Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

The flights used on Nepalgunj to Simikot Kailash Yatra route have double engines whereas the helicopters used on Simikot to Hilsa Kailash Yatra route have single-engine. Testing and general maintenance are done daily before the flying service starts. In case of rain, heavy wind, etc flights and helicopters do not operate until the weather clears.

The weather in the Kailash Mansarovar region is unpredictable. In the case of bad weather,  we stay at the place where we are and move ahead only after the weather gets cleared. Generally weather impacts in July, however due to lesser pilgrims going to the Kailash Mansarovar yatra in this month, there is not much impact on the helicopter and flight services.

The Heli route of Kailash Mansarovar yatra generally gets delayed between Nepalgunj and Hilsa because the flights and helicopter service stop due to low visibility. As soon as the weather clears, the flight and Heli services resume. The Kailash yatries for the first flight of each airline are kept on hold and as soon as the services resume, they immediately fly. 
Trip To Temples operates Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in large volume, because of which we have good control over the flight and helicopter and we are given priority in using them

Flight and group scheduling in Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is done in the late evening prior to the flying day. While sequencing the Kailash Yatra group, first the status is checked. If few people have already been issued boarding pass but they couldn’t fly because of bad weather, then next day they are sent in the first flight and other Kailash Mansarovar Yatra group are scheduled after that. Being the best organizer of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra, Trip To Temples has large volume of Kailash Yatries and the good bonding with the airline operators gives them priority in using the helicopter service from Simikot to Hilsa and flight services from Nepalganj to Simikot on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route.

The weight limit for a person to board a Helicopter is up to 80kgs, in case you are overweight, then you have to pay an extra amount for the excess weight and you will be allowed to board the Heli.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal can be done through two routes: by Heli and by Overland. Different modes of transport are used in both the routes of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
In the case of the Kailash Yatra by Heli route, mixed transportation is used. The distance between Lucknow to Nepalganj is covered by Deluxe bus, the distance between Nepalganj to Simikot is covered by Charter flight, the distance between Simikot to Hilsa is covered by Helicopter, and in Tibet side, AC Volvo category bus is used. 

In the case of the Kailash Yatra by Overland route, the distance on the Nepal side (Kathmandu to Syabrubesi) is covered by comfortable 2 x 2 buses, and the distance on the Tibet side is covered by AC Volvo category buses.

The by Road Kailash Yatra route is different from by Heli Kailash Yatra route in the following ways:-
i) It takes 11 days to complete the Kailash Yatra by Heli and 14 days to complete the Kailash Yatra by road.
ii) Hilsa is the border between Nepal and Tibet on the Heli route and Keyong is the border between Nepal and Tibet on the Overland route.
iii) In the Heli route, the total distance is covered by mixed transportation which includes Deluxe buses, Charter Flights, Helicopters, and AC Volvo category buses. Whereas, in the Overland route, the total distance is covered by only Deluxe buses and AC Volvo category buses. 
The Heli route as well as the Overland route, are good, it depends on you which route you want to choose. If you have time and want to experience a road journey & enjoy the scenic view, then it is advisable to go on Kailash Yatra by Road route. In case you have less time and want a more comfortable journey, then it is advisable to go Kailash Yatra by Heli route.

The Overland Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Package is for 13 nights and 14 days. The entire journey to Kailash Mansarovar is covered by a bus. Most of the companies provide basic-level buses for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. However, Deluxe buses with 2 x 2 seating are provided by Trip To Temples to its pilgrims on the Nepal side in Overland Kailash Yatra route. The road conditions on the Nepal side are good except for the 180 km drive from Kathmandu to Keyrong which takes 7 to 8 hours.

Whether travelling for the Heli route of the Kailash Yatra or the Overland route of the Kailash Yatra, the distance covered in Tibet side is by luxury bus. The buses available on the Tibet side are AC Volvo category buses. The number of seats varies between 27 to 35 seats, depending on the size of the group.

The distance on the Nepal side (Nepalganj to Hilsa) of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Heli route is covered by flights and helicopters. The charter flight ride from Nepalgunj to Simikot is of about 45 to 50 minutes and the helicopter ride from Simikot to Hilsa is of about 20 to 25 minutes. Trip To Temples is the leading operator of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and we have a good hold over the flights and helicopters available on this route of Kailash Mansarovar.

Trip To Temples has a large volume of tourists travelling with us and we also have tie-up with flight and helicopter service providers, so we are given preference in terms of the boarding sequence of passengers in the flights and helicopters. The Boarding Pass is issued one day prior to the day of flying. When the briefing is done by the team of Trip To Temples in Nepalganj, the boarding sequence of flights in Kailash Yatra will be informed to all the Kailash yatries. The boarding of the helicopter is decided according to the weight of the passenger. Upon reaching Simikot, the weight of the passenger is checked and then the sequence of boarding is decided by the local team of Trip To Temples.

On the Heli route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, when you are travelling on the Nepal side, you get to use a flight and helicopter. 
If starting from Kathmandu, the distance between Kathmandu & Nepalgunj is covered by a Commercial flight of about 50 minutes and we join the Kailash Yatra group from Lucknow in Nepalganj. 
The next day we travel between Nepalgunj & Simikot on a Charter flight of approx 50 minutes. Simikot is a remote but beautiful place near Tibet famous for its valley view.  
The next day we take a 25 minutes Helicopter trip between Simikot & Hilsa. Hilsa is the Nepal-Tibet border. The helicopter drops us at the Nepal side and we cross the hanging bridge on the Karnali river to enter Tibet.

Roughly 1 month before starting of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Trip To Temples provides the list of essential and optional items to be carried which is required to visit Kailash Mountain and Mansarovar Lake. While on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra, Trip To temples gives all its yatries duffle bag and backpack at Nepalganj in the Kailash Heli route or at Kathmandu in the Kailash Overland route to carry all the items required by you for the Tibet part on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Our team at both destinations guides and briefs the yatries about essential items to be carried on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. 
While travelling to Kailash Mansarovar via flight and helicopter routes, one must ensure not to carry unnecessary luggage. There is a limitation of 15kg of luggage on this Kailash yatra route. However, the luggage weight must not be more than 10-11kg because most of the pilgrims while returning from Kailash Mansarovar Yatra carry 4 to 5 litres of Holy water from Mansarovar lake. So if while going, you are taking extra luggage then the problem may be created on the journey backwards.
In the case of the Overland route of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra, there is no limitation on the weight of luggage, however, it is advisable to carry limited luggage for your own comfort.

There are three major airlines which operate from Nepalganj to Simikot on the Kailash Mansarovar Helicopter route. Each of these airline companies has 2 to 4 aircraft of 16 to 18 capacity. It takes roughly 50 minutes from Nepalganj to Simikot, 
There are near about 4 to 6 helicopters available from Simikot to Hilsa on the Heli route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The seating capacity of the helicopter is 5 pax and the flying duration is of about 25 minutes.
The flying hours of the flights and helicopters entirely depend on weather conditions and visibility. In case of bad weather and low visibility, the flights and helicopters do not fly, and as soon as the weather clears, the flight and helicopter services resume.
Flights generally do not fly after 2-3 p.m., so the flights can do about 4 trips to and fro. However, helicopters have longer flying time horizons. It starts from 7 a.m. and operates till 6 p.m. in clear weather situations