Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from Nepal - 16 days

When you get to Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, you will clear immigration and collect your bags. Your driver will be waiting for you and will take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. 

Once you've checked into your hotel and rested a bit, you will walk around the Thamel area later in the afternoon, where you will take in the shops, street lights, and may even discover the local treat of momo or dal bhat at a restaurant.

The city is calm, with a fresh smell in the air, and don't forget to notice the hum of the city with traffic, temples, and prayer flags. You will settle down early to take a rest and begin to prepare your gear, permits, and documents for your upcoming Kailash Mansarovar Jheel Trip 16 Days.

Following breakfast at the hotel, you begin your exploration of the principal heritage sites. The first site you visit is the Pashupatinath Temple, situated along the banks of the Bagmati River. You witness Hindu rituals at the ghats and pagoda-style temples decorated with multicolored flags.

Then you head to Boudhanath Stupa, where you do a complete kora (clockwise walking around) around the giant white domed stupa, stopping to turn prayer wheels and view Tibetan monks. 

In the afternoon, you take a drive to Swayambhunath ("Monkey Temple"), where you climb many steps and see many monkeys, and observe a nice view looking into the valley. Next, you go to Patan Durbar Square, and have a look through the old palaces and Krishna Mandir, and at Patan Museum. 

You see ornate architecture, windows, and wood carvings, as well as brick temples. You will have dinner back in Kathmandu. Today you will have a good cultural immersion experience, and will have sent a lot of good pictures home for your friends overall. 

After breakfast, you head out to visit Kathmandu Durbar Square. On the way, you see Kumari Ghar (the living goddess house), Kasthamandap temple, and Kal Bhairav. If time permits, you can go visit Bhaktapur or Bhaktapur Durbar Square for a rooftop view, old brick courtyards, and Nyatapola Temple.

After lunch, you move the focus to visa paperwork, which includes passport photos, hotel address, visa fee, and completing the visa application if needed at the Department of Immigration, Nepal, or at airport counters (depending on your nationality). You may also visit a travel agency/embassy if needed.

Evening slow dinner at a Nepali restaurant. Kathmandu’s streets light up with the sounds of temple bells and traffic. You feel more confident with the trip prep. The weather is moderate, and the sky might be a little hazy. You inspect your gear and backpacks. 

After breakfast, you have a chance to take some time for yourself. Here are some suggestions: visit markets (Thamel, Asan, Freak Street), make some last-minute purchases on trekking gear, visit another local temple such as Guhyeshwari or Changunarayan, or take a pleasant walk to the Garden of Dreams to relax. 

You can have lunch at an outdoor cafe or a local restaurant. Perhaps you want to give a traditional Newari set meal a try? After lunch, it's back to compiling your visa paperwork – review, confirm the timing for submission, check the location and hours for the immigration office, maybe even check into a motorcycle or taxi to the embassy or visa office. If your visa hasn't been issued yet, then you'll submit the paperwork and wait until it is ready.

In the evening, you'll have an opportunity to enjoy dinner together. Get a good night's rest after dinner in your hotel. 

After finishing breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the visa office or immigration department to collect your visa (if everything is in order). If everything is okay, you can then confirm the arrangements for the overland drive: permits, papers for the border crossing, health paperwork, etc. 

Lunch at a little local restaurant. You get back to your hotel to check your gear. Think about buying extra snacks, extra water purification, and battery chargers. 

Overnight will be at one of the hotels in Kathmandu. The night air is cooler; feel free to lay your gear out and double-check your documents. Tomorrow, we start the long drive to the border crossing to Nepal and Tibet.

You wake up early today and have breakfast at your hotel in Kathmandu. Later, you hop in a vehicle and head towards the Rasuwa Gadhi border / Kerung border area. You will drive around 145-175 km and will take approximately 6-8 hours depending on the conditions of the weather and road conditions.

You pass through Syabrubesi, Rasuwa Gadhi (Rasuwagadhi), and traverse river valleys, terraced fields, and forest patches of pine and mixed deciduous trees. As far as road conditions: at first paved, then gravel, and possibly muddy in the rain. Some stretches will be very narrow and fully winding. Lunch will depend on your preference as you ride; possibly in Syabrubesi or a roadside guesthouse/cafe where they serve dal bhat or momos.

As evening draws near, you reach the Kerung border area (on the Nepal side or just across, depending on permits). Dinner will be at a lodge or simple guesthouse. Oversight stay.

Breakfast is served at a guesthouse in Kerung. Then, we set out for a hike to Milarepa Cave, a sacred meditation cave that is high above the local trail. The trail begins with a gradual climb and then becomes steep, through mixed forest, shrubland, and rocky ground. The trail conditions: rocky slope, some loose stones, maybe some muddy patches if it is wet, and a need to watch your footing.

Lunch may be on the trail, or we may stop at a small tea house/rest point for a simple packed lunch of rice, vegetables, and maybe a soup. 

At the cave, we will spend some time meditating, resting, and simply taking in the views of the deep valleys below, possible snowy peaks in the distance, and clean air. After visiting the cave, you will descend back down to Kerung.

Dinner will be at the guesthouse in Kerung. You can take it easy as you acclimatize. If the weather cooperates and you have some clear sky, there are wonderful sunset views. This day will help you acclimatize to the higher altitude and decrease the likelihood of altitude sickness.

After an early breakfast in Kerung, you collect your vehicle and retrace the long drive to Saga. The road climbs gradually and crosses passes like Labung-La (5,050 m) and La Lung (5,050 m) while traveling by Lake Peikutso. The terrain is an extreme altitude plateau: dry, desolate, with hardly any vegetation, yak in the flats, and few shrubs and flowering grasses. Road condition is mostly gravel with some paved sections and is winding with steep gradients most often when approaching or passing through a pass, and dusty when dry, or loose gravel when wet.

Lunch is either in a small Tibetan town, like Paryang, or a roadside guesthouse, having simple Tibetan noodle soup, tea. After lunch, you drive through wide open valleys and plateaus with a range of snowcapped peaks disappearing into the distant horizon. Some views of the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo) river valley may also find their way into your line of sight. As you begin to descend slightly or traverse the increasingly flat sections of driving following the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route, you may now have small villages with prayer flags perched on ridgelines along the route more regularly.

You will get to Saga in the evening, where your lodge or guesthouse will provide a simple Tibetan meal for dinner (tsampa, barley bread, veg soups). You will spend the night in Saga.

Start your day with breakfast in Saga, departing early in order to make the long drive to Lake Manasarovar (often around 450 km in all itineraries), which will take 7-9 hours depending on the road. The drive will take you through small Tibetan towns like Paryang, small military/security checkpoints, and through the Mayum-La pass (5,220 m). A variety of roads will be paved and gravel, some of which may be bumpy, dusty, or windborne dust.

Lunch will be during the day, often at a roadside guesthouse or small lunch spot in Paryang. Often, a basic lunch might be served.

After lunch, the drive will continue across high plateau plain terrain with wide pastures in sight, possible views of snow peaks/glaciers in the distance, and possible lakes or streams around to enjoy. 

Arrive at Lake Manasarovar in the evening, and enjoy dinner at one of the nearby guesthouses or simple lodgings near the shore of the lake. The lake is huge and very clear; there may be a beautiful reflection of the lake that mirrors sky and the mountains. 

You have the option to have your breakfast next to the lake, admiring the sunrise if the weather permits. You will see a number of pilgrims taking a holy dip in the lake or performing their morning puja or rituals. 

The beauty of the scenery at the lake, with the mountains surrounding you, the lovely, clear water, the reflection of Mount Kailash here and there, and the prayer flags lining the water’s edge, is very relaxing. 

After lunch at the Lakeshore guesthouse or tea house, you will pack up and drive to Darchen, which is about 35-40 km (1-2 hours) from Lake Mansarovar. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route road is shorter (without the lake detour event), but it is at a high altitude (4,575 m), and has several rugged patches, a couple of dusty areas, and some winding, but manageable roads. 

When you get closer to Darchen, you start to have better views, depending on your direction and which face(s) you prefer, particularly of the steeply rising and sacred mountain peak, Mount Kailash. You may pass smaller monasteries, and you will at least see ridges with prayer flags along the way. 

Dinner will be at your guesthouse in Darchen. Overnight at Darchen.

You will have breakfast in Darchen. After breakfast, you can either drive or walk to Yam Dwar/Tarboche, which is the ceremonial entrance/gate for the Kora. The trail from Yam Dwar/Tarboche to Dirapuk is about 20 km (12.5 miles), depending on your planned route. 

Along the way, you will walk along river valleys, climb a few ridges, and travel along rocky and dusty paths, while walking through small rivers and streams. For lunch, you may also stop at a tea-house/rest point along the walking route for basic vegetarian food, including Tibetan noodles, soup, fried potatoes, and tea. 

After lunch, the route uphill is more serious as you start to approach Derapuk with a serious uphill fairly steep climb, passing prayer-flag poles, mani walls, and small monasteries. The conditions or nature of the trail may vary (rocky, dusty, loose stones), and sections will be mildly uphill and then steep uphill climbs. As you gain altitude, it will seem like the air is thinning out. You will have dinner at the guesthouse or at your tent in Derapuk. 

Breakfast is early in Derapuk. This is your most difficult day. You will be climbing towards Dolma La Pass, which is the highest point (5,643-5,645 m). The trail from Derapuk to the pass is steep, and the air is thin and cool. 

You may take lunch along the way, perhaps at a "rest point" near Gaurikunda (Gauri Kunda), the small lake that is either just below or on the route to Dolma La. After lunch, you continue the steep ascent towards the pass, which you should reach midday or early afternoon, depending on your pace and weather conditions. At the top, strong wind, prayer flags, and possibly a little snow or frost. The views are breathtaking. 

After a short time around the pass, you will descend towards Zuthulpuk (Zutulphuk / Zuthul Puk). The descent is steep for the first 6 km (gravelly, loose, dust) and then it becomes a gentler drop down. Dinner and overnight at the guesthouse or tent at Zuthulpuk. Nights can be quite cold, and you should rest soundly.

The journey starts with your breakfast in Zuthulpuk. You’ll traverse the final leg of the Kora: 8-10km, back to Darchen, walking more level ground. 

The descent, or mostly flat ground, enables you to reflect on the trek while the trail was dusty, rocky, but easier than the day before, during the pass. You may notice the West face of Mount Kailash, prayer flags, mani stones, and the final few moments of this sacred walk. 

You will have lunch in Darchen. After lunch, switch back into the vehicle, where you will begin the long and winding drive back to Saga. Drive across the plateau where the landscapes you have already seen will repeat: arid grasslands, wide valleys, and you will notice the peaks in the distance, possible small settlements of nomadic herders and yaks. Road conditions may be dusty or gravel in places, and the wind may swirl. 

You will arrive in Saga in the evening, and it is a guest house for your dinner and overnight accommodations. Now is the time to rest for the day after the physical exertion of walking the parikrama. Rest well, many pilgrims reflect on this epic journey.

After breakfast in Saga, your vehicle departs toward Kerung. Depending on the route taken, it is about 165-230 kilometers and takes approximately 6-7 hours to drive. You will retrace through passes and plateau landscape, which will begin to transition to greener valleys as the elevation lowers.

Lunch for the journey will either be in a Tibetan‐style town or a roadside lodge. The landscape will, once again, transition: the dry plateau will give way to a greener environment with more vegetation, and as you continue to descend toward lower elevation heading toward Kerung, the river valleys will follow. The temperatures will warm up slightly. 

You will arrive in Kerung by early evening. You will dine on simple meals, either at a guesthouse or a guest lodge. You will stay overnight in Kerung, and hopefully have time to rest and check the documents for exit and border formalities. 

You will have breakfast in Kerung in the morning hours, and then cross the border. You will go through immigration, drive through the Nepali hills, and down into the lush forested valleys. You will pass towns like Syabrubesi, and possibly Dhunche, Trishuli, etc. In terms of road conditions, you will be traversing winding mountain roads, with sometimes some potholes, sometimes paved highways, sometimes dirt, and steep descents. 

At lunch, you will either stop in a Nepali roadside town or a local restaurant and have a Nepali dal bhat with potatoes and vegetables. After lunch, you continue through the hills and over terraces, rivers, and forests, and the air warms up and intensifies in vegetation. As you get closer to Kathmandu, the cultural density and building density increase, and traffic will increase. 

You will arrive in Kathmandu in the late afternoon or evening. You can then have a nice dinner in the Thamel district, or at the restaurant nearest to your hotel. You will then stay overnight in Kathmandu. 

On this last day, you will have breakfast at your hotel in Kathmandu. If time allows, according to your flight schedule, you might have time to relax, pack a few last-minute things, do a last-minute shop, or visit a temple near the hotel. Check out of the hotel and transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport, where you will complete your departure.