Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar

Mt. Kailash

Route: 10 days itinerary of Lhasa - Pangkog County - Nyima County - Dongcuo - Gegye County - Shiquanhe Town - Guge

Upon arrival in Lhasa, you will need to check yourself in at a local hotel: we recommend the 3 star Jinfan Hotel (Address: No. 12 North Lingguo Road; Tel: 0891-6363800), which is located in the city center. From here it is about 5 minutes drive to Potala Palace and 10 minutes on foot to the Jokhang Temple.

Your fantastic tour of Tibet will start from Lhasa city. We would suggest hiring a car in Lhasa, as it the most convenient and economical way of getting around. After having breakfast at your hotel, drive to the Heavenly Lake Namtso for 230 kilometers along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The lake sits at an elevation of 4,718 m, and has a surface area of 1,870 square kilometers. It is the highest salt lake in the world, and largest salt lake in this region. You could have lunch at a local restaurant or bring some snacks for a picnic beside the lake. Tonight, you may wish to stay at a better hotel, but you will need to drive to Damxung County, as there are no hotels in the Scenic area. However, many tourists choose to camp at the lakeside, as it is so picturesque and peaceful. We strongly recommend the Namtso Tent Hotel, which is the best tent hotel in Namtso area. The hotel is situated about 3-5 minutes walk from the lake and does not offer twin or double rooms, but only triple or quadruple occupancy, and the room rate is around CNY50.00 net per bed.

Lake Manasarovar

Our next stop is Pangkog County. After one night rest, drive from Namtso to Pangkog for 200 kilometers. Pangkog means Lucky Patron Saint in the Tibetan dialect and the area is famed for Pangkog Co, a beautiful lake. With a total population of 29,000, and a total area of 101,992 sq. km, Pangkog county is located between Namco and Selingco. The local people here are mostly farmers as the area has land which is perfect for pastures. People mainly breed yaks, sheep, goats and horses. You may stay at the Pangkog Grain Hostel tonight, where the room rate is CNY30.00 net per person.

On the fourth day you will drive to Nyima County for 350 kilometers. Nyima County is located in the north of Tibet in the northwest of Nagqu. With an area of 150,000 square kilometers, it has a population of 30,000. In the local language Nyima means 'the sun'. There are lots of the lakes within the territory of the county and all of them are typical highland enclosed lakes. Here you can stay at the Zhongcang Hostel, the room rate is CNY50.00 net per person. Or you may prefer to enhance your Tibetan experience by spending the night lodging with a local family, at the lesser rate of CNY10.00 net per person.

Go ahead to Dongcuo for 350 kilometers, where you will have a chance to enjoy beautiful natural scenery along the way. However, we would like to point out at this time that the road conditions and surfaces during this part of the tour will not be of the same quality as at home, so we strongly suggest that you make any preparations you feel might be necessary. Tonight we will stay at a rest house in Dongcuo.

Going towards the Gegye County from Dongcuo for 485 kilometers, you may stay at a local rest house in Gegye Country at the rate of CNY10.00 net per person.

Scenery near the Shiquanhe River

The next day we arrive in the most prosperous county in West Tibet - Shiquanhe Town. The town gained this name as it sits by the Shiquan River which is the upper reaches of the Indus River. The town - sitting at an elevation of 4,255 meters - is home to a population of 12,000. Shiquanhe has become a centre for transport, economy, culture and border trade in western Tibet and also boasts top-notch social service and public/cultural facilities. Besides 330 taxis, there are jeeps and motor tricycles available for rent at a cost of CNY5.00 to CNY10.00 (US$0. 6-1.2) per kilometer. The best hotel in this area is the Shiquanhe Hotel (Address: No. 17 Shiquan East Road; Tel: 08916302102), where the room rate is CNY200.00 net per room per night. Although the hotel facilities are not first class, you may take a shower in this hotel at the rate of CNY10.00 net per person.

Moving toward Zanda for 210 kilometers, you may visit the Zanda Tulin. Stay at the rest house here at the rate of CNY30.00 net per person or at the Zanda Guge Hotel at the rate of CNY40.00 net per person.

Guge Kingdom Ruins

On the ninth day, we visit the Guge Kingdom Ruins. Guge Kingdom was built on a small hill in Ngari in the 10th century. In the main ruins of the Guge Kingdom in Zarang, the destroyed citywalls and the natural earthen forests exist harmoniously. Around 400 houses and 800 caves are scattered across the 300-meter high mountain slope. The capital of the Guge Kingdom, the Zarang Ruins cover an area of 720,000 square meters. It is the second largest building complex in Tibet after to the Potala Palace. You should buy your tickets to the Ruins in advance from the Zanda County Cultural Bureau. The admission fee is CNY100.00 net per person. It will take about 5 hours for you to visit the ruins including the transfer time.

We will then continue our tour to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, as there are only 40 kilometers between them. Mt. Kailash is the most sacred mountain in the Tibetan Buddhist world is considered to be the centre of the universe. Lake Manasarovar is relatively round in shape. The circumference of Manasarovar is 88 km, depth is 90 m and it occupies a total area of 320 km. The lake freezes in winter and melts only in the spring.The best time to make a tour to Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar region is between mid-May and mid-October.

After visiting the holy mountain and the holy lake, you may drive back to Lhasa directly or extend your tour to some other places by yourself.

Recommended Itineraries including the Visit to Mt. Kailash:
Plateau In-depth Exploration: 20 dyas real adventure deep into the Tibetan hinterland.

More Hiking Routes:
Lhanag-tso Lake: 3 days to experience the mysterious atmosphere in the "Ghost Lake" - Lhanag-tso
Nakchu Exploration: 3-day to Nakchu