• Max. Elevation: Kathmandu (1,400m)
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: Dinner

You will be greeted at the Kathmandu Airport by a representative who will transport you to your accommodation. You will rest or visit the office after checking in. The evening will begin with a welcome supper, where you will learn about Nepalese cuisine.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

• Max. Elevation: Kathmandu(1,400m)
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast

You can spend the entire day relaxing. After breakfast, you can go to the office in Thamel if you have any further questions concerning our trip. You can spend the majority of today resting and relaxing. You can take a stroll through Thamel, a major tourist destination.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

• Max. Elevation: Nepalgunj (150m)
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Flight Duration: 1 hour

You can fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, located in Western Nepal, after your short visit to Kathmandu. Nepalgunj is the gateway to Simikot, Humla, and is located close to the Nepal-India border. The town is an interesting Terai town that displays Nepal’s unique culture. You can go to the local market, mini-zoo, and adjacent villages in Nepalgunj.

Overnight in Nepalgunj.

• Max. Elevation: Dharapori (2,400m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 4-6 hours
• Flight Duration: 40 min. Approx.

You will fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot in 40 minutes and gaze at the magnificence of the soaring Himalayan cliffs from the air. Simikot, the Humla District’s headquarters, is shut off from the rest of the nation due to its remoteness. You can learn about the local people and their rich culture, which is intimately linked to Tibetan culture due to the two countries’ proximity. You can eat lunch at Simikot and then go to the police station to get our permit. You climb for a while from Simikot before descending to the Tuling settlement. We continue going along the Karnali River, passing through woods and villages to Dharapori.

Overnight in Dharapori.

Max. Elevation: Kermi (2,860m)

Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Trek Duration: 5-6 hours

The hike begins with a trail by the Karnali River, which is pretty level. We stroll across fields primarily planted with barley, buckwheat, rice, and potatoes. Near Kermi, there are two hot springs where you can relax your weary muscles. Laikyo Gompa and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa are two historic Buddhist monasteries adjacent to Kermi.

Overnight in Kermi.

• Max. Elevation: Yalbang (2,879m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 5-6 hours

Today’s hike is a flat and steep ascent to a tiny pass and a suspension bridge across the Salli River. Views of the lovely pine woods and the huge Karnali River can be seen from there. The Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery can also be visited.

Overnight in Yalbang.

Max. Elevation: Tumkot(3073m)

Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Trek Duration: 5-6 hours

You will walk above the Karnali River on a trail. As you climb higher, the foliage and smaller bushes begin to disappear. Pine trees and stony hills replace them. You will visit Dhungkar Choezom Monastery, one of the most important Sakya monasteries in the Tibetan region, after arriving in Tumkot.

Overnight in Tumkot.

• Max. Elevation: Yari (3,663m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 6-7 hours

The hike today takes you above the Karnali River on a relatively easy track. After a few miles, you observe a difference in climate, vegetation, and landscape, which becomes more rugged and solitary. The trees you see are no longer pine trees. They are now junipers that are short and low.

Overnight in Yari.

• Max. Elevation: Hilsa (4,620m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 5-6 hour

Today you will cross the Nara La pass, the trek’s first pass (4,620m). The vegetation has died away, and the environment resembles that of Tibet. You will observe spectacular views of the Tibetan plateau and Yari Village after crossing the pass. From here, it’s a hazardous descent to Hilsa, a border village that also serves as a drop-off point for pilgrims flying to Mt. Kailash by helicopter.

Overnight in Hilsa.

• Max. Elevation: Purang(3,772m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 2-3 hours

You will cross the Hilsa Friendship Bridge, where Chinese officials will examine your permits and passports. This is also where you will meet your Tibetan guide. You will travel from Hilsa to Purang, passing through Rinzin Zangpo Gompa and Kangje Village. In Purang, you will visit the historic Purang Gompa and see the 12th-century Buddhist murals.

Overnight in Purang.

• Max. Elevation: Tirthapuri (4,510m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 3-4 hours

You will cross via Rakshas and Mansarover lakes on our way to Montser. After arriving in Montser, you will rest for a little before heading to Tirtapuri (4510m). The Tirthapuri Hot Springs, located northwest of Mount Kailash, is closely identified with Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). Along a one-hour pilgrimage walk, pilgrims bathe in spring-fed pools and visit the monastery with the guru’s footprint, and dig for healing stones.

Overnight in Montser.

• Max. Elevation: Darchen (4,560m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 3-4 hours

The Garuda Valley, located southwest of Mt. Kailash, takes us around 2 hours to arrive. It has some strange caves that have never been visited. Many people believe that this was the cradle of Tibetan culture during the Shang Shung kings’ reign, long before Buddhism reached the pinnacle of the world. Garuda Valley is remarkable for anyone interested in archaeological and historical attractions. After visiting the wonderful valley, you will then travel to Darchen, a little town located directly in front of the sacred Mount Kailash.

Overnight in Darchen.

• Max. Elevation: DiraPuk(5,120m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/ Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 5-6 hours

Today is the first day of our Mt. Kailash Kora. The first day out of Darchen entails a six-hour hike through a deep valley with red rock cliffs. You will carry on to Shershong over the plain. And then, you will continue on to a bridge that leads to Chhuku Gompa, which is visible from the valley high on a hill. The trail goes to Dirapuk, from where you will have a spectacular view of Mt. Kailash’s north face.

Overnight in DiraPuk.

• Max. Elevation: Drolma-la Pass (5,750m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 6-7 hours

Today will be the difficult day of our journey. At 5,750m/19,910ft, you will reach Drolma-la Pass. The Tara Pass, as its name implies, is stunning and adorned with five different coloured praying flags. You will descend to Dzutul-puk from Drolma-la Pass. You will come across the amazing Thugje Zinbu (Lake of Compassion) and a few ancient contemplative caves at Dzutul-puk.

Overnight in Dzatul-puk.

• Max. Elevation: Manasarovar (4,590m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Trek Duration: 3-4 hours

On this day, you will depart from the valley and make your way into the Barka plain. You will drive for 2 hours to Mansarovar Lake after finishing the holy Kora of Mount Kailash in Darchen. Both Hindus and Buddhists revere the lake as a sacred site. Lake Mansarovar is a personification of purity in Hindu mythology, and anyone who drinks water from it after death is said to proceed to Lord Shiva’s dwelling. Buddhists also connect the lake with the legendary lake of Anavatapta, where Queen Maya is said to have given birth to Buddha.

Overnight in Manasarovar.

• Max. Elevation: Mansarovar (4,590m )
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Today, you will walk around the gorgeous Mansarovar Lake, which has a perimeter of 90 kilometers and is one of the world’s highest freshwater lakes. The Kora of Mount Kailash is said to be completed only by taking a holy bath in the lake and drinking its pure water, which is said to cleanse one of the sins of a hundred lives. You will drive around Mansarovar in a Jeep and, if time allows, visit Chiu Gompa, another Manasrovar destination.

Overnight in Mansarovar.

• Max. Elevation: Mansarovar (4,660m)
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

You will have a lengthy drive ahead of us from Mansarovar to Saga, which will take you through the hallowed old Chiu Monastery. You will drive on past Hor Quo and over the Mayum La pass (5,200m). Small towns such as Zhongba and Paryang will be visible as we pass through. The travel from Mansarovar to Paryang is 270 kilometers long, and it passes through Saga, which is 255 kilometers away. Instead of continuing on to Lhasa, you will take an alternate route to Kathmandu from Saga.

Overnight in Saga.

• Drive Duration: 8-9 hours
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

You will drive from Saga to Shigatse through Latse. The Tsangpo River runs through a region crisscrossed by the upper Brahmaputra and its tributaries. You will freshen up in Shigatse before visiting the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which Pachen Lama founded in 1447.

Overnight in Shigatse.

• Drive Duration: 4-5 hours
• Distance Traveled: 265 km
• Accommodation: Hotel/Tea House
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After breakfast, you will go to Lhasa and stop at Shalu Monastery on the way. Shalu Monastery, which was founded in 1040, is famed for its exquisite and antique mural paintings. Following the excursion, you will travel to Lhasa. You pass via the Karo La Pass on our trip (5,045m). You will also pass the Khamba La Pass (4,794m) on your way to Lhasa, with a quick stop to admire the grandeur of the Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake), one of Tibet’s three major sacred lakes, and the stunning Nazin Kang Sang glacier (7,252m).

Overnight in Lhasa.

The Kailash journey in the Himalayas comes to a close today. Nothing to do but exchange emails with fellow travelers and organize images. A representative will transport you to the airport about 2-3 hours before the scheduled departure.