We understand that you have limited time and days. However, please note that you must present the original Tibet permit at the airline check-in counter before flying to Tibet.
You may fly from your home country to any convenient airport in Mainland China. It is our responsibility to deliver the original Tibet permit to you.
Please allow at least 4 hours of transit time before your domestic flight to Gonggar Airport, Lhasa. This will give you enough time to meet our representative at the airport, receive the original permit, and complete the check-in process smoothly without any rush.

Once arrived in Gonggar the guide will wait for you after immigration. The guide will greet you in a traditional way offering you Khada. From the airport you will go directly to your hotel in Lhasa. The drive from the airport to Lhasa takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The guide will help you with the hotel check in. For the remaining part of the day we advise you to take a rest in order to acclimatize to the altitude at 3600 meter above sea level. 

Today we have a busy day ahead. After our breakfast we start with a visit to the Potala Palace. This is the  winter home of the Dalai Lamas and a famous landmark in the world. Potala Palace is build on the mountain Marpori (the red mountain). You have probably seen the Potala Palace on photos, but today you will experience that the palace is in real life even more impressive. We start our visit with a walk up the stairs and through the gardens. Once we enter the palace we will find our way through the labyrinth of small corridors and tiny staircases.  Not all parts of the Potala Palace are open for tourists, but you will get the opportunity to visit some if its chapels including the audience hall and the golden burial Chorten (Tomb) of Past Dalai Lamas. You will see a  tremendous number of murals, painted scrolls, sculptures, carpets, canopies, porcelain and more on your way through the palace. We will use the whole morning to visit the palace. 

After lunch it is time to visit the Jokhang Temple. This temple is an important sacred site and is seen as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism.  King Songtsen Gampo built this temple in 652 for his two brides; Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Princes Bhrikuti of Nepal. Based on stories we believe that both brought important Buddhist images and statues from their home countries as part of their dowries. The rest of the afternoon you will have time to explore the surroundings of Barkhor. Bhakor is a busy market area, but also the area where pilgrims walk the clockwise circuit around the temple. Explore Lhasa a bit more by walking around the narrow alleys. 

Today we drive to the Drepung Monastery 8 km northwest of Lhasa. The Drepung Monastery is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. This monastery was  founded by Jamyang Choje in 1416. The Drepung Monastery was the winter palace for hundreds of monks from all Gelug monasteries in Tibet. There is enough place for as many as 10.000 monks. Nowadays only a couple of hundred monks live in this monastery. 

In the afternoon we drive to the Sera Monastery. This is also one of the “ great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded three years later than the Drepung Monastery. The monastery is well known for the debates that take place each afternoon in the garden of the monastery. Observe the way the monks clap their hands during the debate. Can you guess what the claps mean?

Morning transfer to Gonggar Airport to take a flight to Ngari Gunsa Airport. This journey by flight is nearly two hours. Upon arrival, the guide will arrange the transfers to Darchen. This trip is roughly 300 kilometers long and will take three hours of drive.

Darchen is a small town that serves as the primary gateway for pilgrims and trekkers heading to Mount Kailash. This small town is also known as the base camp of the Mount Kailash.

The morning after breakfast, we drive 45 kilometers, or around a 1-hour drive to Lake Manasarovar. You can see the magnificent Gurla Mandhata Mountain, which is 7,694 meters high, as you get closer to Lake Manasarovar.

In Buddhism, Jainism, Bon, and Hinduism, Lake Manasarovar is regarded as one of the holiest lakes. Pilgrims believe that drinking or bathing in its waters can cleanse sins and bring spiritual merit. Lake Manasarovar is well known for its tranquil surroundings and pristine blue water. Situated at a height of 4,590 meters, the lake spans an approximate area of 320 square kilometers. 

Near Lake Manasarovar there is also another lake named Rakshastal Lake, also referred to as the "Demon Lake", the myth says, this is the place where Ravana met Shiva and prayed. It is frequently visited by pilgrims and is regarded as sacred.

Upon arrival at Lake Manasarovar, the guide will take you to the bus station to take a hop-in and hop-out electric bus to explore Lake Manasarovar from all directions as well as visit the monastery around the lake. You will not have enough time to explore all the monasteries, visit the major monasteries as suggested by the guide. Seralung Gompa, Trugo Gompa, and Gossul Gompa are the monasteries worth it to visit. Once the journey is completed, we take the same roadway back to Darchen.

After a good breakfast,  we travel approximately 13 km by electric vehicle (EV) bus to Tarboche. In Hinduism, this sacred place is also known as Yama Dwar, symbolizing the gateway to the deity of death. It marks the traditional starting point of the Kora, located on the southern side of Mount Kailash.

Tarboche is especially famous for its large prayer flagpole, which plays a central role during the Saga Dawa Festival, celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha Sakyamuni. From here, you can enjoy breathtaking natural scenery, including stunning views of Mount Kailash towering above.

This tour is specially designed for Kailash Darshan, allowing you to receive spiritual blessings through viewing the sacred mountain—without undertaking the physically demanding Kora (circumambulation). You will have time to meditate, explore the nearby area, and fully absorb the spiritual atmosphere.

After enjoying this sacred experience, we continue our journey back to Ali (Ngari) Town. Ali, the capital of Ngari Prefecture in Tibet, is also known as Shiquanhe and Senggekanbab. Ali is located on the Changthang Plateau, a protected region with unique wildlife. The town's development started in 1964 when the Xinjiang Tibet Highway opened. Now Ali is a modern town with good infrastructure, and modern amenities, including transportation, healthcare, and educational facilities. Situated at an elevation of approximately 4,255 meters, Ali experiences lengthy daylight hours and a cold desert climate.

Today we will drive to Ngari Gunsa Airport from where we will fly to Lhasa. It is nearly a two-hour flight. The famous Ngari Gunsa Airport is just 57 kilometers, an hour-long drive from the modern Ali Town. 

Afternoon at leisure take a rest at the hotel or explore Lhasa a bit more by walking around the narrow alleys.

Today is already the last day of your trip. We will drive to Gonggar Airport where you can catch your flight back to Kathmandu or to onward destination.