Mount Kailash, named "Gang Rinpoche" in Tibetan, which means "precious jewel of snows". Because of its reputation, numerous tourists come here, enjoy the fresh air and trekking. But when is the best time to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar?
Generally speaking, the Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar between April and October. The temperature from April to June, and September to October is comfortable, With the high visibility and magnificent scenery, so April to June and September to October are the best time to make your Mount Kailash tour. Moreover, the sun is shining brightly in the daytime of Mount Kailash, and the air is very fresh, you would have an unforgettable experience there.
Sunny Mount Kailash
The rainy season in Tibet runs from June to August. Mount Kailash looks more mysterious in the rain and mist, which might give you an uncommon experience.
The bitter cold air spread from the top of the mountain from November to March, Mount Kailash will be closed because of the blizzard and frozen roads. Snowstorm rages in the air, all tours to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar will be largely affected.
Follow our step-by-step guide below, find the specific weather conditions and travel experiences for each month, then you can make a better once-in-a-lifetime Kailash Manasarovar travel plan.
Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar have distinct features, changing climate and weather, that might affect your travel experience. The weather conditions can get very harsh so choosing the right time to go for Kailash Manasarovar tour is a necessity for the tourists, let take a look of our suggestions.
For tourists, April, May, June, September and October are the best five months for Kailash and Manasarovar tour. During this time, you could enjoy the continuous good weather and comfortable climates.
The golden sun shines to the wild land through the thin clouds, the pierce the clouds the sun like root gold, arranged in a crisscross pattern, the white clouds sewn into a very beautiful pattern. With the warm sunshine, you will see breathtaking views when you are trekking.
Visit Mount Kailash during the best months
In the west Tibet，the rainy season is from July to August. The temperature will keep at 0℃ and won’t drop suddenly even in the rain day. So that you can make a tour in that time.
The condition is never as bad as you might think, rainwater won’t make road and lake muddy, in the opposite, Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in rainy will be more glittering and crystal clear, mist surrounds the mountain and dancing around, the mysterious Mount Kailash looks like the fairyland.
If you would like to experience the different beauty of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, or just don’t have time in other months, travel in the rainy season could be a viable and extraordinary choice.
Tips：Wear your waterproof coat in the rainy day to make sure your backpack won’t get dripped. Water would make road slip, so put on the shoes cover and walk slowly.
Never underestimate the coldness of Mount Kailash from November to March, the temperature would drop sharply. In the daytime, the fierce wind will make you feel headache, not to mention the night.
Due to blizzard and frozen road, the way to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar could be closed, and all in-depth tour of West Tibet would be affected.
As a result, explore West Tibet (including Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar) in the coldest period is not a good choice. However, In the east Tibet, like Lhasa and Shigatse, there are many uncommon sceneries during that time and the weather is nice, so go to the east could be better.
Tips:
1. For tourists, especially for the Indian tourists, is believed that bath in the holy lake can cleanse all your sins, however，even in summer (July and August), the freezing water might lead an unexpected cold or other serious health problems else. It’s highly advisable follow your guide’s guidance and do some pilgrimage in the lakeside. For devout pilgrims, if you insist on bathing in the lake, please don’t soak yourself in the freezing water beyond 3 minutes, and don’t forget take precautionary measures like take a warm towel with you.
2. You should also be prepared for the accommodations, which are very limited there.
Weather is not the most important factor when local people or pilgrims plan a Mount Kailash tour. They just want to do a kora around the mount at the best time according to their religions or traditions.
Saga Dawa is called the "month of merits" for Tibetan Buddhists, and occurs on the fourth month in the Tibetan calendar (around May or June). The Saga Dawa Festival celebrates the birth, parinirvana (death), and enlightenment of Buddha Sakyamuni.
In according to celebrate this special time, various religious ceremonies will be held throughout this month. Locals believe that all positive and negative behaviors would be multiplied during the festival.
During the Saga Dawa Festival, numerous Tibetan prayers accumulated in the Bharkor Street, and knocking a long head around The Jokhang Temple, other locals would trek around Rze Skor and Ling Skor, and pray once and once with the full-body prostrations. In such an important time, the Mount Kailash has reached the peak time, a large number of pilgrims from different countries come here for trekking. The perfect climate makes Mount Kailash to be an ideal destination.
Tips:
1. Saga Dawa Festival is the most important festival of Tibetans，in the period, the hotel reservations of Darchen, Manasarovar and Kailash will be full. When you are planning to have a pilgrimage with pilgrims all over the world, just book with us in advance, we will have you to solve all problems.
2. Local pilgrim will stop killing livestock during the Saga Dawa Festival, and be a vegetarian even after trekking. If you want to trek but not a pilgrim, you can bring some meat to refection, that also can prevent altitude sickness.
In Tibet, it’s considered to be a tradition for trek in the year of sheep and year of horse for a long time. (Chinese use the zodiac to represent the year, sheep and horse are two of it. Next year of sheep is 2027 while next year of horse is 2026.)
Local Tibetans are believed that going one circle around Mount Kailash in the year of Horse, the blessings you get would be 13 times more than other times.
According to this reason, more and more pilgrims and tourists come to Mount Kailash, with the hope of cleanse them from all sins and get reborn.
Tips:
This is just a Tibetan tradition. For tourists, only you prepared well, you can travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar whenever, only you prepared well.
If it is the first time you come to the Mount Kailash Trek, be certain that you have prepared well before you begin to plan your trip. As a matter of experience, I will give you some suggestions, let’s take a look of luggage list:
Tips： According to the policy, you need the Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet, besides, foreign travelers need to obtain another three kinds of permits: Alien’s travel Permit, Foreign affairs permit, and Military permit, which are issued by different government departments.
But don’t worry about the documents, after you book a tour with our travel agency, we will arrange all of these documents for you
1. You had better make your trip in April, June, September and October, you can enjoy the blue sky, sunshine and fresh air in that time.
2. July and August also are good time to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. It’s the rainy season of West Tibet. The drizzled Mount Kailash surrounded by thick moist, and looks more mysterious, that can give you a special travel experience and never disappoint you.
3. No one would travel to Kailash Manasarovar from November to March. It would be closed because of the blizzard and frozen road and all the tour to Kailash and Manasarovar are unavailable, so visit here in such a cold time is not a good idea.
4. It’s highly recommended to visit Mount Kailash in the Saga Dawa Festival, which is which is the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (around May and June) and trek with pilgrims from different countries. While trekking, you will be witness to these deep-rooted traditions and ways of the local people.
5. Local Tibetan pilgrims believe that trekking in the year of horse and year of sheep can calculate more merits than usual.
6. If you have any question about Mount Kailash or Lake Manasarovar tour, please contact us, we will reply soon and give you our authoritative suggestions.
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