Mt Kailash and Mansaravor Tour

On arrival, meet our TH staff for a courtesy transfer to your respective hotels in the heart of Kathmandu, in the Thamel area, a popular spot for shopping and dining at one of the many world-class restaurants, pubs, and bakeries.

Our guide will provide details about a trip to Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar.

Morning after breakfast at a given time our city and cultural guide will guide you in and around Kathmandu at places of interest and importance, as Kathmandu Valley is full of World Heritage Sites the holy Pashupatinath temple, Bouddhanath (Little Tibet), Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) & monasteries, ancient Kings Palaces and courtyard in Kathmandu; after an interesting sightseeing back to the hotel, preparation for the trip to Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarover.

Early departure from the hotel, drive towards Kodari (Tibet/Nepal border) through scenic countryside, with a brief stop in Dhulikhel, then continue to the Nepal frontier at Kodari and then to Zhangmu. After completing immigration formalities at Kodari and Zhangmu, continue driving for another 2 hours to Nylam town along a winding, uphill road, passing through the last of the green forest. After Nylam, all three lines disappear. Check into the best available guest house, lodge, or hotel in Nylam.

On a necessary acclimatisation day in Nylam, one can go for a short walk and visit the 11th-century poet-saint Milereppa Cave and its monastery, about an hour's walk or a short drive away.

Morning after breakfast drive continues on the vast Tibetan windswept plateau passing high passes of Lalung-La at 5,050m with a great view of Mt. Shishapangma 8,013 m – Mt. Gaurishanker 7,134 m and Mt. Langtang Lirung 7, 234 m with other mountain range, the drive continues with some small stop through numerous villages and farm fields and nomads camps with sheep’s and yak grazing, then the journey turns southwest heading towards most remote corners of Tibet passing many farm villages and passes. The drive reaches the bridge over the great Yalung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River, which flows from the source at Mt. Kailash.

Saga, a growing town, is becoming a city with several lodges, hotels, and restaurants. On arrival, check into the best available hotel or guesthouse.

Starting the morning drive leading past Saga in complete wilderness, after a few hours’ drives the road winds and climbs to a pass of about 4,900 m and then descends to a long stretch of flat area, on a clear day great view of the distant snow-capped peaks towards North West Nepal, after few hours of scenic drive then reaching a windswept village at Paryang for an overnight stop.

Today’s drive leads to more barren, arid landscapes with few stops and through many small farm villages and nomad camps with large Tibetan tents serving as teahouses and restaurants, the drive continues on this vast flat land and then climbs up to the pass at Mayam-la at 5,050 m the road meanders to a long ascend the road gains altitude rapidly at first, then levels crossing the barren base below the pass and with a gradual drive of few hours reaches at the shore of Lake Manasarover for the overnight stop.

Another leisure and rest day for acclimatisation at holy Lake Manasarover, located in West Tibet between Mt. Kailash (6,714 meters) and the Gurla Mandhata Mountain Range (7,694 meters). Lake Manasarovar floats beneath the shadow of holy Kailash, formed in the mind of God.

In any language, this is the holiest and most famous lake in Asia; the best time to go around Lake Manasarovar is in late autumn and early spring, when the streams and rivers are low. It is then possible to walk very close to the shoreline, and an optional drive around Manasarover Lake can be arranged on request and takes about 4 hours.

After a rest day, the morning starts with a short drive to the Barkha windswept valley near Darchen town, a busy place with a bazaar. During auspicious times, this place is flooded with Tibetan and Indian pilgrims for kora, parikrama, or holy circuit walks.

Our journey continues further from Darchen town to Tarboche, one of the holy spots of this region with views of the West Face of Mt. Kailash, from here our holy walk begins leading north on the wide arid terrain to Shershong, and with a gradual climb and pleasant walk reaches to our overnight stop at Dhiraphuk Gompa, with magnificent view of holy Mt. Kailash North Face. Here, depending on the season, pilgrims crowd either into guest houses or tents with us in our camp.

From Dhiraphuk with the highest camping of this trip, the morning walk continues on the uphill trail onto the moraine for more than two hours, then with a steep climb at Dromo-la at 5,630m /18,525ft the highest point of this awesome journey, a big boulder represents the goddess Dolma or Dromo (Tara) festooned with thousands of prayer flags and ritual offering by both Hindu’s and Buddhist pilgrims.
This holy spot is also a physical and spiritual high point for the pilgrimage or kora. After a nice break here, the walk descends into a wide valley and a flat area. On reaching the bottom of Dromo-la-la pass, the walk is pleasant, and you reach Zutul-Puk Gompa for an overnight stop.

Zuthul means cave in Tibetan. This place is named after a holy cave where the poet and saint Milarepa meditated in the early 11th century; his footprints can be seen on the cave's rooftop.

Today is the last day of this holy circuit and kora, morning walk leads to a nice gradual walk for a few hours on the winding trail, reaching a narrow valley Gorge, from here our walking route turns west towards Darchen, just before Darchen ending this holy trek for a drive towards near Mayum-la pass base for overnight camping, around this area chances of spotting some wildlife and the beautiful Kang a wild ass can be seen herds around this place.

Morning drive over the high Mayum-la pass at 5,050 meters, then reaching the other side of the valley with interesting drive and parallel snow-capped mountains views that border Nepal and Tibet, this long scenic drive reaches Saga town for overnight stop, probably in the comfort of nice guesthouses and hotels after passing couple of towns like Paryang, Saga town a growing place with more building construction, this town which is situated on the bank of great river Yamdrok Tsho or Bhramaputra River.

From Saga onwards, the drive gets closer to the Nepal border as it leads just on the other side of the snow-capped mountains in Tibet that straddle the border with Nepal, an interesting drive today with a panorama of snow-clad mountains in the vast valley overlooking great views of the Langtang mountains with Mt. Shishapangma.

The drive leads towards the high pass of Laylung-la at 5,050 meters with an awesome panorama of the high central Himalayan range of mountains from Langtang, Dorji Lakpa, Shishapangma, Gaurishanker to Numbur, all these mountains border Nepal, from here the drive descends along with the altitude passing through interesting countryside, villages and farm fields then finally reaching at a moderate size town at Nyalam for the last overnight stop in Tibet.

Nylam is the starting and ending point of the large Tibetan Plateau, from here onward to the Nepal border, with lush vegetation and pristine, dense forests of rhododendrons, oaks, and pine trees.

Today is the last day in Tibet, our morning drive leads downhill on the winding road coming across green vegetation and a dense forest of pines -rhododendron and oak tree lines, the road narrows into a river gorge looking at several beautiful waterfalls cascading from high steep rocky cliff shelves, drive follows Bhoti Koshi River most of the way towards Nepal side, then reaching at Zhangmu the frontier and border town here on completing passport- visa formalities, farewell to Tibetan staff driver and guide then heading back to Kathmandu with a nice and pleasant scenic drive to Kathmandu after a great drive reaching at Kathmandu and then transfer back to respective hotels, after a long fascinating trip to Far North West of Nepal and Tibet.

We have reserved this day to relax and enjoy your last day in Kathmandu with another sightseeing tour in and around Kathmandu at places of interest and importance, as Kathmandu Valley is full of World Heritage Sites the holy Pashupatinath temple, Bouddhanath (Little Tibet), Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) & monasteries, ancient Kings Palaces and courtyard in Kathmandu; after an interesting sightseeing back to hotel.

Last day in Nepal with a wonderful, memorable time in Nepal and Tibet with a trip to Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarover with Team Himalaya and transfer to the airport for the flight back home or to the respective destination.