25 Days Piligrimage to the Sacred Mt. Meili and Tibet Tour

Overview

Tour Type:

Escorted by private guide and vehicle; leave 365 days a year!

Trip Level:

Easy – suitable for all levels of fitness, family with kids and senior groups.

Season:

Spring春
Summer夏
Autumn秋
Winter冬

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kunming

Upon arrival in Kunming, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the time is free for you to have a good rest and prepare for your trip.

Stay overnight in Kunming

Day 2: Kunming Day Tour-Stone Forest，Golden Temple

In the morning, drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. There is a local saying: ‘It is a waste of time not to visit the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming’. The quintessential karst landscape makes every tourist lost in wonder. After lunch, drive back to Kunming and visit the Golden Temple. And then, take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. After, visit the Flower and Bird Market in the downtown.

Stay overnight in Kunming

Stone ForestStone Forest

Day 3: Kunming – Zhongdian,Sumsanling Monastery,Napahai Lake Nature Preserve

In the morning, fly to Zhongdian, situated close to the border between Yunnan and Tibet. Upon your arrival, visit the Sumsanling Monastery created by the fifth Dalai Lama in 1679 and characterized by its Han-Chinese and Tibetan construction style. The mural paintings and woodcarvings in the monastery are quite fine. In the afternoon, walk to Napahai Lake Nature Preserve located 8km to the northwest of the Shangri-la and surrounded by mountains in three directions.

Stay overnight in Zhongdian

Sumsanling MonasterySumsanling Monastery

Day 4: Zhongdian – Deqing,Dongzhulin Monastery

In the morning, drive 190km through parts of the Hengduan Range along the Jinsha River to Deqing County. Have a break in a beautiful small town named Benzilan, which is famous for its caravans in history. Upon arrival in Deqing, you will visit Dongzhulin Monastery built in 1667.

Stay overnight in Deqing

Day 5: Deqing – Yangza,Yongbao village

Drive 50 km from Deqing to Yangza Village (1960m), and hire horses and horsemen to take your backpack and all the supplies. Then trek for 3 hours to Yongbao village where elevation is about 2480m.

Camping in Yongbao Village

Day 6: Trekking to Yongxitong

Relax in Yongxitong for one day. It is a very pretty place where you can pick many edible mushrooms for your lunch and dinner.

Camping

Day 7: Relaxing Day

Relax in Yongxitong for one day. It is a very pretty place where you can pick many edible mushrooms for your lunch and dinner.

Camping

Day 8: Trekking to Zisutong

Trek about 8 hours from Yongxitong to Zisutong. You will cross the Douge Rila Mt. Pass where elevation is about 4487m en route.

Camping

Day 9: Trekking to Qunatong

Trek about 8 hours from Zisutong to Qunatong which is a highland pasture in Chayu county of Tibet. Be careful at night, as tigers are often seen by local Tibetans.

Stay overnight in a log cabin or camping

Day 10: Trekking to Abing Village

Trek about 8 hours from Qunatong to Abing village, En route, you will see many Mani stones and a special spot with a lot of bowls and old clothes because every passerby will leave one bowl and one old clothes to this place. The Tibetan legend said by doing so one can enjoy a never-hungry and never-cold next life. Abing is a village that nearly no western traveler has been and the villagers are very simple and hospitable.

Stay overnight in Tibetan house

Day 11: Relaxing Day

Relax in Abing village, and visit the local Tibetan families. Enjoy a bonfire party at night in the square of the local elementary school.

Stay overnight in Tibetan house

Day 12: Trekking to Qizhu, the confluence of Nu River and Abing River

Trek about 6 hours from Abing village to Qizhu. En route you will see many ancient stone carves on the cliff, and one of the stones is a must-touch for all the pilgrims. Have a sightseeing of the confluence of Nu River and Abing River, and enjoy a hot spring bath by the side of the river where elevation is about 1780m. If you like fishing, here is a good place.

Camping

Day 13: Trekking to Chanan Village

Trek about 7 hours from Qizhu to Chanan village where elevation is 2500m.

Stay overnight in the local Tibetan house

Day 14: Trekking to Gebu

Trek about 2 hours from Chanan to Gebu and have one day to rest.

Stay overnight in the local Tibetan house

Day 15: Trekking to Ladilazan

Trek about 9 hours from Gebu to Ladilazan. You will cross the Gebula sacred mountain pass where the elevation is about 4100m en route.

Camping

Day 16: Trekking to Shulaka

Trek about 3 hours from Ladilazan to Shulaka where elevation is about 3090m.

Camping

Day 17: Trekking to Duotong

Trek about 9 hours from Shulaka to Soula mountain pass where the elevation is about 4815m, then trek down and camp in Duotong which is 3200m high.

Camping

Day 18: Trekking to Maylishi Village & Driving to Deqing

Trek about 5 hours from Duotong to Maylishi village, where the elevation is 2150m, and then drive 58 km back to Deqin.

Stay overnight in Deqing

Day 19: Deqing – Zhongdian – Lhasa

In the morning, drive 186 km from Deqin to Zhongdian. In the afternoon, take a flight to Lhasa. Then transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day will be at leisure for you to relax and acclimatize. You are suggested to drink some more water and eat some fruit which will help you to acclimatize the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 20: Lhasa sightseeing – Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor

In the morning, visit the famous Potala palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapel. You will appreciate its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc. In the afternoon, pay a visit to the holist temple in Tibet, the Johkang Temple, built during Songtsen Gonpo’s reign by princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkor Kora.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Potala PalaceAmazing Potala Palace at twilight

Day 21: Drepung Monastery,Sera Monastery,Norbulingka Park

We will begin our tour at Drepung Monastery which used to be the most large monastery in Tibet where lodged more than 10000 monks at its summit in the morning. After that, visit the Sera Monastery which is famous for its Buddism scriptures Debating in the afternoon. You will finish today’s activity after the Norbulingka Park which is the summer palace of Dalai Lama and later served as the governmental administration center. You will explore how the Lama studies the Buddism scriptures and also touch the real life of local Tibetan people.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Spectacular Buddha display in Drepung MonasteryMonk Debate is a highlight of Sera Monastery

Day 22: Lhasa – Namtso Lake (220km,4 hours driving, asphalt road in good condition)

At around 08:00am, our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel, and then leave Lhasa to Namtso Lake. Nyenchen Thanglha snow mountain ranges appear in front of you all the way. In summer (May to August), the sheepherders and their family move to grassland and set up their tents. You could see green grassland, groups of sheep and yaks, nomad tents by the road. Namtso Lake is the Heavenly lake popular among tourists and Tibetan people. You can do a very relaxing trekking around the lake side and Tashi Island. In the late afternoon, drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Take photo with Tibetan Yak at holy Namtso LakeDon’t miss the chance to visit the Holy Lake – Namtso, which is the largest lake throughout Tibet.

Day 23: Lhasa – Samye – Tsedang:Yarlung Zangpo River,Samye Monastery

Drive to Tsedang along the pretty Yarlung Zangpo River. En route, take a ferry to cross Yarlungzongpo River and visit Samye Monastery. The Samye Monastery is the first temple to be built in Tibet and the first complete with the three Buddhist jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. With these unique features, this splendid temple has become an attraction for visitors from near and far. Then continue to visit Tsedang.

Stay overnight in Tsedang

Samye MonasterySamye Monastery, the first Buddhsit monastery in Tibet

Day 24: Tsedang Sightseeing – Yambulakhang Palace, Trundruk Monastery

Tsedang is known as the capital of the ancient Yarlung Kingdom. Drive 7kms to visit Yambulakhang Palace, the first building of Tibet which is built in 2nd century for Tibetan Kings. It sites on a summit of a small hill on the east bank of the Yarlung River. Then drive to see the tombs of Tibetan Kings. We also pay a visit to Trundruk Monastery in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Tsedang

Yumbulhakhang, the first palace built in TibetLofty Yumbu Lhakhang

Day 25: Departure from Tsedang

Transfer to the airport (90km, 2 hrs) for your departure flight to next destination.

Included:

• Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
• All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
• Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
• Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
• All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
• Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
• All meals listed in the above itinerary;
• Tourist accident/casualty insurance;
• First aid kit;

Excluded:

• International flight to and out of China;
• Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
• Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
• Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
• Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
• Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.