Mount Kailash Mansarovar Tour Itinerary

  • Day 1 Arrival in Kathmandu (1350m)

    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.

  • Day 2 Drive from Kathmandu to Kerung (2700m)

    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.

  • Day 3 Rest Day in Kerung

    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

  • Day 4 Drive from Kerung to Saga (4450m) or Dongba

    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. 

  • Day 5 Drive from Dongba to Mansarovar (4558m)

    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).

  • Day 6 Prayers in Mansarovar Lake and Drive to Darchen (4575m)

    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.

  • Day 7 Trek from Darchen to Dira-puk (5000m)

    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.

  • Day 8 Trek from Dira-Puk to Zuthul Puk via Dolma La pass (5636m)

    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.

  • Day 9 Trek from Zuthul Puk to Darchen; Drive to Saga/Dongba

    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.

  • Day 10 Drive back to Kerung City

    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.

  • Day 11 Drive back to Kathmandu

    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.

  • Day 12 Final Departure

    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!