It is said that the real Tibet lies in the west. Heading westwards to Ngari, can let you see the "Secret Land of Tibet, Ngari from the Heaven". Ngari is the "ancestor of all mountains" and "the source of all rivers".
There are several world-renown sites in Ngari area. The world famous sacred mountain-Mt. Kailash is here, also the holy lake of the holy lakes-Manasarovar Lake, the Zhada soil forest stretches for a hundred kilometers and the Guge Kingdom Ruins that has a history of 700 years.
For many people, Ngari is full of mystery, so for those who want to travel to the Ngari and do the Mt. Kailash pilgrimage tour, what options of the starting points do they have to set out from?
Generally speaking, there are three routes to Mt. Kailash. You can start the journey from Lhasa, Xinjiang and Kathmandu in Nepal.
The most common choice is departing from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa city. The drive to Ngari area takes a few days, and you could gradually get used to the high altitude. There is also a flight from Lhasa to Ngari ran by Tibet Airlines, but you may struggle physically because of the altitude difference between Lhasa and Ngari without sufficient acclimatization.
From Lhasa to Mt. Kailash, it takes about five days for a one way trip. You will not only see the Mt. Kailash as the travel destination, but also the scenery along the way. You will visit Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier and Pelkhor Monastery by driving via Gyantse, as well as the visit to Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse and Rongbuk Monastery near Mt. Everest Base Camp.
The best time to visit Mt. Kailash is from May to early October each year. Please note Mt. Kailash is not an ideal travel destination in winter because of the cold weather and low temperature.
Here is the rough itinerary from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash:
D1 Arrive in Lhasa
D2-D3 Lhasa Sightseeing
D4 Lhasa-Yamdrok Lake-Shigatse <350km>
D5 Shigatse-Sakya-Tingri <250km>
D6 Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery <365km>
D7 Rongphu Monastery-Everest Base Camp-Saga <385km>
D8 Saga to Darchen <500km>
D9 Trek day one (Outer circuit)-Darchen to Drirapuk <20km>
D10 Trek day two-Dirapuk to Dzultripuk<18km>
D11 Trek day three-Dzultripuk to Darchen<14km>
D12 Drive from Darchen to Saga <530km>
D13-14 Saga to Gyirong border / Lhasa
D15 Leave Lhasa and end the tour
The detailed tour package from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash you may be interested in: 15 Days Lhasa to Mt. Kailash Pilgrimage Tour
The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway starts from the zero-kilometer stone tablet in Yecheng County, Kashgar, Xinjiang, and connecting with the 2140 kilometer stone tablet in Latse, Shigatse. The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway and the China-Nepal Highway intersects here on the 318 national highway.
The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway passes through the world-famous Kunlun Mountains, Gangdise Mountains and the Himalayas, with an average altitude of more than 4500 meters.
The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway has 915 kilometers above 4000 meters and 130 kilometers above 5000 meters. It is the highest, longest and the most dangerous road in the world. Almost all sections of the route are cold and anoxic unmanned areas, along which lie over 1000 kilometers of desert gobi, permafrost layer and perennial snow-covered mountains.
Here is the rough itinerary from Xinjiang to Mt. Kailash:
D1 Arrive in Kashgar and rest in local hotel
D2 Kashgar-Yechang <250km>
D3 Yecheng-Polong Primary Forest Area-Kudi <300km>
D4 Kudi-Sanshili Yingfang <400km>
D5 Sanshili Yingfang-Ritu <570km>
D6 Ritu-Shiquanhe Town <300km>
D7 Shiquanhe Town-Zhada Soil Forest-Guge Kingdom Ruins <300km>
D8 Zhada-Manasarovar Lake-Lhanag-tso Lake-Darchen
D9 Trek day one (Outer circuit)-Darchen to Drirapuk <20km>
D10 Trek day two-Dirapuk to Dzultripuk<18km>
D11 Trek day three-Dzultripuk to Darchen<14km>
D12 Drive from Darchen to Saga <530km>
D13-14 Saga to Gyirong border / Lhasa
D15 Leave Lhasa and end the tour
The detailed tour package from Xinjiang to Mt. Kailash you may be interested in: 17 Days Overland Tour from Xijiang to Tibet via Mt. Kailash
Meanwhile, please note that if you plan to travel to Tibet from Nepal, then you’ll need a Group Chinese Visa which is different from a standard Chinese Visa for entering Tibet from inland China, and your original valid Chinese Visa in your passport will be canceled. Know more about How to Travel to Tibet from Nepal.
The detailed tour package from Nepal to Mt. Kailash you may be interested in:
