Mount Kailash
Sacred to four religions, circled rather than climbed by pilgrims from around the world.
View all 2 photos
Mount Kailash is sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the indigenous Bon religion alike, for Hindus, the abode of Lord Shiva; for Buddhists and Bon practitioners, the axis mundi, the spiritual centre of the universe; for Jains, the site where their first spiritual leader is said to have attained liberation. Few mountains anywhere are held sacred by four faiths at once, and none has ever been climbed, Kailash is circled, not summited.
The Kailash Kora, a 52km clockwise circuit around the mountain's base, is the central pilgrimage ritual, typically completed over three days and crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,630m. Pilgrims believe completing the Kora cleanses the sins of a lifetime; some undertake it through full-body prostration, a journey that can take several weeks.
HSJ's 14-day Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Kora Tour travels via Lhasa, with three days to acclimatise, and completes the 52 km kora over Drolma La with porters.
Highlights
Sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon, never climbed, only circled
The 52km Kailash Kora, crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,630m
Some pilgrims complete the Kora by full-body prostration
The remote far-western Ngari Prefecture, reached by several days' overland travel
Trips that visit Mount Kailash
Practical Info
Address
Darchen, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Opening Hours
Kora access is seasonal, typically May to September
Price
moderate
Entry/Kora permit fee payable locally, arranged with your Tibet Travel Permit
In This Destination
Ngari
Far-western high desert, home to Mount Kailash
On the itinerary