Mount Kailash
Lake Manasarovar
Mount Kailash
Lake Manasarovar
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lhasa
The classic overland pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, via Lhasa.
Duration
14 Days / 13 Nights
Max altitude
5,630 m
Difficulty
strenuous
Category
Tibet Tours
Best season
May-September
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lhasa is the classic overland route to one of the most sacred sites on Earth. Mount Kailash is revered as the abode of Lord Shiva by Hindus, the centre of the universe by Buddhists and Bon practitioners, and a place of liberation by Jains, few mountains anywhere are held sacred by four faiths at once. Beside it, Lake Manasarovar is considered a sacred, purifying body of water, where pilgrims traditionally bathe or make a symbolic dip.
This itinerary travels via Lhasa rather than the more remote western approach, giving travellers a full introduction to Tibet's cultural heart, the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Tashilhunpo Monastery, before the long drive west across the plateau to Darchen, the starting point for the pilgrimage itself. The centrepiece is the Kailash Kora, a 52km clockwise circumambulation of the mountain's base over three days, crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,630m, physically demanding, and, for the pilgrims who walk it, considered to cleanse a lifetime's karma.
This is a pilgrimage first and a trek second: gradual acclimatisation, oxygen support and an experienced Tibetan guide are built into the itinerary throughout, since altitude, not distance, is what makes this journey serious.
The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street in Lhasa
Lake Manasarovar, considered one of the most sacred lakes on Earth
The full 52km Kailash Kora, crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,630m
Mount Kailash itself, sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon followers
Yak-supported trekking equipment during the three-day circuit
Kathmandu Hotel
Nights 1-3
Lhasa Hotel
Nights 4-5
Shigatse Hotel
Night 6
Saga Guesthouse
Nights 7
Manasarovar Guesthouse
Night 8
Darchen Guesthouse
Night 9
Dirapuk Guesthouse
Night 10
Zuthulpuk Guesthouse
Night 11
Saga Guesthouse
Nights 12
Kathmandu Hotel
Nights 13
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lhasa
SGD 4,320
per person · 14 Days / 13 Nights
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Your itinerary
Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, where an HSJ representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest and recover from your flight, settle in, and use the evening to relax ahead of the sightseeing and preparation days ahead.
Airport welcome and transfer
A half-day tour covers two of Kathmandu's most significant sites: Pashupatinath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva, and Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. Both are fitting first stops for a pilgrimage that will end at the mountain many consider Shiva's own throne.
Pashupatinath Temple
Boudhanath Stupa
A deliberately unstructured day before Tibet begins, use it to rest, confirm your documents and permits are in order, do any last-minute shopping for cold-weather gear, or take an optional excursion to Chandragiri Hill for a cable-car view over the Kathmandu Valley.
Free day / optional Chandragiri Hill excursion
An 80-minute flight crosses the Himalayas into Tibet, landing at Gonggar Airport before the drive into Lhasa itself. As with any arrival at this altitude, the priority for the rest of the day is rest and hydration, not sightseeing, your body needs the time to begin adjusting before the pilgrimage continues.
Flight over the Himalayas to Lhasa
A full day exploring Tibet's spiritual capital: the Potala Palace, former winter home of the Dalai Lamas, followed by Jokhang Temple and the pilgrim circuit at Barkhor Street. It's a fitting introduction to Tibetan Buddhism's devotional culture before the journey moves out onto the open plateau.
Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple
Barkhor Street
The route west begins, passing the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake before descending into Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city and traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. This is the first of several long driving days that carry the pilgrimage steadily further from Lhasa and closer to Kailash.
Yamdrok Lake
A long day's drive crosses further onto the high plateau towards Saga, a small town that serves as the last significant stop before the route turns fully remote. The landscape opens into wide grassland and high desert, a preview of the terrain around Kailash and Manasarovar still ahead.
Crossing onto the high plateau
The drive reaches its first truly sacred site: Lake Manasarovar, one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and, for Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon pilgrims alike, a place believed to cleanse the sins of past lives. Many pilgrims take a symbolic dip or perform prayers at the shore on arrival.
Lake Manasarovar
A short drive brings you to Darchen, the small town at Kailash's base and the starting point for the Kora. The rest of the day is for final preparation and rest, checking gear, confirming the yak support team, and resting ahead of three demanding days on the circuit itself.
Arrival at Darchen, the Kora's starting point
The Kailash Kora begins. A short drive to Yamadwar marks the start of the trail, which follows the Lha Chu valley with Kailash's western face in constant view. The day's walk ends at Dirapuk, directly beneath the mountain's iconic north face, for many pilgrims, the most striking single view of the entire journey.
Start of the Kailash Kora
Kailash's North Face from Dirapuk
The hardest day of the pilgrimage. The trail climbs steeply to the Dolma La pass at 5,630m, the Kora's highest point, marked by prayer flags and, for many pilgrims, an intensely emotional moment of arrival, before a long, knee-testing descent to Zuthulpuk. Long, physically demanding, and considered the ritual heart of the entire circumambulation.
Dolma La pass, 5,630m, the Kora's highest point
A shorter final walk completes the circuit back to Darchen, closing the 52km Kora. From there, the group returns to vehicles for the long drive back east towards Saga, the pilgrimage's physical centrepiece is now behind you, and the remaining days retrace the route home.
Completing the Kailash Kora
A long final driving day crosses back over the plateau to the border town of Kerung, where Chinese and Nepalese immigration formalities are completed, before the descent through Nepal's hills back to Kathmandu, a dramatic drop in both altitude and landscape after nearly two weeks on the plateau.
Nepal-Tibet border crossing at Kerung
A final breakfast in Kathmandu before your airport transfer and onward flight home. Should you wish to extend your stay in Nepal, HSJ can arrange additional nights, transport and sightseeing beyond this itinerary.
Airport departure transfer
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary, activities, and accommodation are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, or local availability.
Featured Hotels
We work with these or similar hotels to guarantee a comfortable stay. Accommodation may vary based on availability.
Kathmandu Hotel
Nights 1-3
Lhasa Hotel
Nights 4-5
Shigatse Hotel
Night 6
Saga Guesthouse
Nights 7
Manasarovar Guesthouse
Night 8
Darchen Guesthouse
Night 9
Dirapuk Guesthouse
Night 10
Zuthulpuk Guesthouse
Night 11
Saga Guesthouse
Nights 12
Kathmandu Hotel
Nights 13
Available dates
Departure
Duration
Seats
Adults
10 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026
14 days
Open
Adults
1
Everything you need to know.
It's a 14-day overland pilgrimage from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet, travelling via Lhasa rather than the more remote direct western route. The centrepiece is the Kailash Kora, a sacred 52km circumambulation of the mountain's base over three days, crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,630m.
No. While the Yatra is a genuine pilgrimage for Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon travellers, it also welcomes travellers drawn to Kailash and Manasarovar for their remoteness, natural beauty and cultural significance rather than religious observance. The itinerary and support are the same either way.
It's the most physically demanding part of the journey, a 52km trek over three days, including a climb to the Dolma La pass at 5,630m on day two, the hardest single day of the trip. Good baseline fitness and prior high-altitude experience are strongly recommended; yaks carry the heavier equipment, but the walking itself cannot be shortened.
Altitude is the defining risk of this journey, Lhasa alone sits at 3,650m, and the Kora's high point at 5,630m is higher than Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side. The itinerary builds in gradual acclimatisation days, and oxygen and a first aid kit travel with the group throughout, but travellers should still discuss the trip with a doctor beforehand, particularly with any heart or lung conditions.
Singapore passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days, so no separate Chinese visa is required. A Tibet Travel Permit is still mandatory for the Tibet portion of the trip, arranged only through a licensed agency alongside your booked tour and guide, HSJ handles this once your passport details are confirmed, typically requiring at least 15 days' lead time.
May to September, when the high passes are clear of snow and the overland route to western Tibet is most reliably passable. July and August coincide with the most stable weather on the Kora itself, though this is also the busiest pilgrim season.
Fly Singapore to Kathmandu directly (around 5 hours) on Singapore Airlines or Scoot. Given the trip's physical demands, we'd recommend arriving in Kathmandu a day or two before Day 1 to recover from the flight and adjust before the altitude gain begins.
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SGD 4,320
14 Days / 13 Nights