Tibet Journey - Itinerary
Map of Our Route
DAY 1: Arrive Kathmandu (Monday May 26th 2008)
There are several international
airlines that fly into Kathmandu including Thai, Gulf, Qatar and Royal
Nepal while Jet Airways and Indian have daily flights from New Delhi. You
will need to make your own arrangements to arrive in Kathmandu where you
will be met at the airport on the day of your arrival and transferred to
the four star Malla Hotel.
DAY 2: Free day Kathmandu
The Malla Hotel is our base in Kathmandu and
is located right on the edge of the tourist district of Thamel. It is possible
to buy in Thamel nearly all the clothing and gear you will need for the
journey at a fraction of the cost for similar articles in the West. This
free day will give everyone a chance to shop, visit the famous Buddhist
stupa at Boudhanath, the monkey temple at Swayambhunath or simply rest.
DAY 3: Fly to Lhasa (Wednesday May 28th)
We leave for Kathmandu airport
in the early morning and board our flight to Lhasa. If the weather gods
are smiling on us, we will get a fantastic view of Mount Everest as we
fly over the Great Himalayan range. 
Tibet is in the same time zone as China and some two and a quarter hours ahead of Kathmandu time. After clearing Immigration and Customs at Gongkar airport, we will drive to Lhasa itself and arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon. We will be staying in the old Tibetan quarter of the city.
DAY 4: Rest day Lhasa
Lhasa lies at around 3600 metres above sea level:
some 2300 metres higher than Kathmandu. This first rest day will give us
some time to relax and begin the process of acclimatising to our new height.
It is recommended to take it easy to begin with but for those who want
to start exploring immediately, the Barkhor Square and the famous Jokhang
temple are a few minutes from our hotel.
DAY 5: Visit Norbulinka / Potala Palace
If you have read Heinrich Harrer’s ‘Seven
Years in Tibet’, you may recall that many of his meetings with the
young 14th Dalai Lama took place in the summer palace at Norbulinka. We
will visit that same palace as well as the other palaces of previous Dalai
Lama’s and walk around the extensive and beautiful grounds. The Potala
palace was the formal residence of the Dalai Lama and the seat of the Tibetan
government.
It is also one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world and houses many huge chortens or tombs that are the resting places of former Dalai Lamas. The building contains over 1000 rooms, is filled with some exquisite Tibetan art and is quite spectacular.
DAY 6: Free day Lhasa
By now we should all have started to acclimatise
to our higher altitude. This free day will give everyone a chance to wander
around the old Tibetan quarter at their leisure and meet some of the beautiful
Tibetan people that live, work and worship near the Jokhang.I do not know
a place on the planet that I feel more at home in the company of total
strangers than when I walk the kora around the Jokhang. It is always a
very special feeling for me.
DAY 7: Visit Ganden / Sera monasteries
Ganden gompa is the oldest Gelugpa
gompa in Tibet and was founded by one of the most famous Lamas in Tibetan
history – Tsongkhapa. We will drive to Ganden in the morning to visit
the gompa and walk the kora around it. We will return to Sera gompa in
the afternoon to watch the monks engage each other in the traditional and
energetic Dharma debates.
DAY 8: Lhasa - Samye gompa – overnight Tsetang
Today for the first
time we board our Toyota Landcruisers and meet the drivers who will be
with us until we return across the border into Nepal. We leave Lhasa in
the morning and drive to the Yarlung Valley which was the original cradle
of Tibetan civilisation. We will check into our hotel in the town of Tsetang
and have lunch. We will then visit Tibet’s oldest gompa that was
founded by Padmasambhava in the 7th century AD. It is a very unique place
and pays tribute to the Indian and Chinese influences on Tibetan Buddhism.
If we have time, we will also visit the old fortress at Yumbulagang and
one of Tibet’s earliest monasteries – Trandruk gompa - before
spending the night in our hotel in Tsetang.
DAY 9: Drive to Shigatse
We will spend the day driving along the valley
of the Tsangpo river which has its source near Mount Kailash eventually
becomes the Brahmaputra when it enters India in Assam.
If we have enough time, we will also take a side road that leads up to the 5000 metre pass of Kamba La for a stunning view of one of Tibet’s most sacred lakes – Yamdrok Tso. We will spend the next two nights in Shigatse, the second most important town in Tibet.
DAY 10: Visit Gyantse, Tashilhunpo gompa, Shigatse
After breakfast we
will drive to Gyantse and visit the Pelkor Chode monastery which also contains
the huge Kumbum chorten. The chorten is 35 metres high and has seven levels,
each one containing chapels filled with Buddhist paintings and sculptures
that symbolise different stages on the Tantric path. After lunch we will
visit the Tashilhunpo gompa in Shigatse. This is the traditional seat of
the Panchen Lama – the second highest religious authority in Tibet.
The gompa contains the huge chortens of the previous Panchen Lamas. It
also has the world’s largest gilded statue of Maitreya, the future
Buddha, that stands at 26 metres tall.
DAY 11: Drive to Sakya
Today we drive to the town of Sakya and visit Sakya
gompa, the seat of the Sakyapa order within Tibetan Buddhism. In the 13th
century Sakya was known for its scholarship and produced the first religious
ruler of Tibet with the support of the Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan. The
gompa itself is one of the few fortified gompas in Tibet and houses some
large chortens of previous Sakya lamas which are very impressive.
DAY 12: Drive to Pekhu Tso, first night camping
Today
is the first day of our trip that will take us out into the wilderness
of Western Tibet. One of the things I am always most impressed with is
the comfort of the Landcruisers. Paved road rapidly becomes a thing of
the past once we turn off the Friendship Highway, the road that connects
Kathmandu to Lhasa. But I always find the vehicles to be very comfortable
and most of the drivers have also made the trip many times before, so they
know how to handle the roads and to keep their cars running in tough conditions.
Pekhu Tso is one of the most beautiful high mountain lakes that I have
ever seen and its turquoise waters nestle in the shadow of Tibet’s
highest mountain – the
8012 metre Shisha Pangma. We will arrive at the lake as the sun is starting
to set on the mountains that surround it and the sight is quite magnificent.
Our Nepali camping crew will also join us for the first time and will be
there to greet us. They drive in from the Nepali border and will have prepared
our first camp for us by the time we arrive. They are some of the sweetest
people and everyone really appreciates how well they take care of us. Personally
I find it to be the ultimate luxury to be camping in these beautiful and
isolated spots on the planet and being fed and looked after by them!
DAY 13: Drive to Raka via Saga
We have a shorter day’s driving today
as we make our way through some wild and beautiful hills to cross the Tsangpo
at Saga. We then drive east until we reach the junction from where the
northern route starts near Raka. We camp near the natural hot springs of
Raka and will have time to explore them and even take a hot bath!
DAY 14: Raka – Tsochen
Today we head north and even further into
the Tibetan wilderness, as our drive takes us through an isolated landscape
filled with mountain lakes. The only inhabitants are the drokpas or nomads
with their flimsy black tents and herds of yak and goat. We will make camp
just past the small town of Tsochen.
DAY 15: Tsochen – Oma Chu
Today will take us to the junction of
the northern road that leads directly to the far west of Tibet. It is a
beautiful drive over several high mountain passes that skirt the turquoise
waters of Dawa Tso and other lakes. We camp for the night near the small
and beautiful village of Oma Chu.
DAY 16: Oma Chu rest day
Oma Chu is this small jewel of a village perched
on the banks of a large lake and situated in the middle of nowhere. The
villagers have built an exquisite variety of shrines just above the village
itself and they are dotted with prayer wheels and yak horns carved with
the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. We will have a rest day here to explore the
village and its beautiful surroundings.
DAY 17: Oma Chu - Gegye
Today we will travel in some of the most isolated
and awe-inspiring nature of the whole journey. To drive through the high
Tibetan plateau provokes such a feeling of peace within me. There is a
vastness in the landscape on the roof of the world and so little to disturb
the mind that something easily settles deep inside. Today’s drive
will take us ever further to the West to our camping site on the banks
of the Indus near the small town of Gegye.
DAY 18: Gegye - Ali
Today is a much shorter day’s drive to the town
of Ali which the Tibetans call Senge Khabab. We follow the river Indus
as it winds its way west to the borders of Ladakh and India. Ali is a bustling
Chinese town and a civilian airport is under construction to facilitate
even greater numbers of tourists to visit Mount Kailash. But a good shower
will be most welcome!
DAY 19: Drive to Tholing / Tsada
A short distance outside of Ali we head
south towards the ancient kingdom of Guge and even enjoy the rarity of
a paved road for some of the way! Guge played an historic role in bringing
Buddhism to Tibet as many masters from India were invited to this kingdom.
We will stay in the town of Tholing which will be our base for these next
two nights.
DAY 20: Visit Tsaparang fortress and Tholing gompa
If you are familiar
with Lama Govinda’s famous book – ‘The Way of the White
Clouds’ – you may remember that he and his wife spent six months
at the ruins of Tsaparang before crossing back into India as the Chinese
invaded Tibet. I found it amazing to crawl through the tunnel leading to
the fortress high on the peak and re-trace the very same steps that Lama
Govinda describes with such excitement in his book. It is really a spectacular
site and we will have ample time to explore all its nooks and crannies.
In the afternoon we return to Tholing and visit the gompa there.
DAY 21: Tholing – Tirthapuri
The morning drive will take us through
the amazing landscape of eroded cliffs that Lama Govinda also wondered
at on his journey. The rocks are like a mini Grand Canyon. Tirthapuri has
strong connections with Tibet’s most revered saint – Padmasambhava
or Guru Rinpoche. There is a gompa here and you can walk the kora around
it in preparation for the longer one that awaits you at Mount Kailash.
Tirthapuri also has hot springs bubbling up from the earth for those who
want a bath!
DAY 22: Tirthapuri – Lake Manasarovar/Chiu gompa
It is a short drive
to the most sacred lake on the planet. On the way we will get our first
view of Mount Kailash towering over the surrounding plains. We will camp
on the shores of Lake Manasarovar below Chiu gompa: one of the four gompas
around the Lake. There are hot springs at Chiu gompa and you can take a
bath there as well. You can also explore Chiu gompa or take a walk along
the shores of Lake Manasarovar. The Hindu pilgrims traditionally take a
holy dip in the Lake while the Tibetans avoid it. They do not like to get
the Lake dirty!
DAY 23: Start kora/camp near Chuku gompa
In the morning we drive to Darchen
to start our first short day on the kora itself. The walk from Darchen
to Chuku gompa takes an easy four hours and gives everyone a good taste
of what it is like to walk at 4500 metres and above. We camp that night
below Chuku gompa where there is a cave that Milarepa is said to have used
for his prolonged meditations.
DAY 24: Saga Dawa festival (June 18th 2008)
Today is a very special day
in Tibet as it is Buddha’s Enlightenment Day that falls on this full
moon. It is also the day when a great gathering of Tibetans assembles at
a place called Tarboche near Chuku gompa and our overnight camping site.
We will mix with the people who have come to celebrate this festival and
watch as they take down the towering prayer flag pole from the year before
and put a new one in the ground. The Tibetans believe that the straighter
the pole sits in the ground, the better will be the destiny of Tibet for
that year. It is also a time for them to trade their goods and have a party!
DAY 25: Chuku gompa – Dirapuk gompa
Today is our first full day
of walking and it takes about six hours to reach Dirapuk gompa where we
will spend our second night. Just before our campsite the magnificent north
face of Mount Kailash comes into view. It has a presence and energy that
no lens can capture. Most mountains have gradual foothills that lead slowly
to the summit. Mount Kailash looks as though some God deposited this huge
pyramidal rock into its current resting place. It feels close enough to
touch and for the first time you really get a sense of the power people
have invested in it and why it is sometimes referred to as ‘the centre
of the world’.
DAY 26: Dirapuk - Drolma La/camp Topchen valley
Today is the hardest day
of the kora as we climb from 5050 metres to the top of Drolma La at 5650
metres. The Tibetans believe that crossing this pass washes away the sins
of a lifetime. It is a hard walk but personally I find it totally exhilarating
in every sense. The trick to walking at altitude is simply to go at a comfortable
pace and not exhaust yourself by trying to go too fast.
DAY 27: Finish kora/drive to Purang
Today is just four hours of walking
before we finish the kora. We will then drive south past the massive slopes
of Gurla Mandhata and overnight in a guest house in the town of Purang
or Taklakot.
DAY 28: Cross border and trek to Hilsa – 6 hours
Today we will complete
the border formalities at Purang before driving to the land border with
Nepal. We say goodbye to Tibet and our drivers and start the trek back
with our Nepali camping crew and porters.
DAY 29: Trek to Ship Ship – 5 hours
Today will give us another chance
to walk through similar landscape to that of Tibet. For some of the time
we will be following the route of the Karnali river, one of the four great
rivers that has its source near Mount Kailash.
DAY 30: Trek to Muchu – 5 hours
Although Nepal is considered a Hindu
kingdom, this far western corner of Nepal is very much a Buddhist area
and we will pass the familiar chortens and Tibetan-style houses as we continue
on our journey.
DAY 31: Trek to Sali Khola – 6 hours
The trekking route that we
are on is one of the most remote in the whole of Nepal and we will pass
through isolated villages inhabited by tribal people from the area. We
will be as much a curiosity to them as they are to us!
DAY 32: Trek to Dhara Pokharai – 5 hours
As we continue our trek,
we slowly descend from the heights of the roof of the world, trees start
to reappear and the browns turn to green.
DAY 33: Trek to Simikot – 2 hours
This will be our last and shortest
trekking day and will take us to the trailhead at Simikot.
DAY 34: Fly to Simikot – Nepalganj – Kathmandu
We will get
up early to catch our mountain flight from Simikot to the plains city of
Nepalganj near the Indian border from where we will board our flight to
Kathmandu.
DAY 35: Final group day Kathmandu (Sunday June 29th 2008)
The comforts
of the Malla Hotel will be most welcome after our Tibetan adventure and
this last day will give everyone a chance to come back to civilisation
once again before we say goodbye to each other and return to our homes.
"Imagine standing on the High Tibetan Plateau and as far as your eyes will let you see there is not another human in sight......the bluest sky that you can imagine.....mountains even higher than one can think covered with snow.......the air unpolluted ...crisp....and dry......not a tree nor a blade of grass anywhere......this is the ultimate in Minimalism...to me this is true unadulterated beauty....all be it a different kind....a different world.....primitive and time has not destroyed it.......but sad to say this may not be true in the future.....the Tibetan nomads are still there looking after the herds of sheep....goats....and those amazing yaks.....also carrying the Buddhist beliefs in their hearts for the rest of the world.....always ready with a smile that one feels inside to be real......this is only a part of Tibet.....seeing the ancient monastaries....art.....traveling across the top of the world...trekking into Mt. Kailash one feels the mysterious and sacredness of it......not knowing what it will bring......this amazing adventure we traveled with a group of the most wonderful travelers one could hope for .....we laughed and talked and all had such a great time together all the way from the start of the trip until the last day where we parted as great friends not knowing what the future might hold for any of us....it was truly a moment of living in the present......looking back I would do it again.....after wards I was left with the hunger to know more about Tibetan Buddhism and the country itself and its history.....this was truly a highlight in my life......." - Renee - USA