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How Many Days to Visit Mount Kailash? 16 Days ls Best, 15 Days ls Classic (Upgraded for 2026)
Mount Kailash, the sacred mountain located in far western Tibet, is around 1200 kilometers northwest of Lhasa and 675 kilometers northwest of the Gyirong Border on the way from Lhasa to Kathmandu.
While the most classic Mount Kailash tour takes 15 days from Lhasa, the shortest journey from Kathmandu takes only 10 days. You can also visit Mount Kailash during an overland journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu in 13 days.
To enrich your Mount Kailash tour experience in 2026, the holy year of the horse, we also provide a specially-designed 16 days Mount Kailash tour with an extra day to the gateway of Inner Kora.
Here, we will introduce the detailed itineraries of popular travel routes to Mount Kailash with different travel lengths. Hoping this will help you better arrange your next journey to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
Most Classic: 15-Day Mount Kailash Round Trip from Lhasa
Best for 2026: 16 Day Lhasa to Mount Kailash Tour with Selung Monastery (Gateway to the Inner Kora)
10-Day Mount Kailash Round Trip from Kathmandu: The Shortest Kailash Manasarovar Land Tour
Insider Tips for Customizing Your Private Mount Kailash Tour
Most Classic: 15-Day Mount Kailash Round Trip from Lhasa
The 15-day Lhasa to Mount Kailash tour is the most popular journey to travel from the holy city to the sacred mountain and back.
Upon arrival in Lhasa, you will spend the first 3 days in Lhasa, exploring the iconic landmarks of the Holy City to get a glimpse of Tibetan culture and adapt to the high altitude of Tibet.
Then, you will follow the travel route from Lhasa to Shigatse via the turquoise Yamdrok Lake and ancient Gyantse Town. As the second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse offers another atmosphere of central Tibet.
Visit the turquoise Yamdrok Lake on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse.After a night's stay in Shigatse, you will head to Everest Base Camp in Tibet. The overland journey from Shigatse to the Everest Base Camp takes almost a day, passing through the Gawula Pass and zigzag mountain roads to the top of the world. At the Gawula Pass, you will witness the breathtaking view of the highest Himalayan peaks lining up in front of you.
It’s a lifetime experience to witness the summit of Mount Everest at the Everest Base Camp at around 5,000 meters above sea level. The world’s highest peak looks like a pyramid just in front of you.
Appreciate the stunning view of Mount Everest at Everest Base Camp in Tibet.After enjoying the amazing sunrise over Mount Everest, you will travel to Saga, the transfer juncture of western Tibet. Then, you will enter the Ngari Plateau, heading to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
You will arrive in Darchen on the 7th day. The small town at the foot of Mount Kailash is the base camp for the Kailash trek, where you can prepare supplies and hire a porter if needed.
The classic Kailash trek takes 3 days. And the second trekking day is the most challenging as you need to trek across Dolma La Pass, the highest point along the Kailash trek at 5,630 meters above sea level.
Once you complete your Kailash Kora on the 10th day, you will enjoy a refreshing journey to Lake Manasarovar, touching the holy water, and enjoy the stunning views by the lakeside during a Lake Manasarovar Kora by car.
The following days are for the land journey back to Lhasa. You will arrive in Lhasa on the 14th day, and depart for your next journey or back home on the 15th day.
The entire journey from Lhasa to Mount Kailash takes you through the most popular route across the Tibetan Plateau, from the Holy City to the far west Ngari Plateau via central Tibet and the Mount Everest Region in Tibet. It is an ideal journey to explore all the best of Tibet in one go.
Experience the 3-days Kailash Kora with our Tibetan tour guide.
Join our most classic Mount Kailash tour for your 2026 Kailash Manasarovar Yatra!
Best for 2026: 16 Day Lhasa to Mount Kailash Tour with Selung Monastery (Gateway to the Inner Kora)
Generally, the Kailash Kora takes 3 days, with the first night spent near Dirapuk Monastery and the second near Zutulpuk Monastery.
On the first day, you will start the 13-kilometer trek from Sarshung Valley to Dirapuk Monastery (5,210m). As you hike through the valley at the foot of Mount Kailash, you will enjoy the views of the southern and western slopes of Mount Kailash, with pilgrims along the way. As you arrive in Dirapuk Monastery at 5,210 meters, you can visit the ancient monastery and appreciate the sacred mountain from the monastery courtyard. Staying overnight in the guesthouses near the monastery.
On the second day, you will trek from Dirapuk Monastery to Zutulpuk Monastery (4,790m). This is the most difficult part of the Kailash trek, as you need to complete the 24-kilometer trail and cross the highest point at Dolma La Pass, at 5,639 meters above sea level. After arriving in Zutulpuk Monastery, you can take a short visit to explore the small monastery and stay overnight at the local guesthouse near Zutulpuk Monastery.
The last day of the Kailash trek is quite easy, as you only need to trek about 12 kilometers back to Darchen. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a Lake Manasarovar Kora to refresh yourself by the holy lakeside.
Cross Dolma La Pass on day two of the Mount Kailash trek.For the 2026 Mount Kailash Yatra, we specially provide upgraded Mount Kailash tours with an additional day excursion to Selung Monastery, the starting point of the Inner Kora. Since the Inner Kora is not available recently, the Selung Monastery is the closest point that ordinary tourists can reach to the southern face of Mount Kailash.
At the Selung Monastery, you can light a butter lamp for blessings and wishes of health, longevity, wisdom, and love for all your loved ones. You can also take a short walk around the monastery, find a quiet spot to meditate, draw strength from the sacred mountain, and enjoy inner peace away from the bustling kora trail.
With this upgrade, the ordinary 15-day Mount Kailash tour from Lhasa can be extended to 16 days. You can also arrange this extra day excursion to Selung Monastery to other Mount Kailash tours.
Meditate and find inner peace at Selung Monastery near Mount Kailash’s southern face.
This is our 2026 upgraded Mount Kailash tour with a visit to Selung Monastery and a full Lake Manasarovar Kora!
13-Day Mount Kailash Tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu: Epic Overland Journey through the Himalayas and Gangdese Mountains
If you don’t want to return to Lhasa after visiting Mount Kailash, it is possible to arrange the Mount Kailash Yatra on the way from Lhasa to Kathmandu.
Following the same route as the classic journey to Mount Kailash, you will head directly from Saga to Gyirong after completing the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
The 13-day Lhasa to Kathmandu overland tour with Mount Everest and Mount Kailash is the best journey to travel across the Himalayas, with the most spiritual journey to the sacred Mount Kailash along the epic Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway.
Enjoy smooth travel to Mount Everest and Mount Kailash on the epic overland journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu.
10-Day Mount Kailash Round Trip from Kathmandu: The Shortest Kailash Manasarovar Land Tour
If you are short on time or just want to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar without visiting any other attractions in Tibet. The 10-day Mount Kailash tour from Kathmandu is your best option.
Chosen by most pilgrims who enter Tibet from Nepal, this essential journey takes you directly to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar after crossing the Gyirong Border. After the 3-day Kailash Kora and visit Lake Manasarovar, you will follow the same route back to Kathmandu.
Please Notice
For entering Tibet from Nepal, you also need to obtain a Chinese Visa and the Tibet Travel Permit in advance. If you don’t have a Chinese Visa, you can also apply for the group visa through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Feel free to contact us for more details about visiting Mount Kailash from Nepal.
Join our most popular 2026 overland journey from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash!
Insider Tips for Customizing Your Private Mount Kailash Tour
It is more flexible to customize a private journey to Mount Kailash as you can extend or shorten the journey according to your schedule.
In fact, it is possible to fly from Lhasa to Ngari directly, and then take a drive to Mount Kailash. The Ngari Gunsa Airport, the closest airport to Mount Kailash, is 198.9 kilometers away from Darchen. Upon your arrival, you need to take another 2.5 hours’ drive from the airport to Darchen Town.
The flights to Ngari are limited as only Lhasa, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Kashgar offer flights. There is only one or two flights per day, and no flights during the winter season. You need to check the flight schedule in advance if you plan to fly to Mount Kailash.
It is essential to leave enough time to adapt to the high altitude in western Tibet, especially if you plan to take a short journey to Mount Kailash. If you travel from Lhasa or Kathmandu to Mount Kailash in a few days, it is easy to get altitude sickness as the average altitude of the Mount Kailash kora is over 4,500 meters. Therefore, it is not suggested to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in a rush.
You can customize a private trip to Mount Kailash for a more personal experience.Conclusion
Generally, you can travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in 15 days or 13 days from Lhasa, and 10 days from Kathmandu, covering a classic 3-day Kailash Kora. For a more spiritual experience on the Mount Kailash tour in 2026, we specially provide a day tour to Selung Monastery, which is the starting point of the Inner Kora, which can be added to the general Mount Kailash tour.
Besides the epic overland journey to Mount Kailash, there are also flights from Lhasa to Ngari Gunsa Airport, making it possible to visit Mount Kailash in a shorter time.
However, if you plan to customize a private journey by flight to Mount Kailash, pay attention to altitude sickness, as you may experience a large altitude rise from 3,650 meters to over 4,500 meters.
For further assistance with your Mount Kailash tour plan, feel free to leave your comment below or contact us online. Our dedicated local travel expert will help you arrange the best journey to Mount Kailash based on your needs.
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