FAQs About Mt. Kailash Tour

Wild Canyons in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet

To enlighten you a few bits about Mt. Kailash, not only the peak is the holiest pilgrimage site for Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bons, but it also attracts quite a crowd of tourists of others beliefs on non-religious purposes. It is the prime site in the west Tibet, but most of our clients don’t take the Kailash tours just to see the all-year-round snowcapped peak, but the journey, the lone isolated Tibetan experience and the other beautiful sites (like Lake Manasarovar, Guge Kingdom ruins and the three days trek around the peak), these are the experiences that drive them to the far west of Tibet.

Guge Kingdom ruins, Nagri, Tibet

Q: How far is the peak from Lhasa?

A: Mt. Kailash is in Ngari (Ali) prefecture of Tibet, and Ali is about 1,350km from Lhasa. If you include Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse in your journey, it adds up 80km more, making the whole journey 1,430km to Ali.

Q: How cold is Ngari?

A: Well, Ngari lies at an altitude of 4,500m above sea level, and it’s one of the highest in Tibet, so yes, it is cold.

Q: What is the best time to take Kailash tours?

A: As mentions above, Ngari is a cold places, so winters wouldn’t be the best the best time to go there. But the place can be pretty cool throughout the springs and summer which almost are the same there. So, here it is, the best time to take a Kailash tour would be May to September.

Q: What is the procedure for Indian passport holders?

A: If you haven’t read my previous blog (Tibet Visa for Indian Passport Holders), please visit it.

Q: How many days are required to complete a Kailash tour?

A: Explore Tibet has a more than few Kailash tour itineraries with 15 days at the least, but you can shrink your tour by a day or two if you skip the Kailash trekking parts. And you can extend the tour up to 1 month or even more.

Q: How about taking Kailash tour straight from Nepal?

A: Since the Zhangmu border is closed for now and hasn’t yet planned to open for ‘who knows how long’, the Kyirong border port is letting the Chinese tourists pass through to Nepal, and the Kyirong port will open for foreign tourists in June.

Q: What other sites are there in the western Tibet?

A: Among many smaller monasteries and stupas, there is a godly lake called Lake Manasarovar, the prime site Mt. Kailash and a the historic ruins of Guge Kingdom.

Q: Any precautions we need to take for the journey?

A: Yes and no, the altitude wouldn’t be a problem as you will get acclimatised along the long journey, but do take some warm clothes (wind-proof jackets) and sun screen lotion (the place is desert-dry).

About the permits, our agents will arranged all the required permits for your whole trip, all you have to do is to provide the asked-for documents and information. Please check your Kailash tour itineraries.