yak butter offering / second potala in Sog Xian / Zhongdian lady
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KUNMING TO LHASA OVERLAND, NORTHERN ROUTE /
19 DAYS |
yak butter offering / second potala in Sog Xian / Zhongdian lady
| Day | Daily schedule | Overnight in |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Kunming, transfer to hotel | Kunming |
| 2 | Day trip to the marvelous Stone Forest | Kunming |
| 3 | Kunming to Dali | Dali |
| 4 | Day trip around Erhai Lake, visit local market | Dali |
| 5 | Dali to Lijiang, walk around in the old town | Lijiang |
| 6 | Lijiang to Zhongdian through the Tiger Leaping Gorge | Zhongdian |
| 7 | Visit the Songzanlin monastery, walk around in the nice cosy old town | Zhongdian |
| 8 | Zhongdian to Deqin, beautiful scenery with snow mountains | Deqin |
| 9 | Deqin to Markam, see the salt pans | Markam |
| 10 | Markam to Zogang, cross the Taniantaweng Mountains | Zogang |
| 11 | Zogang to Chamdo | Chamdo |
| 12 | Chamdo sightseeing: Champalin monastery and the colorful Tibetan market. | Chamdo |
| 13 | To Riwoqe. Near Riwoqe you will visit the Tsajima Temple, the oldest temple in Kham | Riwoqe |
| 14 | Riwoqe to Dengqen, visit the unique pagodas in Khamador and the Tritsu temple (alt 4800 m) | Dengqen |
| 15 | Dengqen to Sog Xian, see second Potala | Sog Xian |
| 16 | Sog Xian to Nagqu, see beautiful grasslands | Nagqu |
| 17 | Nagqu to Lhasa. On the way you will visit the holy Nam Tso lake | Lhasa |
| 18 | Spent the day in Lhasa visit the Potala palace, Jokhang and Ramoqe temples. | Lhasa |
| 19 | To Sera and Drepung monasteries, just outside of Lhasa. |
On the way from Chamdo to Riwoqe / Tsajima palace / Naxi women dancing in Lijiang
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Included |
* land cruiser and driver for above itinerary * English speaking guide * Tibet permit * accommodation |
|---|---|
| Excluded |
* entrance fees * meals |
| Price |
Price for 2 people RMB 20.500 per person. Price
for 4 people RMB 15.000 per person. (Price will be higher during the
Chinese holidays: 1-7 May and 1-7 October). Calculate exchange rate |
|
Best travel time |
May-October |
|
Remarks |
This tour can be extended with the Tibet 1-8 tours |
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive at Kunming
airport. You will be picked up by our driver and sent to your hotel in Kunming.
Day 2: Today you will visit the stunning Stone
Forest, 120 km outside of Kunming. This is a collection of limestone pillars,
eroded over time into beautiful shapes. There are walkways through the park and
it is a lovely place to spent the day.
Day 3:
Kunming to Dali Old Town (280 km).
Day 4: Today you will drive around the Erhai lake, and visit many of the minority villages around the lake. There is usually a market or two, where you can admire the women in their beautiful minority clothes.
Day 5: Dali to Lijiang (180 km). You can walk around the picturesque old town with its many Naxi people in their traditional clothes.
Day 6: Lijiang to Zhongdian through the Tiger Leaping Gorge. This gorge is so narrow at a certain point, that legend has it a tiger has been seen leaping across it.
Day 7: Today you will visit the Songzanlin monastery in Zhongdian. This Tibetan monastery is fascinating because many Tibetan pilgrims come here to pray and the many halls are very colorful and interesting to visit.
Day 8: Zhongdian to Deqin (162 km). The whole day you are going to drive through a beautiful mountainous area and you will cross the 4000 meter high Baima Snow mountain. Close to Deqin, you can see the Kawa Karpu Snow Mountain which stands more than 6700 meters tall. This is a holy mountain for Tibetans, and many people come here to pray and burn holy juniper.
Day 9: Deqin to Markam (216 km). In this area the people still make salt the old fashioned way and you will see many salt pans here as well as dozens of natural salt wells.
Day 10: Markam to Zogang (150 km). Today you will cross the Taniantaweng Mountains with beautiful views all around.
Day 11: Zogang to Chamdo (160 km). Again you will drive through the Taniantaweng Mountains with beautiful views all around.
Day 12: Stay in Chamdo and visit the Champalin monastery and the colorful Tibetan market.
Day 13: Chamdo to Riwoqe (50 km). Near Riwoqe, you will visit the Tsajima Temple, the oldest temple in Kham, built in 1285. This temple is famous for its high quality collection of Buddha images and scriptures.
Day 14: Riwoqe to Dengqen (168 km). 25 km after Riwoqe, you will stop to visit the unique pagodas in Khamador. It is said that there were 108 pagodas in the past, now there are around 25. Just before the pagodas, there is a row of water powered prayer wheels. Another stop on the way today is the Tritsu temple (37 km before Dengqen). This is a Bon tradition temple, which still has many believers and intact religious rites. It is 4800 meters above sea level and has several meditation houses on the peaks of rock formations.
Day 15: Dengqen to Sog Xian (204 km). In Sog Xian there is a "second Potala" monastery but due to existing rules, tourists are not allowed inside the monastery You can, however, see this stunning monastery from the outside.
Day 16: Sog Xian to Nagqu (162 km). On you way you will drive through absolutely beautiful grasslands. This is the nomadic area of Lhasa. In summer you can lots of yaks and sheep and many nomad tents dot the landscape. Nagqu is the business center for all things a Tibetan family needs such as yak butter, yak cheese, yak skins and so on. Also all kinds of things made from sheep are available here. It is an interesting place to stroll around and look around in the shops.
Day 17: Nagqu to Lhasa (443 km good road).
On the
way you will visit the Nam Tso lake, a holy lake for Tibetans. In summer, many
nomads put up their tents around the lake and you can see people burning incense
and praying at the very small temple built close to the lake side. At this lake,
Tibetan people throw longthas in the air, these are small prayer papers to pray
for a happy life.
Day 18 : Spent the day in Lhasa visit the Potala palace, Jokhang and Ramoqe temples.
Day 19: To Sera and Drepung monasteries, just outside of Lhasa.