Kailash Saga Dawa Festival

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Kathmandu

Buy everything from Buddhas to bangles in the busy markets of Kathmandu.

Days 3-7 Lhasa

Steeped in colourful legends and traditions, colourful Lhasa is Tibet's holy city.

Day 8 Gyantse

Take time to explore the Gyantse Kumbum a 3 dimensional mandala, or model of the Buddhist universe. Make the dizzying pilgrimage up its 5 storeys, winding your way through increasingly narrow passages.

Day 9 Shigatse

Join pilgrims on their evening kora around the Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Day 10 Sakya

Admire the well-fortified citadel of Sakya.

Day 11 Saga

Journey to Mt Kailash, the holiest mountain in Asia.

Day 12 Paryang

See where the four great rivers of south Asia diverge from their glacial sources around Mt Kailash.

Day 13 Darchen

Take in views of the Himalayas and spend a night in windy Darchen.

Day 14 Saga Dawa Festival

Celebrate Sakyamuni's (Buddha) birth and attainment of nirvana at the foot of the holy Mt Kailash. Watch as devotees gather to erect a huge flagpole covered in prayer flags fluttering in the wind. The Saga Dawa festival has been held here for the past thousand years and is relatively unchanged. Join pilgrims to circumbate the pole and its colourful flags.

Day 15-17 Mt Kailash

Trek on Mt Kailash, camping at a Gompa and traversing high passes to reach Tuje Dzingbu (the bathing pool of compassion), one of the world's highest lakes.

Days 18-19 Paryang/Saga

Begin the journey towards Mt Everest.

Day 20 Lao Tingri

Enjoy spectacular views from the tiny Tibetan village of Lao Tingri.

Day 21 Everest

Visit the world's highest monastery, Rongphu, and grab a chance to venture up to Everest Base Camp.

Day 22 Nyalam

Head off the Himalayan plateau to Nyalum.

Days 23-24 Kathmandu

Enjoy a final feast in Kathmandu.