Days 01 : By plane to Nepalganj. The flight takes about 1½ hour. This town of 47.000 inhabitants close to the Indian border is a junction and regional centre of Western Nepal. The centre of the town is dominated of a bazaar and you will see the typical tongas, horse drawn passenger carts, in the streets. A large part of the population is Muslim and you will see several mosques as well as several Hindu temples. In Nepalganj you have the last chance to stock up on some snacks and fruit before the trek. Besides the bazaar there is a supermarket in the centre of the town. Since Nepalganj is situated at a quite low altitude, the weather will be hot and humid.

Days 02 -08 : By plane to Simikot in the morning, 50 minutes. The flight will take you across almost the entire breadth of Nepal. Hopefully the morning is clear and you can spot the 7.031 meter peak of Saipal Himal in the West. Simikot is the centre of the district of Humla, in some senses the most remote district in Nepal. It takes about two weeks to walk from here to the nearest car-road. The region is closed for ordinary tourists and it requires a special permit to visit Simikot. The small town is situated in a green valley with the runway of the air port in the middle. After the procedure of arrival you will start trekking. During the trek there will be a staff of 7-8 persons including cook, kitchen boy, porters, route man and guide. There will also be a Liaison Officer. This is required from the Nepalese authorities since tourism in this area is restricted. The staff will bring all the necessary equipment such as tents, kitchen utensils and food. You will have to bring your own sleeping bag and mattress. However, you will not have to carry your own luggage. The altitude of Simikot is about 2.900 meters. You will have six days of walking to reach Khojarnath on the Tibetan side of the border. You will walk partly along the Humla Karnali River, which is a tributary river to the Ganges. The trail has been serving as the trade route between Nepal and Tibet for long. You will pass small villages along the way, the further away the fewer villages. The landscape will be both sandy and green. Near the villages there will be cultivated fields and trees. The first day of trekking you start by climbing some 300 meters and then going down even more than that. Your first night of camping will probably be at an elevation of about 2.300 meters. Day 2 and 3 will also offer about 3-500 meter climb. Day 4 and 5 will include more climbing. During day 4 you will reach about 3.600 meters and day 5 you will pass the Nara Lagna Pass of 4.580 meters. The border crossing to Tibetan is marked only by stone. Just after the border will pass Sher, which is the trading place for trade between the Humli and Tibetan peoples. Nepalese wood and rice is exchanged for grain and salt, which is carried back by goats. The Chinese border formalities are handled in Khojarnath a few Kilometers into Tibet. The local time in Tibet is adjusted to Beijing time, and is thus 2¼ hours before Nepali time. In Khojarnath (Khorzak in Tibetan) a car will pick you up and take you to Purang. The drive takes about 1½ hour. Purang (or Taklakot in Nepali) is a fascinating trading town close to the border with both Nepal and India. The town has an ancient history. It has been inhabited for at least 3.000 years, and was earlier the capital of the early kingdoms of Far-west Tibet. Several thousand years ago people in this part of Asia used to live in caves.

In Purang there are still remnants of ancient cave dwellings. Some of them are still inhabited! You will also find the ruins of the fortress of Simbiling rising above the town. Before the Chinese invasion it was the residence of the regional administrator as well as a monastery with several hundreds monks. Today Purang is still an important trading town in the area. Traders come from India, Central Asia , Nepal, Tibet and China. There are several markets; the Darchula Bazaar (Nepal), the Humla Bazaar and the Chinese Bazaar. By the time of your visit there will probably also be many religious pilgrims on their way to or from Mt Kailash. You will stay the night of day 11 in a guest house. Dinner of day 11 and lunch of day 12 will not be included, instead you should take the chance to try some of the local Purang restaurants. You can change money in Purang, but probably not traveller’s cheques.

Days 09 : You will have the morning to walk around the town of Purang. Leave by car after lunch to Darchen (120 km, about 2 hours). The road will pass the Gurla La (la=pass) of 4.590 m. If the day is clear you could perhaps see the Mt. Kailash. After the pass the road goes between two lakes. On the right is the holy lake Manasarovar and on the left is Rakshas Tal, which traditionally is considered to be the Lake of Demons. Darchan (4.560 m altitude) is a small place from where the Kailash circuit starts. Once again you will stay in tents and have the meals cooked.

Days 10-13 : Mt Kailash is the most holy mountain to pilgrims of four different religions. Hindus, Buddhists, Jainists and followers of Tibet’s old pre-Buddhist belief Bonpo, all make pilgrimages to the 6.714 meter high, snow-covered mountain. All four religions have different names for it and hold different believes. What is common is the belief that Mt Kailash is the throne of gods and the place where the divine takes earthly form. To make a kora around the mountain is believed to release you from all your sins for a lifetime. Close to the mountain, four great rivers have their sources, running off in four different directions; the Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej and the Karnali. Sven Hedin discovered the sources of the first three during his extensive expedition in Western Tibet in 1909. Hedin was also the first Westerner to do the pilgrim kora around Mt Kailash. The pilgrim path around the mountain is about 53 kilometers long. You will have three days tp complete the trek. Some pilgrims do it as fast as in one day. Others make it slower. You might even meet pilgrims who proceed by prostrating, lying down to pray for every step they take! The Saga Dawa Festival will take place at Tarboche on the first day of trekking. This is the most important festival of Mt Kailash, celebrating the enlightenment of Buddha. It takes place every year at full moon of the fourth lunar month. A giant flagpole is ritually taken down and the prayer flags are changed for new ones. After the flagpole is upright again, the Tibetans try to tell the future by watching its position. If the pole is erected straight it will mean happiness for all of Tibet. The trek is mostly flat, except from when you climb the pass of Dolma La (5.636 m). Yaks will carry your luggage and you will stay in tents. Due to the high altitude, the nights may be cold. On the third day, after completing the trek, you will go by car to lake Manasarovar (20-30 km).

Days 14-17 : One day of rest by the holy Lake Manasarovar at an altitude of 4.530 m. Many pilgrims also circuit the Manasarovar while they are on their Kailash pilgrimage. It is walk of 85 kilometers, and too far to do in one day. You may visit any of the monasteries by the lake. One is Chiu Gompa, where the Sutlej river has its source.

Days 18-20 : By car to Tingri (about 750 km). The journey will take three days. The road partly follows the Brahmaputra and you have to cross tributary rivers several times. The landscape will be dominated by the sandy lower mountains on the plateau. In the end of the journey you will be able to see the snow covered Himalayas in the South. Be prepared that the road will not be good. You can make stops whenever you wish, just tell the driver. You will stay in tents along the way. In Tingri you will stay in guest house. Tingri is situated at a wide plain by the Bum Chu River. Due to its strategic position, the town has earlier played an important role in the trade between Nepal and Tibet.

Days 21-22 : Car to Mt Everest Base Camp (about 71 km). During the drive you will pass the Lamar La (5.662 m), which is the highest pass of the trip. You will have one and a half day at the base camp altitude 5.150 m). The Mt Everest, or Qomolungma in Tibetan (8.848 m) is situated on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Most climbers try to reach the top from the Nepali side, which is considered less difficult. The month of May is the peak season for climbing Mt Everest. Every year there are a few expeditions trying to attack the world’s highest mountain from the Tibetan side. You can make a visit to Rongbuk Gompa, the world’s highest monastery, at an altitude of 4.980 meters. Regardless of the season visiting in the Everest Region, it requires being prepared for extreme conditions. The sun is very strong at these altitudes, sun hat and plenty of sun block are a must.

Days 23 : From Mount Everest Base Camp to Shegar it is a total of 119 kilometers. There is a 4WD track going through an inhabited valley. The road is in bad condition and the drive may take a while. You will pass the magnificent Pang La at 5.200 meters, from where you will have a wonderful view over Mt Everest. You can stop any time. Stay in guest house.

Days 24 : The drive to Shigatse (239 km) will take five to six hours. Shigatse is the second largest town of Tibet with about 40.000 inhabitants. Unfortunately, most of the old, traditional Tibetan houses in town have been tore down and replaced by modern buildings. The Tashilunpo Monastery, which is the seat of Panchen Lama (founded in 1447), is situated here. It is counted among the six largest Gelokpa monasteries in Tibet. At its peak the monastery housed around 4.700 monks. Today neither of the two present Panchen Lamas are residing here. Both the Panchen picked by Dalai Lama and the Panchen chosen by the Chinese government are in Beijing. The opening hours of the monastery is varying, hopefully it is open on the day of your visit. The centre of the complex is the 26 meter tall Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha of the future). There is also a new golden stupa here, made with relics from, and in honour for the tenth Panchen Lama. You will stay at Sangdrotse Hotel. Shigatse will be the last larger town to stock up on some snacks before the long journey to the West. Shigatse will probably also be the last place for a while where you can make a long distance call home

Days 25-26 : Car to Gyantse (82 km). Gyantse is situated in another fertile valley of Central Tibet, that of the Nyang Chu River (a tributary of the Brahmaputra). From the top of the hill by Gyantse Dzong you will have a nice view over the town. Inside Pelkhor Chode, the great monastic complex, you will find the giant stupa Kum Bum and the Tsuklakhang monastery, both built in the 15th century. The Kum Bum known as the Stupa of the Hundred Thousand Buddhas, may well be the world’s most impressive stupa. Gyantse’s population remains primarily Tibetan, making it an interesting place just to stroll around. There is a big majority of typical Tibetan houses here. Gyantse is also a good place to visit a special handicraft centre. Stay at Gyantse Guest House .

Days 27-31 : Drive to Lhasa (180 km). You will pass two high passes and Karo La 5.010 m, Khamba La 4.794 m. In-between the two passes you will drive along the holy lake Yamdrok Tso, also called the turquoise coloured lake. Among Tibetans it is believed that in the beginning all of Tibet was covered by water. The lakes that now exist are remnants of that big sea. People believe that if the waters of the Yamdrok Tso would dry, Tibet would no longer be habitable. You will have almost five days to get acquainted to the Tibetan capital, which is situated at an altitude of 3.700 meters above sea level. Lhasa is situated in the valley of the Kyi Chu River, one of the most fertile valleys in Tibet. The Tibetan centre of town is called Barkhor and is located around the Barkhor Square and Jokhang Monastery. Just to stroll around for a day in Barkhor with its many markets is wonderful. Jokhang is the religious and geographical centre of Lhasa and was founded already in the 7th century by Songtsen Gampo. Colorfully dressed people from all over Tibet come to Lhasa on pilgrimage. Apart from the Jokhang, there are several monasteries worth visiting; Sera, Drepung and Norbulinka. Of course you can also visit the Potala, the former residence of Dalai Lama with 1.000 rooms. You will however choose for yourself to what extent you want to see all these monasteries. One of the things you can do in Lhasa is to circumambulate. To circumambulate is a religious ceremony where the Tibetan Buddhists show their devotion to God. They walk in a clockwise circle around a certain building of holy dignity. The most devoted pilgrims even prostrate round the building. Prostrating is when you bow down and lie on the ground for every step you take. In Lhasa, there is a long circumambulation to do. It’s 8 kilometers long and will take you around the main part of town, passing Potala and along the Lhasa River. There is also a shorter one around Jokhang. To walk along the circumambulation together with the pilgrims is an easy way to get contact with the Tibetans. Another good way to look around town is to rent a bicycle and go around in and outside of Lhasa.

Days 32 : Plane to Kathmandu in the morning. Two more days in Kathmandu.

Days 33 : Free day at Kathmandu for shopping/individual activities.

Days 34 : Departure transfer to the airport for onward destination.