How is the helicopter tour of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra conducted?

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a pilgrimage that is profound with religious significance and meaning. The very act of going on the Yatra is fraught with deep meaning because of the toughness of the mountainous terrain and the roughness of the weather. The Hindu religion attributes Mount Kailash to be the abode of Lord Shiva, who is believed to meditate in the mountain for the most part. Kailash Mansarovar is one of the most sacred pilgrimages a Hindu person can go on and if you are planning to do it, then it is important that you choose the right travel option. There are at least 5 to 6 routes to go on the Yatra and going by helicopter is a great idea as long as you choose the right private tour operator.

Advantages of going by helicopter on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

As mentioned, there are quite a few routes for someone to choose from but the helicopter route has certain advantages that no other route offers:

• Time-saving: It will save you a lot of time if you choose to go by helicopter. It can take anything between 5 and 11 days to complete the trip, which is certainly time-saving compared to the 3 weeks that the Ministry of External Affairs-conducted trip takes. If you have a busy professional life or you can’t take out a whole lot of time for the Yatra, the helicopter route is the smartest option for you.
• Cost-effective: The helicopter route conducted by the Trip To Temples agency is also cost-effective. It is going to cost you about Rs 1, 65,000 to do the trip, which is cheaper than what the MEA-conducted trip offers. This is certainly good news for people who want to do the Yatra on a budget.
• Less stringent medical procedure: This is actually the best thing about choosing a helicopter route for the Yatra. The government conducts stringent medical examinations to determine the state of an applicant’s health because of the rigorous trekking involved in their routes. But when you choose a helicopter route, the medical procedure is a lot more lenient and less stringent considering the fact that little physical activity will be involved.
• Less risk: It is also true that the helicopter route offered by Trip To Temples is a lot less risky than the routes that have a lot of trekking to be done. This is because you or the other pilgrims in your group will not have to traverse long distances by foot and the major part of the journey will be done by air. 

A description of the helicopter route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

• Reach Kathmandu: First of all, you have to reach Kathmandu on your own. There are flights here from the major cities of India. On the first day, you will be picked up from the airport and taken directly to the hotel where you can freshen up. After that, you will be able to go on a local sightseeing tour where the main attractions of Kathmandu will be covered. You spend the night at the hotel.
• Nepalgunj arrival: The next morning you will be able to eat breakfast after which you will be put on a flight that will take you to Nepalgunj. You will get to look around and there will be a meeting where you and the other members of the group will be briefed about the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. You get to ask any questions on your mind and after dinner, you will be staying the night at the hotel.
• Simikot and Hilsa: The next morning, you and the others in your group will take a flight to Simikot. There, you will be able to rest and freshen up for a few hours after which you will be flown to Hilsa on a helicopter. After a little wait where you get to buy a few refreshments for yourself, you will be driven to Purang. After your arrival in Purang, you will be staying overnight at the hotel there.
• Purang: Spend the entire next day in Purang where you are acclimatized. You will be taken on short treks on this day. You stay the night in the hotel at Purang again.
• Reach Lake Mansarovar: The next morning, you are driven from Purang to Lake Mansarovar by AC Volvo bus. The drive will take around 2 hours. After you reach, you will be driven to the ‘parikrama’ of the lake and you can take a holy dip in it as well.
• Reach Darchen: From Lake Mansarovar, you will be driven to Darchen and the next day the ‘parikrama’ of Mount Kailash starts.
• ‘Parikrama’ of Mount Kailash: It will take you about 3 days to complete the trek after which you will be taken by the same route you came to Kathmandu airport. After that, it’s back home by flight from Kathmandu airport.