Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra – The abode of Lord Shiva

     09N / 10D

Itinerary

Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu followed by assisted transfer to hotel by our tour representative.

Stay overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Early morning, Set out on a sightseeing excursion in Kathmandu. Visit Pashupatinath Temple, Baudhanath Stupa and Budhanilkantha Temple. Pashupatinath Temple  is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple serves as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams (Holy Abodes of Shiva) on the continent.

Boudhanath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is known as Khāsti in Nepal Bhasa, Jyarung Khasyor in Tamang language or as Bauddha by speakers of Nepali. Located about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa’s massive mandala makes it one of the largest sphericalstupas in Nepal. The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline. The ancient Stupa is one of the largest in the world. The influx of large populations of refugees from Tibet has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan Gompas (Monasteries) around Boudhanath. As of 1979, Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Budhanilkantha Statue of the Hindu god Vishnu, located approximately 10 kilometers from the center of Kathmandu at the base of the Shivapuri Hill, is the largest and most beautiful stone carving in all of Nepal. It is also the most enigmatic.Carved from a single block of black basalt stone of unknown origin, the Budhanilkantha statue is 5 meters in length and it lies in a reclining position inside a recessed tank of water (representing the cosmic sea) that is 13 meters in length. Called the Sleeping Vishnu, or Jalakshayan Narayan, the statue depicts the deity reclining on the twisting coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha (Shesha is the eternal, multi-headed king of the serpent deities known as Nagas, and also is the servant of Vishnu). Vishnu’s legs are crossed and the eleven heads of Shesha cradle his head. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to domestic airport to board flight for NepalGunj. On reaching NepalGunj, our tour representative will assist you in smooth transfer to hotel.

Stay overnight at a hotel in NepalGunj.

Early morning,

Be ready for transfer to the airport to board flight for Simikot. On reaching Simikot, you will be greeted      by our representative followed by assisted transfer to hotel.

Stay overnight at a resort in Simikot.

Usually the air journey from NepalGunj to Simikot takes only 1 hour but the delay of an hour or two occurs due to bad weather conditions.

Early morning,

Embark on a helicopter and fly down to Hilsa (Nepal/China border). On arrival in Hilsa, you will be greeted and escorted to the tea shop by our tour representative. Wait until other group members arrive there to join you. Take a walking tour from Hilsa to Sher followed by an hour long drive to Purang via Japanese land cruiser.

Purang in Tibetan, is the administrative center of Burang County, Ngari Prefecture of in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (China). The town lies at 4755 metres (13,205 feet) altitude in the valley of the Karnali River. To the south are Gurla Mandhata (Mount Namonanyi) and the Abi Gamin ranges. Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash are to the north.

 Stay overnight at a guesthouse (Purang).

Morning transfer  to Lake Mansarovar. En route, halt at Rakshas Taal to feast upon the picturesque views of Rakshas Taal with Mount Kailas forming the backdrop. Take a holy dip in the lake and savor your lunch. Post lunch, embark on a jeep and travel down to Lake Mansarovar for circumambulation.

Lake Manasarovar situated about 2000 kms from Lhasa is world’s highest freshwater lake.Known as Lake Manas Sarovar in Sanskrit and Mapham Yutso in Tibetan this huge lake with the mirror like image of snow capped mountains in its crystal clear waters is just fabulous. The lake is located at the southern foot of Mount Kailash, stretching up to 55miles (88kms) in perimeter it goes 330 feet deep and about 120 sq mi of total area. Lake Manasarovar has exceptional beauty that varies from crystal clear blue water near the shores and a deep emerald green colour at the center. There are a few monasteries on the shore of the lake and most striking of all is the ancient Chiu Gompa Monastery, which has been built right onto a steep hill.

Stay overnight at a guesthouse or Tibetan Dharamshala. 

Early morning, You will head straight to Asthapad via Darchen. Post sightseeing in Asthapad, continue your drive to Yama Dwar. From Yama Dwar, the group will split into two parts. Whereas the members who have gone for Parikrama will start trekking from Yama Dwar to Diraphuk, the other will return back in Darchen and wait for the Parikrama group.

 Yama Dwar this is the place of entering the abode of Lord Shiva. To reach Shiva’s home, one should pass through the Yama Dwar. ‘Yama’ is the lord of death and ‘Dwar’ means gate. Yama, who brings mortal souls to his haven and make judgment of one’s merit & sin, then release for onward cosmic journey. It is said, the real enter from this gate can be made after emancipating the soul from mortal world. Tibetans call ‘Tarboche’ for Yam Dwar.

Stay overnight at a guesthouse in Diraphuk.

Early morning,

Start with your trekking tour to Dolma-La Pass. The trek is quite tough as the entire route to Dolma-La Pass is steep. The holy lake Gauri Kund is situated beyond the Dolma-La Pass. It is believed that Parvati, the divine consort of Lord Shiva use to bath here. From Dolma-La pass, travel downhill to Zhulthulphuk valley. From the valley floor, travel all the way to Darchen to join other members.

Dolma La is the high pass on the Kailash Kora that represents the most challenging and rewarding point of the circuit.   The crossing over this pass represents a transition from the former life to a new one with all of the previous sins forgiven by the compassionate Goddess of Mercy, Drolma

 Gauri Kund, a water body that is also known as the Lake of Compassion, lies on the way while going on downwards from Dolma – La (Dolma Pass). This steep descent from Dolma Pass is a wonderful lake which is at an altitude of 5608m. As per Hindu mythology, there is a fascinating tale about Gauri Kund and has been described in legend “Shiva Purana”. The lake is also famous as “Parvati Sarovar” as this was the place where goddess Parvati had acquired her son Ganesha (Elephant headed God). Goddess Parvati had formed an image of Ganesh from the soap lather on her body and breathed life into it.

Stay Overnight at a local guesthouse.

Today your Parikrama tour will get complete as soon as you reach Darchen.

At Darchen, get merged with the other group. Later, embark on a land cruiser and drive down to Hilsa.

Darchen (also Tarchan or Taqin) is a small town in Purang County of Tibet Autonomous Region. It is situated right in front of the sacred mountain, Mount Kailash,  Its altitude is 4,575 metres (15,010 ft) and it is the starting point of Kailash Kora. It is also the only town and base for visiting both Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. Darchen was previously known as Lhara and still signposted as such. It was previously an important sheep station for nomads and their flocks and had only two permanent buildings; only one of which survived the Cultural Revolution and is now used to house Tibetan pilgrims.

Stay overnight in a local guesthouse at Hilsa.

Early morning,

Embark on a helicopter and fly back to Simikot. Board the flight to NepalGunj at Simikot airport and then onwards to Kathmandu.

Stay overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.

Early morning,

You will be transferred to Tribhuvan International Airport to board flight back to home.

Visit ends

IMPORTANT PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION:

Clothing

All the pilgrims are informed to carry casual wears and comfortable walking shoes as per the rule of Tibet. Make sure to bring woolen clothes due to the chilly and cold weather of the region. Saris are strictly no for Indian pilgrims. Keep with you all the necessary items from home such as medicines, toiletries, cosmetics and first-aid kit as it is quite difficult to obtain them during the journey. A route map will let you know about the destinations you are going to visit.

What to take

It is highly recommended to carry warm woolen clothes and winter wears such as raincoat, Gore-Tex material, thermal under wears, down jacket, warm shirts, sweaters & trousers, gloves, comfortable shoes, leather boots, monkey cap, sun hat and scarf to be protected form winter ailments.

Bring with you

We advise you to bring good amount of snacks with you such as dry fruits, toffees, chocolates and namkeens to feed your appetite in small quantities throughout the journey. Bring strong water bottle & water purifying tablets to avoid problems like upset stomach and food poisoning. Keep sun glasses and sun screen lotion with you to protect your eyes and skin from ultra violet rays in high altitudes. Other essentials that must kept in consideration while travelling in mountains includes personal medical kit, Diamox tablet, deo spray, toiletries, torch, batteries, shoulder bag, Digital camera and binoculars.

Health

Mountain trips are one of the toughest road journeys on this earth. Tourists must be physically fit without a doubt. Asthma and heart patients face problem in getting accustomed to high altitudes. We advise you to have a proper check-up with your doctor to known whether you are capable coping up with the adversities of high altitude region during the course of your trip.

Altitude Sickness

While travelling in high altitude, it is obvious to experience adverse symptoms of altitude sickness such as severe headache, nausea, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, breathlessness and exhaustion until your body gets acclimatized to the region. Acclimatization can take couple of days depending upon individual to individual. To avoid these uncertainties, we would like to give you following advice such as drink lots of water, smoking & drinking is a highly prohibited during the tour, carry Diamox tablets with suggestions from physician over dosage. A special Gamow bag is also provided to avoid sickness in high altitudes.

Currency

The unit of Chinese currency is Yuan. USD 1 = 6.50 Yuan. 1 Yuan = INR 7.50 approx; Money can exchange at Bank of China at Zhangmu or from the locals at Zhangmu or Kodari. Exchange all your remaining Yuan at the end of the trip at Zhangmu itself before re-entering Nepal.

Risks & Liability

Our tour representatives will make all endeavors to provide you with smooth and satisfying travelling experience. But while travelling in Tibet, everyone has to follow the rules and regulations of Tibet Tourism Bureau. Hence we shall not be hold responsible for any modification in the program due to natural calamity and technical reasons such as road blockage, snowstorm, flood, landslide, political unrest, accidents and flight cancellations.

• For booking, all pilgrims are required to send passport photocopy so that we can apply for permit and visa in Chinese Embassy thereafter.