Who spends $4,000-$5,000 on a pilgrimage to Tibet?

The Year of the Fire Horse according to the Tibetan calendar has led to a surge in pilgrimage demand. Vietnamese visitors are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dong to book their pilgrimages six months in advance, while domestic spiritual sites are experiencing steady growth.

Vietnamese tourists on the Kora trek around Kailash peak. Photo: Provided by DVCC .

2026 – the "Fire Horse" year in the 12-year cycle of the Tibetan calendar – is creating a new wave in the spiritual tourism market. From short domestic trips to longer journeys in the Himalayas, demand is clearly increasing.

Among these, "high-profile" tours like Kailash (Tibet) recorded spending levels of up to hundreds of millions of VND per person.

No longer purely religious pilgrimages, they are gradually becoming journeys of deep experience – where travelers seek tranquility and inner connection.

Kailash tours fill up quickly, with visitors spending $4,000- $5,000.

According to Znews , Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuc, Business Director of OM Himalayas Adventure, said that the "Fire Horse" year is considered a special pilgrimage cycle in the Himalayas, so the surge in demand is understandable. The company recorded a more than 60% increase in interest compared to the same period last year.

"The team completed the bookings at the end of November for trips departing in May, almost half a year before the departure date," Mr. Phuc said.

Currently, Kailash tours range in price from 4,000 to 5,000 USD per person (approximately 105-130 million VND), depending on the time of year and service conditions. This is one of the most expensive pilgrimage itineraries for Vietnamese tourists, yet it still attracts experienced travelers seeking in-depth experiences .

Kora Kailash – the ritual walk around the sacred Mount Kailash – is considered one of the most arduous and sacred spiritual journeys in the world . There are two main routes: the Inner Kora, approximately 34 km long, and the Outer Kora, approximately 52 km long. The Kora journey takes place at an altitude of over 5,000 meters above sea level, in a harsh climate and under challenging conditions, requiring high levels of physical strength and willpower.

According to Mr. Phuc, most tourists begin researching and planning 3-4 months in advance because the journey lasts nearly two weeks, including travel, acclimatization to the altitude, and completing the Kora loop.

"For Kailash, good preparation is part of the journey," he said.

Besides the spiritual journey, visitors can also admire the spectacular natural scenery of the Himalayas during the trip. Photo: Provided by the company.

The clientele is also becoming younger. While the 35-55 age group still makes up the majority , about 20% of clients last year were in the 28-35 age range. These are people interested in meditation, inner journeys, and a slow-paced lifestyle.

Besides Kailash, two other popular destinations include Ladakh-Nubra (Northern India), famous for having some of the world's highest mountain trails, and Nepal, a Buddhist land offering meditation experiences and visits to monasteries in the Himalayas.

Despite strong demand, tour operators remain cautious about expanding their product offerings, especially for routes located at high altitudes.

At Viet Travel, the Kailash tour is developed as a flagship product, but only about 10 selected groups are allowed, prioritizing quality and safety.

For international pilgrimage tours, travel businesses currently face many challenges, especially on routes such as India-Nepal and Tibet-Kailash. Typical challenges include complex visa and permit procedures, rapidly changing security regulations at destinations, frequent delays/changes, and tours requiring specialized guides with knowledge of rituals and basic medical skills.

A trip to Bhutan, the "Kingdom of Happiness," also attracts tourists with its stunning spring scenery. Photo: Provided by the company.

In particular, high-altitude, harsh-climate tours like Kailash require rigorous health screening , sometimes necessitating the arrangement of accompanying doctors, and have limited group sizes, leading to higher operating costs.

Furthermore, religious factors and local policies can change unexpectedly, forcing businesses to prepare alternative scenarios to ensure customer rights are protected.

The trend of going on pilgrimages with family.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, said that the demand for spiritual tourism in 2026 will remain stable and increase seasonally, with three distinct peaks: the early year festival season, the Vu Lan season (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), and the end of the Gregorian calendar year. Among these, middle-aged travelers and businesspeople tend to choose longer international trips to "change the scenery" and find inner peace before the new year.

"Pilgrims today not only go to worship but expect a complete journey: proper rituals, health and safety, good logistics, and moments of quiet reflection," Ms. Thu observed.

This trend was also noted by Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel. According to him, customers are currently interested in three layers of value in order: the "rightness" of the itinerary (ideal destinations, reasonable holiday timing), service quality, and accompanying experiences such as scenery, culture, and cuisine.

In the domestic market, short-day tours such as those to Huong Pagoda, Bai Dinh - Trang An - Tam Chuc - Yen Tu, La Vang - Tra Kieu, and Ba Den Mountain, etc., continue to be attractive due to their accessibility and reasonable costs.

According to the National Tourism Administration, the tourism industry served approximately 14 million visitors during this year's Lunar New Year holiday (February 14-22). The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival, which opened on February 20, attracted over 300,000 attendees, while Huong Pagoda welcomed nearly 136,000 visitors in the first five days of the year.

The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival and the Grand Ceremony honoring the Supreme Being are two events that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Tay Ninh at the beginning of the year. Photo: Hai Trieu.

In the outbound tourism sector, popular routes include India - Nepal (7-10 days), Bhutan (6-8 days), and Tibet - Kailash/Mansarovar (12-15 days). Additionally, Christian itineraries to Israel - Jordan - Egypt, Europe (France - Italy - Vatican), and Umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia also recorded stable customer numbers.

The trend of "family pilgrimages" is clearly emerging. Many 25-40 year olds no longer go on pilgrimages alone but with their parents or in groups of friends and colleagues. According to businesses, pilgrimages today not only have religious significance but also become opportunities for spiritual relaxation and intergenerational bonding.

"Pilgrims now go on pilgrimages not only for religious reasons but also to experience new things and strengthen family bonds," said Mr. Pham Anh Vu.

Source: https://znews.vn/ai-chi-4000-5000-usd-hanh-huong-tay-tang-post1630434.html