Holy Mt. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra using Helicopter some part

Holy Mt. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via west Nepal, with part of the route by helicopter

Holy Mt. Kailash in Tibet, China, is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Himalayan region. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. We have designed a 12-day itinerary via west Nepal: Nepalgunj, Simikot, Hilsa, Taklakot, Mansarovar and Kailash, returning by the same route. Please note that the whole Yatra is not by helicopter.

On this 12-day Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, fixed-wing aircraft are used from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and on to Simikot, and a helicopter is used from Simikot to Hilsa (on the Nepal-China border) and back to Simikot. From Hilsa to Mansarovar and Kailash, we travel by van or bus. This is the shortest route, but we do not strongly recommend it, because flight cancellations are common, which can delay the trip or add to the cost.

We offer three other popular itineraries for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Please review the options below and let us know which one suits you.
Kathmandu, drive to Kerung or Nyalam, Kailash and back to Kathmandu: 13-day overland tour
Kathmandu to Lhasa by air, drive to Kailash and exit via Kerung or Nyalam: 14 days
Fly to Lhasa via a Chinese city, drive to Kailash, return to Lhasa and fly out: 12 days

Earthbound Expeditions has been taking people to Kailash since 1999. We have thousands of satisfied customers from the US, UK, Australia and India. Let us know if you would like to speak to some of them, or you can read our reviews on TripAdvisor.

Please let us know if you are interested in any of the above itineraries. We can also customise the itinerary to suit your needs or interests, for example by adding Everest Base Camp in Tibet, the Guge Kingdom, Tirthapuri, the Limi Valley, Muktinath or the Damodar Kunda area.

Mount Kailash, which is believed to have formed 30 million years ago when the Himalayas were in their early stages of formation, is one of the most revered places in the Himalayas.
At 6,740 metres, Mt. Kailash is a high peak situated north of the main Himalayan range, entirely within Tibet, China, beyond the far west of Nepal.

Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash are two of the holiest pilgrimage areas for followers of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Bon and many other faiths. Each year thousands of devotees make the demanding journey through the mountains and plains of Nepal and China (Tibet) to reach this sacred land.

For Hindus, Mount Kailash is the earthly form of Mt. Meru, their spiritual centre of the universe. It is described as a 'world pillar' 84,000 miles high around which everything else revolves, with its roots in the lowest hell and its summit touching the heavens. On its summit live their most revered god, Lord Shiva (Paramashiva, Kailashapati and MahaRudra), and his consort Parvati.

For Jains and other Indian religious groups, Kailash is the site where Shiva achieved enlightenment.
For the older religion of Bon, it is the site where its founder Shenrab is said to have descended from heaven.

Beside Mount Kailash on the Tibetan plateau lies Lake Mansarovar, a large lake whose colour changes through the day.
A pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and a bath in Lake Mansarovar are believed to bring salvation (Moksha) and wash away the sins accumulated during a lifetime.
For centuries, pilgrims have travelled great distances to seek enlightenment or cleanse themselves of sin, facing harsh weather and, in the past, attacks by bandits.

This journey begins with the drive across the western Himalayas into Tibet to the holy Lake Mansarovar. Here you join the many pilgrims who, for centuries, have travelled to this remote southwestern corner of Tibet to walk around the sacred Mount Kailash, considered to be the centre of the universe.

Kailash holds an important place in Tibetan folk religion. It is regarded as the soul of the country and a protector of all Tibetans. It is the source of four major Asian rivers, the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali, and its isolation from the few surrounding mountains gives it its prominence.

Earthbound Expeditions has been taking people safely to Kailash Mansarovar for the last 20 years, and you benefit from our knowledge and experience. We operate and manage our Kailash Mansarovar tours ourselves rather than passing groups on to local agents.

We aim to run and manage every tour to a high standard.

Our business is driven by passion rather than profit. We also support social causes: we have built 153 classrooms since the earthquake, built many schools and libraries, and run health camps. Please see the link: https://enepaltrekking.com/csr/our-business-is-more-passion-driven-than-profit/. By travelling with us, you support an organisation with a commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Earthbound Expeditions is recommended by Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, the New York Times, the Guardian and many other national and international newspapers and magazines. The leader and co-owner of the company, Mr. Rajan, has led the trip to Kailash Mansarovar more than 18 times, and our support team members are trained professionals with many years of experience on Himalayan expeditions.

Meals, transport and equipment for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
We arrange your Tibet travel permit. We provide a duffel bag, down jacket, sleeping bag, beanie and buff. Our trained cook prepares hot meals every day (South Indian, North Indian and some Western food). You are looked after by caring staff, and we use a good bus and a support truck. We perform a puja and havan at Lake Mansarovar. We provide hot water from the lake on its bank for bathing in a shower tent before the puja and havan, and we prepare prasad. We also bring the havan samagri.

About the Kailash and Mansarovar Parikrama (Kora):

We drive all the way to Mansarovar by bus. The Mansarovar Parikrama is done by bus (provided by the Ngari Kailash Tourism Authority). For the Kailash Parikrama (Kora), we drive to Tharboche (Yama Dwar) and walk from there for 3 days. The total walking distance around Kailash is about 40 km over 3 days: about 14 km on the first day to Dirapuk, about 18 km on the second day via the Dolma La Pass to Zutulpuk, and about 8 km on the third day to the end of the Parikrama.
Those who cannot walk can use a horse, or return to Darchen from Yama Dwar and wait for the others to complete the Kailash Kora.