If you’re going on the Kailash pilgrimage, figuring out where to stay at night, what the accommodation conditions are like, and what items to prepare are crucial things to clarify before departure. Accommodation options on this route are limited and relatively basic, with the main function being to provide rest and restore physical strength. The following Ali Kailash Pilgrimage Accommodation Guide will elaborate on the accommodation situation, costs, and precautions at three locations: Tarchen Town, Zhire Monastery, and Zutrul Phuk Monastery. After reading, you can make clearer arrangements and feel more at ease during the trip.
Two Main Parts of Pilgrimage Accommodation
The accommodation spots along the entire pilgrimage route are clear: mainly Tarchen Town at the foot of the mountain and accommodation spots during the hiking on the mountain. These two places have fundamental differences in environment, facilities, and price, so they need to be considered separately when planning.
As the base camp for the pilgrimage, Tarchen Town is a relatively fully functional settlement. There are restaurants and small shops here, and accommodation mainly consists of hotels and guesthouses, which can provide relatively stable water, electricity, heating, and private bathrooms. Your purpose here is to fully acclimatize to the altitude, replenish supplies, and get good rest.
On the other hand, the accommodation spots on the mountain (mainly Zhire Monastery and its surrounding areas) are purely temporary resting places for hikers. Located in the wilderness, they have extremely simple facilities, usually only beds to shelter from wind and cold, and the simplest meals. The core function here is to allow you to lie down and recover your strength after a day of hiking, preparing for the next day’s journey. The costs also differ greatly— a bed on the mountain may only cost a fraction of the hotel room rate at the foot of the mountain, but the comfort level is completely different.
Kailash Kora
Starting and Ending Point of the Pilgrimage: Accommodation in Tarchen Town
Tarchen is a place to rest and prepare before and after the pilgrimage, and most people stay here for at least one night. This is the area with the best accommodation conditions throughout the trip.
Hotels and Guesthouses in the Town:
– Actual Situation: This is the most common type of accommodation. Prices range from over 100 CNY for standard rooms to 500-600 CNY for rooms with oxygen supply. High-quality hotels can guarantee 24-hour power supply and stable hot water (water pressure may be lower at night), with electric blankets or heating in the rooms, and private bathrooms for bathing. Mobile network signals (mainly China Mobile and China Telecom) are intermittent, so don’t rely on them for important matters.
– How to Choose: The rest the night before the pilgrimage directly affects your state the next day. It is recommended to choose a hotel with adequate heating and oxygen supply services— this money is well spent. It’s best to choose an accommodation close to the prayer flag square, the starting point of the pilgrimage, for convenience when setting off in the morning. During the peak season from May to October every year, rooms are in great demand, so be sure to contact and confirm the reservation in advance.
Tarchen Town
Budget Hostels and Guest Houses:
– Actual Situation: Affordable, with beds costing several tens of CNY. They are usually multi-person rooms with average hygiene conditions for bedding. Public bathrooms and washing areas are used, and hot water needs to be collected from the front desk. Suitable for hikers with limited budgets and low requirements for accommodation.
– Important Reminder: If you choose to stay here, be sure to bring your own sleeping bag liner for hygiene and lay it on the bed. It is also recommended to wear warm clothes when sleeping at night.
Overnight During the Pilgrimage: Accommodation in the Zhire Monastery Area
This is a key part of the accommodation for the Ali Kailash pilgrimage, determining whether you can effectively recover after the first day of hiking. Currently, hikers who complete the trip in two days basically stay near Zhire Monastery (Zhe Re Pu Monastery) overnight.
Specific Information About Accommodation at Zhire Monastery:
– Location and Environment: Located on the north side of the pilgrimage route, facing the north wall of Kailash directly, at an altitude of about 5,050 meters. It is the end point of the first day’s hiking.
– Accommodation Conditions: Accommodation spots are prefabricated houses or large tent guesthouses, with dormitory-style beds or bunk beds inside, and each room can accommodate many people. Facilities are extremely simple, with only bed boards and thick quilts. Heating is provided by cow dung-burning stoves at night, and the indoor temperature will drop in the early morning.
– Available Services: Guesthouses sell boiled water (for a fee), instant noodles, simple fried rice, or noodles. There are public dry toilets nearby. The advantage here is that the open space at the door is an excellent location to watch the golden sunset over the holy mountain.
– Core Suggestion: Beds here cannot be reserved in advance and are completely on a first-come, first-served basis. Please try to arrive before 4 PM to have more choices. Keep valuables close to you or under your pillow when sleeping.
Accommodation Option at Zutrul Phuk Monastery:
– Who Stays Here: Only suitable for hikers planning to complete the pilgrimage in three days, serving as the accommodation for the second night.
– Actual Situation: The conditions are more basic than those at Zhire Monastery, usually only extremely simple beds provided by the monastery, with very limited choices. For most hikers with acceptable physical strength, it is not recommended to stay here, as it only takes 3-4 hours of walking from Zutrul Phuk Monastery to return to Tarchen, which has much better conditions.
Zhire Monastery Guesthouse
Practical Tips and Notes for Choosing Kailash Kora Accommodation
After understanding the locations, mastering the following specific information can help you avoid troubles and rest better.
Decide Based on Your Itinerary:
– Planning to finish in 2 days: Need to stay 1 night in Tarchen + 1 night at Zhire Monastery.
– Planning to finish in 3 days: Need to stay 1 night in Tarchen + 1 night at Zhire Monastery + 1 night at Zutrul Phuk Monastery (usually not recommended).
Distinguish Between Peak and Off-Peak Seasons:
– Peak Season (May to October): A large number of tourists. Hotel prices in Tarchen are high, and reservations must be made several days or even weeks in advance. Beds at Zhire Monastery will be gone if you arrive late, so be sure to set off early and arrive as soon as possible.
– Off-Peak Season (November to April next year): Most guesthouses will be closed, especially the accommodation spots on the mountain. Only a handful of hotels in the town are open. The main challenges this season are severe cold and bad weather, which is only recommended for experienced explorers with well-equipped gear.
Necessary Items to Bring:
Guesthouses only provide the most basic shelter. The following items can greatly improve your comfort and safety:
- High-quality warm sleeping bag: This is the most important piece of equipment. You must bring a down sleeping bag with a comfort temperature rating of -10°C or lower— the quilts provided by guesthouses are not enough to keep warm.
- Hygiene sleeping bag liner: A lightweight sleeping bag liner can effectively solve the hygiene problem of the bed.
- Headlamp: Lighting in guesthouses is dim, so a headlamp is essential for getting up at night, as it is more convenient to free up your hands than a flashlight.
- Insulated thermos: Fill it with hot water at night to keep warm in the sleeping bag, and you will also have warm water to drink the next morning.
- High-energy snacks: Such as chocolate, energy bars, and beef jerky. Supplementing some before going to bed helps maintain body temperature.
- Personal medications: Including drugs to relieve altitude sickness and headaches (such as ibuprofen), glucose powder, and personal commonly used medications.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kailash Kora Accommodation
Q: Can I take a bath at Zhire Monastery?
A: Absolutely not. Bathing in an environment with an altitude of 5,000 meters and extremely low night temperatures is very dangerous, as it can easily cause severe altitude sickness or hypothermia. You should avoid bathing during the pilgrimage and can use a wet towel to wipe your body instead.
Q: What is the approximate cost of accommodation?
A: Prices fluctuate with the seasons; the following are approximate ranges (in CNY):
– Standard room in Tarchen: 300-600 CNY during peak season, 100-300 CNY during off-peak season.
– Dormitory bed at Zhire Monastery: 80-150 CNY per person during peak season.
– Important Reminder: Please prepare enough cash, as mobile payment may not be accepted by stores on the mountain and some small towns.
Q: What if there are no beds left when I arrive at Zhire Monastery?
A: This may happen during peak season. If all guesthouses are fully booked, you can try asking the monastery or negotiating with other teams. The most effective preventive method is to set off from Tarchen as early as possible and arrive at Zhire Monastery promptly. While in Tarchen, you can inquire about the latest status of accommodation on the mountain from local institutions familiar with the area, such as China Dragon Travel.
Q: What if I suffer from severe altitude sickness at Zhire Monastery at night and cannot fall asleep?
A: There are no medical facilities at Zhire Monastery. If you experience severe symptoms such as severe headache, vomiting, or inability to lie down, do not force yourself. Immediately inform the guesthouse owner or fellow travelers to assess whether it is necessary to evacuate down the mountain to Tarchen overnight (rescue vehicles can be called, but the cost is high). Therefore, it is crucial to purchase a special travel insurance that covers emergency rescue and medical evacuation for high-altitude diseases before departure.
Clear Accommodation Planning Is Key to a Safe Mount Kailash Kora
Proper accommodation planning plays a crucial role in completing the Mount Kailash kora safely. Where you sleep directly affects physical recovery, altitude adaptation, and overall risk management. Conditions range from relatively comfortable hotels in Darchen to extremely basic lodging near Dirapuk Monastery, and expectations must be realistic.
Understanding these differences in advance, preparing adequate cold-weather gear, and arriving early during peak season can significantly reduce unnecessary risks. With clear planning and conservative preparation, the Mount Kailash kora becomes a manageable high-altitude trek rather than an uncertain challenge.
