Mount Kailash EBC Lhasa Motorbike Tour - 18 Days

One of the representatives from Himalayan Trekkers will pick you up from the international airport and transport you to your hotel. In case of early arrival, we will collect your original passport, visa photo, and a Chinese Embassy form to obtain a final Tibetan Visa & Chinese Group Visa. 

For this though, your original passport will be held for three days. You can relax or take a stroll around the Thamel area after a brief rest at the hotel.
Later, we will provide a quick overview regarding the upcoming motorbike journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

The Chinese Embassy requires at least three working days for the final visa. So, we apply for your visa today and will receive it early on the third day so that we can leave Kathmandu the same day and  Also, today will be your final test ride before embarking on your long journey.

After breakfast, you will embark on a guided tour of Kathmandu's most important historical and spiritual sites. We begin by exploring the Kathmandu Durbar Square, a complex of palaces, courtyards, and temples that served as the seat of Kathmandu's historic Malla monarchs between the 12th and 18th centuries. 

Then we'll head to Swayambhunath Stupa, which sits on a hillside and is one of Nepal's holiest Buddhist sites, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At last, we move to the Lalitpur district to explore Patan City, which is an enchanting mix of palace buildings, artistic courtyards, and a former palace complex (Patan Durbar Square). A 16th-century temple dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Krishna built entirely of stone, is one of the most notable monuments here.

Our second day of the Kathmandu tour begins with a visit to Pashupatinath Temple that is situated 5 km east of Kathmandu. The temple of Lord Shiva; Pashupatinath is considered one of the holiest shrines of Hindus. The visit provides an opportunity to closely encounter the Hindu rituals including the cremation along the Bagmati River. 

Our next stop, Boudhanath Stupa lays 8 km east of Kathmandu. This ancient colossal Stupa is one of the biggest in the world and the center of Mahayana (Tibetan) Buddhism in the world. It entered the UNESCO Heritage Sites list in 1979. 

Later, after lunch, we ride to Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It is a home of the ancient Nepali culture, customs, and wood arts, and potteries. The ancient monument on round indicates the medieval age tradition and lifestyle of Nepal and this vintage Bhaktapur town is inhabited by indigenous Newari people. We return to Kathmandu by the evening and make the last preparation for the riding trip towards the Everest Base Camp.  

Finally, you will get your Tibet Visa today morning. And our riding journey towards the Himalayas starts after a delightful breakfast at the hotel in Kathmandu. We kick off our engines from Thamel and start heading towards Dhunche in Rasuwa district via Nuwakot along the white water of Trishuli and lush green vegetation.

We drive to the Gyirong Border after breakfast from Dhunche passing by Syabrubesi. 

When you pass the customs, we drive to Kerung County and stay for a better acclimatization one night before moving up to Saga. You can visit the cave of Padmasambhava in the afternoon. If time allows, we'll take a short climb to Guru Milarepa's cave (renowned for his tantric wisdom and folk singing) and take in the magnificent views of Mt. Ganesh and Langtang. 

Our journey continues to Saga after breakfast. Snow-capped mountain peaks can be seen in the far south. We will be traveling over the plains for the most part, so it'll be a pleasant ride. 

We prepare for the drive to Lake Manasarovar with an early breakfast. We'll drive to Paryang for the first three hours. The spectacular perspective of the pyramid-shaped summit of Mt. Kailash and the lovely view of Manasarovar will come into view as we leave Paryang and ride closer to Lake Manasarovar.

You can also ride your bike around Manasarovar Lake Parikrama. Holy Mansarovar – the highest freshwater lake in Asia with a turquoise tone – is teeming with fish and swans. It is surrounded by holy Mt. Kailash, Mt. Gurula-Mandala, and Lake Rakshasa. The area is known for its gold and other mining, as well as hot springs and hundreds of wild animals. 

Our day starts with the breathtaking sunrise over Manasarovar. You may opt. to participate in a minor ritual or take a brief holy bath by Manasarovar Lake, or simply ride the motorcycle along the Manasarovar shoreline. If time allows, we will go to Chui Gompa.

We then ride to Darchen (base camp of Mount Kailash Parikrama) to prepare for our three-day hike up Mount Kailash. This location will be filled with pilgrims during the auspicious pilgrimage season, with hundreds of tents erected all around.

Once in Darchen, we will have a good rest and prepare for the Kora (circumambulation) around the holy Mount Kailash that starts from the next day. 

Today is the first day of the sacred kora around Holy Kailash. We will park our motors in Sarshung Village, meet the porter, horses, and yaks in Tarboche and begin our trek to Diraphuk together. The best vantage point in Tarboche is Yama Dwar, which offers spectacular views of Mount Kailash's south and west flanks. This is most likely the greatest spot for a close look. It takes roughly two and a half days to complete the trek around Mount Kailash. 

The entire trail up to Diraphuk is quite flat with a gentle ascent; nonetheless, due to the region's considerable height, it is natural to become exhausted. It is vital to take frequent breaks. The final section of the voyage is difficult, with a steep ascent, but it is just for a half-hour. 

(Note: Those who are not trying Parikrama will travel to Darchen and wait for the rest of the group to return after circumambulation for two days. In China, it is essential to observe a basic rule: ‘ENTRY TOGETHER AND EXIT TOGETHER.’) 

Today is the most physically demanding day of the journey. We will leave Dhiraphuk before sunrise over harsh hills to Zutulphuk. The hike from Diraphuk begins with an upward climb, but after about two hours of walking, the terrain gets gentler with a gentle ascent. Half of the trail runs through altitudes above 4,900m so you might feel out of breath or have headaches. The group will proceed at a calm and steady pace, keeping this in mind.

After roughly 4 hours of hiking, we will arrive at Dolma La pass, a magnificent high pass with fluttering Tibetan prayer flags. This is the absolute pinnacle of this magnificent journey. On the right side of the trail, after a modest descent from this pass, you'll see a little glacier lake, Gauri Kunda. 

The trail descends quickly from Gauri Kunda through an ice zone for a short distance before joining a trail full of rocks and small pebbles. Descending can be more difficult than ascending, so we must pay close attention as we walk down.

You will finally arrive at the valley floor after a 90-minute climb down from Gauri Kunda. From here, the trail becomes flat and simple all the way to Zutulphuk, where we will spend the night. 

Today is the last day of this holy Kailash Kora. Today’s kora is accompanied by a stack of Mani stones. We will trek to Dzongdul where our bikes were parked and from there, we again resume our riding journey back to Darchen. 

We'll ride back to Saga from Darchen today, passing via Lake Manasarovar and leaving Mount Kailash behind. We will drive across the Mayum La pass, the military roadblock, Paryang, and the sand-dunes area before arriving in Saga in the evening. After the Mayum La Pass, a picnic lunch will be served someplace. After a lengthy trip of approximately 490 kilometers, we will spend the night in Saga.

Once we leave Saga, we will have another long trip to Everest Base Camp. From Old Tingri to EBC, the entire path is parallel. The grandeur along the trip, which is characterized by soaring peaks and immense Himalayan ranges, will leave you awestruck, despite the graveled and sandy road. 

We will pay our visit to the fabled Rongbuk Monastery at 5154 meters, the world's highest monastery and the best vantage point for seeing Mt. Everest. The monastery is near the road towards the camping site of Everest Base Camp. Depending on your choices, you can sleep in a tented camp at the base of Mt. Everest or in a monastery guesthouse at night. 

The day starts with a morning visit to Everest Base Camp. After breakfast, our ride starts towards Shigatse, one of Tibet's historic towns via Lhatse. On the way, stop at Sakya Monastery, one of Tibet's largest Buddhist monasteries for the Sakyapa sect of Mahayana Buddhism. We also come across a stunning pass at 5220 meters named, Gyatso La Pass.  

Once we reach Shigatse, we check-in at our accommodation and take a rest. In the evening, we visit the Panchen Lama's official residence, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse's largest and most influential Gelug monastery. In this culturally significant monument, we will get the opportunity to travel through cobblestone valleys and visit halls and chapels.

In the morning, we drive to Gyantse, a historic county halfway between Shigatse and Lhasa that is home to the Palkhor Chode monastery (Gyantse Kumbum) and the Gyantse Dzong. The magnificent Gyantse Fortress atop Zhongshan Hill, which commands a panoramic view of Gyantse, will take your breath away. We may explore Gyantse town's old street if time permits. 

We drive to Lhasa in the afternoon, passing through the Karo la Pass (5,010 m) and the Kambala Pass (4,794 m). We will pass by the picturesque Karo la Glacier, Yamdrotso Lake, and Brahmaputra River before arriving at the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. 

The guided Lhasa sightseeing starts from the winter palace of the Dalai Lama called Potala Palace. The Palace houses the golden burial stupas of previous Dalai Lamas, as well as the meditation cave of Tibet's 33rd great king. Regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, it offers a bird's-eye view of Lhasa city. 

After lunch, we will also pay a visit to the world-famous Jokhang Temple, which is regarded as the spiritual core of Tibetan Buddhism. Without walking Barkhor Street, the historic way to circumambulate Jokhang Temple, our journey will be incomplete. We'll then stop by a local tea shop for a tasty sweet tea before heading to Tromzikhang, the famous farm produce to market, later that evening.

The second day in Lhasa starts with a tour to Drepung Monastery, one of the great three monasteries along with Sera and Ganden Monasteries. Unique architectures and spectacular buildings and Tibet's largest kitchen for over 10,000 monks during the heyday, are among the highlights of a visit to Drepung Monastery.

In the afternoon, we visit the Sera Monastery, where we can hear lamas/monks singing Buddhist scriptures in the Tsochin Hall and observe Buddhist discussions in the enormous debating courtyard.  The library and printing press there can help you gain a comprehensive understanding of the Monastery's past and present. The visit to this monastery offers you yet another opportunity to learn more about the Sera complex’s architecture. 

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport/train station by private car by one of our representatives, where you will say your goodbyes and the trip will come to an end.

(Itinerary Note: You can also start the riding journey from Lhasa and end in Kathmandu.)