The Grand Overland Adventure
The Sacred Mt. Kailash Parvat with Holy Lake Mansarovar + Lhasa + EBC Overland Adventure Yatra
One epic 19-day pilgrimage — the sacred kora of Mount Kailash and Holy Lake Mansarovar, the golden roofs of Lhasa and the north face of Everest at Rongbuk, woven into a single overland adventure through the Tibetan plateau.
Yatra Overview
“Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam, Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat”
Mount Kailash (22,028 ft / 6,714 m), the famed holy peak north of the Himalayan barrier in Western Tibet, is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bonpos. From its slopes a sacred stream pours into Lake Mansarovar, and from this lake flow four of Asia’s great rivers — the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Karnali and the Sutlej. For well over a thousand years pilgrims have journeyed here to pay homage to the mountain’s mystery, circumnavigating it in a ritual that continues to this day.
This grand 18-night / 19-day overland adventure combines the complete sacred circuit: enter Tibet at Kyirong / Nalyam, cross Gongthang-La to Saga, reach Holy Lake Mansarovar and complete the 3-day, 52 km Kailash Parvat Parikrama over Dolma-La Pass — then journey east through Shigatse and Gyantse to Lhasa for the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Drepung and Sera monasteries, and on to Everest Base Camp at Rongbuk Monastery before returning via Kyirong to Kathmandu.
The entire yatra is managed strictly according to Sanatani (Hindu) traditions: Sankalpa Puja at Pashupatinath before departure, Rudri Puja at Pashupatinath on completion, pure vegetarian sattvik meals cooked by our dedicated Nepali team, yaks and yak-men on the kora, portable oxygen support and a spiritual tour guide with 15–20 years of Kailash–Mansarovar experience.
Why This Grand Yatra
- Complete Kailash Parvat Parikrama — the sacred 3-day, 52 km kora crossing Dolma-La Pass at 5,650 m
- Holy Lake Mansarovar — puja, hawan and meditation at Chiu Gompa on the most revered shores in Tibet
- Lhasa heritage darshan — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Drepung & Sera monasteries
- Everest Base Camp (Tibet side) — sunrise and sunset on Qomolangma from Rongbuk Monastery at 5,150 m
- Friendship Highway classics — Gyantse Kumbum, Karo-La glacier, Mt. Nyichenkangser (7,191 m) & Yamdruk Yumtso Lake
- Panoramic high passes — Gongthang-La (5,236 m) and Gyawu-La (5,191 m) with Shishapangma, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu & Cho Oyu views
- Pure veg sattvik meals prepared throughout by our dedicated Nepali cook and support crew
- Sankalpa Puja at Pashupatinath before departure, Rudri Puja on return & yatra completion certificate
Yatra Facts
Duration & Route
18 Nights / 19 Days. Overland: Kathmandu – Kyirong/Nalyam – Saga – Mansarovar – Kailash kora – Shigatse – Lhasa – EBC – Kyirong – Kathmandu. Departure & arrival city: Kathmandu.
The Holy Parikrama
The Kailash Parvat Parikrama is a sacred 3-day walking journey of approximately 52 km, reaching 5,650 m at Dolma-La Pass. Vehicles access only up to Darchen base camp; beyond that pilgrims continue on foot.
Optional Shrawan Special
Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) prayer month program at Kailash Mansarovar — Shiv Maha-Puran Katha, Srimad Bhagwat Katha, Durga Saptashati Paath, Shiv Sadhana & Yoga, 31 days total — USD $6,800 per person (limited space).
Yatra Season
April to end of October. From mid-September temperatures drop significantly — carry appropriate warm clothing if travelling later in the season.
Group & Departure Type
Private and group-joining departures every month April–October (full-moon, festive and normal dates). Minimum 5 persons for the Tibet Travel Permit; we generally combine travellers into groups of 21–25. Private groups need a minimum of 7 persons.
Meals & Accommodation
Pure veg sattvik breakfast, lunch & dinner by our own catering team. Hotels, guest houses or camping tents on twin sharing; dormitory-style rooms during the kora and at Mansarovar with basic shared facilities.
Sacred Route Map
Day-by-Day Sacred Itinerary
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Day011,400 m
Receiving at Kathmandu International Airport
Upon arrival you will be warmly greeted and assisted by our representative after customs formalities, then transferred to your hotel for check-in. Evening free to rest in the sacred valley city and meet your fellow pilgrims. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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Day021,400 m
Kathmandu Temple Tour & Kailash Yatra Preparation
Morning darshan at the sacred Pashupatinath Temple and the Jalnarayan (Budhanilkantha) Temple, then back to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon complete preparations and briefing for the Kailash yatra departure. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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Day032,800 m
Drive to the Nepal–China Border — Kyirong / Nalyam
A short 5–6 hour drive brings you to the Nepal–China border at Rasuwa Gadhi (Kyirong) or Kodari/Tatopani (Nalyam). After immigration and customs formalities you enter Tibet, where your Tibetan guide and driver welcome you. Continue approximately 25 km to Kyirong town or 35 km to Nalyam, resting in the afternoon to acclimatize.
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Day042,800–3,800 m
Rest & Acclimatization Day in Kyirong / Nalyam
A full day to let your body adjust gently to altitude. In Kyirong, visit the stunning temple commissioned by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo at the request of his Nepali wife Princess Bhrikuti, adorned with intricate Nepalese-style murals, and take a short hike to Guru Rinpoche’s Cave past charming Tibetan villages, waterfalls and flowers.
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Day054,500 m
Drive Kyirong → Saga via Gongthang-La Pass
After breakfast, a scenic 220 km drive of 4–5 hours crossing the first high pass, Gongthang-La (5,236 m), with breathtaking panoramas of Mount Shishapangma (8,013 m) and the turquoise waters of Peiku Tso Lake. You may spot wild donkeys and antelopes en route and cross the mighty Brahmaputra River before arriving at the plateau town of Saga.
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Day064,660 m
Drive Saga → Holy Lake Mansarovar (Chiu Gompa)
Approximately 550 km (9–10 hours) through some of the most breathtaking scenery of the Tibetan plateau — crossing Mayum-La Pass (5,211 m) and passing Chongo Lake, vast grasslands of grazing yaks and nomad tent settlements. The day culminates with Mount Namananyi (Gurla Mandata, 7,695 m) and the first awe-inspiring glimpse of sacred Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash from Horchu Viewpoint.
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Day07Darchen
Lake Mansarovar Sacred Rituals → Darchen
At around 9:00 am all devotees gather on the holy shores of Lake Mansarovar for sacred pooja, hawan worship and meditation at one of the world’s most powerful spiritual sites. After the ceremonies and lunch, drive 58 km (about 1.5 hours) to Darchen, the base camp of sacred Mount Kailash. Overnight at Darchen.
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Day085,150 m
Kora Day 1 — Yamdwar → Diraphuk Gompa
A short eco-bus trip to the Sarshung valley / Yama Dwar where the holy parikrama begins and yaks, yak-men and porters await. Walk approximately 13 km (5–6 hours) along the beautiful Lhachu river valley to Diraphuk Gompa, with amazing panoramic views of both the west and north faces of sacred Mount Kailash and a golden sunset on the north face.
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Day09Dolma-La 5,650 m
Kora Day 2 — Diraphuk → Dolma-La Pass → Zuthulphuk
The longest and hardest day of the kora (approx. 22 km, 8–10 hours), crossing Dolma-La Pass at 5,650 m — the ultimate point of this yatra. Start as early as possible, offer pooja and hang prayer flags at the pass, then descend carefully to the valley floor and continue 4–5 hours to Zuthulphuk Gompa for the night.
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Day10≈ 500 km
Kora Day 3 — Zuthulphuk → Darchen → Drive to Saga
After early pooja at Zuthulphuk Monastery and prayers in the Milarepa cave, walk approximately 6 km to Dzongdhu where the bus waits to take you to Darchen — marking the end of the sacred 52 km parikrama. After lunch, continue the 8–9 hour drive back to Saga along the Yarlung Tsangpo river, descending to a more comfortable altitude.
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Day113,860 m
Drive Saga → Shigatse — Tashilhunpo Monastery
An approximately 450 km journey (8–9 hours) through the Yarlung Tsangpo river valley past Tibetan farmhouses and nomad tents beneath enclosing mountains. In the afternoon visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, built by the first Dalai Lama in 1447 and home of the Panchen Lamas — see the largest future-Buddha statue and the golden tomb stupas of past Panchen Lamas.
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Day123,650 m
Drive Shigatse → Lhasa via Gyantse, Karo-La & Yamdruk Yumtso
A day of Himalayan splendour: Gyantse’s Pelkor Chode (Palchuk) Monastery and the nine-storey Kumbum Stupa with its ten thousand images, the Karo-La glacier beneath Mount Nyichenkangser (7,191 m), and the turquoise Yamdruk Yumtso Lake viewed from Khambha-La Pass. Descend into the Lhasa valley and check in to your hotel in the legendary city.
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Day133,650 m
Lhasa Sightseeing — Drepung & Sera Monasteries
Explore the great monastic universities of Tibetan Buddhism: Drepung (“Rice Heap”), founded in 1416, once home to more than 10,000 monks and former residence of the Dalai Lamas; and Sera (1429), famed for its lively monks’ debates on philosophy and theology in the debating courtyard. A deep immersion into Tibetan Buddhist culture and sacred art.
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Day143,650 m
Lhasa Sightseeing — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Barkhor
Morning at the thirteen-storey Potala Palace on the Red Hill, built by King Songtsen Gampo and reconstructed by the 5th Dalai Lama — golden tomb stupas, the meditation cave and the holiest Phakpa Lhakhang chapel. Afternoon at Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s most revered shrine holding the sacred Sakyamuni statue at age twelve, followed by one clockwise circuit of pilgrim-filled Barkhor Street.
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Day154,200 m
Drive Lhasa → New Tingri — First Darshan of Everest
Leave Lhasa along the historic friendship road for a 9–10 hour drive to New Tingri with photo stops at beautiful places en route. Here you receive your first darshan of Mount Everest — Qomolangma, the goddess mother of mountains — rising above the Himalayan range from the Tibet side.
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Day165,150 m
New Tingri → Gyawu-La Pass → Rongbuk Monastery (EBC)
Depart early to catch sunrise over Everest from Gyawu-La Pass (5,191 m), with an unbelievable panorama of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. Descend the long zig-zag road to the eco-bus station and ride 40 minutes to Rongbuk Monastery for the full golden view of Everest, with a short easy walk to the tourist base camp altitude monuments.
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Day172,800 m
Drive Rongbuk → Kyirong / Nalyam
After an optional Everest sunrise, drive via old Tingri with a picnic lunch on the banks of Peiku Tso beneath Mount Shishapangma (8,013 m). Cross the last high pass, Gongthang-La (5,236 m), and descend through the beautiful waterfall-lined Kyirong valley to the border town. Evening free to explore Kyirong market.
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Day181,400 m
Cross the Border → Drive to Kathmandu
The last day’s drive of 25 km back to the Rasuwa Gadhi border of Nepal and China, where our guide helps you complete customs and immigration formalities. Continue approximately 7 hours to Kathmandu, transferring to your hotel for check-in, refreshment, dinner and well-earned rest.
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Day19Departure
Yatra Completion Ceremony & Airport Transfer
After breakfast at your hotel, a small token yatra-completion certification program is held, marking the end of the Holy Mount Kailash Mansarovar + Lhasa + EBC yatra service. As per your international flight schedule you will be transferred to the airport. Om Namah Shivaya — Har Har Kailashpati Mahadev!
Cost Includes & Excludes
✓Included in the Yatra
- Tibet Travel Permit & China visa recommendation letter
- Nepal permits (Langtang / Gaurishankar National Park Permit)
- Kathmandu sightseeing: Pashupatinath & Budhanilkantha temples (half-day tour)
- All necessary land transportation by private vehicle as per plan
- Accommodation in Tibet: twin-sharing hotels & guest houses; dormitory-style rooms (4–5 persons) during the kora and at Lake Mansarovar
- Accommodation in Kathmandu: twin-sharing hotel on bed & breakfast plan
- Nepal side: Kathmandu to border by Nepalese mini tourist bus; Tibet side: border – Kailash – Mansarovar – border by Chinese mini tourist bus
- English-speaking Nepalese tour manager/guide & English-speaking Tibetan tour guide
- 1 portable oxygen bottle, company duffel bag & down jacket (returnable)
- All vegetarian (sattvik) meals in Tibet — breakfast, lunch & dinner — cooked by Nepalese staff
- Necessary supporting crew from Nepal (cook, helpers & Sherpas)
- Yaks & yak-men during the parikrama to carry food and equipment
- Horse/pony from Diraphuk to Dolma-La Pass arranged upon request (extra cost, payable on the spot)
- Daily drinking water bottle, all applicable taxes & service charges
- Kailash Yatra completion certificate from the organizing local company
✕Not Included
- Travel insurance (necessary) & international airfare
- Yog & meditation master (USD $60 p.p., optional) and Divine Shiv Guru / Mata ji guidance (USD $100 p.p., optional)
- Stay-back at Darchen if unable to complete the kora — USD $70 per person per night; all medical rescue / evacuation expenses are the traveller’s responsibility
- China group single-entry visa fee & multiple Nepal entry visa fees
- Yak / horse and porter services during the parikrama — arranged with local herders, payable on the spot
- Hotel accommodation and expenses during the visa waiting period (9–10 nights) in Kathmandu
- Mailing / cargo fees & international telephone calls
- Astapad Darshan (if government permitted) — walking trip at USD $80 per person, payable on the spot
- Mansarovar Lake parikrama by eco vehicle (optional) — USD $80 per person, payable at the lake
- Tips for staff: Nepali tour leader & kitchen staff approx. USD $350 per staff member (or 15–20% of package cost); tips for Tibetan guide & driver
- Beverages (soft drinks, bottled water, tea, coffee, alcohol) & meals outside the package
- Optional private vehicle upgrade — SUV/Jeep in Nepal & Toyota Land Cruiser in Tibet: USD $480 per person
- Additional costs from natural calamities or unforeseen circumstances beyond the organizer’s control
Important Information
Booking & Advance
Book well in advance; last-minute bookings are accepted at least 40 days prior to departure from Kathmandu. A 20% non-refundable advance (or INR 20 thousand per person before processing) confirms your booking; the balance is cleared before departure from Kathmandu. Special-offer bookings remain valid for 10 days from the start of the conversation.
China Group Visa
The China single-entry group visa is issued only through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and takes 9–10 working days from submission of your original passport — plan to be in Kathmandu in time. You may also apply from your own country with our visa-supporting documents (Tibet Travel Permit, itinerary and China visa recommendation letter), which takes approximately 3 weeks.
Tibet Travel Permits
Five permits are required: Chinese Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit, Military Area Entry Permit and Foreign Affairs Permit — all handled hassle-free by our team under the rules of the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB).
Passport & Documents
Send colour passport copies with the name list 45 days prior to departure for road-permit processing. A 6-month valid ordinary passport is required (diplomatic passports not allowed). Original passports of NRI / other citizens are collected on arrival in Kathmandu.
Age & Health Rules
Kora permitted above 8 years and up to 80 years. Pilgrims 70+ submit a government-hospital medical report (within 6 months) and deposit USD $1,000 with the Chinese authorities (Indian passport holders). A health examination by Tibetan doctors is done before the parikrama — only on their approval may you walk the kora.
High Altitude & Oxygen
The Kailash–Mansarovar region is remote high altitude with significantly less oxygen. Ascend gradually, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and heavy meals in the first days and rest frequently. We carry hand-portable O2 bottles for emergencies; small portable bottles can be bought in Tibet for approx. 30–40 RMB. Pilgrims with serious heart or respiratory conditions must consult a physician first.
Horse Assistance
If you cannot complete the kora by walking, horses are available: approx. CNY 4,500 for the personal 3-day ride, payable directly to the horse owner on the spot (on-the-spot arrangement from Darchen/Diraphuk approx. CNY 4,200). No vehicle rides and no helicopter flights are allowed on the kora route due to the holiness of the mountain.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation 90+ days prior to departure: no charges. After processing of the Kailash road permits: USD $500. Within 7 days before departure: USD $700. Same day of departure: 70% of the total tour cost. If the itinerary changes due to unavoidable or uncontrollable circumstances, all additional expenses are borne by the pilgrim.
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