OUT-LINED PROGRAM:
Day 01 (TUE): Flight, Kathmandu – Nepalgunj. Overnight Hotel
Day 02 (WED): Nepalgunj – Hilsa by Helicoper and drive to
Taklakot. Overnight Guesthouse
Day 03 (THU): Taklakot rest
Day 04 (FRI): Taklakot – Lake Manasarovar – Darchen.
Overnight Guesthouse
Day 05 (SAT): Darchen – Deraphuk. Camp
Day 06 (SUN): Deraphuk – Zutulphuk. Camp
Day 07 (MON): Complete Kora then drive back to Lake
Manasarovar. Overnight Guesthouse
Day 08 (TUE): Manasarovar – Taklakot. Overnight Guesthouse
Day 09 (WED): Fly back to Nepalgunj by Helicopter
Day 10 (THU): Flight back to Kathmandu
Day 11 (FRI): Fly back to your home country

Tour price (ex-Nepalgunj): INR. 95,000/- per person

Extra: US $ 180 per person.

Distance Calculator in India

Price includes:
1. 7 days Kailash Yatra on full board basis
2. Tibet visa and travel permits
3. 3 Days Parikrama around Mt. Kailash
4. Yak and Yak man during the Parikrama
5. Transportation in Tibet in Land Cruiser 4500
6. Supporting truck
7. Tibet group visa
8. Tibetan guide
9. Service crew
10. Oxygen Cylinder and pressure bag (gammow bag)
11. All applicable taxes and service charges

Not included:
1. Accommodation and meals in Kathmandu
2. Kathmandu – Nepalgunj and return air ticket
3. Insurance
4. Evacuation and rescue services
5. Urgent visa fee

Jyoti Singh <liveindiatour@yahoo.com
 

The yatris reach Kathgodam (280 km) by bus. The second night they spend at Bageshwar (180 km). The following night halts after each day's trek are Dharchula (160 km), Gala (43 km), Budhi (20 km), Gunji (15 km), Kalapani (10 km), Navidhang (8 km), reaching Lipulekh (7 km) on the 9th day but the 9th night halt is at Taklakot across the border (19 km).

Trekking begins at Mangti, which lies between Dharchula and Gala. The Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam makes all arrangements for accommodation, food etc at all the halts from New Delhi to Lipulekh Pass. Pucca barracks and pre-fabricated fibreglass huts are provided. Satisfactory toilet facilities, power supply for limited duration with generators, mattresses and quilts/sleeping bags are available. Ponies and porters, if needed, should be booked at Mangti for upward journey to Lipulekh Pass and at Lipulekh Pass while returning. Ponies and porters are not available in between. Officials advise everyone better hire a pony.

The Uttar Pradesh Govt makes arrangements for medical aid at all the camps in India. Two medical personnel accompany the yatris up to Gunji. Beyond this point, the ITBP takes care of the medical arrangements up to Lipulekh Pass.

All base camps in India are connected by a wireless network. A mobile wireless set also moves with the pilgrims up to Lipulekh Pass. This facility is not available for private messages. However, pilgrims can use the telephone facilities at Dharchula, Gala, Budhi, Gunji and Navidhang to contact their relatives. During the pilgrimage, a wireless link monitors the progress of the yatra on the Chinese side.

The MEA has a liaison officer for each batch. A medical officer is also supposed to accompany each batch. On the Chinese side, no doctor accompanies the prigrims during the parikramas. The yatris are advised to carry personal medicines.

On day 9, Chinese representatives meet the pilgrims at Lipulekh Pass. For Taklakot, for an hour one has to ride on pony and the rest by bus. Taklakot is a town and a shopping center. There is a time difference. The sun rises 2 1/2 hours early on that side of the border, officially. Immigration formalities are completed here. Camps along the Kailash and Manasarovar routes can accommodate only 20 persons each at a time. Therefore, the batch is split into two, one goes to Kailash while the other to Manasarovar.

Since the Manasarovar parikrama is a little easier, older and tired pilgrims join this group first. The liaison officer divides the group. The yatris take rest and do shopping. On day 11 groups A and B start for Darchan and Hore, respectively. The Kailash parikrama group is dropped at Darchen and the bus turns back and Group B is dropped at Hore. Group A reaches Deraphuk on day 12, on day 13 Zongerbu, on day 14 back to Darchen. Group B reaches Qugu on day 12, on day 13 Zaidi and day 14 rest there.

On day 15 group A goes to Hore, day 16 Qugu, day 17 Zaidi and day 18 rests there. On day 15 Group B reaches Darchen, day 16 Deraphuk, day 17 Zongerbu, day 18 back to Darchen.

On day 19 the bus comes to Darchen, picks up Group B and returns to Zaidi, takes Group A also, and comes back to Taklakot. Day 20 they pay a visit to Khojarnath. Immigration formalities are completed and they leave Taklakot on day 21 to reach Lipulekh Pass.

Day 21 itself they reach Kalapani for night halt and on day 22 the night halt is at Gunji, on day 23 at Budhi, 24 at Gala, 25 at Dharchula, 26 at Bageshwar, and day 27 yatris are back in Delhi.

An English-speaking Tibetan guide accompanies each group during the parikramas of Kailash and Manasarovar. The camps along the route have only basic structures. No food is provided. (See link: Reqirements). It is useful to hire a cook from Taklakot itself for the parikramas. Yatris carry food items and medicines from India. Electricity is available only at Darchen.

On day 11 both A and B groups set off in the morning for the parikramas in a bus. First, Group A will be dropped at Darchen, and the bus turns back, goes to Hore to drop Group B, reaching in the afternoon. On day 12, Group A will go to Deraphuk, 25 km away, on foot. Simultaneously, Group B will be reaching Qugu monastery on foot or ponies from Hore, a distance of 50 km. 0n day 13, Group A crosses Dolma Pass and Gaurikund and reaches Zongerbu (25 km). Group B has reached Zaidi (35 km). On day 15 Group A arrives back at Darchen (15 km) while the other group takes rest at Zaidi and does pujas and has a holy dip in the lake etc. On day 15 the bus will come, pick up group B from Zaidi, go to Darchen, drop it there, pick up A, turn back and go to Hore. Days 16, 17 and 18 will be the same programme, the groups alternating for Kailash or Manasarovar as the case may be. On day 19, the bus will come to Darchen, pick up group B and then come to Zaidi, and pick up Group A also to return to Taklakot.

The Kailash parikrama takes the yatri to the highest point of the trek, the Dolma Pass, which is at an altitude of 19,500 ft or 5750 mtrs. Pilgrims may feel breathlessness. The trek is very strenuous. Better avoid yaks, one may lose balance and fall down. Walking is safer. Yak or pony costs Yuan 150 for each parikrama.

The 20-km Darchen-Deraphuk trek takes 12 hours. A jeep can be hired for a stretch of about 8 km. From here one can get a very good view of Mount Kailash. On the second day one reaches the snow-bound Dolma Pass. Poojas are done here. Holy water is collected from Gaurikund. The air is rarified. There is a steep descent and then comes plain ground. Twenty-five km and 12 hours, one reaches Zongzerbu. The third day is 15 km and 5 hrs. Back at Darchen. One may trek to Ashtapad from Darchen to take a close look at Mount Kailash.

The distance of Manasarovar parikrama around the lake is 85 km. The weather here changes fast. It can be hot, it can rain and it can be windy. Ponies should have been bookasaed from Taklakot. The first leg is 50 km and 15 hours. The holy dip should be taken only when there is sunshine. Starting early morning from Qugu, for the second leg, one can have a view of the sunrise over the lake. Reaching Zaidi, again poojas and holy dip.