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Spiritual Journey

Pilgrimage trails of the Himalaya

Pashupatinath is one of Shiva's twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. Lumbini is where the Buddha was born. Beyond both, across the border in Tibet, Mount Kailash draws pilgrims from four religions to a 52 km walk at 5,650 m.

50+Sacred sites
Both UNESCOLumbini & Pashupatinath
14 daysKailash Yatra duration
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14 hand-crafted spiritual journey itineraries, from short tasters to multi-week expeditions.

About this activity

The Pilgrimage Sites and What They Ask of You

Pashupatinath is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and the holiest Hindu site in Nepal. Non-Hindus cannot enter the inner temple, but the grounds along the Bagmati are open, and the evening Aarti draws thousands. About 300 km south, Lumbini is where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama under a sal tree around 563 BC. Between them sits Muktinath at 3,800 m, which is unusual for being genuinely sacred to Hindus and Buddhists both, with 108 water spouts and a natural gas flame burning over water.

Mount Kailash is the one that changes the shape of a trip. The 6,638 m peak in western Tibet is Shiva's abode to Hindus, the centre of the universe to Tibetan Buddhists, and holy to Bon and Jain traditions as well. Nobody climbs it; that is the whole point. Pilgrims walk the 52 km kora around its base, crossing the Dolma La pass at 5,650 m, usually over three days. Tibetans do the circuit in one, and some prostrate the entire distance, which takes weeks.

Pashupatinath and Boudhanath are an afternoon; Kailash is three weeks. Be clear-eyed about which of these is a visit and which is an undertaking. Lumbini is a two-day trip from Kathmandu, not the day trip some itineraries claim. Muktinath means going to Mustang. The Kailash yatra is a three-week commitment through Tibet at altitude, runs only from May to September, and costs several times what the others do. See cultural tours if the heritage rather than the pilgrimage is what draws you.

PashupatinathOne of twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. Grounds open to all, inner temple Hindu-only.
LumbiniThe Buddha's birthplace, around 563 BC. UNESCO-listed and roughly 300 km south of Kathmandu.
MuktinathSacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike at 3,800 m. 108 water spouts and a flame burning over water.
The Kailash kora52 km around the mountain, over the Dolma La at 5,650 m, in about three days. May to September only.
Spiritual Journey
Featured peaks

Featured spiritual journey sites

#NameAltitudeRegionLevelPermit
01
Pashupatinath Temple
Kathmandu
1,360mKathmanduTrekking PeakFree (Hindu only inside)
02
Lumbini Sacred Garden
Rupandehi
150mRupandehiTrekking PeakFree
03
Muktinath Temple
Mustang
3,800mMustangTechnical$30
04
Mount Kailash (Tibet)
Tibet
6,638m (peak); 5,650m (pass)TibetExpedition$1,500+
05
Gosaikunda Lake
Langtang
4,380mLangtangTechnical$30
06
Manakamana Temple
Gorkha
1,302mGorkhaTrekking PeakCable car ticket
07
Boudhanath Stupa
Kathmandu
1,400mKathmanduTrekking Peak$5
Planning

Best season & permits

When to go

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Prime Good Not recommended
Nepal's pilgrimage sites are open year-round. Saga Dawa, in late May or early June, is the most significant moment at Lumbini and Boudhanath. The Kailash yatra runs May to September only, because of high-altitude weather on the Tibetan plateau.

Permits

  • Pashupatinath Temple
    Grounds open to all. The inner temple is Hindu-only.
    Free
  • Lumbini Sacred Garden
    Free to enter. The Maya Devi Temple charges a small separate fee.
    Free
  • Kailash Yatra (Tibet)
    A full package from Kathmandu covering permits, guide and transport. May to September only.
    $1,500–$3,500
  • Muktinath (Mustang)
    ACAP entry permit for the Annapurna Conservation Area
    $30
Good to know

Spiritual Journey questions, answered

Can non-Hindus enter Pashupatinath?
Not the inner temple, which is restricted to Hindus and has been for centuries. Everyone can walk the grounds along the Bagmati River, watch the evening Aarti, and see the cremation ghats from the far bank. Most of what visitors come for is outside the sanctum. Photographing cremations is not acceptable, whatever other visitors are doing.
Why can't Mount Kailash be climbed?
Because it is sacred to four religions and climbing it is understood as desecration. No permit has ever been granted, and the mountain remains unclimbed. Reinhold Messner was offered permission in the 1980s and declined. Pilgrims walk the 52 km kora around the base instead, which is the tradition, not a consolation.
How hard is the Kailash kora?
Harder than most pilgrims expect. It is 52 km over about three days, and the Dolma La pass at 5,650 m is higher than Everest Base Camp. There is no technical ground, but you are walking at extreme altitude in remote western Tibet with no quick evacuation. It needs proper acclimatisation on the drive in. Many Indian pilgrims use horses and porters for the pass day, which is normal and not a failure.
How much does the Kailash yatra cost and how long does it take?
It is a three-week commitment and costs several times a standard Nepal trip, because it includes Tibet permits, a guided vehicle across the plateau, and days of acclimatisation you cannot skip. It runs May to September only; outside that the passes and the weather close it. Ask us for a current figure against a specific departure, as the Tibet permit component moves.
Is Lumbini a day trip from Kathmandu?
No, and itineraries that sell it that way are being optimistic. It is roughly 300 km south in the Terai lowlands, which means a short flight to Bhairahawa plus a drive, or most of a day on the road each way. Two days is the honest minimum, and the site rewards being unhurried.
When is the most meaningful time to visit?
Saga Dawa, in late May or early June, marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, and is the most charged moment of the year at Lumbini and Boudhanath. It is also the peak of the Kailash season. Nepal's own sites are accessible year-round; Kailash is not, and that constrains everything.
Do I need to be religious to do these trips?
No, and plenty of travellers aren't. But it is worth being conscious that these are working sites of worship, not monuments. People are grieving at Pashupatinath's ghats and walking the Kailash kora as the act of a lifetime. Dress modestly, walk clockwise around stupas and mani walls, ask before photographing anyone, and the places will be far more open to you.