How many days are required for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra takes you on a journey through the rough and mountainous terrain of western Tibet to reach the foot of Mount Kailash. Lake Mansarovar, which lies about 20 km from Mount Kailash, is a calm and serene natural lake that is also the highest freshwater lake in the world. There is a lot of religious significance attached to Kailash Mansarovar in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon religion. If you are planning to go on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, gaining knowledge about what it has on offer is important.

Length of the Mansarovar Kailash Parvat Yatra

The length of the Yatra depends on what tour option you choose. There are quite a few ways you can go on the Yatra depending on your budget and the time constraints you may have. You can choose to go with the Ministry of External Affairs Yatra or you can choose to go with a private tour agency. This will affect the number of days required for the trip.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs of India

If you choose this trip, it will take you roughly 3 weeks to complete it. The trip may be extended if the weather conditions are not right which may further delay the whole process. The long length of the Yatra as conducted by the government is because of the acclimatization process and the emphasis on trekking. 

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as conducted by Trip To Temples

If you were to choose the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra that is conducted by Trip To Temples, you will have a few options to choose from.

• Helicopter route from Lucknow: It will take about 9 days to complete the trip. The starting point will be Lucknow and the end point will be Lucknow as well. The trip will be done by helicopter, airplanes and AC Volvo buses and cars so that the pilgrims are as comfortable as possible. 
• Helicopter route from Kathmandu: This is another choice you have available and it will take about 11 days to complete the trip. It will start from Kathmandu airport from where you will be picked up by an agency representative. The end point will be Kathmandu as well and the journey will be done mostly on helicopter, airplanes and AC Volvo buses and cars. 
• Overland route via Kyirong: This is another choice you have available and it will take about 14 days to complete it. This is a wonderful choice for people who are interested in going by land so that they are able to witness and appreciate the scenic beauty of the journey. There is no doubt quite a lot of natural landscapes on the route which makes it a journey worth enjoying as much as possible. You have to do quite a bit of trekking on this route.
• Overland route via Lhasa: This is another choice available if you want to go by land on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. It will take you about 14 days to complete the trip. There is quite a bit of trekking to be done on it.

It is important to understand that no matter which travel option you chose for the Yatra, there may be situations which might lead to the schedule getting changed. Bad weather is an issue that is faced often by pilgrims on the Yatra which can extend the trip duration by a few days so it is a good idea to be prepared with additional medicines if one has a health condition that needs them.