Mount Kailash Mansarovar Tour

12D - 11N US$1840
Book This Trip
  • Destination: Nepal
  • Trip Difficulty: Strenuous
  • Trip Style: Tour
  • Transport: Private Vehicle / Bus
  • Food: Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
  • Accommodation: Hotel + Lodge
  • Group Size: 2-14

Highlights

  • Visit holiest Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar
  • explore the unique culture and terrains of Tibet
  • visit ancient Chui Monastery and ancient caves
  • experience the tranquillity and divine environment of the Mount Kailash region
  • Get introduced to the lifestyle of the Nomads living in the Tibetan border

About Mount Kailash Mansarovar Tour

Mount Kailash Mansarovar Tour is a religious and spiritual excursion to the holiest of all the holy mountains, Mount Kailash and sacred Lake Mansarovar. Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are revered as the holiest junction of Hindu, Buddhist, Bon and Jain people. Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is a hero of mythological legends and ultimate spiritual destination for all four religion people. Some mythologies of Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar which make these places supremely sacred site of four religions and billions of people and the world’s most venerated holy place are given below:

As per Hindu belief, Mt. Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva and his divine consort Parvati and their children lord Ganesh and Lord Kartikeya. Similarly, Lake Mansarovar fed by the Kailash glacier is also considered to be a sacred lake among Hindus. According to Hindu theology, the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma after which it manifested on Earth. Hence, it is called “Manasa Sarovaram” which is a combination of the two Sanskrit words "manas" which means “mind” and "sarovara" means “a lake or large pond”. According to Hinduism, Lake Manasarovar is a personification of purity, and one who bath in Manasarovar and drinks water from the lake will cleanse all sins and go to the abode of Shiva after death.

According to Bon religion, Manasarovar is the lake where Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bon religion took bathe when he visited Tibet for the first time making it a holy lake. Mt. Kailash is also known as “nine-story Swastiaka Mountain” among Bon people. Bon scholars have equated Mt. Kailash with Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring.

According to Jainism, Lake Manasarovar is associated with the first Tirthankara, Rishabhadeva. As per Jain scriptures, the first Tirthankara, Bhagwan Rishabhadeva attained nirvana on Ashtapada, the mountain next to Mt. Kailash. After Rishabhadeva nirvana, his son Bharata Chakravatin constructed three stupas and 24 shrines of the 24 Trithankaras in Ashtapada with their idols studded with precious stones and named it Sinhnishdha, on of the sacred place for Jain people. According to Jain tradition, the 24th and last Tirthankara, Vardhamana Mahavira was taken to the summit of Kailash by Indra making it a holy place of Jain.

According to Buddhist texts, Mt. Kailash is also known as Mt. Meru and a major pilgrimage sites for some Buddhist traditions. For Vajrayana Buddhists, Mt. Kailash is the home of the Buddha Chakrasamvara, also known as Demchok, who represents supreme bliss. Buddhists associate the lake with the legendary lake Anavatapta where Maya is believed to have conceived the Lord Buddha. There are few ancient monasteries on its shore; the most notable is the Chiu Monastery.

Besides being a religious place, Mt. Kailash Mansarovar tour offers superb views of snow-covered peaks including Holy Kailash, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Shishapangma (8013m), Gurla Mandadata, Lakpa Ri and many more. During your tour, you will cross some of the most stunning landscapes, serene mountain towns, unique mountain terrains, high passes, sand dunes and encounter Tibetan monasteries and Tibetan culture which gives you opportunities to explore the culture and tradition of the Nomads living in the area with their Yaks and sheep. The sunrise over the Mt. Kailash is the epic point of the tour. The view of the Mt. Kailash painted gold during the sunrise will definitely concretize your faith in it is called God.

Mt. Kailash Manasarovar tour starts with the drive from Kathmandu to Kerung. This tour last of 13 days which includes 6 days drive on 4 wheel vehicle and 3 days adventurous trek starting from Darchen to Zuthul Puk covering a total distance of 53 km in total. During these three days, you will circumambulate around Mt. Kailash. This trek route around Mt. Kailash is widely known as Kailash kora which is the main part of the tour sacred to four religious and a deeply numinous place. Mansarovar Lake and ancient Chui Monastery is also the main highlight of this tour.

The fierce winds, harsh weather, and rugged trails can make your journey to Kailash difficult and almost impossible. With a team of experienced guide and crew of Lapha Holidays, we make sure that your attempts for this cathartic journey Mt. Kailash Mansarovar tour to be a complete success.

Itinerary

Upon arrival at Kathmandu International Airport, you will be received by representative of Lapha Holidays and transfer to designated hotel in a private vehicle. You will be welcomed by the welcome drink and we will have a short briefing regarding the tour. After a short meeting, you can check in to your hotel room and freshen up and have a rest. If you are not tired then you can stroll around the hotel premises and outside the hotel and get the feeling of Kathmandu city.

Today, we will start our journey to Mt. Kailash Mansarovar tour from Kathmandu to Kerung in our private vehicle. Kerung is Nepal Tibet border; we stop for immigration formalities at the border and meet our Tibetan guide and driver. After a short meeting and briefing with the crew, we drive to the Guesthouse. Ensuring your smooth check-in at the guest house, we leave you to relax and spend the rest of your day at leisure.

Today is the acclimatization day in Kerung. You can get ample sleep and rest considering that it may take some time for you to acclimatize to the weather as you will be at an elevation of 2700m. If you feel any discomfort, we suggest you drink lots of water, tea, juice and soup to keep yourself hydrated. In the late morning, our experienced trip managers will take you for short hikes around Kerung city to familiarize you with the air and temperature of Tibet

After having adjusted to the Tibet air, we start our journey to Dongba driving through mountain terrains and passing through nomad camps and sheep and yak herds. During your drive, you can witness Gaurishankar, Shishapangma and Langtang Himal. Continue driving through Khunmen Tso, Sinling, and Karru Ongchen, you will be spellbound by Panoramic view of the blue lake, Pieko-Tso and the Yarlung Zangpo (Brahmaputra River) flowing alongside. Crossing this magnificent river we reach the beautiful town Saga. Soon, the scenery around you changes and in front of you soar the high plains of Tibet- so gorgeous and photogenic. Then we drive to Dongba, which is our half for the night. 

Today after succulent breakfast, we begin our drive to fulfilling journey to one of the highest and holiest lakes in the world- Lake Manasarovar. Our first stop is at Mayumla Pass, where we stop for permit formalities and lunch. Crossing the Mayumla pass and Prayang Country, you will approach Mansarovar Lake. As you reach closer to shores of the lake, historic Chiu Monastery becomes visible on the North West shore of the lake and you will catch the first glimpse of Mount Kailash. Before heading to the lake, we visit our guesthouse to check-in. After some rest in the hotel, you can walk to Mansarovar lake and spend some quality time soaking in the beauty of the lake and its surrounding mountains including Mt. Kailash and Mt. Gurula-Mandata (7694m).

We check out of the guest house in the morning and we head to Mansarovar Lake to offers prayers in the lake. You can prepare for a dip at the lake and feel the spirituality of the place which is an overwhelming experience. We arrange shower tents for ladies for changing clothes and a suitable spot for pilgrims to take the dip. You are also free to do puja near the lake. Once the rituals are done, we begin our journey to Darchen which serves as the base for Mt. Kailash from where the circumambulation around Kailash begins. We can sightsee the local market of Darchen in the evening and return to the guesthouse.

Optional trip: We also arrange the Asthapad excursion trip from Darchen on request.

The real trek of Mount Kailash Mansarovar trek begins today. We will have light breakfast and head to Tarboche and visit Yama Dwar, also known as the Gates of the Lord of Death. This is the starting point of the Kailash Mansarovar Trek. During this journey, you will be walking along the beautiful rocky cliffs. You can do this parikrama on foot or hire a horse/yak or porter to successfully complete the journey who will stay with you throughout this journey. We will arrange Yaks and Yak-men to carry our kitchen and other logistic to manage your food and other basic needs during Kora.

We make a gradual ascent walking along the Glacial River; we will be able to reach Dira-puk in 5-6 hours covering a distance of 15 km of the trek. Dira-puk is one of the closest points to Mount Kailash which provide explicit North face of the mountain. As soon as we reach the destination, we check-in our room quickly and eat a light dinner and go for sleep. The temperature here falls to zero degrees at night so make sure you cover yourself well.

Today is the toughest but the holiest day of your pilgrimage tour. You will need to wake up as early as the crack of down. After quick light breakfast, the hike begins with a steep climb up to the Dolma La High Pass at 5539m. The effort of waking up so early seems worthy once you witness gleaming beauty of Mount Kailash as the rays of sun on the Mount Kailash turning it into ‘Golden Kailash’. On top of the high pass, you will visit Shivasthal covered with prayer flags and Tibetan ornaments. This place is truly divine and we will have lunch here. The next few kilometres till Gauri Kund are a step descent. The trail is rocky with loose stones so one should be very careful. The entire tour is about 9-10 hours and can be pretty strenuous for an individual. As soon as we reach Zuthul Puk, we will have our guesthouse or fixed tent with beds, bed sheet and warm blankets.

Today is the last day of the trek. You will walk downhill and reach Darchen which is normally 3-4 hours of trek. After reach Darchen, we drive back to Dongba which marks the end of the parikrama. We check-in to your room and get the good sleep with the feeling of accomplishment of having successfully completed the Mount Kailash Mansarovar tour.

After breakfast, we make our way to Kerung city, crossing the bridge over the shimmering Brahmaputra River, vast plains of Tibet and watching stunning Himalayan views along the drive. The driving adventure ends when we reach Kerung.

After breakfast, we drive toward the border of Nepal and waving a final farewell to Tibet. We will take required permission from Nepalese Immigration Control in the Nepal border and drive to Kathmandu. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you will check-in to your hotel room and rest. In the evening, we will meet for the farewell dinner.

Our representatives from Lapha Holidays will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport, three hours prior to your scheduled flight in our private vehicle. Lapha Holidays team wish you a safe flight back home and look forward to having the pleasure of serving you again!

Cost Detail

  • Airport pick up and drop by private vehicle
  • Accommodation in Hotel in Kathmandu
  • Guest House Accommodation in Tibet
  • Full Board meal during a tour in Nepal and Tibet
  • All ground transportation during the tour (vehicle depend on the group size)
  • All Sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary.
  • All Necessary Travel and Trekking Permit.
  • One Tibetan English speaking guide.
  • Kailash Special Permit.
  • First Aid Medical Kit Bag
  • Company T-shirt and Tour map
  • All government VAT and Local Taxes
  • Farewell dinner at typical Nepali Restaurant
  • Nepal Visa and international flight
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips for Guide and Driver
  • Yak and Yak man during the Tour.
  • Insurance of any kind and rescue/evacuation
  • Any additional cost occurs due to Natural calamity and Unforeseen Circumstances and etc.
  • Additional meals and accommodation
Departures not available.