As part of the Holy Yatra, our sightseeing will be in the holy places in Kathmandu. After breakfast, our guide will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the Swayambhunath Stupa, also called the Monkey Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the religious pilgrimages for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is situated on the west side of Kathmandu on top of the hill with 365 steps that take you to the giant dome-shaped stupa. You will have a beautiful bird eye view of Kathmandu from this sacred place and it is one of the viewpoints in Kathmandu. After, strolling around the stupa and clicking some memories we then travel to Budhanilkantha.

Budhanilkantha is dedicated to the Hindu Lord Vishnu and is one of the most sacred and important temples for Hindus. You will get to see the reclining long statue of Lord Vishnu in the pond. The most interesting thing (not known by many people) about this temple is the oldest belief which says the King (now former) of Nepal should not visit this temple, as the King is believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. This temple is believed to be from the 5^th century. From here, we will visit Bouddanath Stupa.

Bouddanath Stupa, also known as White Stupa is one of the sacred pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. Once you enter inside, you will find a huge courtyard where you will see the giant white dome standing. You will find peace and a perfect spot to relieve yourself from the hustle of Kathmandu. Spending our peaceful time here, we then drive to one of the Hindu holy sites, Pashupatinath Temple where we end our sightseeing yatra of Kathmandu for the day.

Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the sacred sites for Hindus. This temple is situated on the bank of the holy Bagmati River where you will witness the Hindu Cremation. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple and worship but one can stroll around the temple as it has covered a wide area where you will find numerous other temples and lots of spots to stop by and interact with. We will spend our time till evening as we will be joining the Sandhya Aarati. You will witness a large audience during this period just to listen and watch the Aarati done by Pujaris. There will be singing (songs and mantras dedicated to Lord Shiva), dancing, and worshipping.

This session will end in an hour and we then head back to the hotel. You can still spend your time before sleep by strolling around the Thamel, and Asan areas.

Overnight at Kathmandu.

You will have breakfast in the hotel and then we will drive you to the Tribhuwan International Airport. You will then enjoy a 50-minute scenic flight to Nepalgunj. Once you reach there, you will join the connecting flight to Simikot. It is just a 30-minute flight.

Your guide will be waiting for you at the Simikot Airport. You will be then transferred to the hotel where you will take a rest and be briefed about the Kailash yatra. As Simikot lies on the hill, you can stroll in the evening around the hill to witness an astonishing view.

Overnight at Simikot.

You will have your breakfast at the hotel and then, be transferred to the Simikot Airport where we will take a flight in a chartered helicopter to Hilsa. Once we reach Hilsa, we then take a short walk and cross the Karnali Bridge. Once we cross the bridge, we will be at the spot where all the immigration procedures for Nepal will be completed.

We then walk across the border and book a car to the Chinese Immigration Office, Sera. We reached there in a five-minute drive. Once we complete the immigration procedures in the Chinese Customs Office, we then head towards Taklakot from Sera (a 45-minute drive).

Once we reach Taklakot, we directly reach the hotel and freshen up. After resting for a while, we can stroll around Taklakot.

Overnight at Taklakot.

After having breakfast in Taklakot, we drive to Mansarovar Lake.  It will take around 2 hours to get there. Before reaching Mansarovar, we witness another lake named as Rakshas Taal. Rakshas Taal or “Lake of Demons” is a lake situated in the west of Mansarovar and is believed to be a disturbed lake as the state of the water in this lake is not subtle. We will spend some time clicking photographs, capturing landscapes, and then head towards Mansarovar.

We have to pass the Shiv Valley to reach the Mansarovar Lake. As we pass from Shiv Valley, the majestic view of Mount Kailash will please our eyes. After reaching Mansarovar Lake, we will check in at the guest house and freshen up, have lunch, and take a rest for a while. Then, we will perform a Parikrama on the holy Mansarovar Lake by vehicle.

The best part of Mansarovar Lake is its night view. You can visit the lake during the nighttime. The lake is really beautiful during the night and if it is time for the full moon then you will witness the breathtaking beauty of the lake.

Overnight at Mansarovar.

Early morning you will take a holy bath on the shore of a lake. You cannot directly bathe in the lake. After that, we will perform a puja on the bank of the lake.

After completion, we will have breakfast and then drive to Darchen. Darchen, a base camp of Mount Kailash and a starting point for 2 & a half-day “Parikrama” or “Kora” (circumambulation of Mount Kailash). The distance you covered during Parikrama is 53 km.

It’s a town so you can stroll around and explore the town, culture, and people. The remaining time is for you to have a proper rest as we will be starting a 6-7 hrs. trek from tomorrow.

Overnight at Darchen.

Early in the morning, we will drive around 10km and reach the Tarboche. We then meet our porters and prepare ourselves for the Kora in the Yam Dwar.

From Yam Dwar, we will walk for around 6 hours to reach Diraphuk. During this yatra, we get a close view of Mount Kailash.  From here, we can view the north face of Mount Kailash.

Diraphuk is a well-known place for organizing events during festivals. They organize a grand event during the Saga Dawa Festival. If we are lucky and reach during the festival time, then we get to explore more about the culture and traditions of the local communities.

Overnight at Diraphuk.

We will wake you early in the morning to witness the Golden Kailash during the time of sunrise. As the first sunlight kisses the summit of Mount Kailash, it turns golden, and that view is awesome.

Then, you will have a decent breakfast and the second day of Kora starts. We will walk around 6-7 hrs. to reach the Zuthulphuk. This yatra of today is the most difficult and we will be walking around 22km.

During the yatra, we will ascend towards the Drolma La pass, the highest point (5680m) of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Before reaching the Drolma La Pass, there is a site where Milarepa and Shiva Tsal’s footprints can be seen. Once we reach the Pass, we will stay for a while. You will be seeing the pass decorated with prayer flags. From this point, our yatra will be descending.

On the way, we will reach Gauri Kund or Parvati Taal. We will spend some time here as this lake is quiet and peaceful. Then we will continue our journey to Zuthulphuk. Once we reach there, we will visit the monastery there.

Overnight at Zuthulphuk.

Today is the last day of Kora or Kailash Parikrama. Early morning, we will have our breakfast and then start walking. After walking for around 10 km, we reached the Hor Qu Village. From here we will take a vehicle to reach Darchen. From Darchen, we will drive back to Hilsa.

Overnight at Hilsa.

We will have an early breakfast and take a helicopter ride from Hilsa to Simikot and from Simikot, we will take a flight to Nepalgunj. From Nepalgunj, we will take another flight to Kathmandu.

Once we reach Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel. You can end this Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by visiting the Pashupatinath Temple again and attending the Sandhya Aarati.

You will be transferred to the airport three hours before your planned flight departs for your home country or the next location.