Humla to Kailash: Simikot to Hilsa route, days, season and permits

Humla is the Nepal end of the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash: the route runs from Simikot up the Humla Karnali to Hilsa on the Tibet border, and the Nepal section of the Great Himalaya Trail ends at Hilsa¹. The route has historically been an ancient foot trail along the mountain slopes on the left side of the Humla Karnali¹. This page sets out the walk, an operator’s full itinerary, the high points, the season, permits and costs. The district is covered in Humla, and the other long routes are in the treks hub.

Route and days

On foot, the Simikot to Hilsa walk takes 4 to 5 days with overnight stops at a few villages on the way¹. Travel companies offer helicopter flights over the same distance, which take about 20 minutes¹. A detour at the confluence of the Humla Karnali and Salli Khola leads to Hilsa by the Nyalu La pass and the Limi valley¹; that variant is on the Limi Valley trek page.

In October 2026 ABC Adventures’ 2027 jeep itinerary from Lucknow ran 11 days and drove Simikot to Hilsa instead of walking². Its stages, with the operator’s elevations:

Highest point

On ABC Adventures’ itinerary the highest point is Dolma La at 5,630 m, crossed on day 8 of the circuit, the 22 km parikrama day². The operator’s header lists the same 5,630 m as the highest altitude, with a difficulty of moderate to strenuous².

On the Nepal side the high point of the walk is the Nara La pass, 4,530 m, on the Simikot to Hilsa route¹. Hilsa itself is at 3,640 m on the operator’s figure². Simikot is at 2,910 m on the same itinerary².

Season

ABC Adventures gives May to September as the best season, and its 2027 fixed departures run from 10 May 2027 to 30 September 2027².

The Embassy of India advises avoiding travel during or near full moon days: the pilgrimage then sees a high density of travellers and overbooking, with incidents of pilgrims being stranded in Simikot and Hilsa⁴. The same guidance says the Simikot and Hilsa route is connected only through air, which needs fair weather and visibility to remain open, so delays of days are possible at all points⁴. Flight options are covered in flights to Simikot.

Permits

In October 2026 the Department of Immigration’s trekking route and permit fee table listed Humla at USD 50 per person per week, with USD 10 per day beyond 1 week³. The areas named are Simikot Rural Municipality wards 1, 6 and 7, Namkha Rural Municipality wards 1 to 6 and Changkheli Rural Municipality wards 3 to 5³.

For Indian pilgrims, the Embassy of India lists these steps: a Chinese visa and a travel permit for the Tibetan Autonomous Region before the journey starts, the Chinese visa from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi and not Kathmandu, and a Nepal restricted-area permit for Simikot and Hilsa obtained by the travel agent⁴. ABC Adventures’ package lists all Xizang Autonomous Region permits as included². See Kailash via Humla and restricted-area permits.

Costs

ABC Adventures’ package for the 11-day jeep trip lists the Nepalgunj to Simikot and back airfare and the Simikot to Hilsa jeep round trip as included².

The extras it names are in yuan. In October 2026 the page listed a horse and horseman at Yuan 3,000 for 3 days and a personal porter at Yuan 1,500 for 3 days for the Kailash parikrama, and advised carrying Yuan 5,000 per person for additional expenses².

The Embassy of India notes that ATM facilities are not available in Simikot or Hilsa, and that pilgrims should carry adequate cash for emergencies⁴.

Getting to the trailhead

The trailhead is Simikot. ABC Adventures flies Nepalgunj to Simikot in about 50 minutes on day 2 of its itinerary². Simikot is the starting point for trekking and mountaineering in Humla, reached through Simikot Airport, and the trekking route to Tibet starts there¹.

The Embassy of India notes minimal or no medical facilities in Simikot and Hilsa⁴. For the transit city, see Nepalgunj.