Tibet - as the holiest of all holy places. For Hindus, this awe-inspiring lone peak is the representation on earth of Mt Meru, the spiritual centre of their universe and a 'world pillar' 84,000 miles high, around which all else revolves. Hindus believe that Kailash is the home of Lord Shiva, who sits at the summit with his consort Parvati, otherwise known as the daughter of the Himalayas. The 'Parikrama', circumambulation, or journey round the base, of Mount Kailash, is said to wipe out a whole lifetime of accrued sins and many people report that they feel renewed or changed for the better after undertaking this spiritual journey. It is not just Hindus for whom Kailash is imbued with such great meaning. The Jains regard the mountain as the place where their first prophet achieved enlightenment and it is also of great spiritual significance for Buddhists and for those who still follow the ancient Bon religion. Buddhists call Kailash the "Precious Jewel' peak and they, too, make many circumambulations in order to achieve enlightenment.
Additionally, the great lakes Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal which lie in the shadow of Kailash, are also manifestations of aspects of the Hindu religion and symbolize the water tanks at the entrance to every Hindu temple. Manasarovar, shaped like the sun and therefore symbolizing the light, is believed to be the lake formed in the mind of God, created to show the omnipotence of the mind of Brahma. This is why bathing in the lake and drinking in its water is a purifying process for Hindus and a way of reaching the Brahma's paradise. Just one drop of water from the serenely beautiful Manasarovar is said to set one free from the contaminations of the poisonous world. Rakshas Tal, on the other hand, is more moon-like in shape and has come to be connected with the dark and with demonic forces. This whole area resonates with very deep mythical and religious vibrations and even agnostics cannot remain unmoved by the atmosphere, discovering a greater sense of equanimity by gazing upon this utterly serene landscape. A journey to the Mount Kailash area is truly an experience of a lifetime - and we can facilitate your great spiritual adventure by arranging a trek tailored to your special requirements. However, we recognize that some people would like to see Kailash and the holy lakes, but may be hampered by time restraints. For these pilgrims, we have devised a special itinerary which cuts the whole journey down to 9 days by using helicopter transport between Nepalgunj and Simikot/Hilsa. Taking this version of the trip means that you can still enjoy the full Kailash and Lake Manasarovar experience in an unhurried manner. Below is a 9 days itinerary that we have offered here. If you need to cut down your traveling time even further, we can probably adapt the program to your requirements, so please contact us for further details.
Upon your arrival in KATMANDU(1000m/3280ft) Himalayan Glacier will officially greet and meet you at Airport & transfer to you Hotel Shanker or similar category hotel. Free day & evening welcome dinner at any typical Nepalese Restaurant. O/N KATMANDU.
Half day guided city tours (tour includes Kathmandu Durbar Square, Syambunath Stupa, Pashupati Nath Temple - Hindu Temple & Buddha Nath - The biggest Buddha Stupa in ancent Kathmandu). Afternoon pre-trip discussion of next day trek.O/N KATMANDU.
Arrive at Nepal Jung airport, where you will be met by our representative and transferred to Nepalgunj (Administrative Head Quarter of Western Nepal), arrival in Hotel & refresh. Evening - tour briefing. Hotel Sneha
Early morning transfer to airport (10 minutes from Hotel) for flying to Hilsa (the border between Nepal and China). But before reaching Hilsa, your Helicopter must land at SIMIKOT (the administrative head quarter of Northern frontier of Nepal) because the boarder immigration office of Nepal is situated here only and according to the regulation of Nepal, you must put exit stamp on your Passport before you leave for China (Kailash). The entire formalities take about 30 to 45 minutes. After completing the formalities in Simikot, you continue our journey to Hilsa. Once you land at Hilsa, you cross the River Karnali through a suspension bridge and get entered to the China side then continue TREKKING up to the "Sher village". The Chinese immigration Office and Boarder Check Post is situated in Sher village. Your vehicles (Land Cruisers & truck) are waiting there as well. The actual trek takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour to reach Sher from the suspension bridge. Due to the different pace of walking, it may take at least two hours to gather all group members & luggage in immigration office up in Sher. However, the formalities don't take long time but it depends on the mood of Chinese Police. From Sher, it takes another an hour to reach Taklakot (Purang -3700 m.).
Today, you will have rest in Taklakot for acclimatization purpose. In fact, you have gained an enormous height within a day while coming in Taklakot, so before making any further journey to the higher elevation, your body should be acclimatized properly with the atmosphere in high altitude. So, it is significantly important to spend a day here for your health. However, we can also arrange a short visit to the Khojarnath temple (the ancient temple of Ram, Sita and Laxman) which is an optional program and you have to pay for transport (going and coming back) as well as the entrance fee of the temple. OR, you may stroll around the city on your own and visit the ruins of ancient Taklakot. Khojarnath temple: Khojarnath temple is the ancient temple of Ram, Sita and Laxman. The temple (Monastery) is 1100 years old. - Takalakot to Khojarnath temple: 45 minutes (one way) by Jeep.
Early morning (after breakfast) you will depart for Lake Manasarovar (4560 m- Chui Gompa). The drive takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. On the way, we will have a short break in Rakshas Taal (Lake Ravana) to take some pictures & observe the sceneries. After taking a short break in Rakshas Taal, you will continue your journey to Lake Manasarover. After having holy dip and lunch, you will depart for a circumambulation around the lake Manasarovar on jeep. The journey around the lake requires approximately 3 hours.
In the morning, perform Pooja (worship) & Snan (holy dip) after that we head out to Darchen (Mount Kailash base camp, 4662m).
Early morning, drive to Yam Dwar (OR Serson, 10 kms / 4750m), the auspicious gateway to the Parikrama (circuit) around Mt. Kailash. As well as, this is the sky burial sites of local Tibetan people. From here, you can see the closest view of Mt. Kailash. Also, this is the particular place from where the group normally splits in two parts. Those, who are willing to perform the holy circumambulation around the Mt. Kailash will start trekking from "Yama Dwar" and the rest of the people who are not willing to go for trekking will return Darchen on Jeep and wait for others to come. The trail to Deraphuk is easy & flat however because of the high elevation, you will find difficulty to walk. The total journey to Deraphuk Gompa (4890m/18 km). requires a 5 to 6 hours respectively. However, it depends on your pace.
Early morning start up hill trekking to Dolma-La (5600 m). This is the toughest day of this journey. The entire trail up to Dolma-La is gradually up and from here the trail rapidly drops down to the next valley floor (Zutulphuk). The holiest water pool (glacial lake - Gauri kunda) is just situated beyond this pass. This is the lake, people believe, where Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva used to take bath. After making down hill trek to the valley (the next side of the high pass), the trek up to Zutulphuk Gomba requires another two hours. - Deraphuk to Zutrul phuk Gomba - 9 hours
Today, you will complete the circumambulation around Mt. Kailash. The trek will be finished near Darchen where our vehicles will be waiting to fetch you and transfer to Taklakot. Evening, you will be in Taklakot.
Early morning (after breakfast), you will drive to Sher village then trek down to Hilsa (45 minutes) and take Helicopter flight to Nepalgunj via Simikot. From Nepalgunj airport, you will directly drive to Lucknow. Our representative will escort you up to Lucknow.
COST: Call for Pricing (513)257-6700
Min PAX 20Simultaneously, if the weather in between Simikot and Hilsa is bad, the Helicopter can't come to pick you up at Hilsa. In this case, you have to stay in Hilsa and our company provides accommodation and foods. Only basic foods and accommodation is available in Hilsa.
So, every passenger on this journey is advised to keep some spare days in the Yatra.
Departure Date Booking FormTraveling through the lush green mountain valley of the Nepal Himalayas, we made the journey through remote areas of Tibet towards the site of our Yatra ....
read more ...Nothing but great things to say about our experience with the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Himalayan Glacier tour!! Lina Patel got right away what we wanted to achieve during our trip ....
read more ...I will be really thankful to Lina and Himalayan Glacier for planning smooth transition from 4000 feet in Kathmandu to 19,500 at Dolma La. I am also grateful to a team of Sherpas who’s sincere and skillful ....
read more ...Trip to Mansarovar and Mt Kailash was on our mind for last several years. This year, all stars were in line and we were able to make this trip with a great success. We were lucky that we had very good company ....
read more ...Our journey began on August 28th from Kathmandu, Nepal. 19 Yatris, along with a crew of experienced guides from Himalayan Glacier Trekking Company, took off in a luxury bus with our packed luggage...
read more ...I decided to embark on the Mount Kailash/Lake Mansarovar Yatra in May of 2010 after graduating from law school. I envisioned it being a great release after sitting for the Illinois Bar Exam at the end of July....
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