Nepal is the only country that offer international access to Tibet of China. Every year, hundreds and thousands of tourists travel from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash for pilgrimage. How to start the Mount Kailash tour from Kathmandu? There are three options.
You can take flights to Lhasa from Kathmandu and then start the pilgrimage journey to Mount Kailash. Or you can drive to Mount Kailash from Kathmandu through Gyirong Port. Also, there are one more choice. You need to firstly fly from Kathmandu to Nepalganj, then take another flight to Simikot, next you can either take a helicopter to the village of Hilsa or hike to Hilsa, and finally you enter Tibet and start the tour to Mount Kailash. For the details, keep reading.
One option is to fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa. From Lhasa to Mount Kailash you can go by car through two different routes. The northern route and southern route both go from Lhasa to Mount Kailash. The southern route is part of the Xinjiang - Tibet Highway and it’s the most frequently used route to Mount Kailash by travelers.
Southern route of Mount Kailash Tour from Kathmandu via Lhasa:
Route: Lhasa - Shigatse - Lhatse - Saga - Paryang - Darchen (1200km)
You can also travel from kathmandu to Mount Kailash by road. Since 2017, Gyirong Port (Rasuwa Port at Nepal side) has been open to tourists. You need to firstly arrive here and cross the port by yourself. Then your guide will take you start the Mount Kailash tour. Pay attention that two days stay in Gyirong Town at 2700 meters high is advised for acclimatization reasons, because Kathmandu is very low at only 1370 meters high. We do not advise to reach Saga (4500 meters high) and Mount Kailash region in a quick manner.
Route of Mount Kailash Tour from Kathmandu via Gyirong Port:
Route: Kathmandu - Gyirong Port (overland) - Saga - Paryang - Darchen (860km)
The third way to Mount Kailash from Kathmandu is through the small village of Simikot in far northwest of Nepal. First you need to fly from Kathmandu to Nepalganj in southwestern Nepal. Then you need a flight from Nepalganj to Simikot (2985m). From Simikot you can either take a helicopter to the village of Hilsa (3650) or hiking from Simikot to Hilsa. Taking a helicopter is not recommended, because of the short time to acclimatize. The trek from Simikot to Hilsa takes about 6 days and compared to the helicopter, gives you enough time to get acclimatized to the high elevation. From Hilsa it’s possible to cross the bridge into Tibet. In the Tibet side you will need to go to Purang (3890) and from there you go to Darchen, which is the starting point of Mount Kailash trek.
Route of Mount Kailash Tour from Kathmandu via Simikot:
Route: Kathmandu - Nepalganj - Simikot - Hilsa - Purang - Darchen
The questions raised by our past customers can help you get a more clear picture about tours to Tibet, read them or tell us your own questions via the form on the right side, our specialists will reply you within 24 hours.
I am going to be in Kathmandu in November 2019 and from 13 November I have about 5 days free is it possible to go to Darchen and back within that time and cost for 2 adults with transport and hotel stay. Thank you
Dear Mr. Ne***,
Greetings from Nancy at Budget Tibet Tour, thanks for visiting our website and sending your inquiry.Please kindly let me know your nationality? As some nationalities are not allowed to enter Tibet from Kathmandu, and also some are not allowed to visit Kailash. So please provide both of your nationality and I will let you know. As Nov it is quite cold for Kailash and I do not know if it can open on time, because sometimes the mountain would be closed due to the heavy snow there, and normally in late Oct we will not send groups there any more. But as you only have 5days, and I think you will not do the trekking, so just visit Darchen, the town near Kailash would be OK. And I will forward more details to your email. Best regards.
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