14 days
₽320,000per person
5 places leftDeparture confirmed
Mount Kailash. The classic kora
The classic route around Mount Kailash
Route at a glance
Duration
11–14 days
Distance
52 km of kora
Maximum altitude
5630 m, the Drolma La pass
Difficulty
Moderate, some preparation needed
Accommodation
3* hotels, guesthouses on the kora
Meals
Breakfasts and lunches on the way
Best season
May to October
About the route
The kora is a clockwise circuit of the sacred mountain, 52 kilometres over three days. Tibetans walk it in a day, pilgrims from India in four. We take three, with nights in Dirapuk and Zutulpuk: this pace has been tested and suits a person without mountain experience but in ordinary good health.
Before the kora comes a week of gradual altitude gain: Lhasa, Shigatse, Saga, Lake Manasarovar. This is not a box-ticking itinerary but physiology: going straight up to 5000 m ends in altitude sickness rather than impressions.
The main day is the Drolma La pass, 5630 m. We set out in the dark, walk slowly and do not linger at the top. Then the descent to Zutulpuk and a gentle closing of the circle in Darchen.
Route highlights
Lhasa
Shigatse
Lake Manasarovar
Mount Kailash
Day by day
- Day 11
Lhasa. Arrival and acclimatisation
Arrival in Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. A day without exertion: at 3650 m the body simply needs to adjust. An evening walk through the Barkhor quarter.
Altitude: 3650 mTrek: —
- Day 22
Lhasa. The Potala and the Jokhang
The Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and a walk around the Barkhor with pilgrims. A calm pace and many steps — a chance to check how you feel at altitude.
Altitude: 3650 mTrek: — - Day 33
Lhasa — Shigatse
Driving over the Kamba La pass with views of turquoise Lake Yamdrok and the Karo La glacier. In Shigatse, Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lamas.
Altitude: 3850 mTrek: 350 km - Day 44
Shigatse — Saga
A long drive west across the Tibetan plateau. The landscape changes: instead of valleys, open highland with nomad camps and herds of yaks.
Altitude: 4600 mTrek: 450 km - Day 55
Saga — Lake Manasarovar
Reaching the sacred lake at 4590 m. The first view of Mount Kailash from the south. A night by the water is the best preparation before the kora.
Altitude: 4590 mTrek: 500 km
- Day 66
Lake Manasarovar — Darchen
A short drive to Darchen, the village at the foot of Mount Kailash where the kora begins. Sorting gear and an early night.
Altitude: 4600 mTrek: 40 km
- Day 77
Darchen — Dirapuk. The first day of the kora
Twenty kilometres along the Lha Chu valley. The west face of Mount Kailash stays alongside for most of the day. Night in a guesthouse by Dirapuk Monastery, facing the north face — the one seen in every photograph.
Altitude: 5050 mTrek: 20 km
- Day 88
Dirapuk — the Drolma La pass — Zutulpuk
The main day of the kora. Setting out before dawn and climbing to the Drolma La pass at 5630 m, the highest point of the route. We do not linger at the top: the descent to Lake Gauri Kund and on down the valley to Zutulpuk. Twenty-two kilometres and almost twelve hours on the move.
Altitude: 5630 m / overnight at 4790 mTrek: 22 km
- Day 99
Zutulpuk — Darchen. The kora is complete
The last ten kilometres along the gentle Zhong Chu valley. The circle closes in Darchen. Rest during the day and a quiet conversation in the evening about how it went.
Altitude: 4600 mTrek: 10 km
- Day 1010
Darchen — Saga
The start of the way back. The altitude drops gradually and breathing is noticeably easier by evening.
Altitude: 4600 mTrek: 500 km - Day 1111
Saga — Shigatse
Driving east along a now familiar road, with a night in Shigatse.
Altitude: 3850 mTrek: 450 km - Day 1212
Shigatse — Lhasa. Departure
Back to Lhasa and the flight home. If you wish, the programme can be extended by two days in Lhasa or by a trip to the Everest base camp.
Altitude: 3650 mTrek: 280 km
Route photos
What is included
- Accommodation as per the programme (3* hotels, guesthouses on the kora)
- Breakfasts and packed lunches on the route
- Transport within Tibet and transfers
- A Russian-speaking group leader for the whole route
- A local Tibetan guide and driver
- Permits for the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Mount Kailash area
- Entrance tickets to the monasteries in the programme
- Oxygen cylinders and the group first-aid kit
What is not included
- International flights to Kathmandu or Lhasa and back
- The Chinese visa and the group visa for Tibet
- Insurance covering altitudes up to 6000 m
- Dinners and drinks
- A porter or a horse on the kora
- Personal expenses, souvenirs and tips
Mount Kailash is not just a place on the map. It is a path to yourself that stays with you for good.— Alexey, expedition participant
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