Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from the USA

• Distance/travel: International flight (approx. 15–20 h).
• Elevation: Kathmandu 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

You depart from the USA and cross time zones and the International Date Line.

Upon arriving in Kathmandu, you will be welcomed by Alpine Luxury Treks and transferred to a comfortable 3‑star hotel for rest.

Use the evening to recuperate from jet lag and sample Nepali cuisine.

• Distance/travel: Around Kathmandu.
• Elevation: 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

Your morning is spent submitting your passport to the Chinese embassy for the Tibet group visa.

Processing usually takes 3–5 working days, so you must remain in Kathmandu.

Afterwards, visit Pashupatinath Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the holiest Shiva shrine in Nepal.

Participate in a puja (worship), witness evening aarti on the Bagmati River, and return to your hotel.

• Distance/travel: Approx. 1 h drive.
• Elevation: 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

In Bhaktapur, you will visit Doleshwor Mahadev Temple, considered the head portion of Kedarnath, and make offerings.

In the afternoon, drive to Budhanilkantha to view the 5‑metre reclining statue of Lord Vishnu.

Return to Kathmandu and explore Thamel markets for last‑minute equipment.

• Distance/travel: Minimal.
• Elevation: 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

Attend a detailed briefing covering altitude, health, packing, and cultural etiquette.

Meet your Tibetan guide, check permits, and collect rented gear (sleeping bag, down jacket, trekking poles).

Spend the remainder of the day packing and exploring the UNESCO-listed Boudhanath Stupa or Swayambhunath with your guide if time permits.

• Distance/travel: 150 km drive; 6–7 h.
• Elevation: Rasuwagadhi 1,800 m (5,905 ft).

Leaving Kathmandu, drive through the Pasang Lhamu Highway along terraced hillsides and the Trishuli River.

View Ganesh, Manaslu, and Annapurna mountains as you enter the Langtang region.

After Dhunche, descend to the border town of Rasuwagadhi. Overnight at a simple guest house.

• Distance/travel: 35 km; about a two-hour drive.
• Elevation: Kerung 2,800 m / 9,186 ft.

After clearing Nepali immigration and crossing the Friendship Bridge, your Tibetan guide completes visa formalities.

Continue to Kerung (also called Kyirong), a small town near the Nepal–China border.

Spend the afternoon acclimatizing, exploring Pakpa Monastery, and tasting Tibetan, Nepali, and Chinese food. Rest early to adjust to the thin air.

• Distance/travel: 165 km; 4–5 h drive.
• Elevation: Saga 4,640 m / 15,223 ft.

Drive north through a canyon and ascend Thong La (5,153 m) and Lalung La (5,030 m) passes.

Snow-capped Shishapangma (8,027 m) and Gaurishankar (7,134 m) tower above.

Descend to turquoise Peiku Tso and watch wild yaks and antelopes before crossing the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River.

Arrive in Saga—a bustling town on the Tibetan plateau—for the night.

• Distance/travel: 500 km; 8–9 h drive.
• Elevation: Lake Mansarovar 4,590 m / 15,060 ft.

Journey across the high altitude desert, passing the ancient village of Dzongba and Paryang.

Climb Mayum La Pass (5,211 m) before glimpsing Mt Kailash and Gurla Mandhata peaks.

Your first view of Lake Mansarovar—believed to have been created by Lord Brahma—appears as a blue expanse of sacred water.

Perform circumambulation of the lake by jeep and overnight in a lakeside guest house.

• Distance/travel: 40 km; 1 h drive.
• Elevation: Darchen 4,670 m / 15,320 ft.

Rise early for meditation and a ritual bath by the holy lake. Collect sacred water, perform a havan, and pray for your ancestors.

Optionally visit Chiu Gompa monastery and hot springs. Later, drive along barren plains to Darchen, the base camp for the Kailash kora.

Consult your guide about renting yaks or porters for the trek.

• Distance/travel: 5 km drive + 12 km trek; 5–6 h.
• Elevation: Yam Dwar 4,725 m / 15,502 ft; Dirapuk 5,080 m / 16,673 ft.

A short drive takes you to Yam Dwar (Tarbooche Flagpole), the symbolic Gateway of the God Yama.

Here you’ll see multicoloured prayer flags and sky burial sites. Begin the first day of the kora by walking along the Lha Chu valley.

Yak and pony services are available. Arrive at Dirapuk Monastery, a simple guest house beside the north face of Kailash, offering unmatched views.

• Distance/travel: 22 km trek; 9–10 h.
• Elevation: Drolma La Pass 5,630 m / 18,471 ft; Zutulpuk 4,800 m / 15,748 ft.

This is the toughest day of the kora. Walk gradually to Shiva Tsal cemetery and offer something (hair, clothing, coins) to symbolize leaving your old self.

Climb steeply to Drolma La Pass—the highest point of the trek—and ask for blessings from Goddess Tara.

Descend past Gauri Kund (5,608 m), a turquoise sacred lake, then follow the river to Zutulpuk Monastery, known for the meditation cave of Milarepa.

• Distance/travel: 8 km trek + 470 km drive; 7–8 h.
• Elevation: Finish trek at Darchen (4,670 m).

Walk along the gentle Barkha plain, completing your 52 km Kora.

Celebrate your accomplishment before returning to Saga, retracing the route past Mayum La and Paryang.

On the way, enjoy the final views of Lake Mansarovar and Chiu Gompa.

• Distance/travel: 165 km; 4–5 h drive.
• Elevation: Descend to 2,800 m / 9,186 ft.

Drive along the Yarlung Tsangpo, crossing the long bridge to Saga. Continue over Lalung La and Thong La passes again.

Stop to admire Peiku Tso and the snow-capped peaks before reaching Kerung. Overnight in a local hotel.

• Distance/travel: 175 km; 8 h drive.
• Elevation: Kathmandu 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

Complete border formalities and say goodbye to your Tibetan team.

Drive back through Dhunche and Syabrubesi to Kathmandu. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner and rest at your hotel.

• Distance/travel: Short drive to Tribhuvan International Airport.
• Elevation: 1,300 m / 4,265 ft.

After breakfast, our representative transfers you to the airport. Fly home carrying blessings and memories of Mount Kailash.