Kailash

Few mountains in the world rival the grandeur of Mount Kailash (6714m), the famed holy peak in Western Tibet. Kailash has long been an object of worship for four major religions. For the Hindus, it is the domain of Shiva. It is also the abode of Samvara, a multi-armed, wrathful deity worshipped in the Chakrasamvara Tantric cycle of Tibetan Buddhism. The Jains of India also revere the mountain as the site at which the first of their saints emancipated. In the ancient Bon religion of Tibet, Kailash was the sacred nine storey Swastika Mountain, upon which the Bonpo founder Shenrab alighted from heaven.

Sprawling below Mount Kailash is the sacred Lake Manasarovar (4560m), where a ritual bath will deliver a pilgrim to Brahma's paradise and a drink of its’ water relinquishes the sins of a hundred lifetimes.

The 53 Km Kailash circuit is the holiest of all Tibet's pilgrimages and the beacon, which draws most travellers to Western Tibet. It is said that a single parikarma erases the accumulated sins of a lifetime, while 108 circumambulations will achieve salvation or nirvana.


Sample Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive Kathmandu
Day 2 : Kathmandu sightseeing and preparations
Day 3 : Drive Kathmandu - Nyalam (115 Km)
Day 4 : Rest day for altitude acclimatization and local hiking
Day 5 : drive to Saga (260kms-4500m
Day 6 : drive to Prayang (240km)
Day 7 : Prayang - Lake Manasarovar, very auspicious day
Day 8 : Havana worship, meditation, ritual bath and Tarpan etc
Day 9 : Parikarma/Kora begins after driving 8 kms to Tarboche
Day 10 : Parikarma continues
Day 11 : Parikarma continues
Day 12 : Trek Zuthul-phuk to Tarchen
Day 13 : Drive back to Prayang
Day 14 : Drive back to Saga
Day 15 : Drive back to Nyalam
Day 16 : Cross the border and drive to Kathmandu
Day 17 : Fly back home


Take up the challenge with Retreat Travel’s holiday from Kathmandu into Tibet for the pilgrimage of a lifetime. This trip combines a spiritual journey with a big physical challenge.

This holiday is arranged on a bespoke basis at times to suit the traveler. Please contact us for details and prices.

Check dates and availability