The Mount Kailash Manasarovar tour has reopened to Indian passport holders after a 5-year gap.
Kailash Manasarovar Yatra Open for Indians?
The Kalash Manasarovar Yatra is a cross-country religious trip to the homeland of Lord Shiva. Usually, this trip is done in 17 days, but if you are in a hurry, we can also manage a 13-day itinerary for you. The Kailash Peak, Lake Mansarovar, Kyirong Town, Yama Dwar, and Lhasa Town are the major attractions of this pilgrimage.
Mt. Kailash is said to be the home of the Great Shiva, as per Hindu mythology, but in recent years, Indians have been restricted from visiting the sacred Himalaya. In 2023, over 50,000 Indian visitors who set out to visit Mt. Kailash were turned down by the Tibetan border patrol. Since they were denied entry, the Indian tourists visited the highly revered sites of Nepal instead, including Mukitnath, Pashupatinath, and others.
In 2023 alone, Nepal welcomed over 287,000 Indian tourists, the highest it has ever been. One of the main reasons for it is the restriction imposed by China. The restriction leaves Indians with the easy choice of visiting Nepal and spending time here instead of getting to China somehow.
Why are Indians restricted?
First off, Indians and any other nationals were banned from entering China following the COVID-19 safety protocol. However, even after the safety protocol was lifted, Indians were still restricted from entering the country. This was a direct result of the political issues between the two governments.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs claims that the Indian and Chinese governments signed an agreement about the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra back in 2013 and again in 2014. As per the report, the agreement states that neither party can put a stop to the agreement without prior notice to one another.
China closed it’s roads connecting it to India and leading to Mt. Kailash; this happened pre-COVID, so there was no reasoning of safety protocol. China just closed the connecting point and only opened years later, but only the road connecting to Nepal.
So Indians who wanted to visit Mount Kailash had to go through Nepal, and in addition to that, they also made some strict regulations and raised the fees for Indian visitors.
Will the restriction lift?
Although it is not guaranteed, the restriction is said to be lifted this year (2025). Amid the restriction, Indians have been able to view the sacred Mount Kailash from Lipulekh, Dharchula. A 800-meter-high viewpoint allows visitors to view the peak from afar. Yet another “Doordarshan” point is the Lapcha La pass of Simikot in the Humla valley of Nepal.
The restriction was supposed to lift in May but has not been lifted till now (January 2025). There are tour operators in Nepal that are claiming that the border is open for Indians but do not fall for it; they just want you to book a tour with them. Since tour packages require advance payment for official booking, the agencies will take your booking payment and stall you for months.
Since both countries are in great political unrest, the tour agencies in India have not considered China tours in years. The same can be said for government booking groups; they have just stopped existing.
Indian citizens are free to visit the midland China region, including Lhasa, but entering the Kailash region (Nagri town) is prohibited strictly. For now, we can just hope for the best and pray that the restriction is lifted.
Best seasons
The best seasons for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra are summer and autumn, starting in April and ending in October. June, July, August, and September are monsoon seasons in the Tibet region, but it is also one of the best times to visit the region since there is zero rainfall. Out of the average 18 inches of annual rainfall, the majority of it happens in summer months.
So, if you are thinking of doing the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in the summer to avoid the harsh coldness of Kailash, you might get yourself wet. If it’s a road trip, you can obviously continue the trip even if its raining, but if you are aiming for the final hike to Kailash and it starts raining, you have to stay down.
Traveling to Tibet in winter is not considered a good idea since it can get too cold and heavy snowfall may block the road for hours. Also, views during the winter are not as impressive since snow clouds may block the landscape from your view.
Altitude Sickness
The highest point you will reach during the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is 5600 meters at the summit of Dolma La pass. If you do not want to reach such height, you can simply opt for a simpler itinerary, in which case your maximum altitude will be 4,950 meters above sea level at Dirapuk. Whatever the case is, you will have to cross the 4500-meter mark, which is considered to be altitude-sickness-prone elevation.
Considering that you do not have to spend much time at max altitude, you should be fine. Altitude sickness usually occurs at night; after hiking or traveling to a high altitude and sleeping at night, you might suffer from altitude sickness in the morning. But this can be avoided by practicing preventive measures such as hydrating well and going on short acclimatizing walks.
If you suffer an extreme case of altitude sickness, you will be transported to the nearest medical facility.
Accommodation, Food and Drink
During your Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, you have many options for accommodation, including guesthouses, inns, hotels, and tents. However, tents are not a service we offer; we can arrange them for you nonetheless. We book your stay mostly in hotels, and if you want to upgrade your accommodation, we will book more luxurious rooms for you. However, the upgraded cost will be adjusted in your Kailash Manasarovar Yatra package price.
Extra services and expenses in hotels, such as laundry, beverages, extra meals, etc., are not a part of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra package and must be paid for out of your own pocket.
Food during your trip will include all of the usual dishes you are familiar with; just because it’s China does not mean you will have to eat exotic Chinese dishes. Food like rice, lentils, veggie curry, flat bread, etc. will be available along with generic western dishes. While you are in Tibet, you should try their local dishes and drinks.
During your Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, you will get all the different kinds of teas and beverages, but these are not part of the tour package and must be paid for separately.
Transportation
Transportation for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra includes bus rides to and from Kailash. This tour package does not offer or cover any flight expenses. One of the best things about this trek is the easy accessibility. The roads are plains with minimal ups and downs, and you will cover hundreds of kilometers in a single day to get to your next destination.
Considering the size of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra travel group, we will arrange either a jeep or a bus, whichever is more suitable. Transport costs are part of the tour package, which means that you do not have to pay from them separately.
Permit
A Tibet Travel Pass is the only thing that you need to legally travel to Kailash. You can apply for it from Kathmandu and have to wait for it to arrive or submit an online application. If you are traveling to Kailash from Kathmandu, you can also apply for a China Group Visa, which takes about 3 days to process. Here’s the link for the online application.
Trip preparation and fitness
This is not a trekking venture; you will be traveling by bus or Jeep for the majority of the tour; however, you have to trek up to Charan Sparsh, the foothills of Mt. Kailash. To prepare for this tour, you just have to make sure that you have packed all your essentials, such as layered clothing and electronics.
You also have to make sure that you are capable of hiking for a couple of hours. We make sure that you take breaks in between if you are out of breath.
Alternative routes
The best option to get to Kailash Manasarovar is to travel from Nepal, as you can get a China Group Visa from Kathmandu, which is much simpler to get than the Tibet Travel permit. Moreover, the Nepal-China Friendship Highway is the best road that takes you to Kailash. If you want to avoid a long road trip, you can also opt for a flight to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.
Another great alternative is a flight to Nepalgunj, followed by a flight to Simikot and eventually Hilsa. From there, you will enter Tibet by foot.
Cost & Budget
Our standard Kailash Manasarovar Yatra package costs USD ______ per person. You can ask for a detailed pricing breakdown as well. Since we will be facilitating a lot of things, considering your comfortability and convenience, our pricing is reasonable. This package price covers expenses such as 3 meals per day, permit costs, transportation costs, and more.
Gadgets charging & Internet
The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is a well-facilitated tour with great WiFi coverage and safety of belongings. Electricity will be available through day and night, facilitating 24-hour charging of gadgets. The hotels you will stay in will have free WiFi; you do not have to pay extra for them.
Your Extra expenses
Your extra expenses include any flight expenses incurred, extra meals, additional accommodation, upgraded accommodation, travel insurance, emergency medical attention, and others.
