Kailash Saga Dawa Festival Tour

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Trip Facts
Duration
9 Days
Destination
Tibet
Maximum Altitude
5636m/18,500ft
Group Size
Min. 17 to Max. 50 people.
Starts / Ends
Kathmandu, Nepal

A journey from the highland of a holy trek to Mt. Kailash, brings us down to celebrate one of the biggest festivals of Tibet, Kailash Saga Dawa festival. It is an overwhelming experience for the tourist in which they get to witness the immense faith of the local people towards their culture. Kailash Saga Dawa festival is celebrated on the full day of the 4th Tibetan lunar month of the year. According to Buddhist literary sources, it is celebrated in the honor of Lord Buddha attaining enlightenment on this day.

Saga Dawa Festival is the most celebrated festival in Tibet, and locals engage in the preparation and celebration for a whole one month. During this celebration month, pilgrims from all around the globe visit Mt. Kailash to witness and be a part of the ritual and also, because there is a belief that completing this festival journey brings good luck to them. Pilgrims and locals join in to form a circle around the Mt. Kailash to perform rituals and to recite prayers. The ambiance of the whole region is simply magical with the colorful prayer flags flattering in the wind and prayers being chanted by the locals and monks playing with holy beads in their hands, as they get deeply engrossed in the festival.

The main highlight of the festival is replacing a Tarboche Flagpole, a renowned huge pole that lies in the way of Kailash. The atmosphere of the crowd watching locals replace the old flag with a new one creates owe and amazement for the first-timers. The new flag while placing should stand still and straight or else it is believed to bring bad luck to Tibet. As we engage ourselves in watching the event, an elderly local Lama from a nearby monastery guides and instructs people throughout the festival.

The Kailash Saga Dawa Festival tour is filled with cultural treasure, religious beliefs, and colorful markets. It offers a lifetime experience to visitors to witness and experience the lifestyle and culture of the local authentic people of Tibet.

Kailash Saga Dawa festival tour – short itinerary: 

27th May 2026 - Day 01 - :Drive from Kathmandu to Kerung, 125km, 7 hours' drive

29th May 2026 - Day 02 - : Drive Kerung to Saga/4450m- 232 km

30th May 2026 - Day 03 - : Saga to Paryang (4,558 m) to Mansarovar (4,600 m) 507 km 8–9 hrs

31st May 2026 - Day 04: Drive to Darchen (4,564 m) 40 km

01st June 2026 - Day 05: Attend Saga Dawa Festival at Tarboche and and continue to Dirapuk (5000m), 22km, 7 to 8 hours walk.

02nd June 2026 - Day 06: Trek from Dirapuk to Zuthulpuk, 18 km, 6–7 hrs, 550 meters ascent, 600 meters descent

03rd June 2026 - Day 07: Trek from Juthulpuk to Darchen 13km-4 hours walk and drive 450km to Saga

04th June 2026 - Day 08: Drive from Saga to Kerung, 230km, 4 hours' drive

05th June 2026 - Day 09: Drive from Kerung to Kathmandu, 125km , 7 hours' drive. End services.

Are you still confuse from where to start?
No worries - Our Team is ready to guide you!

Trip Cost Details

Cost Includes

  1. Drive from Kathmandu to Kerung
  2. 8 night's accommodations in Tibet on private room sharing basis using guesthouse / Hotel
  3. Permits for Kailash Kora (round).
  4. Tibet Tourism Board (TTB) approved guide.
  5. Private transportation in a deluxe Van or bus.
  6. Kailash Permit
  7. Alpine Eco Trek's Duffle bag (big bag for keeping personal clothes and equipments) & day carry hand bag
  8. Experienced tour leader / co-coordinator from AET
  9. ENOUGH Oxygen cylinder entire of tour
  10. Yaks and Yak-men to carry baggage

Cost Excludes

  1. Personal Pony Charges (will cost approx US$ 500 to 650 per pony and helper for three days)
  2. Personal expenses like shopping, phone calls, extra drinks, laundry, yak etc.
  3. Any additional expenses caused by reasons beyond our control such as natural calamities, flight delays, rescheduling or cancellations, accidents etc.
  4. Tips to drivers, hotel staff.
  5. Extra cost of transportation, Porterage etc involved due landslides, snowfall.
  6. Services other than specified.

Equipment List

  • Small bag pack for 3 days trekking/Parikarma/ Kora around Mount Kailash
  • Sufficient warm clothing including warm down jacket for Kailash tour.
  • essential medicines (for minor injuries / life saving kits)
  • Any regular medicines that you have been prescribed
  • Toiletries kit (shop, Shampoo, Toothpaste, tooth brush)
  • Water bottle /Thermos flask for hot water (2litters bottle)
  • Hiking shoes good for walking 3 days Kailash Kora/trekking
  • Woolen gloves, Woolen socks (minimum 4 pairs), hand clove
  • Wool / Thermo cot undergarments, wind and water proof jacket
  • T-Shirt, long shirt and pants which is easier to be while doing trekking 
  • Sunglasses, Sun lotion/cold cream, Torch light, rain coat
  • Umbrella, walking stick, Sandal for use evening & morning
  • Sweets, Zinger / garlic candies or dry fruits, lozenges, etc… Read More...

Essential Information

ESTIMATE FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES IN KAILASH SAGA DAWA FESTIVAL TOUR:

Horse for personal use on Kora days is approx USD 750 per person extra

Extra ride for day trip to Astapad USD 100 per person extra

Hotel in Kathmandu USD 75 per person with breakfast and twin sharing room.

Muktinath trip USD 950 per person including two nights in Pokhara, one night Jomsom and round trip flight to and from Jomsom with meals and private transfers.

INSURANCE:

Alpine Eco Trek highly suggests you to apply for Medical Insurance, covering emergency evacuation and all medical expenses are must for Kailash Saga Dawa Festival tour. So, please be insured prior to the holy journey to the Heavenly Abode of Lord Shiva.

TOUR LEADERS, GUIDES AND STAFF:

Since our establishment, Alpine Eco Trek and Expedition (P) Ltd is a pioneer operator of Mount Kailash and Manasarovar tours. We have dozens of regular and trained tour leaders, guides, drivers and supporting crew engaged for a professional and reliable service. Extremely friendly, knowledgeable and experienced team and other first aid treatment trained crew will be there in your group to serve you and make your trip a memorable one for the rest of your life! 

TRANSPORTATION: 

We will provide transportation for Kailash Saga Dawa festival tour depending on group size like if there are below 5 we provide a small Van, if 5 to 08 we provide a Van, if 08 to 16 we provide two vans, if above 16 up to 50 people we prove a deluxe buses.

ACCOMODATION (KAILASH TIBET):

During your stay in Kathmandu, we will provide you any kind of accommodation as per your request. You can have a single, or double or family room in Kathmandu. We select the best categories of 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Kathmandu as per your requirements. But accommodation in Kailash region is will be very basic.  Read more…

HEALTH PRE- CAUTION:

Normally, at higher altitude area in Tibet including Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarover, the amount of oxygen is less in the air. Certain illness such as loss of appetite, mild headache, nausea, tiredness, breathlessness, general uneasiness, high irritability, light loss of balance, disorientation, incoherence and insomnia etc may be induced in the windy weather and high altitude area which generally is not encountered over the plains. This kind of symptoms can be seen in anyone irrespective of their age, sex and physical fitness read more ….

The best season to Travel Holy Mt. Kailash is from May to October; please try to travel always with a local and direct agent and small group – private departure dates available. All the travelers including Indian passport holders travelling to Mt. Kailash must be in possession of a current passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining.

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Ram Kumar Adhikari
Ram Kumar Adhikari