Manasarovar to Mt. Kailash

Ancient Hindu texts speak of the mythical Meru, the mountain at the center of the universe, or the axis mundi.  To Buddhists, the mythical mountain is called Sumeru; for the Jains, it is Ashtapada.  Regardless, Kailash has come to be the mountain identified as the physical manifestation of Meru.  To complete the full 32-mile kora around the base of Kailash is the ultimate religious pilgrimage, offering those who complete it an abbreviated path to nirvana.  With the blessings of the mountain, we will be afforded the once in a lifetime opportunity to complete the circumambulation of Kailash.

Still one of the most remote places on the planet, to travel to the sacred peak of Kailash is to make one of the world’s truly great pilgrimages.  Although Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and the pre-Buddhist Bön religion of Tibet worship it, a trip to Kailash has become increasingly popular for Westerners and has begun to secure its place in the popular imagination of the West.  A journey to Kailash is a special pilgrimage that only a few will ever have the good fortune to experience.  It is a place beyond description and is an undeniably life changing place. 

If you yearn to complete a pilgrimage of your own, “Manasarovar to Mt. Kailash” is the ultimate opportunity to fulfill your wildest dreams.  We hope to see you soon on the pilgrim’s path!

Outline Itinerary

Day 1:  Depart USA

Day 2: Arrive in Chengdu.  You will be met on arrival and transferred to the Shangri La Hotel.

Day 3: Early morning we fly to Tibet. We are met on arrival by our local Tibetan guide and transferred to our hotel in Lhasa. Welcome Dinner.  

Days 4, 5 & 6: The next three days will be spent in and around Lhasa, leisurely sightseeing, while we acclimate to the high altitude. For more on what we do in Lhasa, please see our Essential Tibet itinerary.

Days 7 & 8: Departing Lhasa, we follow the old trade route over high passes, skirting the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake to Gyantse. After exploring the Kumbum, we continue to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city and home to Tashilhunpo Monastery, residence of the Panchen Lamas.

Days 9-10: We now start the truly adventurous part of our journey, as we make our away across the vast expanses of the Western Tibetan Plateau. Along the way, we will find the most propitious sites in which to pitch our tents and enjoy the quiet and solitude of the Tibetan wilderness.

Day 11:  As a reward for our long journey across Western Tibet, we will at last be treated to a vision of the sacred Mount Kailash and the holy waters of Manasarovar, our camp for two nights.

Day 12: Manasarovar, which translates as “Lake of the Mind,” is said to have been the created by the “mind” of Lord Brahma.  While at Manasarovar, you can bathe in its waters, or hike along a portion of the kora route, visiting the nearby Chiu Monastery.

Day 13:  SAGADAWA: We will be treated to awe-inspiring views of the south face of Kailash, as well as Gurla Mandhata, as we take the short drive to the base of Kailash at Tarboche where we join hundreds of pilgrims at the festivities surrounding the celebration of Sagadawa. After the flag pole raising and masked dancing we hike for avshort while to our camp on a grassy meadow below the West Face.

Day 14:  A short hike leads us to our next camp at Dirapuk, below the powerful presence of Kailash’s north face. We will have the opportunity this afternoon to hike up to the Kangkyam Glacier for close-up views of Kailash.

Days 15 & 16:  We will establish our high camp below Drolma La. From here, the climb to the high pass will take a couple of hours, giving us plenty of time to enjoy the vantage point. We will continue down the pass and set up camp in the grassy meadows beneath Kailash’s reclusive east face.

Day 17: On the final day of our Kailash kora, before meeting up with our vehicles, we will see Zutulpuk Monastery, where Milarepa performed his astounding miracles. A short drive brings us to a lodge at Darchen.

Days 18 & 19: Starting our journey heading South to Kathmandu, we cross the Brahamaputra River at Saga and continue to the base of sacred Shishapangma.

Day 20: Leaving the dramatic mountain behind, we begin the precipitous drop in elevation, 9,000’ in total, as we reach the frontier town of Zhangmu, elevation 7,500’.

Day 21: We rise in the morning, with porters and baggage in tow, as we clear customs and cross the Friendship Bridge where, in Nepal, it is 2 hours 45 minutes earlier, due to Tibet being on “Beijing time.” We then drive to legendary Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city, where we will visit Durbar Square, Hanuman Dhoka and the bazaars of old Kathmandu. Tonight we will enjoy a splendid Farewell Dinner.

Day 22: We will be transferred to Kathmandu’s airport for flights to our respective Asian transit cities for connecting return flights to the USA.

Day 23: Arrive USA

Call us toll free at 1-800 MY INDIA (1-800-694-6342) or email us to request a detailed day-to-day itinerary.