Mount Kailash, 6,638 m, stands alone on the plateau of western Tibet about 100 km north of Nepal's border at Hilsa. Hindus revere it as the abode of Shiva, Buddhists as the home of Demchok, Jains as Ashtapad, and Bon followers as the soul of their faith. Nobody climbs it. Pilgrims walk the 52 km parikrama from Darchen instead, over three days, and bathe in Lake Manasarovar at about 4,590 m. Nepal is the most practical starting point for a private yatra, with three routes and departures through the summer.
The overland route drives from Kathmandu across the Rasuwagadhi–Kyirong border, acclimatises in Kyirong at about 2,700 m and crosses the plateau via Saga to the lake, about 14 days in all. The Simikot route flies Kathmandu–Nepalgunj–Simikot, takes a 20–30 minute helicopter hop to Hilsa and drives through Purang, which cuts the trip to 11 or 12 days. The Lhasa route flies in, adds three days among the city's monasteries and drives west for four days. The Kerung crossing was closed by floods in August 2026; check current status before you travel.
Every route is high. Saga sits at about 4,640 m, Darchen at 4,575 m and Dirapuk, the first night of the parikrama, at about 4,900 m, before Dolma La at about 5,630 m. Itineraries therefore build in nights at Kyirong or Purang and two nights at Manasarovar before the walk. Ponies and porters are hired through the Darchen cooperative, and pilgrims who cannot walk the circuit can still visit the lake and Tarboche for darshan on our 9-day yatra without the parikrama.
Tibet beyond Kailash is open to tours too. Lhasa, at 3,656 m and about 75–90 minutes by air from Kathmandu, has the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the Barkhor; Gyantse and Shigatse follow on the road west, and Rongbuk looks up at the north face of Everest. All travel in Tibet is in groups on a Chinese group visa with a licensed Tibetan guide, and the rules for Indian passport holders have changed in most seasons since 2023, so we confirm them in writing before every booking.
