Surrounded by six mountain ranges, Mt. Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake have long been associated with spirituality, since they’re important landmarks for various religions. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is therefore popular among those seeking solitude.
Every year, pilgrims and mountaineering enthusiasts rush to the holy abode of Shiva around May to September to undertake a testing spiritual journey.
You can make it a successful trip too, using the location, different routes, and all the essential information mentioned here.
A Foreword to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025
There are a lot of theories and beliefs associated with Kailash Mansarovar, let’s unwind them one by one in the subsections below.
Significance of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
In Hinduism, Kailash is believed to be the spot where Lord Shiva meditated for an indefinite amount of time in the lotus position. Surrounding this belief, there are even many folk songs in the north similar to “Shiva Kailashon ke Vaasi”.
According to Buddhist beliefs, Maya (mother of Buddha) came to bathe and cleanse herself in the Mansarovar Lake before Buddha entered her womb. Kailash is called Gang Riponche or Gang Tise, which means precious snow mountain.
In both Hinduism and Buddhism, Mt. Kailash is compared to the mythical Mount Meru, which is the cosmological center of the universe.
Jain and Buddhist religions also consider it a sacred site. Jains believe it to be associated with the first Tirthankara–Rishabhdev.
The mystical aura of this region remains incomparable, similar to the magnetizing effect of Kedarnath Temple on Shiva’s devotees. This sanctity of Kailash makes it one of the most revered shrines for Shiva worship.
Where is Kailash Mansarovar Located Exactly?
As you can figure out from the Kailash Mansarovar location on map, it is located in the Tibet autonomous region of China, at the tri-junction of India, China, and Nepal.
Due to the territory being under China’s jurisdiction, a visa to China is required before commencing the trip. This is why it is easy for many to wonder how to go Kailash Mansarovar.
Another query that people have is about the Kailash Mansarovar Temple, well to clear it out, there isn’t a temple on top. Kailash-Mansarovar is used to refer to a region comprised of Kailash Parvat and Mansarovar Lake.
Why Mansarovar Yatra is a Must-Visit?
Since this yatra is rather a treacherous one, it is quite obvious that only those with the fortune of good health can take up this journey.
Moreover, the entire experience is extremely uplifting—spiritually and physically. Tracking the same trails that were once walked by the ascended souls in itself is a great experience.
The mesmerizing sights that you get to witness are worth having crossed every hardship. There’s a type of beauty you witness on the yatra that the human eyes and the brain cannot fathom, both in the journey and the destination.
Most Popular Sights: Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, Rakshastal Lake, the Guge Kingdom.
After a halt of five years, the government has brought back the opportunity for us to travel to Kailash again. Dig everything about it in the next section.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Indian Government 2025
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kailash Mansarovar yatra was suspended until earlier this year, when the government released a notification about the yatra being resumed.
The Indian government is organizing its own yatra in a total of 15 batches, with 5 crossing through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and the other 10 via the Nathu-La Pass in Sikkim.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nathu-La Pass in Sikkim
The travelers need to assemble at Delhi, where the trip commences via the Nathu-La route in Sikkim. Exact date of departure depends on your batch, starting from 30th June.
Detailed Itinerary Via Nathu-La Pass:
Delhi➡️Bagdogra/Siliguri➡️Nathu La➡️Darchen➡️Qugu➡️Zhongba➡️Nathu La➡️Bagdogra/Siliguri➡️Delhi
- Delhi to Bagdogra/Siliguri: This distance will be covered via a flight.
- Bagdogra to Nathu-La: Reach Nathu-La via a bus to clear the immigration check and move forward.
- Nathu-La to Darchen: Bus ride to Darchen, where the trek will begin. The trek is an entire parikrama (circumambulation) around Mount Kailash.
- Darchen to Qugu: Here, a bus will take the travelers around Mansarovar Lake, from where your return journey begins.
- Cost of the Trip: The entire trip costs ₹2.83 Lakh via this route.
- Duration of the Trip: It is a 21-day-long trip, including the return time.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Via Lipulekh Pass
One of the beautiful treks of Nepal is Uttarakhand’s Lipulekh Pass, which people traverse through to go on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Travel itinerary via Lipulekh Pass:
Delhi➡️Dharchula➡️Gunji➡️Darchen➡️Qugu➡️Takalakot➡️Delhi
- Delhi to Dharchula: Departure from Delhi to Dharchula in a tempo traveller.
- Dharchula to Gunji: A stop at Gunji for acclimatization and medical check-ups.
- Gunji to Darchen: After a trek through the Lipulekh Pass, a jeep will take you to Darchen, from where the real trek for the parikrama will start.
- Darchen to Qugu: The trek ends at Zhunzui Pu, from where a bus will take you for a ride around the Mansarovar Lake. After which you set out on the return journey.
- Cost of the Trip: According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the estimated cost per person is ₹1.74 lakh.
- Duration of the Trip: This yatra is 22 days long.
This was all about the Kailash Mansarovar itinerary, but to ensure safety, you need to plan your trip for the right season. Figure out how to do that with the help of the next section.
Best Time to Visit Kailash Mansarovar
May-September (summer months) are the most ideal time for taking the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. Choosing these months is both–safe, and sensible, given the high altitude, and extremely low temperatures in the mountains during winters.
- Temperature Range: While the temperature during the day fluctuates between 15 °C to 25 °C, which is ideal for trekking and outdoor activities. At night, it can get chilly even during the warmest months, with the temperature ranging between 3 °C to 12 °C.
- Navigation and Accessibility: In summers, it is much easier to track down the roads as the snow usually melts away by May. Besides, as far as the concern about the network goes, it also works well in the hotels and lounges, given that you have enabled the international roaming setting on the phone.
- Festivals: The Buddhist festival Saga Dawa, celebrated around the month of May/June coincides with the summer months, adding to the reason for suggesting it as the best time to visit.
It is an auspicious festival that celebrates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death.
Overall, this makes for a spiritually heightened and festive period, which is why this is the best time to visit Mansarovar Kailash Parvat.
Before making any plans, check if you fit the eligibility criteria of health for taking up this tour. Read about it in detail in the section that follows.
Who Can go on a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?
Mentioned here are all the requirements from age to health that need to be inspected beforehand, in order to ensure a safe trip for everyone:
- Age Requirement: 18 years or above.
- Nationality: Indian citizens holding an Indian passport as of 1st January 2015 are eligible.
- Foreign nationals are ineligible for this yatra. Thus, persons holding a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) account are also ineligible.
- Medical Conditions: Individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, epilepsy, etc. are not fit to go on this trek and are therefore ineligible as well.
- Applicants are required to go through a comprehensive health examination conducted by the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute (DHLI). To read about the tests in more detail, check the eligibility criteria given by the MEA.
- Altitude Adjustment: Applicants have to undergo various acclimatization exercises to better adjust to the altitude and be able to breathe.
- The individuals’ reaction to high altitude will be tested by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on the way through the Nathu-La Pass trek via Sikkim and the Lipulekh Pass trek via Nepal.
- Body Mass Index (BMI): Individuals must be healthy and with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or less.
If you fall into this eligibility criteria, then it’s time to get to packing! Don’t miss the essentials mentioned in the next section while you do so.
Trek Essentials, Important Tips & Documents
There are a lot of things to keep track of, from documents to trek essentials. Not to be the one to rain on your parade, but you cannot depend on lending and borrowing on a trek like this one.
While on a trek, the more survival essentials available at your disposal, the better. In case anyone is stranded, they will at least have all the essentials in their backpack to find their way back to the group.
These are a few such crucial things you must not leave out of your backpack:
- A separate trekking backpack
- Appropriate trekking shoes
- A rain cover for your backpack
- Headlamp/Torch
- A trekking stick
- Hydration pack and water bottle
- A small medical kit
Important Tips to Adhere for a Trip to Mansarovar Kailash Parvat:
- Eat Clean: Follow a vegetarian, clean, and light diet for a few days.
- Physical Fitness: Exercise and prepare your body, physically, for the rough terrain.
- Acclimatization: Follow the acclimatization exercises well, and learn to listen to your body, check if you get altitude sickness, and figure out how to identify it.
- Mental Fitness: Prioritize your mental health and well-being, as you will require a lot of positive spirits, willpower, and motivation on the excursion.
- Medications: Carry your essential medicines like allergy pills or regular medications.
- Health Check-Up: Lastly, be thorough with your medical check-ups.
Important Documents to Clear Chinese Immigration Check Smoothly
In order to get past the immigration check, these are the required documents that you must keep prepared while applying for Kailash Mansarovar yatra:
- Indian Passport: A passport with a remaining validity of at least 6 months is required.
- Chinese Visa: Remember that you must apply for the visa in the Chinese embassy in Delhi and not Kathmandu.
- Letter of Indemnity: Participants might in some cases need to sign a form confirming the knowledge of all the possible risks of the trip.
- Proof of Health: The most recent medical certificate signed by a certified medical expert will be approved as proof of health.
- In the case of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra by Indian Government in 2025, this certificate will be provided after the medical examination by the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute.
- Photographs: A set of passport-sized photographs is also required.
Now that all the hefty information has been gulped, let’s look at a few amazing pictures of what’s in the box for you at the Kailash Mansarovar yatra!
A Photo Album of Kailash Mansarovar
Here are a few breathtaking images of Mount Kailash, Mansarovar Lake, and the attractions around them. Mind you that these are merely a glimpse of how breathtaking the view actually is!
Ending Notes
It is pretty obvious how huge of a blessing it is to be able to take this excursion to Mansarovar Kailash Parvat. Since only those endowed with the precious gift of good health can complete this arduous trek.
Hope that this helped you find out the Kailash Mansarovar yatra cost, and most importantly, how to go on a Kailash Mansarovar yatra 2025, I wish you a happy journey on your trip to Lord Shiva’s holy abode!
Is Kailash yatra 2025 for Indians?
Yes, the Kailash Mansarovar yatra 2025 is for Indian nationals.
Will Kailash Mansarovar yatra resume on June 30 2025?
Yes, after a halt of five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kailash Mansarovar yatra is to resume on June 30th, 2025.
How to go to Kailash Mansarovar Temple?
You can go to Kailash Mansarovar via two routes– via China and via Nepal.
Do Indians need passport for Kailash Mansarovar Temple yatra?
Yes, a passport is an essential requirement for Chinese Visa application and hence Indian nationals require a passport.
How much does Kailash yatra cost?
Kailash Mansarovar yatra cost ranges between ₹1.74 lakh to ₹2.8 lakh per person according to MEA’s estimates.
Where is Kailash Mansarovar located?
Kailash Mansarovar is located in China at the tri-junction of India-Nepal-Tibet along the Himalayas.
How to go Kailash Mansarovar from Delhi?
You can take a flight to Sikkim, and continue the rest of the trip on the Nathu-La Pass. Another route is to go to Uttarakhand via bus/private vehicle or a flight and continue the rest of the journey along the Lipulekh Pass to Kailash.
