Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost

Mount Kailash is always a lodestone to pilgrims and adventurous travelers for centuries. If you are a trekker, a Tibet Mount Kailash tour must be added to the travel plan in your lifetime. Wonder how much it cost to go to Mount Kailash? The Mount Kailash tour cost consists of seven main parts, namely vehicle (with driver), guide, hotel, travel permits, entrance fee, meals and possible packing animal fee if necessary. Let's break these 7 parts down to see how much budget you need for such an epic tour.

Part 1. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Vehicle

Vehicle transport is always the biggest part of a Tibet Mount Kailash trip cost. There are totally around 1200kms driving distance (single way) from Lhasa to Darchen, the starting of point of Kailash kora, 400kms more if includes detours to Gyantse and Mt. Everest Base Camp, which most of tourists prefer to do. So, a return trip driving between Lhasa and Mount Kailash makes around 3000kms totally, and normally 8 days are needed for this return drive. No matter vehicle is paid by per kilometer or by the day, it's not cheap for such a long journey. Based on different vehicle types and different seasons, the vehicle cost ranges from about RMB 15000 to RMB 35000 per journey. For example, if tourists use a MPV in April or May, the cost is about RMB 15000 to RMB 17000 depends on market demand. If tourists use a big bus of more than 30 seats in August or September or during the Saga Dawa Festival, the cost will be over RMB 30000.

Part 2. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Guide

In Tibet, the tour guide is paid by the day, salary ranges from RMB 250 to RMB 500 per day depends on tour guide's experience, knowledge, service as well as market demand. Most of guides' daily salary is about RMB 300-350 per day, a supplement of RMB 100 per day is required when guiding a Mount Kailash trekking tour because it's relatively more tough and harsh to guide in that area. Take a 15 days Tibet Mount Kailash tour for example, the cost on guide will be around RMB 400 * 15 = RMB 6000 totally, the cost varies a little depends on different months.

Part 3. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Hotel

Travelling on high plateau of Tibet is more difficult than travelling at lower places for many reasons, so a good hotel to rest and sleep is very important. In each town and city from Lhasa to Darchen, there are clean and comfortable hotels to choose. 5 star hotels are only available in Lhasa. Shigatse offers no 5 star but only 4 and 3 star hotels. In Lhatse, Saga and Darchen, the hotel choices are very limited, and 2 star is the best, clean and comfortable, no fancy facility. The cost of 3 and 4 star hotels (most of people choose) in Lhasa and Shigatse is from RMB 260 to RMB 550 per room per night depends on seasons. In Lhatse, Saga and Darchen, to stay in a clean and comfortable hotel, the average price is around RMB 320 per night per room annually. Note, there is no hotel during the trekking day 1 and day 2 at Mount Kailash, the guesthouse nearby the monastery is very simple and basic, only a room with beds and quilt (dorm beds room), no running hot water, no private bathroom, no electricity, and price is around RMB 100 - 150 per person depends on seasons. Suppose you join in our 15-day Tibet Mount Kailash tour based on 3 star hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse, you will spend around RMB 160 *14 = RMB 2240 on hotels, it could be a little bit more if it's in peak seasons.

Part 4. Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Travel Permits

There are totally 3 kinds of permits needed for your Tibet Mount Kailash tour, Tibet Entry Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and Military Permit. It costs RMB 50 per person while apply for the Alien's Travel Permit while in Shigatse, and the other two permits are free of charge officially. But, since a lot of organization work and time are needed to get these two permits, a service charge normally is added. The price of service charge varies depending on different companies.

Part 5. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Entrance Fee

To travel to Mount Kailash, there are lots of spots to visit while in Lhasa and on the way. What follows is the entrance ticket fee for the must-visit places.

Total amounts is at RMB 1120 = USD 166 totally (1 USD = 6.75 RMB)

Part 6. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Meals

Meals in Tibet are not expensive considering most of cereal and vegetables are shipped from China proper to Tibet. The price differs much depending on what you eat. For a for a simple fired rice (noodle) with vegetable and meat, it costs around RMB 25-35. If you want one more soup (tomato with egg soup), another RMB 25-35 is needed. Sometimes, all the group members can order several dishes and share together like Chinese style; it costs around RMB 50 per person for some decent food. On average, if you spend RMB 100 on lunch and dinner per day, you need a budget of RMB 1500 for meals on 15 days Mount Kailash tour, besides, you have to also pay for the breakfasts which are only included by the hotels in Lhasa and Shigate. Breakfast is about RMB 20 per person for some simple food.

Part 7. Tibet Mount Kailash Tour Cost - Animal & Porters

Most of people will leave their luggage on the car while go trekking, so they will not use yak, horse or porters when trek Mount Kailash, but some people still need for some reasons. What follows are the prices for the yak & yakman, horse & horseman as well as a porter for three days trekking. 

Note: Normally, one Yak-man leads three yaks. That is to say, it costs RMB 240*3yaks*3days + RMB 260*3days= RMB 2940 if you hire 3 yaks plus 1 yak-man. Most of time, this cost is unnecessary, because tourists can leave all their big luggage on the car and only bring some light and important things like passport, cash, snacks and water. Yaks are only for the luggage, not for any human.

Note: Horses are used for human, for those cannot walk too much, unable to trek over the Drolma-la Pass, for those need urgent retreat from high altitude places. One horseman leads one horse. Most of time, you see only Indian pilgrims use it. That is to say, the total cost on horse will be RMB (310+260)*3 = RMB1710 for 3 days trekking.

Note: This is the most economical and smart choice if you have some little heavy but important thing to bring along the trail, 3 days porter service only costs you RMB 630 totally.

By the way, all the food and accommodation cost during the trekking will be borne by locals themselves.