himalayas. In clear weather, even Everest is visible from Nagarkot. On the other side – a panorama of the Kathmandu Valley. In Nagarkot, there are several hiking routes of different lengths.

After lunch – return to Kathmandu with a stop at Namo Buddha, an important pilgrimage site where, according to legend, the Buddha in one of his previous incarnations sacrificed his life to save a tigress.

October 17: Kathmandu – Kirtipur – Pharping and Asura Cave – Dakshinkali – Kathmandu

The sightseeing program for this day continues to introduce you to the heritage of the Kathmandu Valley. Today you will visit Kirtipur, which was once a fort protecting Kathmandu from the southwest, and later an independent city-state. There are many Buddhist and Hindu temples here, and walking through the cobbled streets going up and down the hill, you can again enjoy the unique Newar architecture and feel like you’re in the Middle Ages again. Afterwards – visit to the Buddhist Asura Cave, where Padmasambhava himself meditated. On the way back, you will also visit the temple complex in Dakshinkali, dedicated to the goddess Kali. On this day, you will receive group visas to China.

Tibet Tour for Kailash Kora with a Visit to the Guge Kingdom

October 18 / Day 1: Kathmandu [1400 m] – Kyirong [2300 m]

In the morning, your group will depart from Kathmandu to the northeast towards the Tibet-Nepal border. The road, about 200 kilometers long, will climb higher and higher into the mountains. Along the way, you will see Langtang National Park, snow-capped peaks, cultivated lands, and villages of the Rasuwa people. After crossing the border, you will be met by your Tibetan guide and driver who will take you to the town of Kyirong, located on the banks of the Kyirong Tsangpo River in a beautiful valley in the Himalayan ranges. On both sides of the border, you will enjoy picturesque views of pastures, forests, and waterfalls. Overnight at a hotel.

October 19 / Day 2: Kyirong [3950 m]

You will spend the whole day in Kyirong to acclimatize to the altitude. Kyirong is one of the most beautiful regions of Tibet, with stunning alpine landscapes, waterfalls, and rivers. Kyirong is one of the four regions that make up the Everest National Reserve. It was once one of the favorite places for meditation by famous teachers, including the Indian master Atisha and the Tibetan yoga master Milarepa. Milarepa’s folk songs are still sung in the region, and there is also a Milarepa monastery. In Kyirong, you will spend the day acclimatizing and preparing for the kora around Kailash: walking in the mountains and making several short ascents. Among the attractions, you will visit the cave where Padmasambhava himself meditated, as well as the Pakpa Monastery and the Milarepa Monastery.

October 20 / Day 3: Kyirong – Saga [4450 m]

Transfer to one of the most remote areas of Tibet.  On the way, you will encounter small lakes and camps of nomads with herds of yaks and sheep. Late in the afternoon, you will arrive in Saga –  a small settlement located near the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra). Overnight in Saga. 

October 21 / Day 4: Saga – Lake Manasarovar [4558 m]

Driving through the valley, you will enjoy beautiful views of mountain peaks and vast valleys where nomads graze their herds. Further and further to the southwest, the landscapes will change to sand dunes, rocky mountains, and snow-covered peaks. Depending on the season, nomads and wandering traders dress in various colorful national clothes. Lunch stop in the small town of Paryang, which is considered one of the highest cities in the world. In this small town, there is a feeling that the sky is so close that, by stretching out your hand, you can touch it. There are several Tibetan and Chinese restaurants in the city, as well as several trading stalls where you can buy cookies, drinks, and sweets.

In the evening, you will be at Lake Manasarovar – one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world. This turquoise lake is full of fish and swans. Tibetans consider it sacred and call it “Mapham Tso” – the invincible lake. Manasarovar is also sacred to Hindus. Around the lake are 2 sacred mountains – Kailash and Gurula-Mandala, and Lake Raksekshi. On a hill by the lake is Chiu Monastery – an ancient monastery of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. When Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) brought Buddhism from India to Tibet, he stayed in the Land of Snows for 55 years. When it was his time to leave Tibet, he meditated for a week in a cave near Lake Manasarovar, on the site of which Chiu Monastery was later built. Near the monastery, there are hot springs where everyone can bathe. A few kilometers from Lake Manasarovar is Lake Rakshas Tal, crescent-shaped. This lake almost always has waves, is cloudy and windy. There are neither fish nor algae in the waters of the lake. Locals consider this lake the dark beginning, the negative and unknown side of consciousness.

October 22 / Day 8: Manasarovar – Tirthapuri – Garuda Valley – Tsaparang [3630m]

In the morning, you will go to Tirthapuri – an important shrine in Western Tibet, which many pilgrims visit before doing the kora around Kailash. Tirthapuri Monastery stands on a cliff next to famous hot springs and Vajravarahi Cave, where Padmasambhava and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal meditated in the 8th century. You can do a kora around the monastery (1 hour walk), where you will encounter other caves and stupas, and at the end of the path there is a “karma testing hole” in the rock.

If weather conditions and road conditions permit, you will also be able to visit another ancient mystical place, Garuda Valley, the ruins of ancient Zhangzhung, the kingdom of the pre-Tibetan Bon religion. Garuda Valley and the ruins in Kunglung attract adventure seekers and esoterics from all over the world with their mystery, unexplored nature, and history.

Towards evening, on the road again, further west. The path goes through colorful mountains and the last deposits of white clay in the world, which are about 1100 years old. Stay overnight in a village near the ancient ruins of the Guge Kingdom.

October 23 / Day 9: Tsaparang – Guge Kingdom – Tholing Monastery [3630m]

In the morning, you will go further west to the Guge Kingdom. The path goes through colorful mountains and the last deposits of white clay in the world, which are about 1100 years old. You will have the rest of the day to explore the ruins of this ancient kingdom. The palace of the Guge Kingdom alone will take about 4 hours. In the lower part of the city there are 4 main temples, wall paintings and statues representing early tantric Buddhist art. Above the temples is the citadel of kings. Some believe that Tsaparang was once the center of the legendary Shambhala – a mythical country.

Then a short transfer to Tholing (other names: Toling, Jada, Zada, Zanda), which was formerly the capital of the Guge Kingdom. There is a monastery of the same name, Tholing, built in the late 10th – early 11th centuries under the guidance of the great Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo. During his life, he built 108 monasteries and temples in Western Tibet and Ladakh, while Tholing and Tsaparang are just some of the surviving ones. Tholing and Tsaparang are the best examples of Buddhist architecture of the Guge Kingdom that have survived to the present day. In Tholing Monastery, there is a small back door that leads to the river, where you can see the ancient monastery and stupa of Padmasambhava. Overnight in Zada (Tholing).

October 24 / Day 10: Tholing Monastery – Dungkar and Piyang – Darchen [4575 m]

In the morning, a short transfer to Tholing (other names: Toling, Jada, Zada, Zanda), which was formerly the capital of the Guge Kingdom. There is a monastery of the same name, Tholing, built in the late 10th – early 11th centuries under the guidance of the great Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo. During his life, he built 108 monasteries and temples in Western Tibet and Ladakh, while Tholing and Tsaparang are just some of the surviving ones. Tholing and Tsaparang are the best examples of Buddhist architecture of the Guge Kingdom that have survived to the present day. In Tholing Monastery, there is a small back door that leads to the river, where you can see the ancient monastery and stupa of Padmasambhava. On the way back to Darchen, you will visit a unique place – the cave temples and meditation caves of Dungkar and Piyang. Rock frescoes on the walls of some caves have still been preserved.

By evening, transfer to Darchen. Preparation for the kora around the sacred Mount Kailash.

October 25 / Day 10: First day of Kailash Kora – to Dirapuk Monastery

The entire kora around Kailash is 53 km long. The first day is quite easy. The kora path passes by the “cemetery of 84 mahasiddhas,” then on the left hand side on the mountain slope stands Chugu Monastery of the Kagyu school, which houses the conch shell of the Buddhist master Naropa. In the afternoon, we will reach Dirapuk Monastery, where we will stay overnight. This monastery preserves the cave of Gotsangpa (a lama from Drikung Kagyu), where he was led by the goddess Senge Dongpa, who took the form of a female yak, saving him from a heavy downpour. Dirapuk looks directly at the northern face of Kailash. From the roof of the monastery, Kailash appears in all its might and beauty. Opposite the northern slope, Hindus pray to Shiva. Followers of Hinduism believe that Shiva’s abode is at the top of Kailash, and the peak itself is a reflection of Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain that is the center of the Universe. Buddhists consider Kailash the dwelling place of Buddha Shakyamuni in the form of the wrathful deity Chakrasamvara, patron of one of the highest tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism. Overnight at the monastery guesthouse.

October 26 / Day 11: Second day of Kailash Kora – Dolma-la Pass [5650 m] – Zutulpuk Monastery

The second day is the most difficult day of the kora, as we have to cross the Dolma-la Pass (5637 m). Buddhists believe that all those who climb Dolma-la Pass get rid of sins and negative karma, thereby beginning a new life full of meaning and awareness. After climbing Dolma-la Pass, we will hang prayer flags, make offerings, and pray for the happiness of all living beings. Then the kora path leads down to Zutulpuk Monastery, which in Tibetan means “cave of miracles.” This is a cave where Milarepa meditated, leaving the imprint of his shoulders and upper back on the rock inside the cave. In this sacred place, there are also footprints attributed to Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, King Gesar, and his horse. Overnight at the monastery guesthouse.

October 27 / Day 10: Third day of Kailash Kora  – Saga

The third day will begin with a path along one of the cleanest rivers you have ever seen. The trail is gentle, and there is much more vegetation here. At the end of the valley, before turning right, you will have a stunning view of the snowy peak of Nemo Nani (7728 m).

After completing the kora around Mount Kailash, transfer to Saga, departing on the return journey.

October 28 / Day 11: Saga – Kyirong

On the way to the Nepal border, you will enjoy a breathtaking view of the Himalayan chain, including the world’s highest peaks – Lhotse (8516 m), Makalu (8485 m), Cho Oyu (8201 m), Shishapangma (8027 m), and others.

October 29 / Day 12: Kyirong – Tibet-Nepal border  – Kathmandu

At the border, you will say goodbye to your Tibetan guide and driver. On the Nepalese side, your Nepalese driver will be waiting for you to take you to Kathmandu, arriving in the Nepalese capital late in the evening