China's 2026 cap of 24,000 Indian Kailash pilgrims is now full. If you already booked, your permit is issued and you travel as planned. New 2026 places now depend on China raising the quota, and we are in talks to make that happen.
Update, 14 June 2026: the 24,000 permit quota for Indian pilgrims on the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has now been reached. The Tibet authorities are no longer issuing new permits to Indian passport holders for this season. If you booked earlier and your permit was already issued, your trip is unaffected and you travel as planned. If you are only now looking to book, a 2026 place depends on whether the Chinese government raises the quota. We, along with several other operators, are in active talks with our counterparts in Tibet and China to request an increase, and we will update this page the moment anything is confirmed.
The background: the Kathmandu Post reported on 28 May 2026 that China had capped Indian pilgrim numbers for the 2026 Yatra at 24,000 — up from 20,000 last year, but well short of the 40,000+ pilgrims operators say had already enquired. A request for an additional 15,000 permits was lodged with the Chinese authorities. That cap has now been taken up in full. Here is what it means, why it happened, and your options now.
The 24,000 figure is the total number of Indian passport holders permitted to enter Tibet for the Yatra through the Nepal routes during the 2026 season (mid-May through September). It covers all three Nepal routes:
It does not cover foreign passport holders (estimated at 5,000 for 2026) or Nepali nationals. It also does not cover the MEA-organised routes through Lipulekh or Nathu La, which are administered separately by the Indian government.
The cap is administered on a first-permit-issued basis. Operators with passport scans, deposits paid, and visa applications already in process at the Chinese consulate were processed first. Now that the cap has been reached, pilgrims without an issued permit cannot be added this season, regardless of how much they are willing to pay.
Two reasons sit behind the 2026 cap. The first is religious significance. 2026 is the Year of the Horse in the Tibetan calendar (the Tibetan New Year began on 17 February 2026). In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, completing a single kora around Mount Kailash during a Horse Year carries the spiritual merit of twelve or thirteen koras done in an ordinary year. That belief, shared by Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims, has driven demand to a level the route's infrastructure was not built for. Hotels in Saga and Darchen, the Mansarovar guest houses at Hore, and the Tibetan border points are all running at capacity weeks ahead.
The second reason is infrastructure. The Tibetan side of the route has a narrow window of operability between the snowmelt in mid-May and the early snow that closes Dolma La Pass in September. Within that window, the Chinese authorities must move pilgrims through Rasuwagadhi/Kerung, allocate Tibet Travel Permits and the China Group Visa, and ensure the Kora trail itself does not become dangerous from overcrowding. Last season saw a serious overcrowding incident at the Dolma La pass with pilgrims unable to move forward or back; the 2026 cap is partly a response to that.
If China grants the additional 15,000 permits operators have requested, the cap would lift to 39,000 — still short of the 40,000+ in known demand, but enough to absorb most serious enquiries. As of mid-June 2026 that approval has not come through, and the original 24,000 has now been filled.
There are two situations.
If you already have a confirmed booking and an issued permit: nothing changes. Your dates, your group and your travel stand exactly as planned, and we will be in touch with the usual pre-trip details. If you would like us to reconfirm your permit status, contact us and we will check your file.
If you are still hoping to book for 2026: new permits are paused, so we cannot guarantee a 2026 departure at the moment, and we will not take a deposit for a date we cannot promise. What we can do is add you to a priority list, so that if the quota is raised you are among the first contacted. Many pilgrims are also choosing to plan ahead for 2027, when dates can be locked early and calmly.
Our 14-Day Kailash Mansarovar Overland Yatra via Kerung runs on a fixed-departure calendar with pre-arranged permit batches. Pilgrims already confirmed on those batches travel as scheduled. For new enquiries this season we are honest that a place now depends on the quota being raised, so we hold your details on a priority list rather than take a deposit we cannot fulfil. For your planning, and for 2027, the route and pricing are below.
The package includes three nights Kathmandu hotel, group bus transport, full vegetarian meals, the mud-house guest house at Mansarovar (the only option at the lake), standard hotels at Saga and Darchen, the three-day Kora with yaks for personal bags, the Tibet Travel Permit, Alien Permit and Military Permit, emergency oxygen on the bus, and Kathmandu temple sightseeing.
If you have specific religious dates in mind, the 2026 Full Moon dates relevant for the Kora are 25 April, 24 May, 23 June, 23 July, 21 August, and 20 September. These remain useful reference points for planning a future Kora.
Both remain part of our catalogue, but like the overland route they sit under the same 2026 quota, so new pilgrim permits are paused until the quota is raised. Helicopter pricing is also being re-quoted because Nepal's aviation fuel prices nearly doubled in early 2026. WhatsApp Shreejan with your preferred dates and group size, and we will hold your details and quote the moment places are available.
Does the cap apply to the MEA Lipulekh or Nathu La routes?
No. The 24,000 cap covers only the Nepal routes (Rasuwagadhi–Kerung, Nepalgunj–Simikot–Hilsa, and the Kathmandu–Lhasa air route). MEA-organised batches through Lipulekh and Nathu La are administered separately by the Indian government and have their own quota.
Can I still get a permit if I book now for July or August?
Not at the moment. The 24,000 quota is now full, so new permits for Indian passports are paused for the rest of the 2026 season. A new place would only become possible if China grants the additional permits operators have requested. We can hold your details on a priority list in the meantime.
Is the cap likely to be lifted to 39,000?
The 15,000 additional-permit request has been lodged, and the Chinese authorities have signalled they are open to it, but no confirmation has been made. We will update this article and our package page the moment the cap changes.
What happens if I have paid a deposit and my permit has not been issued?
Per our cancellation policy, if a permit cannot be issued for reasons outside our control (including the cap being full) you receive a full refund of the deposit, minus the bank transfer fee. We strongly advise booking travel insurance with high-altitude medical evacuation and cancellation cover before paying any deposit.
For more on the spiritual significance of 2026, see our guide on Why 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is Special. For a full cost breakdown across all three Nepal routes, see our 2026 Kailash cost guide.
The 24,000 quota for 2026 is now full. If you already hold a confirmed permit, your yatra is safe and unchanged. If you are still hoping to travel, WhatsApp Shreejan at +977 9810351300 and we will hold your details on a priority list and let you know the instant the quota moves.
Drop us your details and tell us what you have in mind. We will put together a personalised plan and get back to you.
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