Issue link: http://gadventures.uberflip.com/i/619326
Dates and prices are subject to change. For booking, availability, and detailed itineraries, consult your travel agent or check online. Kailash Saga Dawa Festival CLASSIC Highlights › › Witness pilgrims replace the Tarboche flagpole › › Hike the ancient Kailash kora › › Visit spectacular palaces and incredible monuments › › Arrive at Everest Base Camp What's Included Great Wall entrance. Forbidden City tour. Trans-Tibetan railway. Kumbum visit. Potala Palace visit. Jokhang Temple visit. Sera Monastery visit. Yamdrok Tso visit. Tashilunpo Monastery visit. Sakya Monastery visit. Pelkhor Chode Monastery visit. Kailash kora. Lake Manasarovar visit. Qomolangma Nature Preserve visit. Everest Base Camp visit. Border crossing support. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities. ACCOMMODATIONS Hotels/guesthouses (11 nts), very basic guesthouses (7 nts, possibly multi-share), sleeper train (2 nts) TRANSPORT Train, private bus, 4x4, walking GROUP LEADER CEO throughout, local guides MEALS 4 breakfasts. Allow USD510-665 for meals not included. ITINERARY Journey overland to Tibet and cross the 'roof of the world' to Kailash— Asia's most sacred mountain—in time for the amazing Saga Dawa Festival. You'll join pilgrims and celebrate the renewal of the Tarboche flagpole, then embark on a demanding multi-day trek around the holy mountain, which is said to bring good luck to whomever completes it. Explore Lhasa and experience unparalleled vistas of Mt Everest at its base camp. Full of cultural treasures, remarkable Buddhist monasteries, and the colourful markets of Kathmandu, this adventure truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. DAY 1 BEIJING Arrive at any time. DAY 2 BEIJING Visit the Great Wall of China with time in the late afternoon to explore Beijing. DAYS 3-4 TRANS-TIBETAN RAILWAY Take a guided tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Embark on a 48hr train journey to Lhasa. Enjoy watching the scenery change completely as the train climbs the Tibetan Plateau. DAYS 5-8 LHASA Arrive in Lhasa and take an orientation walk. Over three days, explore all Lhasa and the surrounding areas have to offer. Visit Barkhor Square, the Jokhang Temple, the Potala Palace, and either Sera or Drepung Monastery. ( 3B ) DAY 9 YAMDROK TSO/ GYANTSE Drive to Gyantse along the beautiful Yamdrok Tso lake. ( 1B ) DAY 10 PELKHOR CHODE MONASTERY/SHIGATSE Visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery, Gyantse Kumbum, and Tashilunpo Monastery. DAY 11 SAKYA Travel to Sakya and visit the Sakya Gompa. DAY 12 DZONGBA Enjoy a travel day through more beautiful scenery to reach Dzongba. DAY 13 DARCHEN Take another travel day to reach Darchen, home base for the Kora Trek. Follow the road across grasslands for the first spectacular view of Mt Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. DAYS 14-16 KAILASH KORA/DARCHEN The full kora takes 2.5 days to complete. The experience and scenery are worth the effort. Stay in a basic guesthouse and spend the final evening back in Darchen. DAY 17 SAGA Drive south to Saga across the grasslands. DAY 18 ROMBUK/EVEREST BASE CAMP Visit Rongbuk, the highest monastery in the world. Opt to hike to Everest Base Camp. DAY 19 ZHANGMU Continue driving through the spectacular mountain passes, topped with prayer flags and wind-driven prayer wheels. DAY 20 KATHMANDU Cross the border and travel to Kathmandu. Enjoy some free time to get to know the city. DAY 21 KATHMANDU Depart at any time. Guaranteed Departures This tour has two IF YOU'RE BOOKED, YOU'RE GOING | special departures. May 05 - May 25, May 08 - May 28 21 DAYS—BEIJING TO KATHMANDU FROM $ 4999 TOUR CODE: ACSF IS THIS TOUR FOR ME? See back foldout. TYPE: SMALL GROUP – MAX 14, AVG 10 SERVICE LEVEL: STANDARD PHYSICAL DEMAND: DEMANDING ASIA›› CHINA, NEPAL, TIBET Beijing Shigatse Gyantse Zhangmu Lhasa Kathmandu Mt Kailash Rombuk/ Mt Everest Darchen Saga Dzongba Sakya Trans Tibetan Railway N E P A L C H I N A 44