14-Day Mount Kailash Kora & Guge Kingdom Tour from Lhasa

Walk around Mount Kailash and cross Tibet's high plateau on one route out, another back

A 14-day small-group tour from Lhasa through Tibet's far west, with a three-day walk around Mount Kailash, exploration of the Guge Kingdom ruins, and return across the Changtang plateau past salt lakes and sacred Dangra Yumtso to Namtso. The route uses two different roads and includes all permits, an English-speaking guide, 4-star hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse, basic shared guesthouses on the kora, and portable oxygen. Groups stay under 12 travelers. This is a high-altitude trip (nights range from 4,300 to 5,100 meters, with the kora climbing to 5,630 meters), and requires good fitness and advance consultation with a doctor if you have heart or lung conditions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m)

• Meet at Gonggar Airport or railway station
• Transfer to hotel and rest

Day 2: Potala Palace, crafts and Barkhor

• Visit Potala Palace on timed ticket
• Mix incense and try woodblock printing
• Walk Barkhor pilgrim circuit

Day 3: Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier

• Cross Kamba La above Yamdrok Lake
• Pass Karola Glacier and continue to Shigatse

Day 4: Drive across plateau to Saga or Zhongba

• Drive west across Sangsang Grassland

Day 5: Lake Manasarovar to Darchen

• Pass mineral dunes and Gongzhu Tso
• Stop at Lake Manasarovar shore
• Overnight at Darchen, start of kora

Day 6: Kailash kora day 1: Tarboche to Dirapuk

• Eco-bus ride to Tarboche
• Walk 14 km up Lha Chu valley to Dirapuk

Day 7: Kailash kora day 2: over Drolma La

• Walk 20 km climbing to Drolma La
• Descend past Gauri Kund to Zutulpuk
• Visit Milarepa's cave

Day 8: Kailash kora day 3, then to Zanda

• Walk 7 km downhill to kora end
• Return to Darchen
• Drive into Zanda canyon country

Day 9: Guge Kingdom ruins and earth forests

• Explore Guge Kingdom ruins
• Explore Zanda and Xiayigou earth forests

Day 10: Salt lakes of the north to Gaize

• Cross northern plateau past Nyer Tso salt lake
• Pass Pero Tsetso viewpoint and nomad pastures

Day 11: Dangra Yumtso and Wenbu village

• Drive past Tong Tso to Dangra Yumtso lake
• Overnight in Wenbu village hotel

Day 12: Serling Tso and lakes to Baingoin

• Pass Tangqung Tso salt flat
• Pass Serling Tso and Bangkog Tso lakes

Day 13: Namtso Lake and back to Lhasa

• Walk on Namtso's Tashi Dor peninsula
• Cross Nagen La pass back to Lhasa

Day 14: Depart Lhasa

• Breakfast at hotel
• Shared transfer to Gonggar Airport or railway station

The experience

You arrive in Lhasa and spend two nights there, visiting the Potala Palace on a timed ticket, mixing Tibetan incense and trying woodblock printing at a handicraft center, then walking the Barkhor pilgrim circuit. After Shigatse, two long days of driving take you west across the plateau to Lake Manasarovar and Darchen, the trailhead for the kora. The walk itself spans three days and about 40 km total: the first day is roughly 14 km uphill past mani stones and pilgrims to Dirapuk, facing Mount Kailash's north face. Day two is the big push: about 20 km, climbing to the Drolma La at 5,630 meters, then descending past Gauri Kund to Zutulpuk near Milarepa's cave. Tea houses on the route sell drinks and noodles. The final day is a short 7 km downhill walk to close the circuit, then you drive into the canyons of Zanda.

From Zanda you explore the tiered ruins of the Guge Kingdom, a western Tibetan kingdom that ruled from the 10th to the 17th century, and walk through the Zanda and Xiayigou earth forests. Then comes the return across the Changtang, Tibet's high northern plateau: a chain of lakes few travelers ever see. You pass Nyer Tso, a salt lake glittering with crystals; cross the Pero Tsetso viewpoint and nomad pastures; drive past Tong Tso to Dangra Yumtso, the holiest lake of the Bon religion; and continue through vast Serling Tso and Bangkok Tso, where Tibetan gazelles and waterbirds are often spotted. The final stop is Namtso's Tashi Dor peninsula, where you walk below the Nyenchen Tanglha range before crossing the Nagen La back to Lhasa.

The trip includes a shared licensed vehicle and English-speaking guide throughout; all entrance fees, including the eco-buses at Mount Kailash and Namtso; Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and permits for the far west; travel accident insurance; and breakfast daily except the two mornings on the kora. You get a portable oxygen bottle per person, emergency oxygen in the vehicle, and daily bottled water. Luggage is one suitcase (26 inches max) and one small backpack per person. Shared transfers cover train and flight arrivals between 08:00–22:00 and departures between 08:30–22:30. Send a passport scan and your Chinese visa as soon as you book. The permits are applied for about four weeks before arrival.

What’s included

• The tour includes shared transfers from Gonggar Airport or Lhasa railway station on arrival and departure (covering flights and trains arriving 08:00–22:00 and departing 08:30–22:30).
• a shared licensed vehicle and English-speaking guide throughout.
• all entrance fees, including the eco-buses at Mount Kailash and Namtso.
• Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and permits for the far west.
• travel accident insurance.
• breakfast daily except the two mornings on the kora.
• 4-star hotels with oxygen in Lhasa and Shigatse, simpler hotels further west, and basic shared pilgrim guesthouses on the kora.
• a portable oxygen bottle per person and emergency oxygen in the vehicle.
• and daily bottled water.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 6 May 2027

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Physically demandingNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Tibet Trails

Is this one for you?Groups stay under 12 travelers, so you walk and drive with a small, manageable party rather than a large tour. This shared format keeps the cost lower than a private trip while maintaining the intimacy needed for a remote, high-altitude journey where the pace and the company matter as much as the destination.

Top questions

What is the three-day walk around Mount Kailash actually like?

The kora covers about 40 km over three days, starting with a 14 km uphill walk from Tarboche to Dirapuk on day one. Day two is the hardest: roughly 20 km, climbing to the Drolma La at 5,630 meters, then descending past Gauri Kund to Zutulpuk. Tea houses along the route sell drinks and noodles. Day three is a short 7 km downhill walk to complete the circuit. You sleep in basic shared pilgrim guesthouses, and the altitude ranges from 5,100 to 5,630 meters.

How high is the altitude on this trip, and what support is provided?

Nights range from 4,300 meters in Shiquanhe to 5,100 meters at Dirapuk on the kora, with the walk itself climbing to 5,630 meters at the Drolma La. Every traveler gets a portable oxygen bottle, the vehicle carries emergency oxygen, and bottled water is provided daily. The tour includes 4-star hotels with oxygen in Lhasa and Shigatse, and simpler hotels further west. Arriving in Lhasa a day or two early helps with acclimatization.

What are the Guge Kingdom ruins and earth forests?

The Guge Kingdom was a western Tibetan kingdom that ruled from the 10th to the 17th century. Its tiered ruins sit in the canyons of Zanda at about 3,700 meters. The tour includes exploration of both the Guge ruins and the Zanda and Xiayigou earth forests: eroded canyon landscapes of red and yellow mineral formations.

Which lakes do you see on the return journey across the Changtang?

The return crosses Tibet's high northern plateau past Nyer Tso, a salt lake glittering with crystals; Dangra Yumtso, the holiest lake of the Bon religion; vast Serling Tso; and Bangkok Tso, where Tibetan gazelles and waterbirds are often seen. The trip ends at Namtso's Tashi Dor peninsula before returning to Lhasa.

What do I need to arrange before booking?

Send a passport scan and your Chinese visa as soon as you book. The Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and permits for the far west are applied for about four weeks before arrival and are included in the tour price. If you have heart or lung conditions, consult a doctor before booking. This is a high-altitude trip requiring good fitness. Travelers must be at least 18 years old. Luggage is limited to one suitcase (26 inches max) and one small backpack per person.