Everything you want to know about Kailash Mansarovar Yatra travel

About the holy pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash

The holy yatra to the majestic Kailash Mountain and Mansarovar Lake is undertaken by thousands of pilgrims and travellers every year. Indus, Jains, Buddhists, and Bon followers go on this pilgrimage as Mount Kailash holds paramount importance in these religions. It is believed that Mount Kailash is the holy abode of supreme Hindu God Shiva himself and is also the ‘Axis Mundi’ of the universe.

This pilgrimage is not an easy one yet, people from around the world travel to glimpse the beauty of this holy place and attain the divine blessings of the almighty. I have been fortunate enough to be there many times in the last two decades. I started operating organised tour packages in the shape of ‘Fixed Departure Tours to Kailash Mansarovar’ and highly customised ‘Private Kailash Mansarovar Tours’ for travellers from all over the world. Today, I have a dedicated team of experts to guide the travellers and equip them with handful information before they decide to go on this challenging pilgrimage. My team promises to take you on this ultimate tirtha under the best possible comfort, safety and guidance of the experts.

Through various blogs, articles and online meetings, I always try to share my experience and available information with the travellers worldwide so that they may get more insight to Kailash Mansarovar tour. Here in this article, I have tried to put together some useful and important information on travel to Mt. Kailash and Mansarovar Lake based on my past experience. I am sharing here the demographics of the people who travel with us, health factors that can affect the tour, and when is the right time for you to visit the sacred Mt. Kailash. I hope this will be one of the most crucial information a traveller may want to know while planning to visit Kailash Mansarovar.

About Holy Mount Kailash

Kailash also referred sometimes as ‘Kailasa’ or ‘Mt. Meru’ is a sacred mount, a place where millions of devotees come to feel the spiritual connection between them and the almighty. The astounding peak is located in the southwest corner of Tibet. Mount Kailash is a 21,778 foot high mountain in the Kailash range of the Transhimalaya. The holy Mount Kailash is made up of black rock with a unique diamond shape and is surrounded by beautiful, serene landscapes. At the base of the Kailash mountain, the holy Mansarovar Lake is found.

This site has become an important destination for worshippers of four faiths: Hindus, Tibetans, Jains, and Buddhists. In Buddhist traditions, Mount Kailash is known as Mount Meru and holds a significant place in the religion. Similar to Hindu beliefs, Buddhists place Mount Meru at the centre of the cosmology, symbolically representing supreme bliss. Followers have many types of beliefs about the Kailash Yatra; one of them is that if they complete the Kora by foot, then it will clean their sins and bring them good fortune. However, everyone may not be able to complete the religious trip on foot. This is why we have brought up different types of trip options, from helicopter to road, so that everyone can feel the spiritual aura of the religious site.

The Majestic Lake Mansarovar

Another essential part of the yatra is the Holy Lake Mansarover. Mansarovar is a Sanskrit term which encompasses a broad meaning of intellectual (mind) lake. The lake is situated at a high altitude. This freshwater lake is fed by the glaciers of Mount Kailash. The lake lies 15,060 feet (ca. 4,590 m) above sea level. As mentioned in the Puranas a dip in the holy Mansarovar Lake can abolish all the sins in their lives.

According to Hindu mythology, it is said that Lord Brahma, the creator of the material world, formed the lake and that Lord Shiva himself revealed the secrets of creation and existence to his wife Parvati at the lake.

Kailash Mansarovar travel from Different Countries

People from all over the world visit the holy site for pilgrimage and adventure. According to the information and experience gained while organising Kailash Mansarovar trips for pilgrims I realised that Hindu, Buddhist, jain and Bon followers visit Kailash Mansarovar from different parts of the world. Among the list of travellers who visited Kailash Mansarovar in the last 10 years through Max Holidays USA, Canada, UK and Australia have topped the list after India. Check the information below to understand the demography

Kailash Mansarovar travel based on age group

Not surprisingly, people from various age groups go on the holy pilgrimage. Isn't it said that when God calls you, age, location or even physical health cannot stop you from visiting Him?

According to my recent surveys, I noticed that the highest percentage of visitors were from the age group of 45-69 year olds. This is a time in life when people feel closest to God and wish to connect more closely with the supreme being.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the younger generation holds God in the highest of honours and is often seen as part of our Kalash Yatra tours. Our youngest ever trooper to face the difficult terrain and returned safely was a 2.5 year old from the USA.

Our tours are not simply for the elderly people, in today’s world and specially after Covid time even the young generation is determined to face the difficult terrain to attain divine attribution. To your surprise, the oldest person who has visited the sacred land was a 74 year old gentlemen from the USA. Wait wait wait … here more surprising is that he was a heart patient with a stunt implanted.

So you understand that this pilgrimage is not about the age or physical shape you carry, but it is more dependent on your faith and determination. The more you get connected with your inner self, the more you believe in the power of supreme lord, your success rate for this trip increases itself.

Gender wise segregation for Mt Kailash visit

We are all the children of the Almighty who doesn't discriminate based on gender. Whenever Lord Shiva calls you, you have to visit his sacred abode. The difference based on gender is not that high; according to our survey, the average visit to the holy land by male pilgrims is around 59 percent and by female pilgrims is around 41 percent.

Traveller’s Choice of Trip Route

A holy trip to Mount Kailash offers a unique experience. But due to the dropping level of oxygen, many people have to return after half of the yatra, if not properly acclimatised. For acclimatisation it is important that you reach the destination gradually and keep yourself calm and healthy. In such a case a road trip that takes longer to reach higher altitude is considered to be technically better, but that still does not guarantee that the traveller will not catch mountain sickness or high altitude sickness. On the other hand a quicker trip to Kailash Mansarovar through Helicopter route is a good choice to avoid long distance road trips to Kailash Mansarovar, but it not only gives you less time to get acclimatise but it is also completely weather dependent due to unpredictable weather conditions in Western Nepal. However, in current world, people are trying to cut short the trip length and they want to do it in a shorter possible time.

Considering many things, for travellers there are several route options are available. These options are listed below with tentative percentage volume of travellers opting the route:

People Who Completed Mt. Kailash Kora

Numerous folks visit this site in the hopes of completing the whole yatra, and many do complete it, but unfortunately, a few aren't able to because of health issues or unwillingness to attempt the challenging trek. Some of them who start the trek also return from half the way either for their own choice or ill-health to complete the most challenging trek the following day. According to our reports, around 97 percent of visitors reach Darchen, the starting and ending points of the yatra.

We recorded that the eldest and the youngest traveller to complete the kora with us were 74 years and 2.5 years, respectively. So, the higher your dedication level, the higher the chances are for you to complete the trip to the sacred land.

Rate of high altitude sickness

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra tour is considered to be one of the most difficult pilgrimage treks in the world. Since it is a holy pilgrimage, devotees from around the world wish to pay their respects to the Almighty. The trek is undertaken in a harsh climate where the oxygen level is low and weather is treacherous. Individuals who are hoping to be part of the Kailash Yatra need to undergo thorough medical checkups and provide a medical certificate issued by a qualified doctor. You will be taken onboard the trip only if the doctor permits to go on this high altitude travel. Your health is very important to us and during the travel to Kailash Mansarovar my team will make sure that you do not suffer from any accidents or severe health issues during the trek. They carry all required medical first-aid support and emergency oxygen. Now a days there are fairly good facilities available in Darchen and Taklakot to provide immediate medical support, if need occurs.

I know, you want to know how ofter people fell sick on this trip. Let me tell you that according to my data and reports, almost around 26% of people who have visited the land were found to have no underlying common health issues related to high altitude sickness. While 97% of people who have common health issues undertook the yatra. They were allowed to start their trip after getting acclimatised properly and going through medical check-up for Kailash Kora.

Visitors who have mild health issues such as BP, Sugar etc are also welcomed to be part of the pilgrimage but under strict conditions and with a written permission from their qualified/authorised doctor.

Unfortunately, because of the intense conditions, people with severe health issues are sent back because further trek can be dangerous to their lives. With the grace of God and efforts of our experienced crew, our success rate has been one of the highest for this trip.

Different Groups for the Kailash Yatra

Fortunately for pilgrims, there are different types of group travel options. These options are based on the visitor's preferences and budget.

The first option is the most common ‘fixed departure group joining trips for Kailash Mansarovar yatra’, and the number of people in the group could be 45+ in a batch. This is the standard and most sought trip option, as it is not only the most affordable one but also because any number of travellers can join this group tour to Kailash Mansarovar.

The second option is private customised group tour to Kailash Mansarovar for families, friends, private group etc.

The third option my team has to offer for Kailash Mansarovar visit is a private trip to Kailash Mansarovar for VIPs, big corporates and celebs using chartered helicopter and high end available ground services.

Unlike previous years, after covid the demand for private trips for small families and couples has increased and we have started providing the same also. Such trips are much expensive when the number of participants is low.

- Fixed Departure group joining trips – 69% (Average group strength 35 – 55 travellers each batch)

Private Groups of families and corporate clients – 24% (Average group strength 25 to 110 travellers each batch)

Private trips for VIPs and Celeb – 04%

Individual tour (Couple) – 2.5%

Private trip for Solo travellers- Less than 0.5%

Who joins our Fixed Departure Group Trips for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

As group travel is one of the most popular options because of its pricing and benefits, let me share more information on the group-joining trip. According to my studies, solo travellers were at the top of the list out of which males are 61% and females are 39%). Group travelling is not only beneficial, but it also helps them to connect with numerous other people, and with our planning, they cover the entire destination with ease. Couples also join Kailash Yatra group tour in a large number. Many small families and groups of friends also join the group trip.

Solo travellers group joining basis – 47% (Males 61%, Females 39%)

Couples joining group tours – 36%

Small family group joining basis - 12%

Group of friends/colleagues – 5% (Average group size 4-8 people)

Occupation of travellers: Insights Revealed

Though it does not really matters for the commoners visiting Mt. Kailash but based on the information submitted by the travellers at the time of their trip registrations, I have tried to figure out that from which field people mostly choose to go on Kailash Mansarovar trip. According to the data available and my other research, the highest contribution to the sacred trip is made by businessmen (27 percent of the total contribution, based on last 10 years data) followed by housewives (24% of the total contribution). This data has nothing to do with the technicalities of this high altitude travel. however, it may certainly give some confidence to the ‘housewives’ who feel that this trip is not for them :-)

When is the Right Time for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?

Kailash Mansarovar region is usually open from April till the end of October for visits. In the winter time the area remains closed for tourism activities due to heavy snow. The land is cold throughout the year, but when winter arrives, the site takes a different form. The temperature during this period goes below -15 °C, and the environment becomes icy because of heavy snowfall. While most people opt for the visit from May to September when the region is widely open, but few consider to travel in April or October to experience lesser crowd. Check out the graph to understand this better

Contacting my team of experts

Undertaking the Kalish Mansarovar Yatra is a dream of many. Visiting the holy abode of God and the religious centre of the universe promises divine blessings and the hope of attaining nirvana. For many people, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.. So we recommend you to make your move and call us at Max Holidays and don't miss the chance to get your divine experience. Visiting this holy Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar can help you to start afresh.

We will ensure that your travel experience is seamless with our thoughtfully curated approach, with meticulous planning, enabling you to enjoy the most spiritual moment of your life.