A Spiritual and Challenging Journey to Mount Kailash: My Tibet Travel Story with Tibet Vista

Planning Stages: How Tibet Vista Simplified My Kailash Adventure - Permits, Border Crossings & Challenges

Tibet Vista helped us navigate through the border crossing and permit situation. The challenge might vary depending on your nationality. Having a USA passport, it was tough - for personal reasons I had to drive twice to Washington, D.C. It may be ideal to have some weeks and months to plan, prepare, and think about the best options to fit your needs.

Tibet Vista prepared all the permits for Mount Kailash tour including the Tibet travel permit and made it all convenient and easy. They recommended that we go during the Saga Dawa festival, and everything lined up into the perfect plan that felt like it was meant to be.

Although I later learned this wasn’t necessary (but was helpful), I prepared myself mentally and physically for the trek up to the Droma La Pass, which climbs to 18,471 feet. I hiked and jogged up and down some miles of hills once or twice a week.

This trip is only suited for adventure travelers or pilgrims willing to endure some suffering - it’s a serious mission to do something amazing, that most people will never do, or cannot do, in their lifetimes - and it should be treated that way. There were some hardships here, but in the end, we learned all these challenges are part of the test of Tibet and Mount Kailash.

The stunning view of the Tibetan Plateau, with clear skies and snow-capped mountains.

Flight from Khatmandu to Lhasa: A Fresh Start on Our Mount Kailash Journey

Khatmandu had made us extremely bored and depressed - as soon as we boarded the plane to Lhasa our spirits were uplifted. With visas and permits in hand, the flight process was easy. We made a new friend on the plane who ended up being one of the special people who joined us on our journey to Mount Kailash from Lhasa.

By the time we had landed and were approaching customs we knew we had made the right choice to come here - and we were already out of breath from the altitude, with the airport being at 11,710 ft. A waiting driver welcomed us to Tibet, and we were on our way to Lhasa excited about what was to come.

The stunning views from the airplane window during the flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

Magical and Mysterious Place in Lhasa: Sacred Sites, New Friendships, and the Calm of Tibet

We were permitted to explore around town with the new friend we had met on the plane on the first day of Lhasa tour. We walked the streets and found restaurants with strange menus, and shops selling yak cheese and exotic Chinese medicinal fungi such as Cordyceps.

We ended our day watching the sun set behind the valley while we were dizzy from walking, talking, and laughing in the thin air. We were enthralled by the atmosphere and energy of the place.

Drepung monastery, the largest monastery in Lhasa.

Our days of guided tour took us to places such as Drepung Monastery, Potala Palace, and Jokhang Temple. The Buddhist sites permeated a peaceful and calm energy that filled my soul with tranquility. Our Tibetan tour guide Kel Sang explained the history of the place, but not too much - leaving the right amount of mystery.

The Potala Palace, the most iconic landmark of Tibet.

Kel Sang had a look of wit and wisdom, and he was as mysterious as our surroundings - sometimes telling us stories and joking a bit about himself here and there. He had a laid back, charismatic aura that drew in other passersby and Tibetans to chat a bit. We really got to know him and over time we grew to adore him. While we followed Kel Sang’s lead, he gave us the option to explore autonomously which everyone appreciated.

The big Tibetan praying wheels outside the monastery.

Our friendly driver and comfortable tour vehicle ensured both comfort and safety throughout our Tibet tour.

Our driver and guide had some years of experience together and really started to work like a dream team as we got closer to Kailash. It seemed like our surroundings were bending to ours and Kel Sang’s will - whenever he spoke with a hotel attendant, restaurant host, or border officer he would always get his way.

We had a small Tibet tour group, all like-minded, and it seemed like everyone was looking for the same thing as my friend and me. We got to know each other well, and the incredible scenery and stops heightened the conversation while we chatted and argued endlessly about interesting topics.

Overcoming Challenges at Everest Base Camp: The Struggles of Altitude, Food, and Friendship

Things started to get challenging once we reached Everest Base Camp. While the surroundings were incredible, the food quality was declining as we got closer to Kailash, and the altitude was getting to us. The beautiful scenery and chatting were a good distraction while each of us contemplated the challenges.

We responded to the adversity in different ways - either physically or mentally, or both - and the closer we got, the more visible it became. I was moody and unable to eat food without serious consequences. One of our comrades was like a mobile pharmacy, who brought a variety of remedies and electrolyte supplements - which was likely pivotal to our success.

Our guides also seemed to be aware and did everything they could to make things more comfortable, while also perhaps being aware this challenge was part of the experience - allowing each of us to deal with it in our own way.

Clear view of Mount Everest from Gawula Pass.

Saga Dawa Festival and the Kora Around Mount Kailash

All the challenges came to a head as a massive traffic jam blocked the entrance to the Saga Dawa festival. It seemed like we were now in the nexus of suffering. Once we finally stepped foot from the bus onto our destination, all the pressure started to release. We all stared in awe while watching the events of the festival unfold, surrounded by thousands of people chanting and throwing paper prayer flags.

The Tibetans were just as delighted to see us as we were them. We were afflicted with a sense of wonderment and a loss of our bearings - exclaiming where the heck are we, and how did we get here? Words lost their meaning as we silently beheld the beginning of the pinnacle and purpose of our journey.

Mount Kailash during Saga Dawa festival with celebrations.

We then started the 3-day kora around mount Kailash, trekking higher and higher - a journey of beauty and suffering, a test of will, and above all, one of the greatest and most satisfying achievements of our lives.

The pent-up energy of wondering whether we’ll make it to the top of Droma La was released after Kailash, and with the explorations into the lakes Manasarovar and Rakshastal, ponderances of ourselves, the earth, and beyond - the time of our lives continued to unfold.

Again, I won’t spoil it too much, as this is something that can only be experienced and not explained - and I believe each experience is personal and unique.

Close-up view of Mount Kailash under Tibet's blue sky.

Stunning views during the three-day Kora around Mount Kailash.

The decent hotel in Darchen was helpful, and I ate what was to be my final meal of substance until long after the Kora.

From Dreamlike Gyirong Valley to Farewell: The Final Days of Our Tibet Adventure and Journey Home

Our group descended into Gyirong Valley to a bizarre town where everything was so different, it was like a theme park. We were in a dream. We could finally take a proper breath of fresh air. We were full of energy and beamed from our success.

Gyirong Town at the border was our last stop in Tibet before moving on to Kathmandu.

We explored the streets and discovered a restaurant with a special dining hall, in an oasis-like temple of delicious cuisine that seemed specially made just for us and surprised even Kel Sang. We ate and listened to each other’s and our Tibetan tour guide Kel Sang’s stories, then continued to explore the city.

My friend’s thirst for beer was finally quenched, and we walked around town and found strange shops and massage parlors, amazed and puzzled by things the Tibetans likely viewed as mundane. We celebrated and enjoyed the final days of Tibet as much as we could.

The restaurant where we had dinner together in Gyirong town.

On the final day we encountered more traffic challenges crossing the border - Kailash’s last test. It was all over too fast at the border to Nepal, and we said our emotional farewells to Kel Sang and our driver.

We then descended the high Himalayas - winding down through immense, green misty valleys on an incredible day long 4WD jeep journey to Kathmandu. The air grew dense and warm, and beheld the forest greens and browns of Nepal rather than the grays and tans of Kailash and Tibet. After all we’d been through, it felt like recalling an old, cherished memory.

Queue up to cross the border into Nepal, with the lush landscape and fresh air.

Each of us was changed by the experience, learning so much about ourselves and others, and about how we handle adverse situations. The tour was over, but we still met with all our new friends in Kathmandu for dinner in what seemed a familiar but different city than before our journey began.

After we returned home, all of us stayed in contact and spent weeks and months discussing and analyzing the trip. We will remember and cherish our short time in Tibet for the rest of our lives.

The winding road from Gyirong to Kathmandu offers a scenic and adventurous journey.

15 Days Kailash and Manasarovar Small Group Tour: A pilgrim’s final fantasy and the greatest overland trip in Tibet.

Tour Route: Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - E.B.C - Saga - Kailash Trek - Darchen - Lake Manasarovar - Saga - Gyirong - Tingri - Lhasa

Price from USD2069 p.p

Join our 15-day Lhasa to Mount Kailash tour to explore the highlights of Tibet and experience the classic pilgrimage route.