Photo by logicalhindu.com

Mount Kailash

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Mount Kailash in Tibet is seen as the most sacred mountain on earth and is named as the 'umbilical cord of the world'. The mountain is also called the seat of Shiva. Here you can follow the path of the monks and feel reborn after a three days journey. This trip is absolutely beautiful, it’s an adventure on the Roof of the World.

To reach Mount Kailash you cross the border to Tibet from Nepal. In Tibet (with a Tibetan guide) you can make the holy tour (Kora) of 3 days around Mount Kailash. A trip that must be made by both Hindus and Buddhists once in a lifetime. Every year, a few thousand Tibetan and Indian pilgrims walk the 52-kilometer-long path that leads around Mount Kailash in one day. Ordinary travelers take three days. It is believed that when a pilgrim has walked 108 times around the holy Kailash mountain, he is certain for Enlightenment.

Mount Kailash is situated at an altitude of 6,714 meters in the remote West Tibet, also known as Ngari. The whole area is dominated by the presence of the holy mountain. At the top of Mount Kailash is eternal snow. The kora to Kailash starts at the small village of Darchen at an altitude of 4,560 meters. It is important that pilgrims walk around the mountain clockwise.

Near Mount Kailahs is the Manasarovar Lake, one of the four holy lakes in Tibet. The large blue lake is an important place for pilgrimages from all over the world. This beautiful lake occurs in many Indian and Tibetan myths and stories.

Best time to visit

The best time for a Kailash tour/trekking is from mid-May to mid-October when  the temperature is most pleasant. It is warm, dry and sunny in that period. As the summer is also the busiest time, the best travel time is May, June and September. However, snow could be encountered on the Drolma-la pass at any time of year. The temperature will often drop well below freezing at night, even during the summer months. 

This article was last updated on December 07, 2020.