The Definitive Mount Kailash Kora Guide

Most Helpful Mount KailashTrekking Guide for 2026/2027

Start Your Journey

The Mount Kailash Kora is a 52-kilometer pilgrimage circuit that has drawn seekers from Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Bon traditions for over a millennium. This high-altitude trek, averaging 5,000 meters, is both a physical challenge and a spiritual transformation.
Created by a team of volunteers who love Mount Kailash, this guide is 100% free and open to all. Our mission is to share practical, respectful, and up-to-date information to ensure every pilgrim can experience this sacred journey with confidence.

Mount Kailash Trek at a Glance

Route: Darchen-Dirapuk Monastery-Zutulpuk Monastery-Darchen

Starting: Darchen (塔尔钦)

Finishing: Darchen (塔尔钦)

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

Distance: 52km (32.3miles)

Duration: 3 days

Highest elevation: Drolma-la Pass (5630m)

Accommodation: Camping or Lodge

Dining: Cook or dine at local restaurants

Best time to trek: Middle May to Middle October

Nearest city: Ali City

3-Day Core Itinerary

Day 1: Darchen (4,750m) → Drirapuk Monastery (5,000m)

📊 Key Stats
 
  • 🪨 Distance: 18 km
  • ⏱️ Time: 6–7 hours of hiking
  • ⛰️ Starting Altitude: 4,750 m (Darchen)
  • ⛰️ Ending Altitude: 5,000 m (Drirapuk Monastery)
  • 🛕 Accommodation: Drirapuk Monastery Guesthouse (basic dorm with blankets, bring a sleeping bag)
 

🧘 Daily Highlights

 
  • Pre-Dawn Departure: Leave Darchen at 5 AM with your headlamp, following the winding path through the Tarboche Valley. Prayer flags line the route, creating a serene atmosphere as the sun rises over the mountains.
  • Arrive at Drirapuk Monastery: After 4–5 hours of gentle hiking, reach this 13th-century monastery nestled against the north face of Mount Kailash. Spend the afternoon exploring the monastery and enjoying panoramic views of the sacred peak.

Day 2: Drirapuk Monastery → Zutulphuk Monastery

Key Stat

  • 🪨 Distance: 12 km (with 830m ascent and 830m descent)
  • ⏱️ Time: 8–10 hours of hiking
  • ⛰️ Highest Altitude: 5,630 m (Drolma La Pass)
  • ⛰️ Ending Altitude: 4,800 m (Zutulphuk Monastery)
  • 🛕 Accommodation: Zutulphuk Monastery Guesthouse (simple mats and blankets, very basic)
 

🧘 Daily Highlights

 
  • Climb Drolma La Pass: Begin the most challenging ascent of the kora, gaining 630m to reach Drolma La Pass (5,630m). This 5–6 hour climb tests your endurance, but the reward is a breathtaking view of Mount Kailash and the vast plains below.
  • Prayer at the Pass: Hang a prayer flag at the pass to mark your spiritual milestone. This is the highest point of the kora, and many pilgrims pause here to meditate or make offerings.
  • Steep Descent: Descend 830m to Zutulphuk Monastery, passing by the sacred Tarboche Flagpole and a sky burial site. The rocky trail requires trekking poles for stability

Day 3: Zutulphuk Monastery → Darchen

Key Stats

 
  • 🪨 Distance: 22 km
  • ⏱️ Time: 7–8 hours of hiking
  • ⛰️ Starting Altitude: 4,800 m (Zutulphuk Monastery)
  • ⛰️ Ending Altitude: 4,750 m (Darchen)
  • 🏠 Accommodation: Darchen Guest House (hot showers and meals available)
 

🧘 Daily Highlights

 
  • Walk the Hor Valley: Follow the gentle descent through the Hor Valley, passing by streams that feed into Lake Manasarovar. The landscape here is lush and green, a stark contrast to the high passes of Day 2.
  • Meet Fellow Pilgrims: You’ll encounter pilgrims from around the world, some completing the kora in prostration (full-body bows). Take time to listen to their stories—this shared journey creates a powerful sense of community.
  • Complete Your Kora: Arrive back in Darchen by late afternoon. Celebrate your achievement with a hot meal at one of the town’s restaurants, and reflect on the spiritual transformation you’ve experienced.
  • Essential Packing Reminder: A -20°C sleeping bag, 800+ fill power down jacket, waterproof hardshell jacket/pants, and mid-cut waterproof hiking boots are non-negotiable for the kora.

🌤️ Best Time to Trek

 ✅ May–October: The only safe window for trekking. Daytime temperatures range from 10–15°C, and skies are mostly clear.

✅ September–October: Ideal for photography, with crisp weather and golden autumn landscapes.

 

November–April: Heavy snow and extreme cold make the route impassable.

 
 

🛂 Essential Permits

📄Tibet Travel Permit: Required for all foreign visitors to Tibet.
 

📄 Ali Border Permit: Needed to enter the Ngari Prefecture (where Mount Kailash is located).

 

📄 Kora Entry Permit: Issued at the Darchen checkpoint—bring your passport and border permit.

 
 

How to Get to Mount Kailash?

✈️ By Flight: Fly to Ngari Gunsa Airport (KXA)
from Lhasa or Kathmandu, then take a 4-hour drive to Darchen.

🛣️ By Road: A 3-day drive from Lhasa to Darchen
,passing through the stunning Tibetan plateau.

🧳 Tour Operator: Most pilgrims join a guided tour,
which includes permits, transportation, and accommodation.

Ready to begin your sacred journey?