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Spiritual Journey

Pilgrimage trails of the Himalaya

Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, and Lumbini is where the Buddha was born. Across the border in Tibet, Mount Kailash draws pilgrims from four religions to a 52 km walk over a pass above 5,600 m.

See trips
Faiths
Hindu, Buddhist, Bon, Jain
Lumbini & Pashupatinath
Both UNESCO
Kailash trips
10 to 25 days

All spiritual journeys

15 itineraries. Filter by how many days you have.

The Pilgrimage Sites and What They Ask of You

Pashupatinath, on the Bagmati in Kathmandu, is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal and a shrine to Shiva as lord of the animals. Non-Hindus cannot enter the inner temple, but they can visit the grounds along the river, where the evening Aarti takes place. About 280 km southwest, Lumbini is where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama under a sal tree, dated to around the 6th century BC. In Lower Mustang, Muktinath at 3,800 m is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 water spouts and a natural gas flame burning over water.

Mount Kailash is the biggest undertaking. 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. It has no recorded ascent. Pilgrims walk the 52 km kora around its base, crossing the Dolma La pass at about 5,630 m, usually over three days. Many Tibetans do the circuit in one, and some prostrate the entire distance, which takes weeks.

Pashupatinath and Boudhanath take an afternoon. Lumbini is a two-day trip from Kathmandu. Muktinath takes about five days with Swotah, and the Buddhism Circuit ten. Kailash runs from May to September and takes 10 days by helicopter on the heli tour, up to 25 days via the Limi Valley. The Kerung road used by the overland yatra is shut as of November 2026, so check the flood status page before planning that route. See cultural tours if heritage draws you more than pilgrimage.

Find the right trip

  • Easy

    Temple and Stupa Visits

    No fitness requirement

    City and lowland sites with short walks, in a car or on a short flight.

    • Pashupatinath
    • Boudhanath
    • Lumbini
    • Buddhism Circuit (10 days)
    150 m to 1,400 m
  • Moderate

    Mountain Pilgrimage

    Reasonable fitness

    Mountain sites reached by jeep or on foot, with altitude to respect.

    • Muktinath Tour (5 days)
    • Gosaikunda
    • Swargadwari (7 days)
    2,000 m to 4,380 m
  • Challenging

    Kailash Yatra

    May to September, acclimatisation essential

    Weeks on the Tibetan plateau, with a three-day kora over a pass above 5,600 m and little access to quick evacuation.

    • Kailash Heli Tour (10 days)
    • Overland Tour (18 days)
    • Via Limi Valley (25 days)
    About 4,600 m to 5,630 m

Pilgrimage sites

NameAltitudeLevelEntry fee
Pashupatinath TempleKathmandu1,360 mEasyNPR 1,000
Boudhanath StupaKathmandu1,400 mEasyNPR 400
LumbiniRupandehi150 mEasyNPR 700
Manakamana TempleGorkha1,302 mEasyCable car ticket
Muktinath TempleMustang3,800 mModerateACAP NPR 3,000
Gosaikunda LakeLangtang4,380 mModerateLangtang NP NPR 3,000
Mount Kailash (Tibet)TibetDolma La about 5,630 mChallengingGroup visa and permit

Before you go

What to prepare

  • Build up your fitness

    For Kailash, walk uphill for hours on consecutive days before you go, and read up on altitude sickness.

  • Dress for worship

    Cover shoulders and knees, and take shoes off where you see others do so.

  • Follow the direction of walking

    Walk clockwise around stupas and mani walls. Bon pilgrims at Kailash walk the other way.

  • Respect rituals

    Ask before photographing anyone, and never photograph cremations.

What to bring

  • Warm down jacketKailash
  • Sleeping bagKailash
  • Broken-in walking bootsKailash, Gosaikunda
  • Scarf or shawlTemples
  • Slip-on shoesTemples
  • Sun hat and UV sunglassesHigh altitude

Best season & fees

  • Jan: Best
  • Feb: Best
  • Mar: Best
  • Apr: Best
  • May: Good
  • Jun: Off-season
  • Jul: Off-season
  • Aug: Off-season
  • Sep: Best
  • Oct: Best
  • Nov: Best
  • Dec: Best

When to go

Nepal's pilgrimage sites are open year-round. Buddha Jayanti (April or May) is the big date at Lumbini and Boudhanath, and Saga Dawa (May or June) at Kailash. The Kailash yatra runs May to September only.

Fees

  • Pashupatinath Temple
    Foreign entry to the grounds, per day and per entry. The inner temple is Hindu-only.
    NPR 1,000
  • Lumbini
    Foreign rate. SAARC nationals NPR 400.
    NPR 700
  • Kailash Yatra (Tibet)
    Swotah's overland package from Kathmandu, with permits, guide and transport. May to September only. Heli and Limi routes cost more.
    From about $2,550
  • Muktinath (Mustang)
    ACAP entry permit for the Annapurna Conservation Area
    NPR 3,000

Spiritual Journey FAQs

Can non-Hindus enter Pashupatinath?
Not the inner temple, which is restricted to Hindus. Foreign visitors pay NPR 1,000 to walk the grounds along the Bagmati, watch the evening Aarti and see the cremation ghats from the far bank. Please do not photograph cremations.
Why can't Mount Kailash be climbed?
Because it is sacred to four religions and climbing it would be seen as desecration. There is no recorded ascent. Reinhold Messner is said to have been offered permission in the 1980s and to have declined. Pilgrims walk the 52 km kora around the base instead.
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 about 5,630 m is higher than Everest Base Camp. There is no technical ground, but you are walking at high altitude in remote western Tibet with no quick evacuation. It needs proper acclimatisation on the way in. Many pilgrims use horses and porters for the pass day.
How much does the Kailash yatra cost and how long does it take?
Swotah's packages start from about $2,550 for the 18-day overland yatra, $2,999 for 15 days with Everest Base Camp, $3,995 for 25 days via the Limi Valley, and $4,010 for the 10-day helicopter tour. The trip runs May to September. The Tibet permit part of the price changes, and the Kerung road is shut as of November 2026, so ask us for a current figure and route against a specific departure.
Is Lumbini a day trip from Kathmandu?
No. It is about 280 km southwest 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 realistic minimum.
When is the most meaningful time to visit?
Buddha Jayanti, the full moon of April or May, marks the Buddha's birth at Lumbini and Boudhanath. Saga Dawa, in May or June, is the holiest month in Tibet and the busiest time at Kailash. Nepal's own sites are accessible year-round, and Kailash runs only from May to September.
Do I need to be religious to do these trips?
No. These are working sites of worship, though, and 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, and ask before photographing anyone.
Which routes lead to Mount Kailash from Nepal?
Our trips use three: by road through Kerung (shut as of November 2026 after the flood), on foot and by road from Simikot through the Limi Valley and Hilsa, and by helicopter from Nepalgunj and Simikot. All need a Chinese group visa and Tibet permits arranged through an agency, and all spend time acclimatising before the kora.

Plan your spiritual journey trip

Send us your dates and interests, and a Kathmandu-based trip planner will reply with a route and a price.