[Spiritual Journey to Ngari] Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Shigatse Sacred Mountain and Lake Guge Kingdom Kyirong 13-Day Tour

Upon landing, our staff will greet you with the warmest smile on the plateau and that touch of plateau red. Having just arrived at high altitude, what you need most is to slow down your pace and relax. We will take you to the hotel for a good rest, allowing your body to gradually adapt to the high-altitude atmosphere. Tashi Delek!! Lhasa means "holy land" or "Buddha's land" in Tibetan. It is the sacred city in the hearts of Tibetans and a paradise in the hearts of travelers. With the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Lhasa is no longer out of reach. Bustle and crowds are not Lhasa's true face — let us explore its mysterious charm together. [Warm Tips] 1) Transfers: Since all train/flight transfers in Tibet are arranged by a local professional transfer center, staff will contact you in advance. Please keep your phone accessible. Visitors from outside the mainland require a guide for pickup; Chinese nationals will be picked up directly by the driver and taken to the hotel for check-in. The travel agency will inform you in advance of the hotel check-in method, so you can directly check in and rest. If you do not receive notification, please contact the travel agency staff promptly (see the tour departure notice) for timely assistance. The guide will notify you of the next day's meeting time by phone or text before 10:00 PM. 2) Altitude sickness: On the day of arrival in Lhasa, do not engage in strenuous exercise, and do not take a shower that evening to prevent catching a cold. Do not drink alcohol. Drink plenty of water and eat fruit; do not overeat. Rest well. You may bring American ginseng lozenges, rhodiola, Gao Yuan An, or other health supplements to alleviate altitude sickness. Follow the arrangements of the travel agency staff and guide, try not to go out for activities, and maintaining a calm mindset and adequate rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. If you feel unwell, seek medical treatment at a hospital promptly.

【Tibetan Culture Experience】 Now that you are in Lhasa, you can still experience traditional Tibetan handicrafts. The guide will lead visitors to the Tibetan Culture Experience Center to learn how the refreshing Tibetan incense is made, and you can also participate in making it by hand, which is completely different in meaning from buying Tibetan incense. There will also be a dedicated teacher to teach you how to write your own name in Tibetan script and do woodblock printing. The handmade Tibetan incense and printed text can be taken home as souvenirs of the Tibetan culture experience. 【Sera Monastery】 As one of the six great main monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, it is also known together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery as the three great monasteries of Lhasa. The monastery preserves tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues, among which the most famous statue, the "Hayagriva" Vajra statue, is located in the protector deity hall of the Gyi Dratsang. Locals put their heads into a small shrine and touch their heads to the base of the statue. Apart from the solemnity of the monastery, Sera Monastery has another major feature, namely the debate activities of the monks in the monastery. In the center of the debate courtyard, monks are debating knowledge; some urge the other side to answer with forceful clapping, while others pull their prayer beads, relying on the power of the beads to defeat their opponents. Standing in the debate courtyard, you are immersed in the lively sounds. Although visitors cannot understand their Zen meaning, they can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism. Debate time generally starts at 15:00. If the monastery temporarily holds Dharma assemblies or other activities, or receives specific persons, the debate activities may be canceled. Thank you for your understanding!!!

[Potala Palace] (visit limit 1 hour) Songtsen Gampo spent half his life conquering Tubo and the other half building magnificent palaces and temples. Wander among the golden Buddhist halls, stupas, sleeping quarters, and corridors, with dim lights, low curtains, and the scent of butter pervading everywhere, as if falling into an ancient dream, involuntarily lost in scriptures, Buddha statues, murals, and distant legends. [Potala Palace Ticket Booking Instructions] Potala Palace tickets are subject to a real-name reservation system, requiring valid identification (ID card, household register, or passport) for reservation. After a successful reservation, tickets cannot be reserved again within 7 days from the date of visit. If visitors cannot enter the Potala Palace due to incorrect data provided by themselves, the travel agency shall not bear any responsibility or consequences. Before the visit, visitors must carry the original valid identification. If the name or ID number does not match the actual document used, entry will be denied, and the ticket purchase fee will have already been incurred and cannot be refunded. Thank you for your understanding! The visiting time of the Potala Palace is uniformly randomly issued by the Potala Palace Management Office's computer system, and the visiting time cannot be specified. Thank you for your understanding. Also, the actual tour route order may differ from the reference itinerary provided. During peak season, the Potala Palace restricts visits. Each travel agency in Tibet has only a limited number of team reservation quotas per day. To ensure visitors' smooth visit, the travel agency will solve the problem through different channels. Due to the special ticket purchase requirements of different channels, please follow the guide's arrangements. The following situations are normal arrangements: 1) Each group may be split into multiple small groups (the group or visitors who booked together may need to be separated, and there may be situations where you join other unfamiliar group members to enter together). 2) Each small group visits at different times/dates. 3) Each small group enters with a different guide. [Jokhang Temple] (visit about 1 hour) Jokhang Temple integrates Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese, and Indian architectural styles, becoming an eternal classic of Tibetan religious architecture. Incense smoke lingers in front of the temple all day long, and the devout prostrations of believers have left deep imprints of full-body prostration on the bluestone floor in front of the door. Ten thousand butter lamps burn continuously, leaving traces of time and pilgrims. Here, worship of the gods continues day and night. [Jokhang Temple Ticket Booking Instructions] Jokhang Temple tickets require a real-name reservation. From 7:00 to 23:59 daily, next-day visit tickets are open on the mini-program "Jokhang Temple Reservation," until the quota is full. Therefore, tickets need to be reserved one day in advance. Please make the reservation under the guide's guidance. Jokhang Temple is a religious temple rather than a pure tourist attraction. If it cannot be opened for visits due to important religious activities or other special circumstances, please understand. Today, a special meal is included: Lhasa specialty welcome meal (Tibetan or Nepalese cuisine).

After setting off, the route follows the Yarlung Tsangpo River Valley, offering a bird's-eye view of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The stretch of the Yarlung Tsangpo along Provincial Road 101 is the widest river surface near Lhasa. Following the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley onto Provincial Road 307 and driving to the mountainside, you can look down on the Yarlung Tsangpo, with a vast, magnificent and majestic view. [Gangbala Mountain] – the best viewing angle for Yamdrok Lake From Gangbala Mountain you can see the most beautiful side of Yamdrok Lake; the bluest sky and the bluest lake are both here. Here, you will understand the meaning of "angels' tears in heaven, Yamdrok's blue on earth," but many photographers also say: "No matter how many times you photograph Yamdrok Lake, you can never capture her beauty..." In addition, many Tibetans on Gangbala Mountain offer yak photos; please agree on the price first to avoid unnecessary trouble. [Yamdrok Lake] Yamdrok Lake is a freshwater lake and one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet. The water is as clear as mutton fat, sweet, and drinkable. The deep blue water merges with the distant snow mountains, together with the colorful mountain ranges on both banks, the highly distinctive Tibetan villages, and the herds of cattle and sheep everywhere, making the whole journey refreshing and delightful. Yamdrok Lake covers an area of 638 square kilometers, with a surface elevation of 4,441 meters and a shoreline of 250 kilometers. This lake is also regarded as a turquoise ear string dropped to the mortal world by a goddess. Standing at the summit of Gangbala Mountain at 4,950 meters and looking south, Yamdrok Lake is like a sapphire set among the peaks, its blue water smooth as a mirror, bright blue against the sky. At noon, you will take a short rest at the viewing restaurant of the Yamdrok Lake View Hotel by the shore of Yamdrok Lake and enjoy a rich and delicious Yamdrok Lake view hot pot specially arranged by us. [Karo La Glacier], a gradually vanishing glacier (about 20 minutes of sightseeing) One of the three major continental glaciers in Tibet, the glacier is backed by Mount Noijin Kangsang, one of the four highest peaks in Tibet. The huge glacier extends from the misty summit all the way down to the roadside, only a few hundred meters from the highway. Although the glacier as a whole shows black-and-white layers due to the long-term effect of dust from the highway, the upper part of the glacier, shining in the sunlight, is like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall, glittering brilliantly. It became famous because the films "Red River Valley," "The Battle of Gyantse," and "The Knot" were shot here. [Warm Tips] In addition to the Tibet Travel Permit, foreign tourists traveling to Mount Everest in the same vehicle must have their travel permit processed uniformly in Shigatse. The guide will reasonably adjust the itinerary according to the processing status of the travel permit. Please follow the guide's arrangements and cooperate actively. If occasional system failures or long queues caused by a surge of tourists in peak season lead to excessively long processing times for travel permits, please understand.

Drive along the most beautiful border highway and admire the magnificent snow mountains, gazing into the distance at the world's third-highest peak, Kangchenjunga, the fourth-highest peak, Lhotse, and Riwu Na snow mountain. 【Mount Everest】 Mount Everest, at an altitude of 8,848 meters, is the world's highest peak, located on the border between China and Nepal in the central section of the Himalayas. The summit is covered in snow year-round, with glaciers hanging in the distance and silver peaks towering high, creating an incomparably strange and spectacular scene. 【Tingri Everest Viewing Platform】 The Mount Everest viewing platform is located 22 kilometers along the Everest Road in Tingri County, Shigatse, and is a must-pass route to Everest Base Camp. The viewing platform sits at an altitude of 5,200 meters. Looking south from here, you can see Mount Everest and other snow mountains over 8,000 meters high. 【Rongbuk Monastery】 Rongbuk Monastery sits at an altitude of about 5,100 meters, with a high, cold terrain and superb scenery. The new Everest Base Camp is nearby. If you are lucky, you may also see Everest's banner cloud drifting like a flame of life. 【Warm Tips】 1. Accommodation is in tents at Everest Base Camp (8-15 people per tent, multi-person dormitory beds, limited conditions): generally fairly clean and tidy, but quite different from city hotels, please understand. From October to April each year, due to the cold weather, the tents are withdrawn from Everest Base Camp, and accommodation is changed to guesthouses in villages near Everest. 2. Food and lodging on this day are poor, the altitude is high, and the temperature is low, so please keep warm. Pay attention to safety and prevent altitude sickness. In summer, nighttime temperatures are around 0-8 degrees Celsius, so please bring warm clothing. You can also rent a down jacket at Base Camp for warmth, at a rental fee of about 100 yuan per piece per night (price is for reference only; actual local charges prevail).

The night before, whether you slept well or tossed and turned, you must get up early to welcome the dawn of Mount Everest. While the peaks still slumber in the darkness, Everest has already donned a dazzling morning glow like a goddess's splendid robes. Accompanied by the first ray of dawn rising over Mount Everest, travel through the majestic, magnificent, and winding Himalayas, crossing the 5,200-meter-high Gyawu La Pass amid desolation and silence. In the distance, besides the foremost Mount Everest (elevation 8,848), there lie around it snow-capped world-class peaks such as Labuche Kang (elevation 7,367), Cho Oyu (elevation 8,201), Lhotse (elevation 8,516), and Makalu (elevation 8,463). Gaze upon the majestic and solemn Shishapangma (elevation 8,012), the only world-class peak above 8,000 meters entirely within Chinese territory. Carrying your lingering attachment to Mount Everest, continue onward, enjoying the scenery surrounded by mountains, passing by a beautiful plateau lake, Peiku Tso.

After breakfast, drive along National Highway 219, passing through Par Yang Town under Zhongba County. This is a town with a strong western style and one of the highest towns in the world, at an altitude of about 4,600 meters. Enjoy the vast plateau scenery along the way. Then arrive at [Lake Manasarovar], gradually entering the embrace of the sacred Mount Kailash. [Mount Kailash] Mount Kailash is located in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is the main peak of the Gangdise Mountains, with an altitude of 6,638 meters. Mount Kailash is a globally recognized sacred mountain and is also recognized by Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, the indigenous Tibetan religion Bon, and ancient Jainism as the center of the world. Mount Kailash is not the highest peak in the region, but only its summit is covered in snow year-round, shining with strange light under the sun. Coupled with its special mountain shape, it is completely different from the surrounding peaks, inspiring religious devotion and awe. Mount Kailash and Mount Naimona'nyi are 100 kilometers apart, facing each other from afar, with the sacred Lake Manasarovar and the ghost lake Rakshastal between them.

Starting point: Tarchen (elevation 4,675 meters) End point: Zhire Temple/Gangga (elevation 5,100 meters) Distance: about 20 km, about 6 km by eco-bus to the Prayer Flag Square (Darboche), about 14 km on foot Hiking duration: about 7-8 hours Hiking difficulty: ** In the early morning, board the eco-bus and set off from Tarchen to the Prayer Flag Square, preparing for the kora on foot. In the valley there are yaks and horses for visitors to experience, as well as luggage porters (backpackers), providing convenience for guests carrying large luggage. Adjust your breathing, get ready, and measure this pure land with your own two feet. Heading up the valley, blue skies and snow mountains accompany you all the way, with an occasional river winding past, letting you experience nature's uncanny workmanship in the most authentic way. Along the way, you will also see the west and north faces of Mount Kailash, one side towering into the clouds, the other layered and endless. During the winding trek, a wonderful encounter with a mountain peak lets you sample a unique, multifaceted perspective and experience it deeply. After about 14 kilometers of kora, you will arrive at Zhire Temple, where among the fluttering colorful prayer flags, you will rest and sleep with piety toward faith and reverence for nature. [Warm Tips] The tour fee does not include the cost of riding horses, riding yaks, or hiring yaks or porters. If needed, tourists must pay separately. During the trek, food and accommodation conditions are relatively poor. During the kora, accommodation for 2 nights is arranged in local guesthouses (multi-person rooms, shared bathroom, one bed per person).

Starting point: Zhire Temple/Gangga (altitude 5,100 meters) Crossing the pass: Drolma La (altitude 5,650 meters) End point: Zunzhu Temple (Zuchu Temple) (altitude 4,880 meters) Distance: about 20 km on foot Hiking duration: 10-11 hours Hiking difficulty: *** Get a good night's rest and build up your energy for a new day of hiking. Today you will cross the highest point of this kora, Drolma La Pass (5,650 meters). At the 【Drolma La Pass】, colorful prayer flags flutter in the breeze, and below the valley lies a beautiful small lake, 【Compassion Lake】, like a piece of transparent white jade inlaid among the towering mountains. After passing Drolma La Pass, the descent begins, and physical exertion will be much less. That night, go to a guesthouse at 【Zunzhu Temple】 for the night. Along the way, you will invariably encounter many devout Tibetans bowing in prostration. The gravel rolling down the valley clatters, making the walk somewhat difficult. That so-called kora path is actually the traces leading to holiness worn by Tibetans with their bodies and feet through ice, snow, and gravel. With the accumulation of time, the road to the sacred is slightly difficult to walk, so you may rest for a while at a teahouse along the way and adjust your strength.

Starting point: Zunzhu Monastery (elevation 4,880 m) Trekking endpoint: Zongdui (elevation 4,680 m) Endpoint: Tarchen (elevation 4,675 m) Distance: 10.6 km, trekking about 6.6 km + 4 km by eco-bus Trekking duration: 2-3 hours Trekking difficulty: * On the third day of the kora, as the altitude decreases, the surrounding colors gradually shift from snowy white to emerald green, and small animals begin to stir among the shrubs, bringing an ever stronger breath of life. Besides the small animals, there are piles of mani stones, colorfully stacked between the snow mountains and grasslands, like monks deep in prayer. After completing the final 6.6 km trek, it is just noon. If you already feel exhausted and hungry, you can take the eco-bus back. After finding a place for lunch, continue on to Zanda.

[Toling Monastery] With a history of over 900 years, Toling Monastery was the first Buddhist monastery built by the Guge Kingdom in the Ngari region. [Toling Monastery] The monastery blends Indian Kashmiri, Ladakhi, and Nepalese styles in both its architecture and Buddhist statues. Around the monastery, the ruins of over 100 stupas can be seen, and ancient murals are preserved inside, allowing one to imagine the glory the monastery once possessed. [Guge Kingdom] Its predecessor can be traced back to the Zhangzhung Kingdom. The kingdom was roughly established starting in the 9th century, after the collapse of the Tubo Dynasty that had unified the Tibetan Plateau, and ended in the 17th century, passing through 16 kings in succession. It was a local regime established in the Ngari region of western Tubo by descendants of the Tubo royal family, and at its height its rule extended across the entire Ngari region. [Zanda Earth Forest] The earth forest landform is a great wonder of Ngari. The earth forest was formed by special landforms created when lakebed sedimentary strata were cut by flowing water over a long period and gradually weathered and eroded under the influence of ancient orogenic movements. The "trees" in the earth forest rise and fall in uneven heights of up to dozens of meters, in a thousand shapes and forms, full of unique charm. As the car moves through it, it feels like circling around the feet of many giants.

Saga is located in the northwest of Shigatse Prefecture. The county's border line is 105 kilometers long, and National Highway 219 runs through the entire county. From here, it leads east to Shigatse and Lhasa, and west to Ngari, Purang, and other important routes, while to the south it borders Gyirong County and the Kingdom of Nepal. Saga is situated on the northern slope of the Himalayas and the southwestern edge south of the Gangdise Mountains, in the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo. Within its territory are sacred mountains, holy lakes, vast grasslands, herds of yaks, and other plateau scenery. The county's average elevation is above 4,600 meters, with a typical continental plateau climate: severely cold, long winters and short summers, thin air, abundant sunshine, and a large temperature difference between day and night.

Drive from Saga to Gyirong, the back garden of the China-Nepal border, to experience local villages influenced by some Nepalese culture. Along the way are beautiful border snow mountains, lush green forests, canyons, and waterfalls. All passengers in the vehicle will head together to Gyirong Valley. After visiting the canyon and suspension bridge, visitors who need to exit the country will leave through the port that afternoon, ending the trip.