Mt Kailash is located in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The magnificent mountain in the western part of the Tibetan plateau is rich in religious belief and natural scenic beauty. It is considered a revered site for the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain religions. Hence, thousands of pilgrims circle this mountain annually. The spiritual experince, unspoiled beauty, and eminent tranquility are simply mesmerizing, strengthening the bond between pilgrims and their religious beliefs.
Mt Kailash holds a lot of excitement and mystery among travelers. Although it is a revered site in many religions yet no one has ever attempted to climb it giving it a mysterious aspect. Mt Kailash holds different values and beliefs in different cultures. Hinduism believes that Lord Shiva, the Lord of creation and destruction resides at Mount Kailash, where he is said to be together with his wife, Parvati, and his kids Kartikeya and Ganesha whereas in Tibetan belief Mt. Kailash is referred to as Khang Rimpoche, which is the name of the priceless snow diamond.
Furthermore, Bon refers to it as the “mountain of Tise” and thinks Sipaimen, the Sky Goddess, resides there. Mt Kailash takes its pilgrims and visitors through a remarkably rich religious experience to salvation. Hence making Mt Kailash a spiritual center of the universe. Not only that the Mt.kailash journey also takes you through the highest mysterious freshwater lake Mansarovar which is known to wash away the sins of people and offer an experience of tranquility and peacefulness.
Ways to reach Mt.Kailash
Given Mt.Kailash’s great height, it is not feasible to expect to use all of the basic and general modes of transportation to reach Mt Kailash. For this reason, any visitor who wishes to visit the region must be fully aware of all the possible ways to get there. So here we list out some ways to get to Mt.kailash so make sure you read until the end!
Reach Mt Kailash by road
Mt Kailash via road is the most feasible and easily accessible mode of transportation among its other counterparts. Especially for group vacations, driving to Mount Kailash is the most popular and economical option. Traveling Kailash Vai Road is not only affordable to visitors who are on a fixed budget but it also creates a sense of camaraderie among the people traveling together and also takes you through an adventurous experience to the sacred site of Mt Kailash.
These road trips are usually done through buses. Hence several locations in China, Nepal, and India provide such bus services to Mt Kailash. The Mount Kailash Trip from nepal usually begins in either Kathmandu or Lhasa. It takes four days to go overland by vehicle from Lhasa to Darchen, the base of Mt Kailash or one can also opt for another route which is traveling via road from Kathmandu to Jilong, the Nepal-Tibetan border, which takes around one day. From there, you would continue traveling by road across Tibet for an additional two days. However, you can also travel to either China or India to reach Mt Kailash as four different road routes go to Mt Kailash which are the Indian border in Uttarakhand state, Shigatse in Tibet, Kashgar in China, and Hilsa in Nepal itself.
This journey via road not only takes you through an adventurous route but also beautiful scenic routes like Everest base camp, saga, and Shigatse ultimately taking you to the beautiful and serene destination of Mt Kailash. But one thing that the visitors must keep in mind is that there aren’t enough seats in the busses since every year the amount of tourists who want to see this special and holy location always ends up being higher than anticipated. Hence, booking your seats in advance is therefore recommended.
Reach Mt Kailash by air
Flying by air to Mt Kailash is among the most popular and widely used modes of transportation. People from faraway regions mostly use this transportation mode as there are no other transportation options to reach the region. However, Mt Kailash via flight might not be an economical option for many individuals as flight fares may vary and are usually on the pricier side.
Mt Kailash’s nearest airport is at an elevation of 4200 meters, Nagri Gunsa Airport is situated around 200 kilometers northwest of the summit. This is one of the feasible options for many looking for effortless travel. However, one can also opt for various alternative options through nations neighboring Mt Kailash. Traveling to China first from your home country is a great option. From China, you can take a go-to route of Lasha or other alternative routes like Xinjiang’s Kashgar and many more. Likewise, you can fly into Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, which is situated in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh’s capital city of Lucknow from where you can continue your Mt Kailash journey.
This airport is well-connected to the major metropolitan cities of India. Even travelers from other Gulf nations who are coming to visit Mt Kailash can readily arrive at this airport. However, among all the options the easiest, shortest, and feasible route to Mt Kailash is through Nepal the kingdom of the Himalayas. Tribhuvan International Airport, which is easily accessible by plane from major cities all over the world, is situated in Kathmandu, Nepal. Traveling first to Lhasa and then continuing your journey to Mt Kailash saves a lot of time ultimately making the journey easier.
The journey to Mt Kailash alone cannot be made through flight because the area surrounding this sacred location lacks significant airports. Hence one might also need to take a few road trips in between the journey which might increase the cost of travel and the possibility of difficulty adjusting to the higher altitude, which could affect health.
Reach Mt Kailash by train
There aren’t many direct train services available right now to reach Mount Kailash. The closest rail link is located at Shigatse Railway Station located in Tibet autonomous region, china. Reaching the Shigastse railway takes around three hours from Lhasa making this journey a costlier one as one may have to use other various modes of transportation. Not only China but India also has the majority of the train stations close to this sacred site. These include the Lucknow Railway Station, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kathgodam, Ramnagara,
and Kotdwara from where you can easily make your journey to Mt Kailash.
Conclusion
You can choose to get to Mount Kailash via either mainland China or Nepal, and if you’d like, you can select to travel for less money overall by going on a private or group tour. This journey to Mt Kailash will take you through a remarkable understanding of the Tibetan religion and culture as well as the breathtaking beauty of the Tibetan plateau and the religious importance of Mt Kailash in various religions.
Although the voyage to the holy mountain in Tibet’s far west is a protracted and difficult one, you can be sure it will be the most amazing experience of your life. The Journey to Mt Kailash will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience no matter the mode of transportation or the path.
However, choosing the mode of transportation is entirely up to the individual as one must plan according to the budget and their best interest. Different ways to reach Kailash may offer you different perspectives of the journey overall but one thing is assured every option mentioned above is bang for the buck.
