The Luxury Air Route
Mount Kailash Mansarovar Adventure Luxury Tour via Air — 13 Days
The swiftest and most comfortable sacred journey: fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa and onward to Purang, reaching Holy Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash with luxury hotels, full kora support and the cultural treasures of Lhasa woven into one divine yatra.
Yatra Overview
“Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam, Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat”
This exceptional air-route yatra combines the sacred pilgrimage of Mount Kailash and Holy Lake Mansarovar with the historic city of Lhasa — travelling in luxury from Kathmandu via Chengdu to Lhasa Gonggar airport, then flying deep into western Tibet to Purang, only a short scenic drive from the holy lake.
The spiritual heart of the journey is the sacred three-day Kailash Kora (Parikrama) of approximately 52 km: walking the ancient pilgrimage trail from Yamdwar to Diraphuk beneath the majestic north face, crossing Dolma-La Pass at 5,640 m, and descending past Milarepa’s Cave to Darchen — sharing the path with pilgrims of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon traditions.
On the return you fly to Lhasa for two full days of cultural darshan — Drepung and Sera monasteries, the thirteen-storey Potala Palace, the holiest Jokhang Temple and the pilgrim circuit of Barkhor Street — before flying home to Kathmandu. Throughout, a dedicated cook team serves pure veg sattvik meals, and an experienced spiritual guide with 15–20 years in the Kailash region leads your sadhana.
The yatra begins with Sankalpa Puja at Pashupatinath Temple and concludes with Rudri Puja and a yatra completion certificate — a spiritual odyssey through the heart of the Himalayas, in the highest comfort the sacred route allows.
Why This Luxury Air Yatra
- Fly deep into the sacred west — Kathmandu to Lhasa, then Lhasa to Purang airport, only 70 km from Lake Mansarovar
- Luxury stays — 5-star hotels in Kathmandu, Evergrande-class resorts in Lhasa and Hot Spring Resort at Mansarovar
- Complete three-day kora of Mount Kailash with Dolma-La Pass at 5,640 m and yak & yak-men support
- Holy bath, puja & meditation on the shores of Lake Mansarovar, with optional lake parikrama
- Lhasa heritage darshan — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Drepung & Sera monasteries
- Pure veg sattvik meals prepared daily by our dedicated Nepali cook and catering team
- Divine Shiv Guru guidance, pandit service & satsang throughout the yatra (guru service optional)
- Complete permit desk — China group visa support and all five Tibet permits handled hassle-free
- Sankalpa Puja at Pashupatinath before departure & Rudri Puja with completion certificate on return
Yatra Facts
Duration & Route
13/14 days. Kathmandu – Chengdu – Lhasa – Purang – Kailash Mansarovar – Lhasa – Kathmandu, returning en route by air.
The Holy Parikrama
The Kailash Parvat Parikrama is a sacred 3-day walking journey of approximately 52 km, reaching 5,640 m at Dolma-La Pass.
Vehicle Access
Vehicles reach up to Darchen, the base camp of Mount Kailash; beyond, the kora is completed on foot as no vehicles are permitted.
Yatra Season
April to end of October. From mid-September temperatures drop significantly — carry appropriate warm clothing later in the season.
Departure Type
Private and group-joining departures. Fixed monthly departures April–October, including full-moon and festive dates. Private groups need a minimum of 7 persons.
Meals & Accommodation
Pure veg sattvik breakfast, lunch & dinner. 5-star hotels in Kathmandu; hotels and guest houses in Tibet on twin sharing, dormitory-style during the kora.
Sacred Route Map
Day-by-Day Sacred Itinerary
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Day011,400 m
Receiving at Kathmandu International Airport
Upon arrival at Kathmandu Airport you are greeted and assisted by our representative after customs formalities, then transferred to your 5-star hotel for check-in. Rest and prepare your heart for the sacred journey ahead. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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Day021,400 m
Kathmandu Temple Tour & Kailash Yatra Preparation
Morning darshan at the sacred Pashupatinath Temple with Sankalpa Puja, followed by Jal Narayan (Budhanilkantha) Temple, then back to the hotel for lunch. The afternoon is devoted to yatra briefing, gear checks and final Kailash departure preparations. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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Day033,600 m
Fly Kathmandu → Chengdu → Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Fly from Kathmandu via Chengdu to Lhasa Gonggar airport (3,600 m), welcomed to Tibet by your Tibetan guide with a traditional white khata scarf. The half-hour drive along the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) valley highway reveals spectacular plateau scenery. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a Tibetan restaurant and rest well to acclimatize, drinking plenty of water. Overnight at Lhasa.
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Day044,660 m
Fly Lhasa → Purang — Arrival at Holy Lake Mansarovar
A short domestic flight lands you at Purang airport in far-western Tibet, followed by a 70 km scenic road drive to sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar (4,660 m). In the evening, explore the lake, take a holy bath on its shore and offer prayers as the light fades over the water. Overnight at Hot Spring Resort.
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Day054,660 m
Lake Mansarovar Exploration & Spiritual Day
The morning is devoted to ritual prayers, puja and meditation by the sacred waters of Lake Mansarovar — one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world. After rest at the resort you may proceed with the Mansarovar Kora, rewarded on clear days with heavenly views of Gurla Mandhata and majestic Mount Kailash. Overnight at Hot Spring Resort.
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Day06Darchen
Mansarovar Lake → Darchen
After lunch, drive approximately 58 km (1–1.5 hours) to Darchen, the base camp of Mount Kailash. In the evening, enjoy the magnificent darshan of the south face of Mount Kailash and prepare for the sacred parikrama beginning tomorrow. Overnight at hotel.
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Day0712 km · 6–7 hrs
First Day Kora — Darchen → Yamdwar → Diraphuk (4,900 m)
Drive from Darchen to Yamdwar/Sarchung, the trek starting point, where porters, yaks and yak-men await. Walk onward through grassy nomad plains and up the Lhachu valley — approximately 12 km in 6–7 hours — to Diraphuk (4,900 m), facing the small monastery and the awe-inspiring north face of sacred Mount Kailash, holy to four religions. Overnight at Diraphuk guest house.
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Day08Dolma-La 5,650 m
Second Day Kora — Diraphuk → Dolma-La Pass → Zutulphuk
The hardest and most exalted day of the circuit: set off early as the first sun rays break over the ridges, climbing 762 m above Diraphuk to Dolma-La Pass at approximately 5,650 m. After rest and prayer at the pass, descend the stone staircase to the Lhachu valley floor and walk on — 21 km in 9–10 hours in total — to Zutulphuk Monastery, the site of Milarepa’s miracle. Overnight at Zutulphuk.
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Day09Darchen
Third Day Kora — Zutulphuk → Milarepa Cave → Darchen
The final kora day passes Milarepa’s Cave, where a temple and shrines honour the great yogi’s meditation. After exploring this sacred site, continue trekking to the endpoint at Darchen, completing the holy parikrama of Mount Kailash. Overnight at hotel.
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Day103,600 m
Fly Darchen → Purang → Ali Gunsa → Lhasa City
In the morning, transfer to Purang domestic airport as per the flight schedule and fly back via Ali Gunsa airport to Lhasa. Transfer to your hotel, then explore Lhasa city in the late afternoon after your great Himalayan adventure. Overnight at Lhasa.
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Day113,600 m
Lhasa Sightseeing — Drepung & Sera Monasteries
Visit Tibet’s two most important monasteries: Drepung, founded in 1416 and once home to 10,000 monks — the largest Buddhist monastery of Tibet — with its Ganden Phodrang palace, main assembly hall and colleges. After lunch, continue to Sera Monastery (1419), famed for its scripture library and the electrifying monks’ debates in the courtyard. Overnight at Lhasa.
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Day123,600 m
Lhasa Sightseeing — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Barkhor
Morning darshan at the Potala Palace, the highest palace in the world — thirteen floors, a thousand rooms, golden tomb stupas of the Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of King Songtsen Gampo. In the afternoon, visit the holiest Jokhang Temple with its sacred Sakyamuni statue, then join local pilgrims in clockwise circumambulation along Barkhor Street. Overnight at Lhasa.
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Day131,400 m
Fly Lhasa → Kathmandu
Our guide and driver transfer you to Lhasa airport for the flight back to Kathmandu, where our representative receives you and escorts you to your hotel. Evening free for leisure shopping in the colourful Thamel tourist market. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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Day14Departure
Yatra Completion Ceremony & Airport Transfer
After breakfast, a small token ceremony and yatra completion certification programme marks the sacred conclusion of the Holy Mount Kailash Mansarovar Lake yatra, sealed with Rudri Puja at Pashupatinath. As per your international flight schedule you are 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 permits)
- Kathmandu sightseeing: Pashupatinath, Budhanilkantha, Doleshwor Mahadev & Dakshinkali Bhagwati temples (2 half-day tours)
- Kathmandu–Lhasa international air ticket & Lhasa–Purang–Lhasa domestic air tickets
- All airport transfers and land transportation as per the itinerary
- Twin-sharing 5-star hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with bed & breakfast
- Twin-sharing hotels & guest houses in Tibet; dormitory-style rooms (3–4 persons) during the kora
- Temporary tent toilets and bath tents at Kailash Mansarovar for the group
- All vegetarian sattvik buffet meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) — hotel or prepared by our Nepali staff in Tibet
- English-speaking Nepalese tour manager/guide & English-speaking Tibetan tour guide, pandit for worship
- Necessary supporting crew from Nepal (cook, helpers & sherpas)
- Yaks & yak-men during the parikrama to carry food and equipment
- 1 portable oxygen bottle per person in group, company duffel bag, back pack, mobile & passport bag, down jacket (returnable), raincoat & daily drinking water bottle
- Nepalese medical health assistant (for groups of 30+)
- All applicable taxes & service charges, and Kailash Yatra completion certificate
✕Not Included
- Travel insurance — mandatory for all participants (medical emergency / evacuation cover)
- International airfare to/from Kathmandu
- China group single-entry visa fee & multiple Nepal entry visa fees
- Divine Shiv Guru / Mata ji guidance — USD $200 per person (optional); Pandit — USD $100 per person; Yoga & meditation master — USD $150 per person (optional, confirm in advance)
- Horse/pony for the 3 kora days — approx. CNY 4,500, payable directly to the horse owner on the spot; porters on request at local rates
- Incomplete kora stay in Darchen — USD $150 per person per night
- Astapad darshan (if permitted) — optional day trip, USD $80–100 per person, payable on the spot
- Mansarovar Lake parikrama by eco vehicle (optional) — RMB 530 per person, payable at the lake
- Hotel during the 9–10 night China visa waiting period in Kathmandu — USD $100 per person/night twin-sharing, USD $380 single deluxe
- Optional private vehicle upgrade — SUV/Jeep in Nepal & Toyota Land Cruiser in Tibet, USD $450 per person
- Tips for staff — suggested USD $350 per Nepali staff member (or approx. 15% of package cost); tips for Tibetan guide & driver recommended
- Beverages, meals outside the package, mailing/cargo fees & international telephone calls
- Additional expenses 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 confirms your booking; the balance is payable as per the agreed schedule before departure.
China Group Visa
The China single-entry group visa is processed at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu in 9–10 working days from submission of your original passport. You may also apply from your home country with our visa-supporting documents (approx. 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.
Group & Age Rules
Minimum 5 persons per group for the Tibet permit; private groups require 7+. Kora is permitted above 8 years and up to 80 years of age. Pilgrims 70+ submit a government hospital medical report and deposit USD $1,000 with the Chinese authorities; health is examined by Tibetan doctors before the parikrama.
High Altitude & Oxygen
Ascend gradually, stay hydrated and rest frequently. We carry hand-portable O2 bottles for emergencies; small portable bottles can be purchased in Tibet (approx. 30–40 RMB). Consult a physician if you have heart or respiratory conditions.
Cancellation Policy
90+ days prior: no charges. After road-permit processing: USD $500. Within 7 days of departure: USD $700. Same day: 70% of tour cost. Extra costs from unavoidable itinerary changes are borne by the pilgrim.
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