16 Days Tibet to Xinjiang Land Trip
| Tour Code: KAT-02
Destination: Lhasa, Shigatse, Sagar County, Lake Manasarovar, Darchen, Drirapuk, Dzultripuk, Guge Kingdom, Pangong-tso Lake, Taklamakan Desert Tour Price: From $/ ?? p/p Availability: Daily, but early booking is highly recommended!
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 Taklamakan Desert Tourist Scenic Region |
TOUR ITINERARY
| Day 1: Arrival – Lhasa (3650m) |
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| Arrive by flight or train to Lhasa. Upon arrival in the Lhasa Gongar airport or the Lhasa train station, you will be met by your tour guide and driven to Lhasa downtown. Have a rest in Lhasa to acclimatize the high altitude. Overnight in Lhasa |
| Day 2: Lhasa Sightseeing – Potala Palace and Johkang Temple (B) |
 In the morning, you will go to the most sppendid museum, the Potala Palace, and explore the grandest of its myriad chapels. See the jeweled burial chorten of past Dalai Lamas as well as statuary, frescoes and paintings. Later visit the Jokhang Temple, which is considered as the most sacred temple in Tibet, it draws tremendous number of pilgrims from all over Tibet each year for it houses a magnificent image of Sakyamuni at 12 years old. Then stroll around Barkhor, a pilgrimage circuit that encircles the Jokhang, it also serves as the biggest bazaar in Lhasa, where you can find some handicrafts, ambers, jewelry, Tibetan clothes, etc. Overnight in Lhasa |
| Day 3: Lhasa sightseeing-Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery (B) |
 Today, you will explore Tibet’s two greatest monasteries, Drepung and Sera. which once housed about 10,000 monks. Drepung monastery is situated at the foothill of a mountain and was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. The monastery is divided into two different colleges that is Drepung loselling and Drepung Gomang college. The Ganden podrang is famous among them as it is the government centre during fifth Dalai lama and later moved to the famous Potala palace during fifth Dalai lama. In the afternoon explore the Sera monastery which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamchen Choeje. The whole monastery is divided into two colleges and there are Sera ‘jhe’ and Sera ‘may’ respectively. Among them ‘Tsokhang chenmo’ is where the monks from all the colleges assemble and pray together there. You can also see monks debating there in the courtyard at around 6-7:30 in the afternoon section. Note: if you don’t feel tired, you can try for the khora(circumambling around) Drepung and Sera monastery. Your tour guide and driver will drop you back to your hotel. |
| Day 4: Moving forward to Shigatse via Yamdro-tso Lake and Shigatse |
 The first day we drive westwards to Mt. Kailash will reach Shigatse, which is the second biggest city in Tibet. on the way to Shigatse, we will pass kangpa-la with 4700m, from the top of the pass in clear weather, we can see the Yamdrotso lake in fabulous shade of deep turquoise, Just a few kilometers driving through the shore of lake yamdrok-yutso reaches Nangartse county and is the largest town on the lake side. then we driving from yamdrok-tso to Gyantse city, is a spectacular as arriving, since you have to cross the 4960m karo-la with its awesome roadside views of the Nanchan- Kangtsang glacier. in Gyantse city, you will explore the Kubum Monastery which is the town’s foremost attraction. The 35m-high chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome, is awe-inspiring. Drive to Shigatse. Overnight in Shigatse |
| Day 5: Drive to Sagar County (450km) |
 We can take western Tibet road from Shigatse to Sagar. Through it is quite a long driving; the newly paved road can help us driving faster and safer. |
| Day 6: Moving Saga to Lake Manasarovar (500km) |
 Then you are moving towards the Drongpa county, the region around the sources of Brahmaputra river, which is about 167km from the sagar town. then you will reached a tiny dusty on the main road with a couple of basic guest houses, restaurants and a small monastery called “old Drongpa” Around the monastery you can see a pile of yak heads which is carved with “sutras”and “mantras” like “OM MA NI PAD MEY HUM” which is mantra of god of compassion. And new Drongpa is a small town with a couple of shops, hotels and restaurant is about 25km apart from the old drongpa. Then forward towards the Baryang with 4750m above sea level. Drive to Lake Manasarovar. Camp by the lake |
| Day 7: Spending a day around Manasarovar lake, then to Darchen to prepare your trekking (30km) |
| You can relax around the lake shore and experience the natural beauty of the lake. In the summer time, flocks of swans will gather on the lake, bringing grace and life to the area. You can also seen so many Tibetans and Hindus praying and circling around the lake shore for the whole day. you can see snow capped mountains on the background and hundreds of swans gather on the lake will attacks hundreds of thousands to tourist from all over the world. Overnight in Tarchen |
| Day 8: Trek day one(Outer circuit), Darchen to Drirapuk 11km |
 Traditionally, pilgrim undertakes 52 km trekking circuit around mount Kailash commencing at darchen (4574m) and crossing the Dolma-la pass on the second day of the three day walk. Darchen is the starting and completion point for the general circuit of the sacred mount. A few kilometers after leaving Darchen, there is a valley called “sarshung” where porters are waiting for their client. They will help the client to take every necessary thing on yaks and horses. After two hours, you came upon a grassy plain with populated by nomads. There you can refresh yourself in nomadic tent by drinking some soft drinks there. For this turn in the valley it is another two hours at least before reaching Drirapuk (4920m). You need to camp or can rest in monastery’s guest house made from cement with little bit good facilities than others in Drirapuk. At the opposite side of Drirapuk, there you can see small monastery with its guest house little bit cleaner than others. Camping |
| Day 9: Trek day two, Drirapuk to Dzultripuk 22km |
 The second day is the hardest and most tough circuit with the Dolma-la pass lies 6.4km ahead but 762m above Drirapuk. The peak of Dolma-la pass is about 5630m above sea level, so it is better to set off early in the morning as the sun’s ray’s break over the ridges above. After taking a rest on the peak of Dolma-la pass, you will descend staircase brings you to Lhachu valley floor, about one hour from the pass. From here it is still four hours trekking to the day’s final destination with no shelters in between. It is better to walk on the right side of the river and finally reached to Dzultripuk (miracle cave of milarepa). It is advised you to get there before than other groups because of limited number of rooms available there in Dzultripuk. Take a good rest in the guest room and prepare for next morning’s departure. Camping |
| Day 10: Trek day three- Dzultripuk to Darchen-11km |
| The tour guide will arrange yours time and ask he/she to visit the caves and visit the tmple and shrines that has been built around Milarepa’s cave. The walk back to Darchen is easy and the exit from the valley can be reached within three short hours. At the ending point of valley, the drivers will come to pick you and take you back to Darchen. Overnight in Darchen |
| Day 11: Darchen to Zanda, visit Guge Kingdom and Torling Monastery |
 It is about an eight hours drive from Darchen to zanda, though the distance is only about 243km from darchen. After several hours of zigzagging down and up fantastically eroded gorges and gullies, enters to wider Sutlej Valley and after crossing a bridge, finally reaches Zanda.Tsamda county is the current name for the region and was known as Guge kingdom. And the county capital is located at Toling. Toling monastery, founded by Richen zangpo in the 10th century, was once Ngari’s most important monastic complex. It was due to the influence Richen Zangpo that Toling became the main religious centre of Guge kingdom after inviting of the great indian master ATISHA. The kings of GUGE replaced the city as a political centre of power by establishing capital slightly closer to the Indo-tibetan trade routes. But the monastery is still important cultural heritage of Ngari. Overnight in Zanda |
| Day 12: Zanda to Pangong-tso Lake, 395km driving |
 Experience various landscape on the way to Ali, the capital of Ngari prefecture where nothing special to visit but is good place to clean up yourself. Indus river is drived from mount kailash and flows through this region and finally towards into Pakistan. It is a mordern city with centre of administration, business and shopping. Continues to Pangongtso Lake. you can isit the mysterious lake pangongtso which the one part of lake is inside tibetan area and other part is situated inside indian teritorry. Camp by the Lake Shore |
| Day 13: Pangong-tso – Dorma – Dahongliutan, 433km driving,Tialongtan-la pass more than 5000m |
| The road condition is very bad as moving far towards north and on the way to dolma, the road condition become more difficult after leaving dolma. The roads have been distruben by the heavy trucks and soon reach a pass called Tialongtan-la pass with more than 5000m above the sea level. After than its still 7-8 hours way to reach Dahongliutan. Overnight in Guest House |
| Day 14: Dahongliutan to Yecheng, 499km, Kunlun and Karakorum mountain range |
| You need to drive 499km to reach Yechen from Dahongliutan, but the journey duration depends upon the climate and road condition. Then you will in contact with beautiful Kunlun mountain ranges on the rightside, the Karakorum mountain range on the left side(more close to indian border). Yours trip begin to cross the Kunlun mountain range soon after passed by Mazar. The chiragsaldi is the last pass that you need to cross and steep down towards the Yecheng ravine to Xingjiang. Yecheng is situatuted at at the edge of the Taklamakan is a city with a pretty Bazaar inhabitated by Uigur and Han chinese. Spend Overnight in hotel |
| Day 15: Dahongliutan to Yecheng, 499km, Kunlun and Karakorum mountain range |
| You need to drive 499km to reach Yechen from Dahongliutan, but the journey duration depends upon the climate and road condition. Then you will in contact with beautiful Kunlun mountain ranges on the rightside, the Karakorum mountain range on the left side(more close to indian border). Yours trip begin to cross the Kunlun mountain range soon after passed by Mazar. The chiragsaldi is the last pass that you need to cross and steep down towards the Yecheng ravine to Xingjiang. Yecheng is situatuted at at the edge of the Taklamakan is a city with a pretty Bazaar inhabitated by Uigur and Han chinese. Spend Overnight in hotel |
| Day 16: Yechen to kashgar, visit the edge of Taklamakan Desert |
 Kashgar is about 250km from the Yecheng and is the largest oasis in the whole china. the road condition is very smooth with black tar road runs through the adge of Taklamakan desert. The scenery is very excellent with grey-black rocks and sand dunes compose the major features of the landscape of Taklamakan. The most interesting thing is that you should not miss the Sunday market as you reached there on Sunday is one of the largest weekly markets of asia. Specially in the morning you can abserve the highway is crowded with full-load donkey trucks carrying vegetable, fruits men, children and women. End tour at Kashgar |
