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2027 season

Kailash Mansarovar
Yatra

The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is not a holiday, and the journeys that reach it are planned around altitude, weather and permits.

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  • 4,890 mHighest night
  • 3 days on footThe Kora
  • 9 to 14 daysJourney length
  • Nepal and TibetThrough

Mount Kailash beyond Lake Mansarovar

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2027 dates are not out yet

The Government of India has not yet announced the 2027 schedule or registration dates. They are published on kmy.gov.in, and places on the official Yatra are allotted by a computerised draw. Private journeys through Nepal run on their own operator dates and are separate from the official Yatra.

Get the dates when they open

Start here

Two ways to make
the same journey

They are separate things with separate paperwork, and mixing them up costs people a season.

Organised by the Government of India

The official Yatra

Run by the Ministry of External Affairs over two passes, with places allotted by a computerised draw. You apply, then wait to be selected.

  • Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, or Nathu La Pass in Sikkim
  • Indian passport, age limits and a medical screening
  • Applications through kmy.gov.in
Compare the two passes

Run privately through Nepal

A private journey

Travels from Nepal into Tibet on its own dates, with no ballot to win. Permits, itinerary, cost and border arrangements are all separate from the official Yatra.

  • Fixed departures, by helicopter or overland
  • Tibet China visa and permits arranged for the group
  • Open to Indian and foreign passport holders
See our two journeys

The official Yatra

Lipulekh
or Nathu La

Both are official. One is the traditional trekking route, the other the gentler alternative.

What you are choosingLipulekh PassUttarakhandNathu La PassSikkim
StatusTraditional official routeAlternative official route
Running since19812015
Approximate durationAbout 22 daysNot stated in the official sources
Approximate costAbout Rs 2.09 lakh per personNot stated in the official sources
Trekking loadAbout 200 km of trekkingTypically less trek-heavy than Lipulekh
Agency on the Indian sideKMVNSTDC
SuitsPilgrims who want the traditional route and are comfortable with long trekking.Travellers who prefer a less strenuous journey with official logistics on the Indian side.

Where a figure is missing, the official sources do not state one. Confirm everything on kmy.gov.in before you apply.

How the official application works

  1. Check your eligibility on kmy.gov.in.
  2. Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months from the year of travel.
  3. Fill in the online application and choose your route.
  4. Upload the documents and complete the declarations.
  5. Wait for the computerised draw of lots.
  6. If you are selected, complete the medical screening for high altitude travel.
  7. Follow the logistics for your route: KMVN for Lipulekh, STDC for Nathu La.
  8. Attend the pre-departure briefing and travel with your assigned batch.

What you need to have ready

For the official Yatra

  • An Indian passport valid for at least six months from the year of travel
  • The online application completed on kmy.gov.in
  • Passport size photographs as the portal asks for
  • Scanned copies of your passport
  • The declarations and undertakings the portal requires
  • Medical fitness documents, after selection
  • Any route specific forms from KMVN or STDC

For a private journey

  • A colour scan of your passport, for the permit application
  • An ordinary passport valid six months or more. Diplomatic passports are not accepted
  • Your original passport with four photographs, for the China visa stamp
  • Indian passport holders should also carry a voter card
  • Foreign passport holders reach Kathmandu three working days early for the Chinese visa

The ground

The two ways in,
drawn out

The Indian route over Lipulekh, and the Nepal route that our journeys use.

Route map of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh Pass, from Delhi and Kathgodam through Almora, Dharchula and Gunji to Lipulekh, Taklakot, Mansarovar and Mount Kailash
Via Lipulekh Pass, the traditional Indian route
Route map of Nepal and the Kailash Yatra, showing the roads and helicopter legs from Kathmandu and Nepalganj through Simikot and Hilsa to Taklakot, Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash in Tibet
Via Nepal, by road and by helicopter

The Nepal overland route

Kathmandu to Darchen,
3,300 metres upward

Read left to right and you are climbing. The gap between two stops is why the journey takes the days it does.

  1. 1,300 mKathmanduWhere the journey is prepared: documents, briefing and group arrangements.
  2. 1,600 mSyabrubesiThe first long mountain drive, and the last Nepali town before the border.
  3. 2,900 mKerungThe border crossing into Tibet, and the first real acclimatisation stop.
  4. 4,450 mSagaA remote, open stretch of the plateau. Travel slowly and drink more water here.
  5. 4,500 mLake MansarovarFor most pilgrims the emotional centre of the journey.
  6. 4,600 mDarchenThe base for the Kora. Gear, warm clothing and papers are checked here.
Pack horses and walkers on a green hillside trail in Nepal
The Nepal side, before the plateau
A group of pilgrims standing on the shore of Lake Mansarovar
Lake Mansarovar, 4,500 m

The parikrama

The Kailash Kora

The Kora is the sacred walk around Mount Kailash, three days on foot from Yamadwar back to the road head at Maniwall. It is hard work, and the reason is the altitude rather than the gradient: the highest night is at Derapuk, 4,890 m, and even a fit walker finds the days longer than the distances suggest.

Not everyone walks it, and the journeys are planned for that. Pilgrims who are not walking go to Yamadwar, take darshan of Mount Kailash, complete three parikramas there and wait at Darchen while the rest of the group is on the circuit. Horses can be hired for the long middle day.

  1. 4,730 mYamadwarThe gateway where the Kora begins. Pilgrims who do not walk the full circuit come here, take darshan and turn back.
  2. 4,890 mDerapukDay one of the Kora, about 12 km on foot, facing the north face of Kailash.
  3. 4,790 mZuthulphukDay two, about 22 km. The longest day, demanding because of the altitude rather than the climb.
  4. 4,600 mManiwallAbout 8 km down to the road head, where the vehicles wait.
Pilgrims with trekking poles standing below the north face of Mount Kailash
Below the north face, on the first day of the Kora

Our journeys

Two ways we take you,
both through Nepal

One trades days for helicopter legs. The other treats the road as part of the pilgrimage.

From Lucknow

Kailash Mansarovar by Helicopter

The short route. A flight to Simikot and a helicopter over the Himalaya to Hilsa cut out the long overland drive, so the whole pilgrimage fits into nine days from Lucknow.

  • 9 days, 8 nights
  • Flight, helicopter and road
  • Highest night 4,890 m
On request for 2027Full itinerary

From Kathmandu

Kailash Mansarovar by Road

The classic overland pilgrimage. Fourteen days from Kathmandu across Nepal and the Tibetan plateau, with two acclimatisation days built in and the road journey treated as part of the pilgrimage rather than a transfer.

  • 14 days, 13 nights
  • Overland by road
  • Highest night 4,890 m
On request for 2027Full itinerary

Before you go

What actually
makes this easier

None of it is expensive, and all of it has to start months before you travel.

  • Start earlyDocuments, clothing and health checks all take longer than people expect. None of it can be done in the last week.
  • Walk before you goRegular walking in the months before the journey does more for you than anything you can buy.
  • Pack for coldWeather on the plateau changes within an hour. Layers matter more than one heavy coat.
  • Drink more than you want toHydration is the simplest defence against altitude, and the easiest to neglect.
  • Move slowlyRushing is what makes people ill. Rest when your body asks, not when the schedule allows.
  • Keep papers within reachPassport and permits are checked often, and on a cold morning in a queue you will want them in a pocket, not a bag.

What to pack

  • Windproof jacket, a thick warm pullover and a raincoat
  • Thermal underlayers, warm full sleeve t-shirts and four cotton t-shirts
  • Four pairs of trousers, five pairs of warm woollen socks and warm gloves
  • Trekking shoes and a pair of rubber sandals
  • Monkey cap and sun hat, sunglasses
  • Strong sun cream, lip balm and moisturiser
  • A one litre water bottle, a torch with spare batteries and a dust mask
  • Your regular medicines and a personal first aid kit

Good to know

Temperature
Between May and August, roughly 4 to 20 C by day and minus 1 to 10 C at night.
Age limit
The Chinese authorities do not permit the Kailash parikrama for pilgrims aged 65 or above.
Oxygen
A cylinder travels with the group for emergencies. Most pilgrims never need it, and some prefer to carry a small portable one, which can be bought in Tibet.
Food
Cooks travel with the group for the whole journey and carry their own equipment. Meals are Indian vegetarian throughout.
Money
Indian rupees are accepted in Nepal but not in Tibet. Currency is exchanged into yuan on arrival.
Phone and internet
A Chinese SIM can be bought at Kerung or Taklakot. It receives calls and gives you internet, but will not place outgoing calls.
Photography in Tibet
Chinese law prohibits photographs, recordings and printed material of a political nature, including anything relating to the Dalai Lama. This is enforced.
Carry emergency cash
Keep about Rs 50,000 aside. If weather or an evacuation adds a night or a flight, it is paid on the spot.
Prayer flags strung from a pole against the mountains on the Kailash circuit

This is not a leisure tour. Weather, roads and border formalities all change without notice, and the journey is planned to absorb that rather than pretend it will not happen.

Questions pilgrims ask

Before you
commit to 2027

When do the 2027 dates open?

The Government of India had not announced the 2027 schedule or registration dates at the time of writing. They are published on kmy.gov.in, and selection for the official Yatra is by computerised draw. Private journeys through Nepal run on their own dates and do not use the ballot.

What is the difference between the official Yatra and a private journey?

The official Yatra is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand or Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, and you have to be selected in a draw. A private journey travels through Nepal into Tibet, has no ballot, and has its own permits, itinerary, cost and border arrangements. They are separate things, and the details of either should be confirmed with the operator and the authorities before you commit.

Do I have to walk the Kora?

No. The Kora is the three-day walk around Mount Kailash and it is demanding because of the altitude rather than the gradient. Pilgrims who are not walking it go to Yamadwar, take darshan of Mount Kailash and complete three parikramas there, then wait at Darchen while the group walks. The journey is planned so this is a normal choice, not a failure.

How high does the journey go?

The highest night is at Derapuk, 4,890 m. Lake Mansarovar is 4,500 m and Darchen 4,600 m. Both journeys build in acclimatisation days before reaching that height, which is why neither is shorter than it looks.

How fit do I need to be?

Fit enough to walk for several hours on consecutive days at altitude. Being fit at sea level does not make the altitude easier, which surprises people every year. Walking regularly in the months beforehand is the preparation that actually helps.

What happens if the weather closes the route?

The helicopter and flight legs depend on weather, and the roads on the plateau depend on conditions. If a leg cannot run, the plan changes, and costs from that change are not part of the journey price. This is why you carry emergency cash and why the journey is not planned to the last minute.

Plan your 2027

Tell us your dates.
We will plan the rest.

Leave your number and a trip expert will call you back with the route that fits your fitness and your paperwork, and with the 2027 dates as soon as they are announced.

  • Honest advice on whether to apply for the official Yatra or travel privately
  • Permits, visas and the document trail handled for you
  • A plan built around acclimatisation, not around the shortest possible trip

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