15-day Tibet tour Lhasa to Mount Kailash trek with guide

Fifteen days crossing the Tibetan Plateau to trek the kora around Mount Kailash

A 15-day guided tour starting in Lhasa and ending at Mount Kailash, with an English-speaking Tibetan guide, all permits, accommodation and meals included. You spend three days acclimatizing in Lhasa visiting Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Sera Monastery, then drive across Shigatse and Gyantse to Everest Base Camp, continue west through Saga to Darchen, and trek the three-day kora (circumambulation) around Mount Kailash before returning to Lhasa. The tour requires booking at least 20 days in advance so the operator can obtain your Tibet Permit.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and acclimatization in Lhasa

• Arrive in Lhasa by train or flight
• Transfer to GangGyan Lhasa Hotel
• Rest and acclimatize to high altitude
• Optional visit to Potala Square

Day 2: Lhasa city tour

• Visit Potala Palace
• Lunch break
• Visit Jokhang Temple
• Explore Barkhor Street and do kora
• Taste Tibetan tea in tea house
• Enjoy welcome dinner at local restaurant

Day 3: Dadong Village and Sera Monastery

• Visit Dadong Village and Nyimatang Monastery
• Light walk in Dadong Village
• Lunch at local Tibetan family
• Visit Sera Monastery and watch monks debate
• Tour Tibetan scripture printing house

Day 4: Drive Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse

• Drive from Lhasa to Shigatse
• Stop at Gampala Pass and view Yamdrok Lake
• Pass Korola Glacier and Manak Dam Lake
• Arrive in Gyantse and visit Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum
• View Gyantse Fortress

Day 5: Shigatse to Everest Base Camp

• Visit Tashilunpo Monastery
• Obtain Alien’s travel permit
• Drive to Lhatse and have lunch
• Pass Tsola Pass and Gyatsola Pass
• Enter Everest National Nature Reserve
• Enjoy panorama at Gawula Pass
• Drive to Everest Base Camp
• View sunset at Everest peak if possible

Day 6: Everest Base Camp to Saga

• Watch sunrise at Everest Base Camp if weather permits
• Visit Rongbu Monastery
• Drive to Saga with views of Mt. Shishapangma and Peiku Lake
• Spot wild animals along the way

Day 7: Saga to Darchen via Manasarovar Lake

• Drive from Saga to Darchen
• Enjoy Saga valley views
• Cross Mayomla Pass and view Mt. Naimonanyi
• Pass holy Lake Manasarovar
• Arrive at Mt. Kailash southern foot

Day 8: Trek from Darchen to Drirapuk

• Take eco-bus from Darchen to Sarshung valley
• Meet yaks and porters at Sarshung village
• Trek 13km from Sarshung to Drirapuk Monastery
• Enjoy views of west and north faces of Mt. Kailash
• Visit Drirapuk Monastery

Day 9: Trek Drirapuk to Dzutrpuk

• Trek over Dromala Pass (5630m)
• Rest at teahouse
• See locals prostrating on Kora path
• View Kadoe Lake
• Visit Zutulpuk Monastery

Day 10: Trek Dzutrpuk to Darchen

• Trek 7km to Zongto
• Take bus from Zongto to Darchen
• See Mani Stones along Kora
• Rest at lodging place
• Optional bath in Lake Manasarovar and hot spring

Day 11: Drive Darchen to Saga

• Drive from Darchen to Saga via Lake Manasarovar

Day 12: Drive Saga to Sakya

• Drive from Saga to Sakya

Day 13: Sakya to Shigatse

• Visit ancient Sakya town
• Tour Sakya Monastery with murals and scriptures
• Drive from Sakya to Shigatse

Day 14: Drive Shigatse to Lhasa

• Drive along Yalong Valley to Lhasa
• Stop at viewing platform for Yalong River bed
• Visit Water Mill making Tibetan Incense (summer only)
• Drop off at hotel in Lhasa

Day 15: Tour conclusion

• Complete 15-day journey
• Option to extend stay or arrange drop-off service

The experience

The tour opens with three days in Lhasa at high altitude, giving your body time to adjust to the Tibetan Plateau. You visit Potala Palace (the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas since the 7th century), then Jokhang Temple and walk the kora circuit on Barkhor Street with local pilgrims. On the third day you head to Dadong Village, a protected ancient Tibetan settlement 25 kilometers southwest of the city, visit a local family for lunch, and watch monks debate at Sera Monastery in the afternoon. Your guide is with you throughout, speaking English and explaining what you are seeing.

From Lhasa you drive south and west across high passes (Gampala at 4,790 meters, then Simila Mountain Pass) with views of Yamdrok Lake ringed by snow peaks and the Korola Glacier. You stop in Gyantse to see Pelkor Monastery and the Kumbum, then continue to Shigatse to visit Tashilunpo Monastery, home of the Panchen Lama. The next leg crosses into the Everest National Nature Reserve, climbing through Gawula Pass at 5,198 meters to reach Everest Base Camp at 5,200 meters, where you can see the peak and watch the sunset if weather allows. You stay in a guesthouse there and see the sunrise the following morning before visiting Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world.

From Everest Base Camp you drive west toward Darchen, passing Mount Shishapangma (the world's 14th highest peak) and Peiku Tso Lake, where you may spot wild donkeys and antelope. You cross Mayomla Pass at 5,112 meters and pass the holy Lake Manasarover before arriving at Darchen, the southern foot of Mount Kailash. Here the trek begins: you take an eco-bus to Sarshung valley, meet yaks and porters (hired separately), and trek 13 kilometers along the Lachu valley to Drirapuk Monastery, seeing the west and north faces of Kailash. On day two you trek 18 kilometers over Dromala Pass at 5,630 meters, the highest point of the kora, descending past Kadoe Lake and visiting Zutulpuk Monastery. The final day is a 7-kilometer trek to Zongto, where you take a bus back to Darchen by noon. You then drive back east through Saga and Sakya, stopping to visit Sakya Monastery with its murals and scripture collections, before returning to Lhasa via the Yalong Valley.

What’s included

• English-speaking Tibetan guide throughout.
• all accommodation in hotels with breakfast in Lhasa and Shigatse, and guesthouse dormitory beds at Everest Base Camp and during the Mount Kailash trek.
• lunch and dinner each day.
• entrance fees to Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Pelkor Monastery, Tashilunpo Monastery, Rongbuk Monastery, Zutulpuk Monastery, Sakya Monastery and all other sites in the itinerary.
• transportation by comfortable van or minibus with an experienced local driver and fuel.
• Tibet Permit and other necessary permits for Tibet (excluding the Chinese L visa).
• Everest Base Camp echo bus.
• oxygen cylinders in the vehicle.
• Tibet Handy Map.
• liability travel insurance.
• drinking water during the trip.
• airport or train station pickup and drop-off in Lhasa.
• platform service fees and government taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 25 Apr 2027

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (5 to 80 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Tibet Vista

Is this one for you?Book at least 20 days ahead so the operator can secure your Tibet Permit and arrange the required documents. This advance notice is what makes the logistics possible and keeps the tour on schedule. If you are arriving in Lhasa by flight or train and have no private transport, the included pickup and drop-off from the airport or station means you do not need to arrange your own way to the hotel or back at the end.

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Top questions

What is the Mount Kailash kora and how long does it take to trek?

The kora is a three-day circumambulation (religious circuit) around Mount Kailash. You trek approximately 13 kilometers on day one from Sarshung to Drirapuk Monastery, 18 kilometers on day two over Dromala Pass at 5,630 meters, and 7 kilometers on day three back to Darchen, trekking alongside local Tibetan pilgrims and visiting monasteries along the route.

How much time do I spend acclimatizing in Lhasa before heading to higher elevations?

You have three full days in Lhasa at 3,656 meters before driving to higher passes and Everest Base Camp. This allows your body to adjust to the Tibetan Plateau before the trek and the higher passes you cross on the way to Mount Kailash.

What does the tour include and what costs extra?

The tour includes all accommodation with breakfast in Lhasa and Shigatse, lunch and dinner throughout, entrance fees to all sites, transportation by van or minibus, an English-speaking Tibetan guide, Tibet Permit and other necessary permits, oxygen cylinders in the vehicle, and airport or train station pickup and drop-off in Lhasa. Yaks, horses and porters for the Mount Kailash trek are hired separately and not included in the tour price.

When should I book this tour and what documents do I need?

Book at least 20 days in advance so the operator can obtain your Tibet Permit. You will need to provide a photocopy of your passport and China L visa at least 20 days before your travel date. The operator will send you contact information after booking so you can submit these documents, and the Tibet Permit will be delivered to your address or hotel in China.

What is included at Everest Base Camp?

You stay overnight in a Rongpuk Guesthouse dormitory bed at 5,200 meters. The next morning you can see the sunrise over Everest Peak if weather permits, then visit Rongbuk Monastery before driving west toward Darchen and the Mount Kailash trek.

Can I exit Tibet into Nepal instead of returning to Lhasa?

Yes, after completing the Mount Kailash kora you have the option to return to Lhasa or exit Tibet into Nepal via the Gyirong border, depending on your travel plans and visa arrangements.