Traveling to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake can be done from three different directions: Lhasa, Kathmandu, and Kashgar. In addition to popular overland routes to Mt. Kailash, there are also options for flying to Ngari Gunsa Airport, which provides quicker access to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar from Lhasa and Kashgar.

Whether starting from Lhasa, Kathmandu, or Kashgar, and whether traveling by land or air, each route promises a unique adventure to the sacred mountain and holy lake. Just follow our comprehensive guide to navigate your way to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.

1. Where is Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar?

Lying on the southern edge of the Gandise Mountains, not far from the Chinese border with the Indian state of Uttarakhand, Mount Kailash is 1,211 kilometers (752.5 miles) from Lhasa and 538 kilometers (334.3 miles) from Kathmandu by road. It is possible to get to Mount Kailash from either Lhasa or Kathmandu via the G318 and the G219 national highway. The G219 Xinjiang-Tibet Highway also provides access to Mount Kailash from the north via Kashgar, which is located 1,563.6 kilometers (971.6 miles) away.

Located 47.6 kilometers south of Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar and its twin, Lake Rakshastal, can be reached by car in about 1 hour from Darchen, the starting point for the Kailash Kora. It is often visited before or after completing the Kailash Kora.

Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake are two of the holist Buddhist sites in Tibet

2. Most Popular Overland Route from Lhasa to Mt.Kailash & Manasarovar Lake (15 Days for a Classic Trip)

The overland route from Lhasa to Mount Kailash is one of the most exciting and spectacular road trips in Tibet, traversing almost the entire Tibetan Plateau from east to west. As the most popular route to Mount Kailash, around 90% of tourists and pilgrims take the 15-day Lhasa to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake tour, following the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway for a part of the route.

15 Days Lhasa to Mt.Kailash and Lake Manasarovar Tour Map

Starting from Lhasa is a good way to acclimatize to the high altitude of the Tibetan Plateau. Once you arrive in Lhasa, you will normally spend a couple of days to help reduce the risk of altitude sickness as you travel higher. This acclimatization period also gives you the chance to travel around the holy city and explore iconic landmarks, such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.

Traveling through Gyantse, Shigatse, and Saga, this Mount Kailash tour stops at Mount Everest to take in the view of the world’s highest mountain along the way. After visiting Everest Base Camp in Tibet, the route then follows the G219 through Saga to Darchen, the small town at the foot of Mount Kailash.

The route from Lhasa to Darchen offers stunning Himalayan views and dramatic Tibetan landscapes and scenery. After the 3-day kora around Mount Kailash and a short visit to Lake Manasarovar, you will follow the same route back to Lhasa.

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

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3. The Shortest Overland Route from Kathmandu to Mt.Kailash & Manasarovar Lake (10 Days for a Round Trip)

Traveling from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash is another popular route for a Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, especially among pilgrims from India and Nepal.

Crossing the Gyirong Border, the round trip from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash and back takes 10 days, which is the shortest overland journey to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake.

10 Days Kathmandu to Mt.Kailash and Lake Manasarovar Tour Map

From Kathmandu to Darchen, it takes 2 to 3 days, depending on how fast you travel. But it is a good idea to spend one night at Gyirong Town to acclimatize to the altitude rise from a relatively low altitude in Kathmandu to more than 2,700 meters in Gyirong Town.

After acclimatizing in Gyirong Town, you’ll take a drive up through Gyirong County to the G219 National Highway, which takes you all the way to Darchen without turning off. From Gyirong, the road heads northwest to Saga County, a short but scenic drive, where you will stop for another night, before continuing along the road to Darchen the following morning.

The trip from Saga to Darchen is long, taking 8-9 hours to get to the sacred mountain, but takes you through some of the most stunning grasslands on the plateau, filled with a plethora of plateau wildlife and a multitude of lakes and mountains.

After you complete the Kailash Kora, you can follow the same route back to Kathmandu via the Gyirong border.

10 Days Kailash Pilgrimage Tour from Kathmandu, via Gyirong Port

Tour Route: Kathmandu – Gyirong – Saga – Mt.Kailash – Lake Manasarovar – Darchen – Saga – Gyirong – Kathmandu

Price from USD1749 p.p

4. Challenging Overland Route from Kashgar to Mt.Kailash & Manasarovar Lake (Around 16 Days for an Entire Tour)

Traveling from Kashgar in Xinjiang is the longest overland journey to Mount Kailash covering around 1,549 kilometers (962.5 miles). Following the Xinjiang-Tibet highway, it is also the most challenging overland route to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar because you will drive along the world’s highest drivable road and cross two high-altitude passes that exceed 5,400 meters en route.

(Simple click to enlarge the map)
Kashgar to Kailash Overland Map

Running south from Kashgar (1,270m), the route takes you through several counties in Xinjiang and past the Quanshui Lake (5,137m), enters Rutog County of Ngari Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and runs south along the shores of Bagong Co and over the Mariom La Pass, at 4,725 meters.

Once in Gar County of Ngari Prefecture, the road continues through the county seat of Shiquanhe, once known as Gar Town, through which the Sengge Zangbo River runs. The route continues south into Purang County, and down to the small town of Darchen, the starting point of the Kailash Kora, at 4,575 meters above sea level.

After the Kailash Kora, you can take a short drive to Lake Manasarovar for a refreshing hot spring by the lakeside. Most tourists choose to continue the journey to Lhasa via Saga and Mount Everest area.

The entire journey from Kashgar to Mount Kailash and Lhasa generally takes 16 days. If you want to get back to Kashgar or travel westwards to Nepal via the Gyirong border, the journey might be shorter.

Feel free to share your travel ideas with us. Our experienced local travel experts will help you arrange the best travel route for a Kailash Manasarovar yatra from Kashgar based on your needs.

The Xinjiang to Tibet overland tour via Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.

Insider Tips:
Taking the route from Kashgar to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar involves a rapid altitude increase. Starting from Kargilik County in Kashgar Prefecture, the road maintains a lower altitude before sharply rising to over 3,100 meters within just 45 kilometers, posing a significant risk of altitude sickness.

5. Visit Mt.Kailash & Manasarover Lake during a Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour (13 Days for a Classic Trip)

Though the popular routes to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake are round trips either from Lhasa or Kathmandu, you can actually visit the sacred Mountain on the way through a Tibet Nepal tour by land.

The classic Lhasa to Kathmandu overland tour takes 7 days, while the journey including a visit to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar extends to 13 days. After visiting Everest Base Camp in Tibet, you'll drive north to Darchen via Saga. There, you'll take the epic kora around Mount Kailash and visit Lake Manasarovar over 3 days. Upon completing the Kailash Manasarovar tour, you'll retrace your route to Saga and continue along the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway to Kathmandu via Gyirong.

13 Day Lhasa, Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar and Kathmandu Adventure Tour

Tour Route: Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - EBC - Saga - Darchen - Kailash Trek - Darchen - Saga - Gyirong - Kathmandu

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6. Flight to Mt.Kailash & Lake Manasarovar: 2 hrs from Lhasa/1.5 hrs from Kashgar

Flights to Mount Kailash can only arrive at Ngari Gunsa Airport, located at Shiquanhe in Ngari Prefecture. The Ngari Gunsa Airport is the nearest airport to Mt.Kailash, which is 212 kilometers (131.7 miles) to Darchen, the small town that lies between Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, which makes the journey to Mount Kailash area much shorter and easier. 

The non-stop Lhasa to Ngari flights take around 2 hours and usually depart at around seven or eight in the morning. It is not a daily flight, so you need to check the flight schedule in advance.

From Kashgar, there is one direct flight to Ngari every day, departing at 10:00 a.m. and taking approximately 1.5 hours.

Fly over Mount Kailash and appreciate the stunning view of the sacred mountain from the above.

If you take a flight to the Gunsa Airport and then take a drive to Mount Kailash, you can save much more time. However, altitude is a big issue, as the area of Darchen lies at an elevation of 4,575 meters, an increase of more than 3,000 meters from Kashgar and nearly 1,000 meters from Lhasa.

7. Necessary Travel Documents for All Ways to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar

No matter where you start a trip to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake, the travel permits for a Mount Kailash tour are the same, including a Chinese Visa, the Tibet Travel Permit, the Alien’s Travel Permit, and the Frontier Pass.

Please notice that if you travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar from Nepal, you need to apply for a special Group Visa issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. For Indian pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash, the Tibet Permit can be only arranged by the Pilgrim Center or the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Feel free to contact us for more detailed information if you need help to arrange the travel documents for your trip to Mount Kailash.

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

Conclusion

Located in the far west of Tibet, Mount Kailash is accessible from Lhasa, Kathmandu, and Kashgar, offering around five different options for travel by land or air.

The most popular overland route among tourists is from Lhasa to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake, while pilgrims from Nepal and India often choose the route from Kathmandu by land. The road journey from Kashgar to Mount Kailash is an off-the-beaten-path route, as it is the longest and the most challenging route.

Flights to Ngari Gunsa Airport from Lhasa and Kashgar provide faster access to these revered destinations. But be aware of the rapid altitude rise.

Whichever way you choose to go, just remember to plan your Mount Kailash tour in advance and obtain the necessary travel documents regardless of your starting point.