FAQs - Expenses - Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

How much does the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra cost on all routes? Why is it so high?

Broadly, there are two routes for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, one is the Indian Government (Ministry of External Affairs) MEA route and the second one is the Nepal route through which Private organizations operate. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Package cost varies from Rs 1.6 Lakhs to 3 Lakhs per person depending on the route you choose.
The Government Of India Kailash Yatra route can be further classified into 2 options - Lipulekh Pass and Nathu La Pass:

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand- Until 2019, the Kailash Yatra via Lipulekh Pass was entirely by a trek of about 250 km. It used to take about 24 days to complete the Kailash yatra and cost about Rs. 1.8 Lakhs. With the construction of the New Road to Kailash Mansarovar, the duration of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be reduced to 19-20 days and the price may go beyond Rs. 2 lakhs.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by NathuLa Pass in Sikkim- MEA Kailash Yatra via NathuLa Pass is conducted by road in 21 days approx. It cost about Rs. 2.5 Lakhs in 2019.

The Nepal route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra can be further classified into 3 options - Overland, Heli and Lhasa:

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Overland route- The 14 days Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is by road from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. It is the most popular Kailash Yatra route. Sightseeing of Kathmandu is included in the Kailash Yatra package provided by Trip To Temples. The price for Overland Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in 2023 is expected to be somewhere around Rs. 2.05 Lakhs per person (tax excluded). The entire Kailash Journey is covered by bus and the Nepal-Tibet border on this route is the Keyong border. https://www.triptotemples.com/kailash-mansarovar/overland-kailash-mansarovar-yatra
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Heli route- Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Air has emerged as the most preferred route by people who are looking for a comfortable Kailash Yatra at an extra cost of around 30 to 35 thousand per person. Trip To Temples provides the option of 11 days and 5 days Kailash Yatra by Helicopter route. There are 2 major helicopter options for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra:

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter from Lucknow (India)- The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter starts from Lucknow. Lucknow has good connectivity of air, rail and road from all over India, thus it is the most preferred Helicopter route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Accommodation is provided in Lucknow both ways by Trip To Temples. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra's cost for this route is expected to be Rs. 2.35 Lakhs per person (tax excluded) in 2023.

https://www.triptotemples.com/kailash-mansarovar/kailash-yatra-by-helicopter

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter from Kathmandu (Nepal)- The helicopter Mansarovar yatra from Kathmandu is an alternate option for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Heli route. Trip To Temples provides a 2 nights stay and sightseeing in Kathmandu in this Kailash Yatra Package. Both the groups from Lucknow and Kathmandu join at Nepalganj and continue the journey together. Since we take a flight between Kathmandu and Nepalganj, this Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route becomes Rs. 5 to 10 thousand costlier.

https://www.triptotemples.com/kailash-mansarovar/kailash-mansarovar-by-helicopter-via-kathmandu

3. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Lhasa route- The 14 days Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Lhasa route is from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. Trip To Temples provides sightseeing of Lhasa in this Kailash Yatra package. The approx cost of the Kailash yatra by the Lhasa route is about Rs. 5 Lakhs per person (tax excluded). Being a costly package, this route is mostly preferred by NRIs. This route is popularly known as Luxury Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lhasa.

https://www.triptotemples.com/kailash-mansarovar/kailash-yatra-via-lhasa

The package cost is high because the major amount of this package is charged by the Tibetan authorities whose package roughly cost 1350 USD. The Kailash Yatra package includes a Group VISA, Group Permit, transportation, accommodation, 1 Tibetan guide, 1 Nepali guide, and a team of sherpas who will carry your luggage.

For more information visit https://www.triptotemples.com/package/kailash-mansarovar or SMS / Whatsapp KMY Cost on 9911937751.

Which currency is required for Kailash Yatra and where can we exchange it? What is the Exchange rate on average?

Indian currency, except new notes of Rs. 200, 500 & Rs. 2000 are widely accepted in Nepal. It’s advisable to carry Rs. 100 notes for Nepal. Chinese Yuan is only accepted in Tibet.
The currency can be easily exchanged anywhere throughout the Kailash Yatra. Most people prefer to exchange the currency in Nepal or at the Nepal-Tibet border.
The standard rate is 100 INR is equal to 160 NPR. The average exchange rate from Chinese Yuan to Indian Rupees is roughly Rs.12.
It is advisable to carry cash as it has been observed that UPI, international debit cards & ATM cards are not accepted in most places.

Is USD accepted in Kailash Yatra?

USD is generally accepted at most of the places in the Kailash yatra. However, it is advisable to purchase the Chinese Yuan- the local currency and not use the currency of any other country. Negotiation is easy in the local currency because the shopkeepers may charge extra amount. Using currency other than Yuan may cost more as you will have to pay brokerage charges for currency exchange twice. Hence it is advisable to use the Chinese Yuan for your own benefit.

How much personal expense may incur and on what items? / How much money should one carry in the Kailash Yatra?

Most of the things are included in the Kailash Yatra package, however, the personal expense may occur mainly on three things which include Pony-Porter for Kailash Parikrama, Shopping, and Medical (in case of emergency). In 2019, the pony and porter cost about 35000-38000 INR. The Pony and Porter Union has fixed charges for all the companies and no bargaining is allowed. The ponies come from 70-80 km far away. Since there is no greenery in the Mount Kailash region, therefore the food of the ponies is brought by truck. The shopping is affordable in Tibet from where you can buy items for Kailash Parikrama that will hardly cost 1000-2000 INR. Things that you can buy and their approx cost are a Trekking stick (125 INR approx), Portable Oxygen Cylinder (250 INR approx), a Gallon for Mansarovar Jal (450 INR approx), Fruits and Energy drinks (affordable price). The medical expense depends on the place of evacuation. In case of emergency, the ambulance charge will be approx 500 CNY per person for a drop to Darchen and 1000 CNY per person for a drop to Purang Town. There are basic hospitals available there that are affordable.

How much do medical/ hospitalization or evacuation cost in Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?

The evacuation charge depends on the place from where the pilgrim is being evacuated. The ambulance service is available only till the First day of Kailash Parikrama. The charge will be approx 500 CNY per person for a drop to Darchen and 1000 CNY per person for a drop to Purang Town. There are basic hospitals available in Tibet which are affordable. The border from which you enter Tibet, you can evacuate from that border only.

Where to return unused NPR and Yuan after completing the Kailash Yatra?

On completing the Kailash Yatra, you can return the unused NPR and Yuan in Nepal or at the Nepal-Tibet border. There are many exchange centres available over there. Sometimes the pilgrims entering Tibet also buy the NPR and Yuan from the pilgrims who are exiting Tibet.