Namaste!

Welcome to the sacred journey to Mt. Kailash !!

Mount Kailash, 6,638m (21,778ft), located in the far west of Tibet is considered a sacred place in four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon and Jainism. In Sanskrit language Kailash means luminous crystal. Hindus believe Mt. Kailash to be the abode of Lord Shiva and a place of eternal bliss. According to legend, the immortal Shiva is enthroned on the top of Kailash and the mountain is regarded as the location of exceptionally powerful transformation. Therefore a Hindu making the pilgrimage to Kailash and having a darshan (divine view) of Shiva's abode is to attain release from the clutches of ignorance and delusion.

Walking around the mountain (clockwise for Buddhists, anti-clockwise for Bonpos) is known as a kora, or Parikrama, and normally one kora takes three days completing a circuit of 53km around the mountain. Being together on such a demanding trip we will witness both the joy of encountering the vastness and purity of nature as well as the difficulties each person may face through travelling at high altitude. The vast open spaces may give rise to deep personal inner experiences.

Geologically Mt. Kailash was formed around 50 million years ago, whereas the Himalayas are considered to have evolved 10 million years ago only.

Only 30km from Mt Kailash is another important pilgrimage site, the beautiful and serene Lake Manasarovar. Most of the Hindu pilgrims take a ritual bath in the highly sacred Lake Manosaravar nearby and can also be seen circumambulating this lake, a distance of 90km . The word 'manas' in Sanskrit means 'mind' or 'consciousness'; thus the name Manosaravar means 'lake of consciousness and enlightenment' (it also signifies the spirit of Brahma). In the Tibetan language it is called Maphamyumtso. Considered to be the opposite in quality to Manasarovar is Rakshas Tal, the Lake of Demons or the dark side of being. To ensure a complete pilgrimage, Tibetans also visit the Thirthapury nearby, a sacred VajraYogini place

As Mount Kailash is located in Tibet, it is accessible from either mainland China or Nepal only. From Nepal, Tibet can be reached either through flying directly from Kathmandu to Gongaar Airport, Lhasa, or over land tour by jeep crossing friendship highway. Through friendship highway, it is 800km drive from the Nepal border to Lhasa, which is also a stunning excursion, going through many mountain passes, and offering an unsurpassable panorama of cultural and scenic diversity.

Day 1 - Arrival at the Tribuwan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,345m)
Our airport representative will welcome you at the airport and transfer to your hotel on a private tourist vehicle. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 2 - Pre-trip meeting and sightseeing around the Kathmandu valley
At around 8am, we host a pre-trip meeting at your hotel in Kathmandu and introduce your trek leader/guide. Please seek this opportunity to ask questions about your trek. This includes a final briefing and preparations for the trip. For the meeting, please make sure you bring passport, three copies of passport-size photos, and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. During this meeting, please clear the due balance, if any, and sign the legally binding trip form as well as the non-liability disclaimer. Please inform us in advance if you will be arriving late and therefore are unable to attend the pre-trip meeting.

After the pre-trip meeting and a hearty breakfast, your sightseeing trip will start at around 9:45am. You will have a private vehicle and a professional tour guide at your disposal. 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, 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 swimming 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.
The rest of our time in Kathmandu is free for further exploration and some last-minute shopping in Thamel area near by your hotel. Later, you will be supplied with our Trek Pack and departure information for the next day. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 3 - Drive Kathmandu to Nepal/China Friendship Bridge, and onto Nyalam (3,750m)
Depart at 5am from the hotel in Kathmandu and drive to the Nepal-Tibet border along the famous Araniko Highway. We stop for a quick breakfast at Dhulikhel and lunch at Kodari. After immigration and custom formalities on both sides (Kodari and Zhangmu) we drive to the small town of Nyalam (3,750m). The total distance from Kathmandu to Nyalam is 125km. Overnight at a guesthouse.

Day 4 - Acclimatisation day at Nyalam
Overnight at a guesthouse.

Day 5 - Drive to Saga (4,450m) via Lalung La Pass (5,050m)
After breakfast we get to enjoy the grand view of Mt. Shishapangma (8,021m), Gauri shanker and other high mountains from Lalung la Pass (5,050m). A packed lunch will be served at the sacred Lake Pigutso. The total distance travelled today will be 250 kms. Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 6 - Drive to Paryang (4,610m)
After breakfast we drive across the vast Tibetan plateau to Prayang (225 kms). A packed lunch will be served on the way. Total distance is 250 kms today and the approximate driving time will be 7 hours. Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 7 - Drive to Manasarovar Lake (4,560m)
The auspicious day for all travellers as we catch our first glimpse of the Holy Manas and Darshan of Mt. Kailash from the Horr Chu Pass. Total distance travelled today is 280 km and the approximate driving time is 8 hours. Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 8 - Drive to Darchen (4,570m)
The experience of being in the abode of God - a life-time achievement: Puja, Havana-worship, meditation, holy dip, Tarpan, later we drive to Darchen (4,570m). Preparation day for Kailash Kora. Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 9 - Mt. Kailash Kora (parikrama) starts
Trek to Dairaphuk Gompa (5,000 metres). Enjoy the close up view of north face of holy Mt. Kailash. Overnight in tented camps.

Day 10 - Second day of Kailash Kora
Trek over Dolma La Pass (5,600m) and trek down to Zudulpuk (4,800m). Overnight in tented camps.

Day 11 - Kailash Kora parikrama ends
Trek to Darchen, Kailash Kora ends. On the way we visit Zuthulphuk Gompa and drive to Horr Chu to collect holy water of Lake Mansarovar to bring back. Overnight in tented camps.

Day 12 - Drive to Paryang
Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 13 - Drive to Saga
Overnight at a guesthouse or in tented camps.

Day 14 - Drive to Nyalam (3,750m)
We drive by the beautiful Pigutso Lake, enjoy good view of the Himalayan range including Shisapangama. Overnight at a guesthouse.

Day 15 - Drive to Kathmandu
Drive to the Friendship Bridge (Nepal-Tibet border) and then to Kathmandu. Overnight at hotel.

Day 16 - Leisure day in Kathmandu
You have the option to extend your trip to continue onto Chitwan jungle safari, rafting adventure, Kathmandu valley shopping tour, scenic Everest flight, mountain biking and other activities. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 17 - Transfer to the airport for your final flight departure
The trip concludes – our airport representative will drop you to Kathmandu’s Tribhuwan International Airport for your flight departure from Nepal.