Tibet Tour and Saga Dawa Festival – 14 Days

  • Duration 14
  • Destination Nepal
  • Trip Grade Adventurous
  • Starts at
  • Ends at
  • Meals
  • Accommodation
  • Max. Altitude 1,400m (4,600ft)
  • Activity Sightseeing
  • Group Type
  • Group Size 1-15 pax
  • Best Season

Tibet Tour and Saga Dawa Festival – 14 Days Overview

Get ready to immerse yourself in the profound and exotic culture of Tibet with our special Saga Dawa Festival Tour! This sacred festival is of immense importance to Buddhists worldwide, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing (Parinirvana) of Lord Gautama Buddha. It is a time for deep spiritual reflection and the practice of compassion, rather than mourning. Buddha himself emphasized happiness and diligence in following his teachings, recognizing death as the ultimate truth and the impermanence of all compounded things, including the human body.

The Saga Dawa Festival is observed annually on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar (typically May-June). During this auspicious period, pilgrims from all corners of the globe gather, especially around Mount Kailash, to perform the revered Kora (circumambulation).

Highlights of the Saga Dawa Festival:

  • Tarpoche Flagpole Ceremony: A central event of Saga Dawa is the ceremonial raising of the gigantic Tarpoche flagpole near Darchen, at the base of Mount Kailash. The old flagpole is meticulously brought down and replaced with a new one, adorned with vibrant prayer flags. This powerful ritual, accompanied by the chanting of monks and the music of long horns and shell instruments, symbolizes the renewal of positive energy. The upright positioning of the flagpole is considered crucial, as any tilt is believed to portend misfortune for Tibet.
  • Pilgrimages and Kora: Thousands of devotees undertake the challenging Kora around sacred sites, particularly the Mount Kailash Kora, believing that merits accumulated during Saga Dawa are multiplied immensely. This is a time of heightened spiritual energy and devotion.
  • Temple and Monastery Visits: Throughout the festival, people visit numerous temples and monasteries, offering prayers, lighting butter lamps (symbolizing wisdom dispelling ignorance), and engaging in various rituals. The air is filled with chants and mantras, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere.
  • Acts of Compassion: Saga Dawa is a powerful time for practicing generosity and non-violence. Many Buddhists become vegetarian for the month, offer donations to monks and the needy, and even release captive animals back into their natural habitats, believing these acts generate immense positive karma.

Join Himalayan Adventure Nepal (HAN) on this Saga Dawa Festival Tour to experience firsthand the joyous and deeply spiritual celebrations that honor the life and teachings of Lord Buddha.

Trip Profile:

  • Destination: Tibet (Focus on Kailash region for the festival)
  • Trip Grade: Moderate to Strenuous (due to high altitude and trekking involved, especially for Kailash Kora)
  • Max Elevation: 5600 m (during Kailash Kora)
  • Total Duration: 14 Days
  • Best Time: May – June (Specifically for the Saga Dawa Festival)
  • Group Size: 03 – 20 People

Experience the vibrant spiritual energy and ancient traditions of Tibet during this incredibly significant Buddhist festival. Book your Saga Dawa Festival Tour with HAN today!

Day to Day Itinerary
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Arrive in Kathmandu at any time. Our representative at the airport will receive you and explain the plan. There were no planned activities on the day, so stay at the hotel. Enjoy your night at the hotel.

Visit the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage, which includes: the Durbar Square in Kathmandu, the Temple of the Monkeys, the Bodhha Pagoda and the Temple of Passo Panath. Accommodation at the hotel, breakfast included.

After breakfast, we drove through Bhaktapur, Dhulik, towards the Friendship Bridge (the border between Nepal and China). Walk about 10 minutes from here, cross the Friendship Bridge and meet with Tibetan tour guides and cruise ship drivers. After all the immigration and customs procedures have been processed at the Chinese checkpoint here, we continue driving for 35 kilometers, this route can take almost 3 hours to travel to Nyaran through the winding roads. Then you will be transferred to a hotel in Nyalam (3700m). The hotel facilities are very simple and basic. Overnight at the hotel.

Adapting to today’s environment is free. We will take a short trip to prepare for Kailash Parikrama, which will help us adapt quickly to the environment. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Paryang. Go through many villages and yak shepherd camps. In the south, you can see the snowy peaks. Most of the time you will drive through the plains, so you will drive comfortably. Arrive in Paryang and enjoy a hot tea. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast and preparation for the longest driving day. Later in the afternoon, you can see the sacred mountain for the first time. Kailash and Lake Mansarova. Hore – A small town near the Santo Mansarovar Lake. Sacred Mansarovar (14,950 feet / 455 m): the highest freshwater lake in the world, turquoise, full of fish and swans. Mount Gurula-Mandala on Mount Kailash, Rakshash Lake is located around it. The area is considered rich in gold and other mines, hot springs and hundreds of wildlife. Overnight at the hotel.

The sacred Mansarovar is a lake of compassion, tranquility and happiness. After completing the unforgettable morning bath and the puja, we will take a land cruise to Holy Mansarovar Parikrama, take a packed lunch and continue to Tarchen (Darchen). If time permits, we will visit Chui Gompa. Tarchen is considered the base of Holy Kailash Parikrama. During the auspicious pilgrimage, this place will be full of pilgrims, surrounded by hundreds of shops. Overnight at the hotel.

The Saga Dawa Festival was held on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of Tibet and is one of the most important religious festivals in Tibet. This auspicious day coincides with three important events in the life of the Buddha, namely, his birth, Nieana and Parnirvana (death). As the Saga Dawa Festival is in the most sacred month of the Tibetan calendar, it is believed that good works and prayers will multiply during this event. Then we can see that everyone is immersed in prayer and trying to please God. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to the starting point of Tarboche – Kailash Parikrama. Tarboche is also known as the external “Asthapath”. This is one of the exciting days to walk the beautiful rocky cliffs, there are some clouds in the blue sky that make you feel that the Great God Shiva is everywhere and gives you countless blessings. The faces of Kailash Parbat will appear from time to time. The 7 km route takes almost 7 hours. Overnight at the hotel.

Today it will climb to Drolma-la (Dolma-La 18600 ft) and then descend gradually to Zuthulpuk (4760 m). When your step is near the pass, you must cross Yamasthal to reach Shiva-sthal. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, have free time to explore the caves, temples and sanctuaries around the caves of Milarepa. After 3 hours on foot, all drivers will be waiting for you. Later in the afternoon, you will arrive at the hotel

Drive Dongba to Nyalam (376 km) 7-8 hrs. Overnight at the Guesthouse

Today, we leave Nyalam behind. We pass the Bhote Koshi River and cross the Chinese – Nepalese border. After a short drive, we bid our Tibetan guide a goodbye. We then drive and walk to Nepalese Immigration Control in Kodari. Our Nepalese staff will complete the re-entry formalities and we drive to Kathmandu. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from the HAN will take you to the airport.

Our team guides, porters and accompanying staff are locals with a broad knowledge about each and every location that we travel through.

Customize Trip
Cost Includes

During your trek/tour what the things are included? Does the cost include full board meals and drinking water?  What is the ratio between trekker and porter? What safety back up on trek? Please kindly check the following inclusive and exclusive cost details of trip package:

  • Airport picks up & drops by tourist vehicle
  • Air-conditioned private tourist vehicle.
  • English Speaking guide
  • All permits and entrance fees along with governmental taxes
  • Official expense
  • Hotel picks up & drops off by a tourist vehicle.
Cost Excludes
  • Alcoholic drinks and cold drinks.
  • Items of a personal nature.
  • Tips for hostess and driver (Tipping is expected).
  • Travel insurance.
  • International airfare to and from Nepal
  • Nepal entry visa – you can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (A tourist visa with multiple entries for 15 days can be obtained by paying US $ 25 or equivalent foreign currency. Please bring 2 copies of passport size photos).
  • Any others expenses which are not mentioned on ‘Price Includes’ section.
Departure Dates
  • We have daily departures for this trip from March to May and from mid-September to mid-December. You can type in the number of passengers to book a reservation and select a date that is convenient for you. Due to group size, we never cancel a trip once you’ve made a reservation. If you would rather join the group, we will add more travelers on the selected date. You can let us know once you make a reservation or earlier.
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