Accommondation in Mount Kailash: Where to Stay During the Mount Kailash Kora

The kora from Mount Kailash to Lake Mansarovar is one of the world's most sacred pilgrimages, attracting thousands of devotees each year. This journey reveals the breathtaking beauty of Tibet and holds deep spiritual, cultural, and religious significance for pilgrims. The main highlight of this journey is the renowned Mount Kailash kora. This pristine pilgrimage takes about 3 days to complete, covering a total distance of approximately 52 kilometers. Therefore, you'll need at least three nights in and around Kailash. Choosing suitable and comfortable accommodation is crucial for a successful three-day trek. Good rest will alleviate fatigue on the second day of trekking. Failure to get adequate rest can lead to altitude sickness, which can negatively impact your experience.

This guide provides detailed accommodation options from the Kailash kora starting point to all along the route, helping you choose the best accommodations for a smooth journey.

Accommodations in Darchen: the Starting Point of a Mount Kailash Kora

Darchen, a small town at the foot of Mount Kailash, serves as both the starting and ending point of your Kailash pilgrimage. You'll spend the night before your trek in Darchen to check in and make your necessary preparations. Afterward, you'll return to Darchen to rest for the night before continuing to your next destination. A variety of hotels are available here, but due to its remote location and lack of development, accommodations may be less developed than in other cities.

There are no five-star hotels in Darchen. The best are four-star hotels, namely Himalaya Kailash Hotel, Himalaya Pulan Hotel, and Purang Kailash Castle Hotel. These three hotels are the most popular with tourists. They all have modern decoration and convenient facilities. They can provide you with standard rooms, double rooms, or suites. All rooms are equipped with private bathrooms and electric blankets, so you can have a good rest.

Himalaya Kailash Hotel

Situated in Baga Township, Purang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, the Himalaya Kailash Hotel is conveniently located, making it an ideal base for pilgrimages and leisure vacations. It opened in 2018, and the hotel offers 114 rooms. Enjoying a tranquil and elegant environment, the hotel offers spacious guest rooms with comprehensive amenities, as well as free parking. All rooms include a diffused oxygen system to effectively alleviate altitude sickness, ensuring a safe and secure journey. The lobby boasts a traditional Tibetan style, creating a warm and distinctive atmosphere. The restaurant offers a diverse selection of Chinese, Tibetan, and South Asian cuisine, catering to a wide range of tastes. The hotel also features a conference room suitable for business trips and group events. Whether you're visiting for pilgrimage, photography, family trips, or business, this hotel provides attentive service and a comfortable experience.

Himalaya Kailash Hotel

Himalaya Pulan Hotel

Located on Shaanxi Road, north of the People's Government, the Himalaya Purang Hotel is prominent in Purang County. Opened in 2017, it offers 114 rooms at various price points. Rooms are well-equipped, clean, and comfortable, and are regularly cleaned by dedicated staff. You can also enjoy local cuisine in the restaurant.

Himalaya Pulan Hotel

Purang Kailash Castle Hotel

The Purang Kailash Castle Hotel is in the Mount Kailash scenic area. It opened relatively recently in 2020 and has 34 guest rooms. We recommend that you book in advance if you want to stay here. All rooms offer oxygen enrichment services. You can choose between oxygen supplied throughout the room or oxygen delivered through a nasal cannula. This can help alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. The hotel's guest room department features luxurious loft rooms with views, including rooms with views of Mount Kailash, Shennv Peak, and Xiangquan River, as well as oxygen-enriched twin and king-size rooms. The hotel offers a variety of delicious dishes prepared by professional chefs and a unique travel photography service for the mountain kora.

Purang Kailash Castle Hotel

In addition to the above three famous four-star ratings, Darchen also has some affordable three-star hotels, such as Gaer Shuangfu Business Hotel, Gaer Xiyuan Shenshan Hotel, Kongque Hotel, Jiaotong Hotel, Jingruihonghao Hotel, and Mt. Kailash View Hotel. These hotels are clean and well-maintained, equipped with comprehensive facilities, and provide a safe and hygienic environment.

Purang Jiaotong Hotel

The Purang Jiaotong Hotel opened in 2018 and has a total of 12 rooms. Although there are fewer rooms, the facilities are perfect and the location is excellent. The hotel is located in the center of Purang County. There is an independent parking lot. Within 100m, there are cultural squares, border markets, county central hospitals, banks, post offices, supermarkets, and restaurants.

The hotel features a modern, simple, and light luxury style. The hot and cold water in daily life is softened and filtered so that you will not damage your skin after washing and showering. In addition, the hotel also provides free self-service washing machines and other services to passengers.

Jingruihonghao Hotel

The Jingruihonghao Hotel was opened in 2017 and has 18 rooms. The hotel has been renovated and has a large bed and a large room, clean and comfortable. Heating, WiFi and so on. In addition, there are all kinds of food near the hotel. You can not only taste authentic traditional Tibetan snacks here, but also Sichuan, Nepalese, and Indian dishes can be found here. Even vegetarians do not have to worry about it.

Jingruihonghao Hotel

Mt. Kailash View Hotel

The Mt. Kailash View Hotel opened in 2022. It has a total of 18 rooms, located at the best observation point on Mount Kailash. The hotel is a diffuse oxygen-supplying viewing hotel with a viewing restaurant, a leisure cafe, and a free parking lot. It can also provide tourists with mountain yak horse consultation services, kora guide consultation services and transfer consultation services, vehicle rental consultation services, surrounding tour services, and other supporting services. It is one of the tourist window locations in Ngari.

Guesthouses during the 3-Day Mount Kailash Kora: Simple Choices for Your Stay

The 3-day Mount Kailash Kora is 52km, crossing high altitude terrain and changing weather conditions. Accommodation along the way is poor and limited, with most travellers spending their first and second nights at the Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse and the Zutulpuk Monastery Guesthouse, respectively. After completing the kora on the third day, you can choose to take a bus back to stay in Darchen, where you can get a good night's rest and set off for your next destination.

First Night Stay Options: Not Only the Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse

With the continuous development of Tibet tourism, there are more accommodation options for Mount Kailash kora than before.

The Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse is simple and comfortable, and is usually shared by three or four people. There is no air conditioning in the room, but blankets are provided to keep you warm on cold mountain nights. In addition, there is no bathroom, and the toilet is located in a cottage outside the main building. Wi-Fi is also not provided, and the power supply and meal options offered are also limited. But you can enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Kailash's western slopes from here. If you are lucky, you can also directly view the sunrise of Mount Kailash from your room window.

Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse

Except Guesthouse, there are other accommodation options near Dirapuk Monastery , such as Gangjia Hotel, Shishapangma Hotel and Nobuyangqi Teahouse.

Gangjia Hotel

If you have good physical strength, you can choose to hike to the Sky Burial Point to rest here. This is a new supply point, closer to the Dolma La Pass, the next day, which can reserve physical strength for you to cross the pass the next day. It is located northeast of Mount Kailash, and you can also see beautiful sunsets. Simple dining is also available here, with a choice of tile, single bed, or sofa.

Second Night Stay Option: Zutulpuk Monastery Guesthouse

The next day, you will continue hiking to Zutulpuk Monastery on the east side of Mount Kailash, passing through the highest point of the entire journey - Dolma La Pass (5,630m). After completing this challenge, head to Zutulpuk Monastery for the night.

Similar to Drirapuk Monastery Guesthouse, this place offers basic amenities including shared rooms, hot water, and blankets. The food provided is also usually some snacks and instant foods. Although the conditions here are poor, it also ensures that your stay is as comfortable as possible. You can spend some time before you rest meditating or enjoying the quiet atmosphere around you. Here you will explore the Mount Kailash from a new perspective - the guesthouse is located on the eastern slope of the mountain and offers a unique vantage point where you can enjoy the magnificent scenery from a unique perspective.

Zutulpuk Monastery Guesthouse

FAQS on Accommodation for Mount Kailash Kora

Can I Camp Overnight around the Mountain Kailash?

Camping during hiking will be very challenging due to the elevation and strict regulations of Mount Kailash. The average elevation of Mount Kailash Kora is over 5,000m, with the highest point being the Dolma La Pass at an altitude of 5630m. In addition, the weather conditions on Mount Kailash are also unpredictable. Even in summer, the temperature at night drops below 0℃. If you don’t have enough cold-weather camping experience and equipment, spending overnight outdoors can be risky. Although the accommodations along the way are in poor condition, they can also provide you with a safe place to rest.

In addition, Mount Kailash is also a holy place for many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. In order to respect local customs and protect the sacredness of the holy mountain, camping at Mount Kailash is not recommended.

What Items Do I Need to Bring?

The altitude of Mount Kailash is high, and the weather will be very bad even in summer. It is recommended that you bring enough warm clothing. In addition, the accommodation in Kailash is very simple, and the bedding and blankets provided by the hotel may not be changed frequently. You can bring your own sleeping bag to make sure there is a clean and comfortable place to sleep. Although the accommodation location has basic facilities such as toilets, preparing toilet paper and wet tissues is necessary. During the kora, food choices are limited, especially for those with specific dietary requirements. To ensure that you have enough energy to complete the kora, you can carry energy bars or nuts to replenish your energy. Finally, the entire journey is at a high altitude, so we recommend that you consult a doctor and bring appropriate anti-altitude drugs before traveling.

Conclusion

Due to its remote location and inconvenient transportation, the hotel conditions on Mount Kailash are limited and cannot be compared with those of more developed areas. However, with the continued investment in local tourism, the accommodation conditions of Mount Kailash are also constantly improving, providing tourists with a more comfortable, safe, and hygienic living environment. If you want to know more about details or want to book a hotel, feel free to contact us.