Asthapath Tirthapuri with Kailash Darsan Yatra 11 Days

Your holy trip will start after having breakfast in Kathmandu at your hotel, you will then drive to Nepal-Tibet border. The 160 Km drive will take around 6-7 hours and takes us through winding mountain roads, terraced fields and traditional nеpаlі vіllаgеs. You’ll take a lunch break along the way at an area with a restaurant. They you’ll cross the friendship bridge at Rasuwagadhi - be prepared for lengthy immigration procedures on both sides, have all your paperwork easily accessible.

Arrival Tibet via Gyirong Port and then drive to the town of Kyirung which is located in a valley. The drive has stunning views of the Himalayas. Arrive and check-in to your guesthouse followed by dinner. The night is for rest while your body acclimatizes to the altitude. Kettle with hot water is available for your tea. This first day is a lot of paperwork, so patience is needed.

Today, after breakfast, the very important acclimatisation day will be spent resting and acclimatising to the high altitude of 2,800m. Your body needs to acclimatise before ascending to higher altitudes in Tibet.

You can take leisurely walks in and around Kyirung town, visit the ancient Kyirung monastery, and explore the local markets. Many tourists visit the famous Kyirung hot springs (sulfur springs), which are believed to have medicinal value. Lunch will be taken in the guesthouse (rice, vegetables, soup). You can mingle with the locals and get a glimpse of the traditional lifestyle of the Tibetans.

Today, you can meditate and mentally prepare yourself for the journey. Veg dinner will be served. Drink 3-4 litres of water to avoid altitude sickness. Rest well tonight.

Pro Tip: walk slowly, and you can take Diamox after consulting your doctor. You can carry water bottles to drink the hot water that the guesthouses provide.

Have an early breakfast of tea, toast, and porridge before starting the first major ascent into the Tibetan Plateau region. Take a light lunch box provided by the guesthouse. The drive of 260 kilometres takes you through high mountain passes, including the Gyatso La Pass at 5,200 meters, with spectacular views of the Himalayas.

The landscape becomes less green and extends over the plateau, which can be quite windy at times. You’ll travel across the less densely populated area of Tibet, where you see yaks grazing on open grassland and nomad herders with their animals.

Take lunch at a food joint along the highway, serving noodles, rice, and vegetables. The drive follows the Brahmaputra River, referred to as the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. The air thins out significantly. Saga, the important stopover point, has very comfortable accommodation facilities.

Upon arrival, check into the guesthouse and have hot soup and dinner at the hotel, consisting of rice, dal, mixed vegetables, and chapati. The open vistas and the mountain ranges make the long drive very scenic indeed. Retire early, as the next day's drive is even longer.

The first darshan of the sacred Lake Mansarovar, its tranquil blue waters shimmering in the clear mountain light before the almighty Mount Kailash, is an unforgettable experience that transforms every pilgrim.

Breakfast will be early bread, jam, tea and cereals. It's the longest drive of the bunch, but also the sweetest. A packed lunch will be arranged. Today's drive will take you deeper into the wilderness of western Tibet. Cross the Mayum La Pass at 5,200m. The first glimpse of the pristine Lake Mansarovar (Mapam Yumtso) with the majestic Mount Kailash reflected in the waters of this sacred lake is simply breathtaking. Many pilgrims are known to cry with emotion. 

This sacred lake is of immense religious significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. Pilgrims perform their puja ceremonies at the shores of this holy lake. Brave pilgrims even take holy dips in the freezing waters of this holy lake. Please note that pilgrims should limit their holy dip in the waters of this holy lake to 2-3 minutes maximum.

Dinner will be served at the lakeside guesthouses. Walk around the shores of this holy lake, and you will experience the spiritual energy emanating from it. Stay overnight in simple accommodations near this holy lake.

Pro Tip: After taking a bath in the holy waters of Mansarovar Lake, pilgrims are advised to immediately get into warm and dry clothes. Take into account that even during the summertime, the water in this holy lake is freezing cold.

Wake up early in the morning to witness a magical sunrise over Lake Mansarovar, with first light touching the majestic peaks of Mount Kailash. After breakfast with hot tea, bread, and porridge, and morning prayers, proceed to Tirthapuri, a sacred pilgrimage centre, located 70 km away. This site has natural hot water springs with medicinal qualities, ancient meditation caves of Guru Padmasambhava, and the Tirthapuri monastery.

There is also a hot water spring for both males and females, where you can rejuvenate yourself in warm water. Lunch is packed. Spend a few hours there and then proceed to Darchen, base camp for Kailash parikrama. Darchen is a small village where you can find basic stores for trekking gear, oxygen cylinders, and instant noodles. Dinner is available in the guesthouses. Rest early, as acclimatisation trekking begins the next day.

Have a very early breakfast. You will then prepare for tomorrow, set out on perhaps the most difficult and challenging trek of your life, the parikrama of Mount Kailash." Ashtapath, situated 2-3 hours from Darchen, is a Jain holy site, being the place of salvation of Rishabha.

You'll be taking a moderate trek to acclimatise your body to the altitude and to test your physical fitness levels. On the way, you'll be able to get a close look at the southern face of Mount Kailash. At Ashtapath, you'll be able to find prayer flags, stupas, and meditation spots where devotees circumambulate and offer prayers. You'll be returning to Darchen by the afternoon and having a hot lunch at the guest house.

This is an essential acclimatisation hike that will help us identify anyone who is having serious altitude problems before we proceed to the full parikrama. Prepare the gear, and ensure that the porters/yaks are arranged to carry the luggage. Daypacks to be under 5 kg, containing essentials only. Dinner will include a healthy meal. Early rest is mandatory.

Pro Tip: Pack only essentials for the 3-day kora: water bottles, high-energy snacks like nuts, chocolates, energy bars, warm clothes, rain gear, sunscreens, basic medications, toilet paper, and wet wipes. Porters/yaks will carry the luggage.

Starting the sacred kora around Mount Kailash - where each step is a prayer and every breath an offering to the divine mountain.

The sacred Kailash parikrama begins. After early morning breakfast, 5 to 6 AM (hot tea/coffee and cookies), we start our trek from Darchen near Lha-chu Valley. Packed lunch includes a light supper, fruit, a biscuit and a flask of soup. The first trail is the easy-going western valley with the towering south face, vying for attention on the horizon by the peaks of Mount Kailash.

Cross over Tarboche (where annual prayer flagpole raising takes place) and Choku Monastery, which clings to the hillside. The scenery is simple but beautiful, with features such as bare mountains, fluttering prayer flags, and rocky waterways.

We gradually catch sight of the spectacular north face of Mount Kailash. The trail climbs and descends as it becomes steeper on the way to Diraphuk (Which Means female yak horn cave). Come late afternoon for hot soup and dinner (rice, vegetables, dal, chapati). The monastery here provides modest accommodation with the most amazing north face view from Diraphuk. 

Dolma La Pass is the highest at an elevation of 5630 m, and is considered to be one of the most challenging and spiritually significant places for pilgrimage travellers. 

Set your alarm for 2-3 am for tea, light biscuits, and pack your lunches (energy bars, chocolates, nuts, fruit, a flask of soup). 

The climb to the summit (5630 m) will be physically demanding; the air becomes thinner, the rocks become steeper and more irregular, and the weather conditions can change from one minute to the next.

 At the top of the pass, thousands of flags flutter in the breeze - circumnavigate the sacred 'Dolma' stone, leave your past behind, shedding your past sins, and emerge reborn in the thin air at the point where the earth meets the heavens.

Start the steep descent towards Gauri Kund (sacred lake), where the brave ones take dips in the ice-cold water. Descend further down the Lham-chu valley towards the monastery at Zutulpuk, named after the miracle cave where Milarepa displayed his spiritual prowess - arrive at the monastery tired but spiritually elevated for hot soup and dinner in basic accommodation.

Pro Tip: Start the day very early at 2 or 3 AM to avoid weather changes in the afternoon and the high winds at the pass. Walk at a 'snail's pace,' stop frequently for 2-3 minute breaks, breathing in the thin air at high altitude. Use trekking sticks for support - do not stay at the summit for more than 5-10 minutes due to high altitude - descend quickly.

Descend the final 10km from Zutulpuk to Darchen in 3-4 hours after early breakfast (tea, biscuits and bread). The trek follows the valley of Dzong-chu with a steep descent through the terrain along a rocky course.

After finishing the holy parikrama at Darchen, Pilgrims experience deep-rooted spiritual achievements and peacefulness after circling one of the most sacred circuits in the world.

Lunch at Darchen guesthouse (rice, veg, soup). Then have a short rest and embark on the 240km drive back to Saga from your visit, following the same highways across the wide open Tibetan plain.

Dinner boxes are packed for the journey or at a rest stop. The drive affords time to contemplate the healing spiritual pilgrimage just experienced. The scenery looks different after Kailash, an intense experience. 

After breakfast, head back to Kyirung, the starting point of your journey to Tibet. Lunch will be either the packed meals or the meals eaten along the way. The 260km journey will take you through the high plateau and the mountain passes.

You will cross the Gyatso La Pass for the second time, and the Himalayas will get ever closer. As you descend to lower altitudes, your respiration becomes easier, and your energy levels increase. You can stop by the viewpoints to take your last photos of the breathtaking scenery of the Tibetan high plateau.

The amenities that Kyirung offers, such as hot showers, comfortable beds, and decent toilets, feel like a luxury after staying in the high-altitude areas. Dinner will be had at the guesthouse, and the meal will consist of rice, vegetables, dal, soup, and tea.

You can spend the rest of the evening doing anything you like, including talking about your trek and things you enjoyed, or purchasing some souvenirs like prayer flags, singing bowls or thangkas, etc.; all are possible. You’ll just be getting your gear ready tonight and organising all of your paperwork for the next day.

Your Kailash Mansarovar yatra for change ends today. Have breakfast and finish the immigration procedures at Kyirung, then drive towards the China/Tibet Nepal border.

Lunch boxes will be provided for the day. It takes time at the border crossing, with all formalities being cleared - a wait of 1-2 hours is expected. After the Chinese exit formalities at Rasuwagadhi and the Nepali immigration formalities, cross the friendship bridge into Nepal. The 160km drive to Kathmandu goes through a lush green landscape - a complete contrast to the barren landscape in Tibet.

You will know you're back to your normal world when you climb down from the high-altitude plateau and see the green terraced hills of farms and villages filled with people. Enjoy a nice lunch at a roadside restaurant where they serve dal bhat and momos!

When you arrive in Kathmandu between the afternoon and early evening, you will have some amazing memories, spiritual changes and probably a bottle of water from Mansarovar.

There are many pilgrims who stop at Pashupatinath Temple to give thanks. You will check into the hotel, have a nice meal, and relax and celebrate what you have accomplished.

Pro Tip: Have all of your travel papers, permits and receipts organised so you can breeze through the border, no problemo!

Exchange any excess Chinese yuan for Nepalese rupees before entering Nepal, as rates at the border are generally better than in Kathmandu. Don't forget to pick up your bottles of water from Mansarovar before you leave for the border.