Outline: 

Tour Length:  15 Days & 14 Nights

Best Time to Visit:  All the year round

Physical Demands: Moderate to Strenuous - suitable for ones physically fit; Do not recommend family with kids and senior groups

Main activities:  Sightseeing, trekking

Trip Overview

Mount Kailash trek is one of the most demanding and challenging treks for pilgrims in the world. This trek route in Tibet is widely known as the kora around the Mt. Kailash which is sacred to four religions and a deeply numinous place. Pilgrims throng to the mountain: not just Tibetans, but Hindus and Buddhists from India and Japan, joined by Western and Chinese travelers who travel to Tibet to visit this holy mountain and the nearby sacred Lake Manasarovar.

The Mt. Kailash kora starts at the charm-free village of Darchen, opens up unending stretches of barren land, lush green valleys, snow capped peaks and pristine blue lakes, winding past mani walls and skirting the base of the Kailash massif. The average altitude of this trekking in Tibet is nearly 5,000 meters, so it is a great challenge and requires strong perseverance. It is a true test of the mind and spirit. But simple accommodation and food are available on the trail, so hikers can enjoy the trek to their heart’s content.

At a Glance

Day 1 Lhasa Arrival

Day 2-3 Lhasa Sightseeing

Day 4 Lhasa - Yamdrotso Lake - Shigatse (10 hrs, 370km)

Day 5 Shigatse - Sakya - Tingri (10hr, 290km)

Day 6 Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery and Qomolangma Base Camp (3 hrs, 90km)

Day 7 Rongphu Monastery - Qomolangma Base Camp - Saga (13hrs, 460km)

Day 8 Saga to Lake Manasarova to Darchen(14hrs, 550km)

Day 9 Trek Day One - Darchen to Drirapuk (6.5 hrs, 11km)

Day 10 Trek day two - Drirapuk to Dzultripuk (22km, 12 hours)

Day 11 Trek day three- Dzultripuk to Darchen (11km, 7hours)

Day 12 Drive from Darchen to Saga (530Km, 14 hours)

Day 13-14 Saga to Shigatse to Lhasa (2 days, 750km

Day 15 End the tour, Airport drops off.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa.

After arriving in Lhasa, tourist can take a rest and get acclimatized to high altitude or feel free to go to the Potala Square, enjoy the fountain with different colors and get amazing photos of the Potala and around.

Day 2: Lhasa City, Potala Place and Barkhor Street (B, D)

The tour will begin from UNESCO World Heritage site - Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It's situated at 12,139 feet above sea level. It's a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts.

Then continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Next to the temple there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry.

Day 3: Monasteries in Lhasa (Drepung and Sera) (B)

In the morning, tourists are going to visit Drepung monastery which was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416. Ganden palace is used as Dalai Lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.

Afternoon, Sera Monastery---It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Day 4: Lhasa - Yamdrotso Lake - Shigatse (10 hrs, 370km)

Passing by the green farmland of Nyangchu Valley, Yamdro-tso lakes, Karo-la Glacier roadside at 4960 meters, move westwards to Tibet's traditional town, Gyantse. The most important attraction for today is Yamdro-tso Lake, and Kubum monastery in Gyantse. Yamdro-tso Lake is shaped like coiling scorpion with deep blue in color and Kubum monastery has a 35m-high chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome. Today, the group drives to Shigatse, which is the second biggest city of Lhasa.

Day 5: Shigatse - Sakya - Tingri (10hr, 290km)

In Shigatse, tourists will visit the famous Tashilhunpo monastery where preserved largest statue of Jampa (future god) in the world. The monastery itself is abiding place for the successive Penchen Lamas. Drive to the Sakya County visit the famous Sakya monastery. Then forwards to world highest pass Gyatso-la pass with 5200 m above sea level, and then drive to Tingri, the entrance of Himalayan Nature Reserve.

On the way to Sakya

Day 6: Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery and Qomolangma Base Camp (3 hrs, 90km)

There is only 2-3 hours driving from Tingri to Rongpuk through 90km new winding road in the mountains. On the way from Tingri to E.B.C, tourists can enjoy the stunning mountain scenery; pass the wild grassland, the torrent and soaring mountains. If it is in clear weather, clients can see the panorama of Himalaya range and among mountains can see 4 mountains which are 8000m high and more to enjoy like Mt. Lhotse (8516m), Mt. Qomolangma (8848m), Mt. Qowowuyag (8201m) and Mt Mayalu (8463m), and even majestic view of golden summit of Mt. Qomolangma at sunset.

Qomolangma Base Camp

Day 7: Rongphu Monastery - Qomolangma Base Camp - Saga (13hrs, 460km)

We need to take the old Tingri road to Sagar County. From the old Tingri, tourists can see the Mt. Qomolangma and Mt. Shishapangma which is at 8012m was the least of the world's 8000m peaks to be climbed. The main road passes through the desolate plain of Digur tang, with its enormous sand dunes and the closely neighboring snow peaks of Shishapangma and langtang to the south. Leaving the bum-chu basin, it then descends into the depression of Pelkhu tso Lake (4600m), a cobalt blue lake. Today the group drives to Saga, a small town 69km from the Phelgu tso.

Day 8: Saga to Lake Manasarova to Darchen(14hrs, 550km)

Moving towards the Drongpa County, which is about 167km from the Saga town. At about 50km from today’s destination Darchen, tourists will make a small detour to Lake Manasarovar, the holy lake of Tibetan and Hinduism. Enjoy the snow capped mountains on the background and hundreds of swans gathering on the lake, attracting hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the world. In late afternoon, tourists will reach Tarchen, a small town at the foot of Mt. Kailash. Tour guide will assist tourists to arrange trekking yaks and porters and doing some preparation for your following 3 days trekking around Mt.Kailash.

Lake Manasarovar

Day 9: Trek Day One - Darchen to Drirapuk (6.5 hrs, 11km)

The Traditionally pilgrims undertake 52 km trekking circuit around Mount Kailash, commencing at Darchen (4574m) and crossing the Dolma-la pass on the second day of the three day walk. 8 kilometers after leaving Darchen with environment-friendly bus (40minutes), tourists will get to a village called Sarshun. After two hours, our group comes upon a grassy plain. For this turn in the valley it is another two hours before reaching Drirapuk(4920m). Camp or rest in monastery's guest house made from cement with a few good facilities than others in Drirapuk. At the opposite side of Drirapuk, tourists can see small monastery with its guest house little cleaner than others.

Mount Kailash

Day 10: Trek day two - Drirapuk to Dzultripuk (22km, 12 hours)

The second day is the hardest and most tough circuit with the Dolma-la pass lying 6.4km ahead but 762m above Drirapuk. The peak of Dolma-la pass is about 5630m above sea level. After taking a rest at the peak of Dolma-la pass, clients will descend staircase to Lhachu valley floor, taking about one hour from the pass. From here it is still four hours trekking to the today's final destination with no shelters on the way. It is better to walk on the right side of the river and finally get to Dzultripuk. Take a good rest in the guest room.

Day 11: Trek day three- Dzultripuk to Darchen (11km, 7hours)

Today, our group will go through Milarepa's cave, where the temple and shrines have been built around. Then we walk back to Darchen is easy and the exit from the valley can be reached within three hours. At the ending point of the valley, the driver will come to pick you and take you back to Darchen.

Day 12: Drive from Darchen to Saga (530Km, 14 hours)

Drive back along the incoming road.

Day 13-14: Saga to Shigatse to Lhasa (2 days, 750km)

Drive back along the incoming road.

Day 15: End the tour, Airport drop off.

Tibet Vista (tibettravel.org) has organized nearly 3,000 foreign tourists to have a pleasant and safe Kailash trip in 2015, becoming the largest reliable Kailash tour operator of Tibet. Presently, their professional team is ready to accept the reservation of Mount Kailash pilgrimage and trek in 2016 and 2017. If you have interests, you may send inquiry to them : inquiry@tibettravel.org