Simikot Kailash Tour

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuwan International airport a representative from Naata Trek and Tours will be waiting for you at the airport displaying a playcard imprinted with your name. He/she will then transfer you to the designated hotel. In the evening we can enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by Naata Trek and Tours. During the dinner we can enjoy Nepalese cuisine which will introduce us to the country’s food culture.

We will have a pre trip meeting after breakfast where you will be introduced to your Guide. During the meeting you can assure yourself with any queries regarding the trip.
We visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks praying in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. After Boudhanath Stupa we visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats. We will also visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, which is a collection of pagoda and shikhara–style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The attraction of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the Lion gate, the Golden gate, the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows, art galleries, the Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla.

We take a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, which is a town near the Nepal India border in the West. It is also the gateway to Simikot and Humla. In the afternoon, we visit a mini zoo and the nearby villages. We stay the night in Nepalgunj.

We take a short scenic 40-minute flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot. Simikot is the headquarters of the Humla District and has an influence of the Tibetan culture due to the close closeness of the two places. We have lunch at Simikot and register the permit at a police office. We ascend for a while and descend to the village of Tuling. We walk further into jungles and villages along the Karnali River and reach Darapori.

Today, we start on a flat trail alongside the Karnali River. The trail goes through cultivated barley, buckwheat, rice and potato fields until we reach Kermi. There are two hot springs near Kermi where we can take a dip and comfort our tired bodies. We can also visit ancient Buddhist monasteries Lakiyo Gompa and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa nearby Kirmi. We stay the night in Kermi.

After breakfast we walk on flat lands and make a steep ascends to a pass and cross a suspension bridge over the Salli River. We go through pine forests and reach Yalbung after a relatively easy day. Later in the day, we also visit Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery. We stay the night in Yalbang.

We follow the trail above the Karnali River and as we start to ascend vegetation around get sparse and up come pine trees and rocky hills. Upon reaching Tumkot, we visit one of the most important Sakya monasteries of the Tibetan region in Dhugkar Choezom monastery. We stay the night in Tumkot.

The trail today follows the Karnali River and is comparatively easy. After walking for a couple of hours, the climate starts to change and pine trees give way to low Junipers in an even rockier landscape. We walk for a few hours more and reach our destination, Yari.

We start the trek by crossing the Nara La pass at 4,620m. The vegetation is scanty by now and the landscape is somewhat similar to that of Tibet. After descending from the pass the beautiful Tibetan plateau and Yari village come into sight. We descend further to reach Hilsa which is a border town between Nepal and Tibet. We stay the night in Hilsa.

We cross the Friendship bride at Hilsa where the Chinese officials will check our permits and passports. We will be greeted by our Tibetan guide here. Passing by Zangpo Gompa and Kangje Village we ascend to Purang. Once we reach there, we visit the age-old Purang Gompa which has beautiful frescoes dating back from 12th century. We stay the night in Purang.

We walk through Rakshas and Mansarover Lakes to reach Montser. We rest for a while after reaching Montser then visit Tirtapuri (4,510m) located northwest of Mount Kailash. The Tirthapuri hot springs are firmly related with Padmasambhava (Guru Ringpoche) where pilgrims bathe in pools fed by the springs. Next, we visit a monastery containing Guru’s footprint along an hour long pilgrimage route. We return back to Monster after touring Tirtapuri and stay the night there.

After breakfast, we visit Garuda Valley located southwest of Mt. Kailash. There are a series of uncanny caves, some of which haven’t been explored yet. People here believe that this was the birthplace of the Tibetan civilization during the time of Shang Shung Kings which was long before Buddhism came to the fore. It’s a great place for avid archeological lovers. After touring the valley go to Darcehn, a small town located in front of Mount Kailash.

The first day of Kora starts with a six hour hike in a valley through walls made of red rocks. We continue further on the plain and cross a bridge that leads to Chhuku Gompa which is on a high hill. The trail leads takes us to Dirapuk from where we get splendid views of the north face of Mt. Kailash. We stay the night in Dirapuk.

Today we are in for the hardest part of our journey. We climb the Drolma-La pass (5,750m) decorated with five colored praying flags. From the pass we descend to Dzutul-puk where we come across the marvelous Thugje Zinbu (Lake of Compassion) and a few ancient meditative caves. We stay the night in Dzutul-Puk.

We complete the final day of the holy Kora of Mount Kailash at Darchen and then drive for 2 hours to reach Mansarovar Lake. Both Hindus and Buddhists alike consider this Lake of religious importance. According to the Hindu doctrine, Lake mansarovar is a representation of purity and one who drinks water from the lake is believed to go Lord Shiva upon death. The Buddhists refer the sacred Lake as Annavatapa which denotes the place where Queen Maya Devi concerived Buddha. We stay the night in Mansarovar.

Today, we circumambulate the holy Mansarovar Lake which is one of the highest located freshwater Lakes in the world. It is believed that taking a holy dip in the lake and a drink of its water will set one free from the sins of a hundred lives. After encompassing Mansarovar Lake on a jeep and if time permits, we will visit Chui Gompa.

We set out for a long drive from Mansarovar to Saga crossing the sacred and historic Chiu Monastery. We drive past Hor Quo and cros Mayum La pass (5,200m). We also come across small towns Zhongba and Paryang. We cover 270kms from Mansarovar to Paryang and the road joins Saga, located 270 km away from Paryang. We stay the night in Saga.

We travel to Shigatse via Latse. Our trail goes along Tsangpo River into a region zig zagged by upper Brahmaptra and its tributaries. We freshen-up after reaching Shigatse and visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery founded by Pachen Lama in 1447. We stay the night in Shigatse.

We drive towards Lhasa after breakfast. On the way to Lhasa we visit Shalu Monastery known for its beautiful and ancient mural paintings. We cross the first of two passes we cross in Karo La Pass at 5045 meters. Then up comes Khamba La Pass at 4794 meters where we will stop to absorb the beauty of Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake), one of the three largest lakes in Tibet and Nazin Kang Sang Glacier standing at 7252 meters.

Today marks the final day of our adventurous trip. A Naata Trek and Tours officer will drive you to the international airport on time for your scheduled flight.