Saga Dawa Festival in 2025: How Our Clients Enjoyed Saga Dawa Festival?

Celebrated across Tibet, the Saga Dawa Festival is one of the most sacred and vibrant times of the year. Honoring the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Buddha, this month-long festival - centered around devotion, giving, and spiritual practice.

To help you fully immerse yourself in Tibet’s most important festival, this guide highlights the key facts and timeline of the Saga Dawa Festival, the top places to experience it, the best ways to take part, and practical travel tips for visiting Tibet during this sacred time.

With vivid photos of our beloved guests on their Kailash tour during this year’s Saga Dawa, we’re confident this review will spark your travel inspiration. Read on to discover the true spirit of Tibet’s most revered festival.

All About the Saga Dawa Festival 2025: Key Facts and When It Happens

In Tibet, Saga Dawa is celebrated on the fourth month in the Tibetan calendar called "Saga." The word "Dawa" means “month” in Tibetan, so Saga Dawa refers to the sacred fourth month. It is also known as the "Month of Merits, " it is a month of donation and giving.

In 2025, the most important day of the festival falls on June 11. Throughout the month, Tibetans engage in meritorious acts such as pilgrimages to sacred sites like Jokhang temple and Mt. Kailash, doing prostrations, Kora and offerings.

The 15th day of the forth month, marked by the full moon, is known as Saga Dawa Düchen, the holiest day of the festival, believed to be the exact date of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana. And Tibetan celebrate this festival by giving and donation.

Saga Dawa is one of the grandest and most widely celebrated Tibetan Festivals, surpassing even the Shoton and Horse Racing Festivals in scale. Monasteries, families, and individuals across the region actively participate in the spiritual observances.

As the longest-running festival of the year, it spans an entire month, with peak celebrations lasting about fifteen days. During this time, Tibet transforms into a land of devotion, filled with flowing crowds, swirling incense, and a deeply spiritual atmosphere.

Our beloved guest prepares to begin the Mount Kailash Kora during the Saga Dawa Festival.

Close distance with Mt.Kailash during the Kora.

Our beloved guest meditates and offers prayers before the sacred Mount Kailash.

A new prayer flagpole is being raised as part of the sacred rituals celebrating the Saga Dawa Festival at Mount Kailash.

Top Two Places to Experience the Saga Dawa Festival: Lhasa and Mount Kailash

While the Saga Dawa Festival is celebrated throughout Tibet, two of the most prominent celebrations take place in Lhasa and Ngari. On a Lhasa tour, festivities are centered around the sacred Jokhang Temple, while in Ngari, the celebration unfolds at the foot of Mount Kailash.

Celebration of Saga Dawa Festival at Mt.Kailash:

The most sacred ritual during the Saga Dawa Festival is the Mount Kailash trek, also known as the Kailash Kora. Pilgrims arrives at the start of the fourth month in the Tibetan lunar calendar, with numbers peaking on the 15th day, when devotees around the world gather to pay homage.

On this holiest day, thousands converge at Darchen, the starting point of the pilgrimage. At dawn, a grand ceremony marks the raising of a towering prayer flagpole, wrapped in thousands of colorful flags fluttering in the wind - a powerful symbol of faith and renewal.

Many pilgrims also perform full-body prostrations along the route. They bow and stretch across the earth, expressing deep devotion through physical movement. More than a ritual, it’s a spiritual journey and personal transformation that inspires all who witness it.

Celebration of Saga Dawa Festival at Lhasa:

Visiting Lhasa during the Saga Dawa Festival offers a powerful insight into Tibetan devotion and compassion. Around temples and sacred sites, you’ll see long lines of people quietly seeking alms. On this day, giving becomes a heartfelt tradition, with locals offering food or small donations.

Pilgrimage routes fill with crowds, especially the three main kora: Barkhor Street Kora, Tsekhor Kora (around Potala Palace), and the Lingkhor Kora (Kora around the old Lhasa town). Along the way, pilgrims pass major landmarks like the Jokhang temple, Potala Palace, Longwangtan park, and Ramoche Temple.

A deeply moving custom during Saga Dawa is the release of animals. Out of compassion, many Tibetans refrain from eating fish, and during the festival, they buy live fish from markets and release them into rivers. Others free chickens, ducks, and other animals into the wild. The banks of Lhasa river become scenes of these powerful acts of mercy.

Sang rituals - incense offerings - are held at temples and sacred sites, with Jokhang Temple hosting one of the most elaborate. Thick smoke rises as juniper branches crackle in the fire. Worshippers toss tsampa into the flames and add sprigs of juniper while chanting prayers. Many then bow before sacred stones, touching them with both hands in solemn reverence.

Local pilgrims in Lhasa make their way to Jokhang Temple to perform the kora during the Saga Dawa Festival.

Our beloved guest hangs prayer flags during the Mount Kailash kora.

Performing sacred rituals to pray for blessings during the Mount Kailash kora.

Locals show devotion during Saga Dawa with full-body prostrations.

The Best Way to Experience the Festival: Join the Mount Kailash Kora with Locals

The Saga Dawa Festival at Mount Kailash is the most sacred celebration site, thanks to its location at the foot of Tibet’s holiest mountain. The best way to experience it is on a 16-day Mt.Kailash Kora during Saga Dawa festival from Lhasa.

The journey begins in Lhasa, where you’ll acclimate while exploring iconic sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and the Sera and Drepung Monasteries and experience the festival atmosphere at the center of Tibet. From there, you travel 1,577 kilometers overland to Mount Kailash, passing through Tibetan towns and scenic highlights along the way.

After exploring Mount Everest and Tashilhunpo Monastery along the way, your journey continues to Mt. Kailash. Upon reaching Tarboche near Darchen, you'll witness powerful rituals - including Buddhist chanting, incense offerings, and the symbolic raising of the prayer flagpole.

After the ceremony, you'll begin the 4-day, 52-kilometer trek around Mount Kailash. Known as Tibet’s most challenging kora, the circuit starts and ends in Darchen and passes three monasteries. You’ll spend nights at two of them and cross the high Dolma La Pass at 5,630 meters. On the forth day, you’ll have the opportunity to touch Mt.Kailash.

Tours begin in Lhasa, offering the chance to join the celebrations at the center of Tibet.

Watch the lively monk debates at Sera Monastery.

The vibrant blue waters of Yamdrok Lake are a highlight on the journey from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash.

After exploring Mt. Everest, proceed to Darchen to begin the sacred Kailash Kora.

16 Days Kailash and Manasarovar Small Group Tour: Reach the Gateway to the South Face of Kailash with the Spiritual Kailash Kora

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

Price from USD2419 p.p

More Photos of Our Beloved Clients Enjoy the 2025 Saga Dawa Festival in Tibet

During this year's Saga Dawa Festival, we had the privilege of accompanying nearly 70 groups - around 700 international travelers - on their journeys to Mount Kailash. Most began their pilgrimage in Lhasa, while many others started from Kathmandu via the Gyirong border.

As the leading inbound tour operator in Tibet, we at Tibet Vista are dedicated to providing our guests with the most authentic travel experience. With 2026 marking the Year of the Horse - a particularly auspicious year for the Kailash Kora - we expect even more pilgrims, as it is believed that Kora the sacred mountain during this time brings greater spiritual merit.

If you’re planning to visit Mount Kailash and complete the sacred Kora during the 2026 Saga Dawa Festival, we recommend reaching out to us early to reserve your spot. We’ll take care of everything - from Tibet travel permits to Tibet train tickets - ensuring you a worry-free Kailash journey.

Distant views of Mt. Kailash with ideal weather conditions in June.

Interacting with local Tibetans during the Mt.Kailash kora is another highlight.

The ceremony of raising the prayer flagpole is the highlight of the celebration.

Helpful Tips for Visiting Tibet During the Saga Dawa Festival

#1: It’s acceptable to eat meat in restaurants, but never request the killing of live animals such as chickens or fish on the spot.

#2: When joining a kora (circumambulation) with a crowd, always follow the clockwise direction- never go against the flow. If you choose to participate, it's best to complete the full circuit.

#3: Don’t casually touch or photograph animals like sheep or dogs that are accompanying their owners during the kora. Also, avoid touching children’s heads, as it’s considered disrespectful.

#4: When giving alms to those seeking donations, don’t offer large sums of money. Instead, follow the local custom by giving modestly, as others do.

#5: Avoid fishing in ponds or rivers during the Saga Dawa Festival.

Conclusion

The Saga Dawa Festival offers a rare window into the heart of Tibetan spirituality, compassion, and tradition. Whether you're joining the sacred kora around Mount Kailash or witnessing the vibrant rituals in Lhasa, this month-long celebration is a deeply moving experience.

With 2026 marking the auspicious Year of the Horse, it’s the perfect time to plan your journey. To fully embrace the magic of Saga Dawa, early preparation is essential - Contact us now and be part of one of Tibet’s most profound spiritual events.