Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

While helicopters used on the Simikot to Hilsa Kailash Yatra route have a single engine, the flights on the Nepalgunj to Simikot Kailash Yatra route have two engines. Every day before the flying service begins, testing and general maintenance chores are completed for all sorts of helicopters. It's to be noted that lights and helicopters do not operate until the weather clears viz, rain, strong winds, etc.

The Kailash Mansarovar region experiences unpredictable weather, with most visitors staying at their current location until the weather clears. The helicopter route between Nepalgunj and Hilsa is often delayed due to low visibility. Once the weather clears, services resume. We operate Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in large volumes, allowing a stable control over flight and helicopter usage; as a result, we are given priority during tour operations.

Flight and group scheduling in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is done in the late evening before your flight day. The status is reviewed before the Kailash Yatra group is sequenced. If a few Yatris had already received boarding passes but were unable to board due to bad weather, they are sent on the first flight the next day, and other groups are seated after that. Due to a robust alliance with the airline operators, we have a high volume of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, hence we are given preference when it comes to using the helicopter service from Simikot to Hilsa and the flight service from Nepalganj to Simikot on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route.

The maximum weight allowed for an individual to board the helicopter is up to 85 Kg; above that, extra charges of approximately Rs. 1000-2000 per kg apply at that moment. In such situations, we try to manage shuffling those yatris with an underweight individual, so that they don’t need to pay an extra amount (only if situations allow, not promised). If authorities don’t allow, you have to pay the overweight charges on the spot.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal can be completed through two routes: by helicopter and by bus. Different modes of transport are used in both routes of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. If in case, you're opting for the Kailash Yatra by helicopter route, mixed transportation is used; where the distance between Lucknow to Nepalganj is covered by bus, the distance between Nepalganj to Simikot is covered by flight, and the distance between Simikot to Hilsa is covered by Helicopter, and a bus is used in the Tibet region. In case you're opting for the Kailash Yatra by overland route, the yatra is completed by comfortable deluxe category AC Volvo buses.

By-road route for Kailash Mansarovar takes 14 days, while the helicopter route takes 11 days. The overland or by-road route passes through Hilsa, the border between Nepal and Tibet, and Keyong, the border between Nepal and Tibet. On the other hand, the helicopter route uses mixed transportation, including deluxe buses, charter flights, helicopters, and AC Volvo category buses, while the overland route only uses deluxe buses and AC Volvo category buses. The choice between the two routes depends on the time and desired experience. For a scenic journey, the road route is recommended, while for a more comfortable journey, the helicopter route is recommended. We are open to your choices.

The overland Kailash Mansarovar Yatra consists of a 13 nights and 14 days travelling duration. The entire journey to Kailash Mansarovar is covered by bus. Most of the local-level companies provide basic buses; however, we provide deluxe buses with 2 x 2 seating to our pilgrims on the Nepal part of the overland Kailash Yatra route.

Whether travelling for the helicopter route of the Kailash Yatra or the overland route of the Kailash Yatra, the distance covered in Nepal is by a deluxe bus. AC Volvo category buses are used for Tibet region. The number of seats varies between 27 and 35, depending on the size of your group.

The distance on the Nepal part (Nepalganj to Hilsa) of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra helicopter route is covered by flights and helicopters. The charter flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot takes about 45 to 50 minutes, and the helicopter ride from Simikot to Hilsa takes about 20 to 25 minutes to reach.

We have a large volume of tourists travelling with us, and we also have a tie-up with flight and helicopter service providers, so we are given preference in terms of the flying sequence of passengers in flights and helicopters. The boarding pass is issued one day before flying for the yatra. When the briefing is done by our tour manager in Nepalganj, the boarding sequence of flights for Kailash Yatra will be informed to all yatris. Upon reaching Simikot, the weight of the passenger is checked, and then the tour manager decides the boarding sequence of yatris.

A plane and a helicopter are used when travelling in Nepal region of the helicopter route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Starting from Kathmandu, it takes around 50 minutes to travel by commercial aircraft to Nepalgunj, where we join the Kailash Yatra group from Lucknow. The following day, we take a chartered plane that takes about 50 minutes to get from Nepalgunj to Simikot. The following day, we fly by helicopter between Simikot and Hilsa (Nepal-Tibet border) for 25 minutes. We enter Tibet by crossing the hanging bridge over the Karnali River after we are dropped off by the helicopter in Nepal.

We provide a list of essential and optional items for visiting Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake a month before your Kailash Mansarovar Yatra begins. We also provide duffel bag and backpack at Nepalgunj and Kathmandu for travelling to Tibet during the Kailash Yatra. Luggage limitations are 15 kg for flight and helicopter routes, but 10-11 kg for the overland route. It is advisable to carry limited luggage for overall comfort throughout your Kailash Yatra.

Three major airlines operate from Nepalganj to Simikot on the Kailash Mansarovar helicopter route. Each of these airline companies has 2 to 4 aircraft with a capacity of carrying 16 to 18 passengers, which takes roughly 50 minutes to reach Simikot from Nepalgunj. There are about 4 to 6 helicopters available from Simikot to Hilsa on the helicopter route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra; the seating capacity of the helicopter is 5 travellers, and the flying duration is 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 take off, and as soon as the weather clears, the flight and helicopter services resume. Flights generally do not take off after 2-3 PM, hence it takes about 4 trips to and fro. However, helicopters have longer flying time horizons, starting from 7 AM and operates till 6 PM in clear weather.