Luxury Lhasa, North Everest Base Camp & Kailash Mansarovar Yatra – Purang or Ali Exit
The Luxury Lhasa, North Everest Base Camp & Kailash Mansarovar Yatra – Purang or Ali Exit takes you overland across the Tibetan plateau on an 12-day journey that blends sacred pilgrimage with high-altitude adventure. You’ll begin in Lhasa, exploring the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and the monk debates at Sera Monastery, before driving west across some of the highest motorable passes on earth. Along the way, you’ll stand before the North Face of Mount Everest at Rongbuk, watch the turquoise waters of Pelkhu Tso and Lake Manasarovar unfold beside the road, and arrive at Darchen to begin the Kailash Kora, the sacred circuit around Mount Kailash that pilgrims of four faiths have walked for centuries.
Unlike Himalayan Glacier’s 14-day Lhasa-to-Kathmandu itinerary, this trip keeps you entirely within Tibet and China, ending with a flight from Purang or Ali back to Lhasa, where you can connect onward or extend your stay. You’ll travel with a licensed Tibetan guide throughout, stay in a mix of upscale hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse and simple guesthouses during the Kora, and follow an acclimatization-conscious itinerary designed for the demands of Tibet’s high plateau.
Once you reach the sacred shores of Lake Manasarovar, you’ll settle into the ritual rhythm of the Yatra: Havan and Puja by the lake, a drive to Darchen, and three days completing the Kailash Kora, the clockwise circuit around Mount Kailash that pilgrims have walked for centuries. You’ll stand before the mountain’s golden north face at Dirapuk, cross Dolma La Pass at 5,650m/18,536ft, and pass Gauri Kund on your way back down. This route suits you well if you’ve already got time built into a Tibet trip, are joining a larger group partway through, or simply want the shortest possible path to a profoundly demanding and rewarding pilgrimage.
Luxury Lhasa Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Highlights
- Sunrise over Everest’s North Face: Watch the world’s highest peak catch the morning light from the Rongbuk / Everest Base Camp region, a view very few travelers ever see from Tibet’s side.
- The Golden North Face of Kailash: Stand at Dirapuk Monastery for one of the most revered views of Mount Kailash, especially striking in the early morning light.
- Complete the Kailash Kora: Walk the sacred circumambulation of Mount Kailash across the 5,650m/18,538ft Dolma-La Pass, past holy Gauri Kund.
- Sacred waters of Lake Manasarovar: Take part in Havan/Puja at the lake considered the source of spiritual purification for four faiths.
- Cross Tibet’s high plateau overland: Pass Yamdrok Lake, Karo La Glacier, and Gyatso La among the highest drivable roads on earth.
- A faster finish: Skip the extra overland days to Kathmandu and fly out directly from Purang or Ali.