Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar Distance: How to Get to Kailash from Lhasa by Road or Flight
Holy Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are prized destinations for travelers and pilgrims. Found in far-off western Tibet, their remote location offers an incredible opportunity to see the epic landscapes of towering mountains and vast plains across the Tibetan Plateau. Travelers can choose between adventurous overland routes or a quick flight from Lhasa to Ngari. Here, we break down the best way to get to Kailash from Lhasa.
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Where is Lhasa and Kailash Manasarovar? How Far Are They?
Located in western Tibet, in Ngari Prefecture, Mount Kailash lies more than 1,083 kilometers from Lhasa, as the crow flies. For those driving to the sacred mountain from Lhasa, it is a distance of more than 1,200 kilometers and an epic journey to the most sacred mountain in the world. There are three main routes that can be used to get to Mount Kailash from Lhasa, two overland and one that uses the flights from Lhasa to Ngari. However, for most tourists heading for the mountain for the Kora trek, the southern route along the G318 Friendship Highway via Mount Everest is the best option.
The two road routes have distinct differences that are suitable for different types of travelers. The northern route is the most scenic, traveling past Lake Namtso and through Nagqu to get to Ngari from the northeast. The southern route is the faster and better of the two for road conditions and is the best route for those heading first to Mount Everest before going to Kailash.
Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar by Road: The Classic Expedition via Southern Route (1,672km)
Travel Route: Lhasa (3,650m) - Gyantse (4,040m) - Shigatse (3,836m) - Tingri (4,300m) - EBC (5,200m) - Saga (4,487m) - Lake Manasarovar (4,588m) - Darchen (4,600m) - Mt. Kailash (6,638m)
Total Distance: 1,672 kilometers
Road Condition: Good, asphalt roads for the entire distance.
Duration: Four Days
Highlights along the Lhasa to Kailash Southern Route:
One of the most outstandingly epic journeys across Tibet, the four-day drive from Lhasa to Darchen, at the southern foot of Mount Kailash, is filled with amazing sights, outstanding attractions, and a wealth of connections with the local Tibetan people everywhere you go.
After departing from Lhasa, the first major attraction you will come across is the stunning Lake Yamdrok. Located around 112 km southwest of Lhasa, this beautiful lake is one of the Great Three Sacred Lakes of Tibet. As you continue on to Shigatse, you will pass through Gyantse, a small town that was once the largest in Tibet and is the home of the famous Gyantse Kumbum stupa.
In Shigatse, you will get to see the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second-highest religious incarnation. Then, it is on to the Everest Base Camp, the best place in the world for viewing the summit of the world’s highest mountain, at 5,200 meters above sea level.
On the third day out from Lhasa, you will pass through the small town of Saga, and the road will run parallel to the western Himalayas, with great views of the high mountains, including Mount Shishapangma, Mount Manaslu, and the Annapurna Ranges. Shishapangma is the only 8,000 meter mountain that is wholly in China.
After passing through Saga, Zhongba County, and Paryang, you will reach the northern shores of Lake Manasarovar just before you finally end the journey at Darchen.
Dining and Accommodation:
While there is a wide range of hotels in Lhasa, from small guesthouses to 5-star luxury hotels, after you get out of Shigatse, there are fewer four and five-star hotels, and the most you can expect is clean and basic three-star hotels or the guesthouses which are the most common types of accommodation as you move west. At EBC, you can stay in the monastery guesthouse, or you can try out the tent hotels at the base camp to have a real Tibetan experience. In Saga, you can find decent guesthouses to stay in and a couple of 2-star hotels. In Darchen, the only accommodations are the guesthouses and hostels for people heading to the mountain kora route.
>> See more details of 15 days Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar overland group tour.
Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar by Road: The Adventurous Safari via Northern Route (1,832km)
Travel Route: Lhasa (3,650m) - Damxung (4,200m) - Namtso Lake (4,718m) - Baingoin (4,700m) - Nyima (4,800m) - Dongcuo (4,414m) - Gerze (4,985m) - Xiongba (4,609m) - Yare (4,800m) - Baga (4,680m) - Darchen (4,600m) - Kailash (6,638m)
Total Distance: 1,832 kilometers
Road Condition: Poor to average, with several stretches of gravel road and narrow single-lane asphalt.
Duration: Six Days
Highlights along the Lhasa to Kailash Northern Route:
Compared to the southern route, the northern route has much poorer road conditions for most of the way after departing from the Qinghai Tibet Highway at Damxung County. On the final stretch, conditions worsen even further. However, the trip is well worth it for the unique landscapes and stunning scenery of northern Tibet, something few foreign tourists have ever seen.
After leaving Damxung to head over the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, you will stop for a while at the beautiful Lake Namtso, the Heavenly Lake, before heading over the boundary into Nagqu Prefecture in northern Tibet to Baingoin. From Baingoin, the road gets worse, and the route to Nyima, while filled with stunning mountain vistas and amazing natural lakes, is mostly gravel, with some stretches being dirt roads across the meadows, with only the tracks of the other vehicles that use the road pointing the way.
The road from Nyima to Gerze runs across the vast Changtang Grasslands. This is the best opportunity to see the various wild animals of northern Tibet, including the Tibetan antelope, wild kiang, and wild yaks. From Gerze, the road passes through the twin villages of Wenbu and continues through the lake-strewn landscape to Xiongba. You’ll pass the stunning lakes of Trari Namtso and Tangra Yumco, as well as many smaller lakes and vast stretches of marshlands. Then, turning south to pass through the mountains and the villages of Tare and Baga, you will rejoin the main road from Saga to pass along the northern shores of Lake Manasarovar to reach Darchen.
Dining and Accommodation:
There is very little in the way of good quality accommodations after you depart from Damxung County. Guesthouses are the most common on the four-day drive. These have simple to no facilities, often with no running water or electricity. The route is harsher and more arduous than the southern route, but the beauty of the scenery and the potential for seeing the amazing wild creatures of northern Tibet more than makes up for that. You may also want to bring plenty of pre-packaged and tinned foods with you if you are not fond of basic Tibetan food, as you will not be able to find any Western food along the route, and there are few restaurants as you pass over the grasslands of Nagqu.
Is It Possible to Travel from Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar by Flight?
If you are not into long drives that take several days, then it is possible to take a flight to get closer to Mount Kailash. Flights run from the Lhasa Gonggar International Airport to Ngari Gunsa Airport in Shiquanhe Town of Ngari.
Lhasa to Ngari Kunshar Airport by flight (1,083km)
There are 3-4 daily flights from Lhasa to Ngari operated by Tibet Airlines. Flights depart from Lhasa Gonggar Airport in the morning and arrive at Ngari Gunsa Airport in a little less than two hours. Tickets cost around 450 USD. Ngari Gunsa Airport is 54 km south of Shiquanhe, the seat of Ngari Prefecture.
Airline | Flight No. | Departure | Arrival | Schedule |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tibet Airlines | TV9807 | 07:00 | 08:55 | Daily |
Tibet Airlines | TV9943 | 07:05 | 09:00 | M W F Sun |
Tibet Airlines | TV9969 | 07:35 | 09:40 | Daily |
Tibet Airlines | TV9897 | 08:00 | 10:00 | M T W T F Sat |
Ngari Kunshar Airport to Kailash Manasarovar by road (248km)
From Shiquanhe, it is around 248 kilometers to the small village of Darchen at the southern foot of Mount Kailash. The drive takes around three hours on a good asphalt-paved road that is part of the main Xinjiang Tibet Highway. Traveling to Kailash from Shiquanhe requires travelers to be on a pre-arranged tour, and your guide and driver will meet you at the airport in Shiquanhe to take you first into the town itself and then on to Mount Kailash the following day.
Notice: Flying from Lhasa to Ngari involves a sharp increase in altitude. This increases the risk of altitude sickness. As a professional Tibet travel agency, Chinatibettrain.com strongly recommends you travel overland from Lhasa to Kailash Manasarovar instead.
Tibet Travel Permits for Kailash Manasarovar Tour from Lhasa
For those traveling to Mount Kailash from Lhasa, there are a number of permits you will need in order to get to the sacred mountain. The first, which you will have been given to get into Tibet, is the Tibet Travel Permit, which is required for all tourists traveling to Tibet and covers travel only in the area of Lhasa prefecture-level city. This is applied for before you fly to China to travel to Lhasa, and it takes around 15-20 days to process.
You will also need the Alien’s Travel permit, which is required for all tourists traveling to the areas of Tibet outside Lhasa that are not military-controlled. These are generally known as the “unopened” areas of Tibet and include Shigatse and Mount Everest. This can be obtained from the Lhasa office of the Foreign Affairs Office and takes around an hour to procure.
To get to Ngari, you will need to have a Military Permit, otherwise known as a Restricted Areas Permit, which allows you to travel in military-controlled areas such as Ngari, Nagqu, and Nyingchi. This permit is applied for after your Kailash tour has been booked, as it can take up to two weeks to process.
We will help to obtain all these Tibet travel documents for your tour to Mount Kailash. Just contact us in advance before your trip.
Conclusion
The routes from Lhasa to Mount Kailash are both long and which route you take depends on what you are looking for during your trip. If you prefer the sights of the cities, monasteries, and Mount Everest, then the southern route, which is the shorter route, is ideal for you. However, if you prefer to travel through open grasslands and prairies, pass hundreds of small and large lakes with the sun shimmering on their bright surfaces, and hope to see some of the beautiful creatures of northern Tibet, including the potential to spot a snow leopard, then take the northern route. If neither appeals to you, there is always the flight to Ngari from Lhasa.
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