阿里地区

Why this place

Ngari is the far west of Tibet, beyond the Himalaya, and it holds two of the most extraordinary sites in Asia: Mount Kailash, the sacred mountain that four religions circumambulate, and the ruins of the Guge kingdom at Tsaparang, a city of caves and temples abandoned in the seventeenth century.

What to see

• Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar — the kora (circumambulation) takes three days on foot
• The Guge Kingdom ruins at Tsaparang, with their murals, in the Sutlej valley
• The Tholing Monastery and the Ngari plateau's empty landscapes
• The ruins of the ancient Zhangzhung capital

What to eat

• Nomad Tibetan food in its most basic form
• Ngari is high and remote — supplies come from Lhasa or Kashgar

Best time

June–September

Practical tips

• The Kailash kora is a 52km walk at 4,600–5,600m and needs proper acclimatisation, a permit and a support vehicle
• This is one of the most remote regions on earth — travel only with an organised group and full preparation