Mt. Kailash Pilgrimage Route Tour

14 days

Duration

Mt. Kailash, Ngari

Location

Lhasa and Beyond, Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash

Destination

Before you do the Mt. Kailash tour, take a ride around Lake Manasarovar, dip into its cold but purifying waters, and have an audience with Guru Rinpoche in his cave at Manasarovar, and now you are ready for a Kailash Kora tour. Check Mount Kailash Kora Details if it is a challenged program for you before booking this Kailash pilgrimage route tour.

Most travelers endeavor to do a kora (circumambulations) around Mt. Kailash. Mt. Kailash is worshipped by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains of India, and Tibetan shamanic Bon believers alike. Trekking around Mt. Kailash takes two and a half days in total. Further points of interest include old monasteries around Mt. Kailash. Check Mt. Kailash Yatra if you are interested.

It is recommended to learn the Avalokiteshvara mantra – Om Ma Ni Pedme Hum – and chant it while walking around Kailash, wishing all human beings to be happy. – Adventures In Tibet. You may also interested in Lhasa to Kailash by flight or this tour intended with Guge kingdom Overland. Check about Mount Kailash and all attractions in Ngari region.

More about Mt. Kailash pilgrimage route tour

ARRIVE

Lhasa airport/train station

DEPARTURE

Nepal border of Gyirong port

TOUR COST

HIGHTLIGHTS

Historical sights in Lhasa
Yamdrok lake and Karola glacier
Sights in Gyangtse, the cultural town
Panchen Lama’s Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse
Everest Base Camp
Rongphu Monastery
Lake Manasarovar
3 days trekking around Kailash

INCLUDED

Tibet travel permits	Transportation
Accommodation	Entrance fee
Pick-up & drop-off	Professional guide
A welcome dinner	2bottles of mineral water/day (1liter)
Oxygen cylinders	First aid & kit

NOT INCLUDED

Meal

Travel insurance

Any domestic & international train/flight fare

Guide gratuity

Ngari region is home to traditional Tibetan music and many important scholars of Tibetan Buddhism such as Guru Padmasabhawa, Gampopa, Milarepa, and Naru Panchung. You will visit ancient monasteries and meditation caves dating back more than one thousand years. Check our tours in Tibet. Check our office location on map. Advice on Trekking in Tibet

Additional information

Physicality	8/10
Dates	May-Nov

Day 1: Airport / Train station to Lhasa

Upon arrival you will be met by our guide and driver and transferred to the hotel in Lhasa, a medium hotel. On available time, you can walk around Barkhor street and for acclimatizing yourselves to the high altitude at 3650m.

Day 2: Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor street

In the morning, go to visit the famous Potala palace, Jokhang Temple and it’s famous Barkor Kora. You can buy traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music discts, Thangkas, and tradition tibetan clothes etc. Overnight: hotel in Lhasa

Day 3: Drepung and Sera Monasteries

After breakfast, we will drive to Drepung and Sera Monasteres, which was founded in 14th century. The most attractive is its Buddhist Scriptures debating held in the courtyard. Overnight: hotel in Lhasa.

Day 4: Yamdrok lake - Gyangtse

In the morning we will leave for Gyangtse via Yardrok Youtso lake, Kamlala Pass (3975m) and Karola Glacierroadside at 4960m. The most important attraction for today is Yamdro-tso Lake, and Kubum monastery in Gyantse. Overnight: hotel in Gyangtse.

Day 5: Gyantse - Shigatse - Sakya Monatery

Drive from Gyantse to Shigatse in the morning. In Shigatse, you will visit the famous Tashi Lhunpo Monasterywhere you can see the well preserved largest statue of Jampa, the Future Buddha in the world. The monastery itself is the seat of the successive Penchen Lamas. Then drive to the Sakya county where you can visit Sakya Monastery belonging to Sakyapa order. Overnight: hotel in Sakya or Lhatse

Day 6: Sakya - Rongbuk Monastery

We will drive about 6 hours to Rongpuk. From Tingri to E.B.C it is a kind of bumpy road, pass the wild grassland, cross the rapids river and high mountains passes. If it is in clear whether, you can have a glimpse of 4 mountains which are 8000m high or more, that is, Mt. Lhotse (8516m), Mt. Everes (8848m), Mt. Qowowuyag (8201m) and Mt Mayalu (8463m). Overnight: Ronguk Guesthouse or Tent Guesthouse.

Day 7: Rongphu - Everest Base Camp - Saga Couty

Early in the moring to see the sunrise from Rongphu, then to view Mt. Everest. The scenery is fabulous and splendid. You can take a local bus or hike 1.5 hour to Everest Base Camp. It’s more interesting and much warmer, but hard to breath. Continue hiking up to the top view-point to take pictures of the splendid Mt. Everest. Draw way back from EBC before lunch and then drive to Saga County. The road condition worsen from old Tingri and it runs parallel to the Himalayan ranges. Overnight: hotel in Saga County.

Day 8: Saga County -Lake Manasarovar (500km)

In the morning, we will drive towards Drongpa county, the region around the sources of Brahmaputra river, which is about 167km from Saga County. Drongpa is a small town with a couple of shops, hotels and restaurants. Then move towards the Paryang with 4750m above sea level. We will have lunch either in Drongpa or Paryang. The continue driving to Lake Manasarovar. Overnight in a guesthouse near the lake.

Day 9: Spend a day around Lake Manasarovar, then to Darchen

We will spend a day at the lake and experience the it’s natural beauty. Before you do the Mt. Kailash kora trek, take a ride around Lake Manasarovar, dip into its cold but purifying waters, and have an audience with Guru Rinpoche in his cave at Manasarovar, and now you are ready for a Kailash Kora. It is recommended to learn the Avalokiteshvara mantra – Om Ma Ni Pedme Hum – and chant it while walking around Kailash, wishing all human beings to be happy. In the afternoon, we will drive to Darchen. Overnight in Darchen.

Day 10 - Kailash Kora Trek

Altitude: 4690 meters
Distance: 18 kilometers
Time: ≈ 7 hours
Hotel: Guesthouse in Dirra Puk
Destination: Drirra Puk

Kailash Kora begins in Darchen. You go along an easy path to the 1st Prostration Point. Choku Gompa is the place where Buddha Shakyamuni left his imprints. Opposite to Choku Gompa is the Assembly of 500 Arhats – the spot where, according to tradition, Buddha Sakyamuni prayed and meditated in front of Mount Kailash. The gradually ascending path, flanked by rocks on both sides, named after Buddhist deities, takes you to Driraphuk Gompa. Although the terrain is easy, the high altitude makes it difficult for Western hikers to walk at ease.

Days 11: Trek to Zultrul Puk

Highest Altitude: 4600 meters
Distance: 22 kilometers
Time: ≈ 8 hours
Hotel: Guesthouse in Zultrul Puk
Destination: Zultrul Puk

This is the toughest section of your trek around Kailash, climbing from Driraphuk Gompa at 5000 meters to Dolma La Pass at 5630 meters. The atmospheric pressure is one-half that of sea level. It is recommended to slow down to 3-5 steps and take deep breaths (only 50% of oxygen) rather than collapse somewhere along the way. Drolma La Pass is a holy place where lamas perform bardo rituals and people symbolically leave behind pieces of their hair, nails, hats, clothes…and hang up prayer flags and burn incense. Then you start descending into a long valley that takes you to Zutrulphuk Gompa, where Milarepa’s cave is situated. Milarepa is Tibet’s most beloved yogi – it is pure , pure delight to immerse oneself in meditation inside this cave. Don’t forget to learn Milarepa’s mantra – Je mila zhe pa dorje la sol ba dep so! – you’ll love it there even more.

Day 12: Trek to Darchen - Saga

Altitude: 4690 meters
Distance: 13 kilometers
Time: ≈ 5 hours
Hotel: Guesthouse whether in Darchen or Lake Manasarovar
Destination: Manasarovar

The last section is fairly easy walking from Zutruphuk Gompa to Darchen. The Kailash pilgrimage tour officially ends at Dakini Dancing Ground, with a fantastic view of Lake Manasarovar in the background. We will complete the Kailash kora at lunch time and then drive to Lake Manasarovar.

Day 13: Saga - Lhasa

Crossing the grasslands the most spectacular mountain passes, topped with prayer flags, prayer wheels. You will truly feel like you are on top of the world. Overnight: Hotel in Lhasa.