Duration: 13 days
Cost: USD Contact
Trip Type: Hotel/Lodge
Grade: Strenuous
Altitude: 5,600 m
Destination: Nepal
Activities: Sightseeing
Best Month: May to September
Mount Kailash is regarded as the holy site among Hindus, Jain and Buddhists. According to Hinduism, Lord Shiva – destroyer of ignorance and illusion resides at the summit of Mount Kailash along with his wife Parbati – daughter of Himalaya where he sits for meditation. For Hindus devotees all over the world, Mount Kailash is considered as the ultimate destination of souls and spiritual center of the world. To those who follow Tantric Buddhism, Mount Kailash is the home of the Buddha Demchok who represents supreme bliss. For Bon, this mountain set as the seat of all spiritual power.
Mount Kailash along with holy Lake Mansarovar is the abode of purity, therefore, attracting Hindus from all over the world as a holy pilgrimage site. It is widely believed that taking a bath at holy Mansarovar and drinking its water helps to cleanse all the sins committed over the entire lifetime.
Every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and holy Lake Mansarovar following the traditions going back thousands of years. Pilgrims from several religions believes that walking around the 32 miles circumference of the Mount Kailash also known as parikrama is a holy ritual which brings good fortunes upon them. Those pilgrims who have visited the Mount Kailash and holy Lake Mansarovar carry the memory of a lifetime which reminds them of the presence of Lord Shiva in their lives.
Trekking into this region is difficult and physically demanding but with proper preparation and guides, all the pilgrims are able to complete it.
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Day 01: Arrival
We will welcome you at the Tribhuvan International Airport then will take you to your hotel where you will stay overnight. You can visit our office if you like, if not you can stroll around Thamel area.
Day 02: Kathmandu Sightseeing
After early morning breakfast, representatives from our office will meet you at the hotel lobby and discuss briefly about the tour. Then along with our tour guide you will go for sightseeing around Kathmandu valley. You will be taken around the famous Pashupatinath, Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath and Patan Durbar Square. Return early in the afternoon so that you will have enough time to prepare for your tour.
Day 03: Kathmandu to Nyalam (3750 m)
Driving Time:5-6 Hours
After early morning breakfast, we drive towards the Friendship Bridge i.e. Nepal – Tibet border. After clearing Nepalese custom and immigration, you have to walk around 10/15 minutes to cross the bridge where Chinese police will check your passport and visas. You will find your Tibetan guide and the vehicles waiting for you there. After boarding land cruiser, it will take around half hour to reach Zhangmu where you have to pass through second immigration formalities. It takes 3-4 hours to reach Nyalam from there. Overnight at Guesthouse.
Day 04: Rest day at Nyalam
Today you will take a rest day to acclimatize. After breakfast you can take a walk around the Nyalam village or if you want you can go for a short trek around the region.
Day 05: Nyalam to New Dongba (4600 m) Today you will be travelling to New Dongba from Nyalam. You will pass through many local villages where you can see camps of yak herders. Along the way you can also see some snow capped peaks. Today’s drive will be more comfortable as you will be passing through plain landscapes. Day 06: New Dongma to Mansarovar (4558 m) After early breakfast you should prepare yourself for a longest drive of the tour which is around 277 km. Today you can get the first glimpse of holy Mt. Kailash and holy Mansarovar Lake. It is the highest lake of fresh water and is full of fishes and swans. Day 07: Mansarovar to Tarchen Since Mansarovar is considered as a holy Lake, we will complete the morning by taking a holy bath and puja before we head towards holy Lake Mansarovar parikrama. Before boarding the land cruiser towards Tarchen please make sure that you have prepared the lunch pack. Tarchen is regarded as the base camp for holy Kailash parikrama, result of that you can see the place is flocked by many pilgrims from all over the world. We will visit Chui Gompa if the time is available. Day 08: Tarchen to Tarboche then to Dirapuk (4909 m) After early morning breakfast we will drive to Tarboche which is the starting point of holy Mount Kailash parikrama. From Tarboche we will take a hike towards Dirapuk, along the way you can see beautiful rocky cliffs and waterfalls. You can also see Mount Kailash from time to time along the way. Even though the trek is about 7 km, but it will take around 6 to 7 hours to complete that. Day 09: Dirapuk to Zuthulpuk (4760 m) passing through Dolma La Pass (5600 m) This day is regarded as the most difficult during the whole trek. The trail is only 18 km but it will take around 9 to 10 hours. After the early morning breakfast we will start our trek towards Dolma La Pass. You will pass Yama-sthal and Shiva-sthal before reaching the top. After reaching the top you will sit down for the meditation to forget everything after doing the holiest offering. Then we will start our way towards Zuthulpuk which is a gradual downhill. Along the way you will pass Parvati-sthal and Gauri Kunda. Day 10: Zuthulpuk to Tarchen then to Mansarovar then to Dongba Before leaving Zuthulpuk for the final time, use your early morning free time to wander around the caves, temples and the shrine around Milarepa Cave. You can reach your driving crew after a short walk of 3 to 4 hours. Later in the afternoon you will arrive at Dongba where you will stay overnight. Day 11: Dongba to Nyalam Today you will follow the same route as used previously to return to Nyalam from Dongba. Day 12: Nyalam to Kathmandu After early morning breakfast we will continue our trip towards Kathmandu. After arriving at the border town of Zhangmu and clearing all the custom, you will return back to Kathmandu. Day 13: Departure End of a memorable trip, we will drop you to the airport for the final farewell.
