Mt. Kailash, Ngari, Tibet · 11 days / 10 nights · Challenging (4.5/5) · $196/day · $2,160 total per person
Duration11 days / 10 nights
DifficultyChallenging (4.5/5)
Max altitude~5,630 m (Drolma La Pass)
Best seasonMay to October
Group sizeSmall group (2–12)
LanguageEnglish-speaking guide on request · or local guide + Inglite app for English support
Walk the sacred kora around the roof of the world.
Highlights
Mt. Kailash (Gang Rinpoche, 6,656 m) — the sacred 52 km kora around the holiest peak in Asia, revered by four faiths as the center of the world
Drolma La Pass (5,630 m) — the soaring high point of the circuit, crossed at dawn by headlamp, with the emerald Lake of Compassion (Tukje Tso, 5,608 m) below
Everest North Base Camp (5,200 m) — stand just 19 km from the summit, the closest an ordinary traveler can reach
Gawu La Pass (5,210 m) — a single panorama of five 8,000 m giants: Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma
Lake Manasarovar — one of Tibet's three holy lakes, the 'Jade Pool of the West,' paired with the haunting ghost-lake Rakshastal
Zanda Clay Forest & the Guge Kingdom — surreal eroded earth pillars along the Sutlej River and the ruins of a vanished Himalayan dynasty
Ngari wildlife — Tibetan antelope, wild yak, kiang, blue sheep, and black-necked cranes across the high plateau
Yamdrok Tso & Karola Glacier — sapphire holy lake and tumbling ice on the journey back to Lhasa
Where in China
📍 Tibet (Xizang) · Ngari, Mt. Kailash, western China
What you'll do
Mt. Kailash (Gang Rinpoche, 6,656 m) is the "King of Sacred Mountains" — revered by Tibetan Buddhists, the Bon, Hindus, and Jains alike as the spiritual center of the universe. For centuries pilgrims have walked its 52-kilometer circuit, the kora, believing that a single circumambulation cleanses a lifetime of sin, that ten spare you the torments of five hundred rebirths, and that one hundred and eight deliver enlightenment itself. This 11-day expedition carries you across the breadth of the Tibetan plateau to reach it, then sets you walking in the footsteps of those pilgrims, beneath fluttering prayer flags and past countless mani-stone cairns.\n\nThe journey westward is an epic in its own right. From Lhasa you cross to Shigatse and on to the north face of Everest, standing at the Rongbuk-side base camp just 19 kilometers from the summit — the closest an ordinary traveler can come to the highest point on Earth. You climb the Gawu La Pass at 5,210 meters, where five 8,000-meter giants line the horizon: Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma. Beyond lies Ngari, the remote far west of Tibet, a thinly peopled wilderness averaging over 4,500 meters where Tibetan antelope, wild yak, kiang, blue sheep, and black-necked cranes still roam beneath some of the clearest night skies anywhere.\n\nThe kora itself unfolds over two demanding days. From Darchen the trail bends north into the Lha Chu valley to Drira Phuk Monastery (~5,100 m), where you can lie in bed and gaze straight at Kailash's north face. The second day is the great test: a pre-dawn start by headlamp, the long climb to Drolma La Pass at 5,630 meters — the highest point of the circuit — and a steep, scree-strewn descent past the emerald waters of Tukje Tso, the Lake of Compassion, at 5,608 meters. It is a trek that asks much of both body and spirit, and gives back more.\n\nBeyond the mountain, the route lingers among the jewels of western Tibet: sacred Lake Manasarovar, one of Tibet's three holy lakes; its dark twin, the "ghost lake" Rakshastal; the surreal clay forests and towering earth pillars of Zanda; the ruins of the lost Guge Kingdom; and on the long road home, the Karola Glacier and the sapphire arms of Yamdrok Tso. This is the deep, ultimate Tibet — vast, mystical, and unforgettable.
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m)
Travelers from around the world gather in Lhasa to acclimatize before the journey west across the plateau.
Drive 270 km, about 6 hours. Visit Zhaji Temple, the only monastery in Tibet dedicated to the god of wealth, then Tashilhunpo, the great Gelugpa monastery and largest in the Shigatse region.
Day 3
Shigatse – Lhatse – Gawu La Pass (5,210 m) – Everest Base Camp (5,200 m)
Drive 350 km, about 7 hours. From the Gawu La Pass, look out over five peaks above 8,000 m, then reach the north-side Everest Base Camp, just 19 km from the summit.
Day 4
Everest Base Camp – Shishapangma – Peiku Tso – Saga (4,485 m)
Drive 380 km, about 7 hours. Enter the high Ngari plateau (avg. over 4,500 m), with distant views of Shishapangma and a visit to Peiku Tso, the largest lake in the Shigatse region.
Day 5
Saga – Mayoumu La Pass (5,200 m) – Lake Manasarovar – Rakshastal – Darchen (4,800 m)
Drive 500 km, about 8 hours. Cross the Mayoumu La Pass, reach the sacred Lake Manasarovar and the ghost-lake Rakshastal, and arrive at Darchen, the traditional starting point of the kora at the foot of Mt. Kailash.
Day 6
Darchen – Chuku Monastery – Drira Phuk Monastery (5,100 m)
Trek 22 km, about 300 m of ascent, around 7 hours. A shuttle bus covers the first 7 km to the prayer-flag square; the remaining 15 km are walked north up the Lha Chu valley to Drira Phuk, where lodgings face the north wall of Kailash.
Day 7
Drira Phuk – Sky Burial Site – Drolma La Pass (5,630 m) – Darchen (4,800 m)
Trek 32 km, +530 m / -830 m, about 12 hours. The hardest day: a pre-dawn start by headlamp, the climb to Drolma La (5,630 m), and a steep scree descent past emerald Tukje Tso (5,608 m) back to Darchen. The final stretch can be done by vehicle if needed.
Day 8
Darchen – Longka La Pass – Zanda Clay Forest – Guge Kingdom – Zanda (3,600 m)
Drive 260 km, about 5 hours. Head north along the foot of the Gangdise range into the otherworldly eroded earth pillars of the Zanda Clay Forest, with the winding Sutlej River below.
Day 9
Zanda – Payang (Colorful Beach) – Gongzhuo Lake – Saga (4,485 m)
Drive 700 km, about 10 hours. A long plateau crossing past clear lakes and endless grasslands rich in wildlife, ending in Saga where the landscape shifts toward fascinating desert.
Day 10
Saga – Lang Lake – Shigatse (3,800 m)
Drive 450 km, about 7 hours. Pass tranquil Lang Lake, fed by snow-peak glaciers and ringed by lush natural pasture, before returning to Shigatse.
Drive 370 km, about 6 hours. The final stretch passes Mt. Noijin Kangsang, the Karola Glacier, and the holy lake Yamdrok Tso before the journey ends back in Lhasa.
Why this trek
The ultimate sacred circuit
Walk the full 52 km kora around Mt. Kailash, the peak four faiths call the center of the world, and stand at Drolma La (5,630 m), the high point of the pilgrimage.
Everest from the quiet side
Reach the north-face base camp just 19 km from the summit, and catch five 8,000 m peaks in a single sweep from the Gawu La Pass.
Tibet's holy lakes and lost kingdoms
From sacred Manasarovar and the ghost-lake Rakshastal to the eroded clay forests of Zanda and the ruins of Guge — the deep, mystical far west.
Expedition-grade support
A professional trek leader, porter, and driver, with medical oxygen, a satellite phone, and a first-aid kit carried on every departure.
Included
10 nights' accommodation: Lhasa, Shigatse, Dingjie, Everest Base Camp, Saga (2), Darchen (2), and Drira Phuk Monastery (twin share, same-gender by default; some lodgings are multi-bed)
Private vehicle throughout (5-seat SUV, 7-seat van, or 9-seat coach), driver, fuel, tolls and highway fees
Professional full-time outdoor trek leader, porter, driver, and dedicated customer support
Welcome dinner on the gathering day
Safety equipment: medical oxygen cylinders, satellite phone, and first-aid kit
Tibet border-area permits arranged for the expedition
One-stop travel planning, booking, and activity organization
FAQ
How many days is the Mt. Kailash Kora trek?
Mt. Kailash Kora runs 11 days / 10 nights.
How hard is the Mt. Kailash Kora trek?
It's rated Challenging (4.5/5), topping out around ~5,630 m (Drolma La Pass). Reasonable hiking fitness and time to acclimatize to altitude are recommended.
What is the maximum altitude on the Mt. Kailash Kora trek?
The high point is around ~5,630 m (Drolma La Pass). Acclimatize gradually and take altitude-sickness precautions — consult your doctor before any high-altitude trek.
What is the best time to do the Mt. Kailash Kora trek?
The best seasons are May to October.
Do I need a guide for the Mt. Kailash Kora trek, and is there English support?
English-speaking guide on request · or local guide + Inglite app for English support It's run by an independent, licensed local mountain operator, with Inglite supporting you in English the whole way.
How much does the Mt. Kailash Kora trek cost?
Approximately $2160 per person ($196/day · $2,160 total). You arrange payment directly with the licensed local operator — Inglite never collects payment.
Who runs this
Operated by an experienced, fully licensed local Tibet mountain outfitter with a professional full-time trek leader, porter, and driver, plus medical oxygen, a satellite phone, and a first-aid kit on every departure. English-speaking support is provided throughout via the Inglite app and your guide.
Run by an independent, licensed local operator. You arrange payment with the operator directly — Inglite connects you and never collects payment. Outdoor travel carries inherent risks; we recommend travel/outdoor insurance. Terms
