A. Travellers between 12 to 70 years of age can apply for Permit to visit Kailash Mansarovar. The applicant must not have any serious medical conditions like high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Travellers with age 70 years and above maintaining good health and approved by qualified doctor (from a Govt. Hospital) for this trip may also apply by fulfilling additional conditions set by the Tibetan Authorities. However granting permissions to such an elderly person is at the sole discretion of the office of the concerned authorities. . It is to be noted that officially it is not permitted for the people of 60 year age and above to undertake Kora of Mount Kailash, but the same is always at the sole discretion of the local guide and authority as this depends on the health of an individual traveller. Mount Kailash Kora is usually an inbuilt part of the Kailash Yatra packages, but if not permitted by the authorities or health, it is under the authority of the guides to reject to take any traveller for the kora / parikrama of Mount Kailash. No refund or compensation is available in lieu thereof. Rather travellers who are stopped for trekking (or also those who decided not to do trek) will have to pay additional amount for staying at Darchen for those 2 nights when the other group members are doing the kora.
A. For Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in the remote land of Tibetan Autonomous Region, (TAR) physical and mental fitness is very important. It is advisable to get a medical examination with your regular doctor before you plan to go on Mt. Kailash Yatra. Anyone suffering from back problems may find the long drives over bumpy roads difficult. People suffering from Asthma or any kind of dust allergy are forewarned that the amount of dust on the road necessitates wearing a mask. Apart from that, it is a good idea to prepare in advance with brisk walking, and some regimen of exercise or preferably yoga asanas and pranayama. Eventually, for most people the Kailash parikrama is an act of faith.
A. The recommended BMI (Body Mass Index) is 27 or below for an individual applying for travelling to Kailash Mansarovar. Even if the permission is granted to go on this trip, you may have to pay additional charges for a helicopter and flight seat when travelling on a heli trip via Simikot. Your can 'Check Your BMI' here.
A. The most important document is a valid passport. All travellers, irrespective to their nationality and geographical location must have a valid passport for traveling to Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar situated in Tibet, China. The passport should have minimum six months validy from the date of entering into Tibetan territories to visit Kailash Mansarovar. It is the sole responsibility of the traveller to ensure for the authenticity and validity of their documents. If you are an Indian citizen and you do not have a passport, apply your passport online today. Visit this 'Passport Seva' weblink to apply your passport in India. It is to be noted that handwritten passports are no more valid. Apart from a valid passport there are several other documents you may be asked for inlcuding copies of PAN, Voter, Aadhaar card for Indian passport holders, Fitness certificate issued by a qualified doctor, insurance, photographs etc,
A. Apart from getting yourself medically examined from a qualified doctor to ensure your own safety, it is a good idea to prepare in advance with brisk walking, and some regimen of exercise or preferably yoga asanas and pranayama. Eventually, for most people the Kailash parikrama is an act of faith and being mentally connected with the Almighty which does work a lot in the favour of a traveller for success of this trip.
A. Mount Kailash is accessible through various border entry points from Nepal and Tibet. These popular routes are listed below :
A. KMY via Lipulekh Pass, Uttrakhand and KMY via Nathula Pass, Sikkim routes are available to book only with Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India. Indian citizens with age between 18 to 70 years can apply to join a trip to Kailash Mansarovar through kmy.org.in. Tour operators are not authorised to conduct trips via these two routes.
Note: There are more options available with us for visiting Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. At Max Holidays we have a good list of available options for touring to Kailash Mansarovar. To check the same Click Here
A. The group size is usually 25-35 person minimum for a helicopter tour and it may reach to 40-50 travellers or more especially during the full moon travel. During full moon travel you may find rush of pilgrims in the region and also expect to be in a much larger group.
A. Yes it is possible! You can make a private group if you have minimum 25 (or more) travellers to join. Smaller strength of the group may attract higher cost supplement for the trip.
A. Due to strict restrictions by the Chinese Govt. no individual trips are allowed in Tibet hence one has to join a group to visit Kailash Mansarovar situated in the Western Tibet.
A. A trip to Kailash Mansarovar is not about luxuries or comfort. Still, for travellers it is fairly okay to expect a clean place with basic amenities. The standard of accommodation and travel services available in this region is improving with the time, but at most places, except in the big cities and towns the travellers are left with the only option to stay in guesthouses in a dormitory style accommodation which lack even the basic facilities. Read below some important information for the quality of stay falling on different routes.
A. During entire trip of Kailash Mansarovar food served by the hotels, guesthouses and our chef is always pure vegetarian without onion and garlic.
A. While staying in hotels the travelers get buffet meal usually which is pure and especially placed for the Kailash Yatra travelers mostly. During travel in Tibet side though there is no set menu for food but usually for breakfast one gets high energy and nutritious beverages like bournvita, horlicks along with tea/coffee followed by option of porridge, cornflakes, pancakes, upma, pakoras, paranthas, puri aalloo, bread butter/ jams etc. Lunch is generally packed and served at a scenic spot near some water pool. It consists of a tetra pack (Frooti etc) or lime water with glucose, puri/chapatti & vegetables, tinned fruits/sweets, pickle. Dinner is at the campsite and the menu is very varied with availability of soup, Indian bread, dal, rice, salad, noodles and some desert.
A. While staying in hotels in India or Nepal side, you may get filtered water provided by the hotels for their inhouse guests. During travel in Tibet, and especially while staying near the lake or doing Kailash Parikrama, water is collected from streams near the campsite and served after boiling, hence it is safe for drinking. You can add iodine drops or chlorine tablets, if you wish to. You may also buy mineral water from market, if you want.
A. A trip to Kailash Mansarovar is performed in high altitude region where the extreme weather conditions are really tough. It is recommended that you bring enough warm clothes with you and carry multiple layers of clothes. Monkey cap, Thermal wear, Woolen gloves, Comfortable waterproof shoes, Face masks, Sunscreen lotion, Sun glasses, Walking stick etc are some recommended packing items. For more, please have a look at The Packing Checklist
A. During Kailash Mansarovar travel the road transport services vary based on the itinerary and route.
India side : In India from Lucknow to Nepalgunj and back to Lucknow we have deluxe buses, cars and jeeps which are provided depending on the number of travelers. At additional cost luxury cars and buses are also available in India for transfers from Lucknow to Nepalgunj and back.
Nepal side : In Nepal the Company provide decent airconditioned buses, jeeps or cars for transfers and sightseeing purpose. From Kathmandu to Kyirong the road condition is poor and this ride is going to be long and tiring, here we provide only non airconditioned small buses or jeeps.
Tibet side : In Tibet the buses are fairly good and comfortable deluxe buses are provided for all road travel. For Kailash Mansrovar region one has to use local vehicles permitted by the local authority.
A. No, it is not permitted by the Chinese Govt to bring your own car with Indian registration number to visit Kailash Mansarovar. For travelling in Tibet it is necessarily required to have a local vehicle and a Tibetan tour guide cum tour officer.
A.The answer is simply 'NO' because to visit Mt. Kailash & Lake Mansarovar one has to travel to Tibet which is a part of China. A valid passport with Group travel permits to visit Tiber Autonomous Region in China and entry visa are required by Indians for this yatra.
A.All Indian passport holders, irrespective to their home location, have to apply for their Tibet Group travel visa with Chinese Embassy in Delhi only, through a tour company organising group tours to TAR (Tibet Autonmous Region) for visitin Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. As per the current rules, their physical presence is not required for visa submission, but the original passport is a must for submission for obtaining the visa. In the event of non-availaility of the original passport with group visa application the name of the traveler is considered cancelled and his/her name is not added in the entry visa, which means his/her trip gets cancelled automatically with no further consideration.
A.For all travellers, other than the Indian passport holders, the group visa application to visit Tibet for a pilgrimage tour to Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is to be submitted with China Embassy in Kathmandu only. From 2023, China Embassy has made it madatory for them to visit the embassy for biometrics with prior appoitment. The tour companies organising the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra group tour are authorised to apply on your behalf for biometric process and they can also collect your passport from the embassy after the visa is issued. The process for biometrics and visa may take 4 to 5 working days, which means that you have to be there for a duration longer than the pre defined trip schedule.
A.No. For travelling to Nepal immigration accepts a document that exclusively proves your nationality. Hence, you need to produce either valid Indian Passport or Election Card (issued by Election Commission) at the Indian immigration while travelling to Nepal and also at Kathmandu international airport while flying to India.
A.Yes, Tibet is under the control of China and travel is restricted in many ways. For travelling to Tibet one need to obtain various entry permits from the concerennd authorities in Lhasa, Tibet through. Such permits are not availale for the travellers directly and one has to joing a group tour and apply for the permits thhrough an authorised agencies only for applying a permit to visit Tibet. The permit process is tough, lengthy and may take 3 to 4 weeks (or even longer sometimes).
A. As mentioned, Tibet travel permits are always available for travelling with a group only. The group naming list with photocopies of the passport and permit fee are to be submitted by your tour organisor on your behalf. All permit applications for group and individual travellers listed in the permit application chart are subject to approval from the authorised office of the Tibet Govt. They retain asolute right to refuse to accept, reject, delay, cancel any permit application by giving no reason. After the permit application is applied and submitted no changes (addition or omition) is possible for any individual. The entire permit has to be taken back and re-submission has to be done. The authority may or may not accept the permit application for the same date agai, depending on the availaility of time for the complete permit and visa processing.
A. Tibet Travel Permits once applied cannot be modified for the need of an individual or a part of the group. It is also not permitted to withdraw any individual's name from the application after submission. In the event of any traveller cancelling his/her/their trip after permit application submission, he/she/they may have to bear heavy cancellation penalties which may be event equivalent to their full trip cost. For more information read our Booking & Cancellation Policy
A. Blood test, Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, ECG are some basic tests which are recommended. Depending on age or physical status of a person, we recommend that he should get examined by the physician thoroughly. It is totally the responsibility of the traveller to ensure that he/she is fit to undertake this trip. Anytime during the trip if the person is found unfit to take further trip, he/she may be immediately off-loaded from the Kailash trip and sent back by offering no compensation in lieu thereof and all additional services hired in that case will be completely on the traveller only.
A. Our tour executive is already going to carry abundant medicines which have been approved by the highly professional doctors from Nepal and Tibet for your safety.
A. Based on the health of an individual the impact of high altitude weather may differ. It is not necessary that one will get high altitude sickness during the trip, but it is also not sure that one will not face this problem. High altitude sickness is very common while travelling to such a height in mountains and this goes away with time, depending on your own immunity and ability to overcome this situation. Acclimatize yourself properly, keep yourself hydrated during the travel, eat well, practice yoga and meditation before and during your travel to avoid or overcome the high altitude sickness. If you face high altitude sickness and need some medical help, contact your guide and follow his instructions. In a few days if the health does not improve and the guide suggest you not to go in higher altitude, you must not avoid his suggestion.
A. During Kailash Yatra tour in Tibet and especially during the trekking our crew does carry oxygen cylinders/oxygen pillow/portable oxygen bottles for emergency use. Small portable oxygen bottles are available easily in the Burang market and one can also carry the same for emergency use on his own expense.
A. During Kailash Yatra tour in the event of emergency we provide all possible and available emergency evacuation facilities such as ground ambulance, helicopter ambulance, doctors, hospitalization etc. but the same is payable by the travellers only. We do not take any liability for payments of hospital bills, medicines, emergency evacuation transport, additional accommodation and food bills etc. One must carry sufficient money to overcome with such situations.
A. No, you cannot use the Indian Currency INR during the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
A. No, you cannot use the Nepalese currency NPR during the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
A. Yes, the Chinese currency YUAN is solely used in the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
A. Indian rupees currency notes are widely accepted in all small and big establishments and shops in Nepal side. During travel in Tibet one must carry Chinese Yuan only. The exchange rate of Chinese Yuan is approx 01 Yuan = INR 11 which vary from bank to bank and also on the day of exchange. US Dollars are also accepted at some places but carrying Chinese Yuans for small payments is always better. Exchange is available at Kathmandu Nepal and Taklakot (Burang) Tibet side. To avoid inconvenience and high exchange rate it is better that you buy and bring Yuan before starting from home, if available.
A. It is highly recommended for you to get the money exchanged to the Chinese currency YUAN from your home country itself.
A. Both mental and physical fitness is required to complete the trip. It is one of the toughest land journeys which you would have ever taken on earth. Physical preparations include ANY or all of the following: walking 4-5 kms. a day, swimming, playing badminton, jogging, freehand exercise, climbing a 10/20-storey building etc. All this not only helps muscle development but also expands capacity of the lungs, which is vital in high altitudes due to lower levels of oxygen. This is not a Yatra in which you can depend on 'Palkis' or ponies to take care of you. You have to depend on your own reserves of strength and stamina. Mental preparation means being absolutely positive about wanting to complete the journey. Yoga helps. A medical check-up is strongly recommended. Take your personal physician's advice on your participation. If you consume alcohol and smoke, better quit it.
A. During the rainy season in Nepal (late June to Aug), there is a strong possibility of landslides en-route to the Tibet border. This stretch varies from 3-5 kms and has to be walked, if required. After that, you will need to walk during the parikrama, if you decide to undertake it. This is a 52-kms / 3 days trek done at an average altitude of 15000 ft. and the highest point is the Dolma La (Pass) at 19,500 ft. Attempt walking the entire distance including the trek up the Dolma La only if you are extremely fit physically. If you are reasonably fit, hire a pony (limited numbers available) for the 3-day parikrama (the rate for this service is about Chinese Yuan 2800 for a Yak and a porter). You may need the yak on day 2 of the parikrama on the ascent to Dolma La. But knowing the behavior of the yaks and the yak men, you should be prepared for walks on the first and last day of the parikrama. On these 2 days the walks are in general over level ground (i.e. with no major ascents or descents). There will be a walking for approx. 8 hrs per day. However, there is the option of not doing the parikrama at all and staying behind at Darchen at your own cost. We can pick you up after the parikrama.
A. For travelling to Kailash Mannsarovar one need to carry warm clothing. But for trekking of Mt. Kailash there are few additional items are to be carried. A list of such items for packing are listed under our Packing Checklist page on this website. For more information contact our office.
A. For travelling to Kailash Mansarovar, one need to be fit mentally and physically. Apart from being fit, there are several other crieterias which one need to fulfil for tihs trip.
A. Yes, we accept Debit and Credit Card Payments for bookings. Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Dinner's Club etc are easy to use on our secure online payment.. Card payments attract online bank fee for the transactions (3% maximum) which may vary for different cards and banks. For more details on this contact our office.
A. Yes, the customers can make payments to us for their tour ookings using NEFT/RTGS/IMPS. The IFSC code and bank account information of Max Holidays can e obtained from our office.
A. Yes, we accept Cash and Cheques for bookings. In case your payment goes above 2 lakhs, then you will have to give 2 lakhs through cash and the remaining amount by cheque or NEFT/IMPS/RTGS/Credit Card/Debit Card.
A. Yes, we receive the International Payments through Swift Transfer or Credit cards/Debit cards (3% deductible charges).
Note: Max Holidays provide various payment options for travellers sending payments to us from all locations in India and abroad. view all payment options here.
A. Yes, a valid passport is a must for undertaking the pilgrims Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. To apply for new passport Click Here
A. As guided and repeatedly informed Kailash Mansarovar travel is full of uncertainities. Change in travel dates and duration is a very common and a well known part of this trip, even when the permit/visa application has been submitted. This is due to several reasons forced by international and local political reasons of China, delay in getting permits/visa, weather issues etc. We strongly recommend that the travellers should not book their flight tickets before receiving the permits to visit Tibet. If the travellers are concerned for increase in flight ticket cost at later stage and he/she/they want to buy their flight tickets by accepting the risk of trip delay or cancellation, we recommend that they should buy only a refundale flight fare with date flexibility option. Such flight tickets does not fall under our tour service / cost list and Max Holidays does not take any responsibility for any loss to the traveller due to such changes/cancellatios.
A. Besides a valid passport one must carry a voter ID card (Indian Nationals), 04-05 colored Passport sized photograph, Travel & Medical insurance, Doctor’s Medical Certificate. Copy of Kailash Yatra permits and Group visa will be made available with the tour leaders/guides.
A. We arrange your permits for the restricted areas and for that we shall need your passport copies for applying the same one month prior to your departure date for the approval from China.
A. As per the latest rules, after receiving necessary permits Indian nationals must apply for visa at China embassy in Delhi only and NRIs and Foreign passport holders must apply at China Embassy in Kathmandu only. The rules of the authorities keeps changing and are beyond our control, hence it is advisable to keep yourself updated on the same. You may further consult with our Kailash Mansarovar Yatra advisor by calling them or writing them an email.
A. Yes, even if you have a Chinese visa on your passport you need to present your original passport to designated Chinese Embassy in order to get approved in Group visa. Failing to this you may not undertake Kailash Yatra tour.
A. Yes, it is strictly advised to get yourself completely insured for any medical emergency evacuation, delay or cancelation of the trip etc. Emergency evacuation charges on this trip are sometimes very high and insurance for Kailash Mansarovar trip plays a vital role here when needed. While buying insurance, ensure that the same is valid for the specific trip and route. For more information you can also contact Kailash Yatra consultants at our office.
A. Travelers are require to submit clear scanned copies of the following documents, at the time of registration.
A. While tours operate from April to September in that region, please check the fixed day tours, and itinerary for details on dates. The Tibet plateau is a dry region and rain/precipitation is very little so any month between May-September is good except for August when you can expect heavy rainfall in Tibet. Although, weather wise, May and September will be colder. However, June-Sep, is the rainy season in Nepal and on the road to the border, landslides do take place and might require a 5-6 km walk on extreme cases. Weather in Tibet is very uncertain.
A.No, it is not at all preferable to go to the Kailash Manasarovar during the Monsoon Time.
A.There is dry and cool climate in Kailash Manasarovar and the summers are from May to August but are considered really pleasant as compared to other areas. The Lake Manasarovar freezes during the wintertime, however, Mount Kailash is always snow-covered. The temperature here stays at around 5 degrees Celsius but the Mercury can also fall as low as -15 degrees Celsius.
view full weather chartA. Yes the Indian mobile does work during the Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar Lake Yatra (except the day of Mount Kailash Parikrama), but kindly take international roaming from your provider.
A. 2G Internet services work during the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and that too with the Chinese sim.
A. The electricity issues are prevalent especially in the remote areas such as Hilsa and also at the time of Trekking.
A. There will be one Nepali Guide as well as the Sherpas along with one Tibetan Escort present for accompanying you during the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
A. During the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, you will be facilitated with one Nepali Guide as well as the Sherpas along with one Tibetan Escort who will be accompanying you during the whole Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
A. Our helicopter trips via Lucknonw ad Kathmandu are inclusive of internal flight tickets and seat in Chartered helicopter for Simikot to hilsa return journey.
A. There are various reasons why travelers take full moon trips - Most of the Tibetan festivals are celebrated during full moon. Saga Dawa festival is one of the most popular festivals which takes place near kailash Mansarovar. Travellers who wish to witness the local festival prefer to go there during full moon time.
- In Hindu and Jain religion mainly, it is considered to be more auspicious to perform puja during full moon (purnima), therefore they prefer to be near Kailash Mansarovar during the full moon.
- The region Kailash Mansarovar and nearby mountains looks even more beautiful and clear under the moonlight, hence travelers prefer this time to be spent near that region.
