China’s Visa Delays Strand 2,500+ Tourists, Including U.S. Citizens, in Kathmandu for Kailash Mansarovar

Over 2,500 tourists, including American citizens of Indian origin, are currently stranded in Kathmandu. They are awaiting travel to the sacred Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage site due to significant delays in China’s visa verification process and flood-damaged roads in Nepal. Tourism operators report that the visa process, which once took three days, now extends beyond 10, creating uncertainty and financial strain for both travelers and businesses. This issue, combined with recent floods in Rasuwa that have blocked key travel routes, has severely disrupted the pilgrimage season, which runs from May to September.

Nearly 3,000 pilgrims, primarily Indian citizens and non-resident Indians (NRIs) from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, are currently lodged in five-star hotels across Kathmandu, awaiting visa approvals. The prolonged verification process by the Chinese Embassy has created a bottleneck, leaving tourists and operators in limbo.

Ramesh Ojha, Managing Director of Ojha Holiday Tours and Treks Pvt. Ltd., highlighted the severity of the issue. “What used to take three days now takes over 10, and there’s no guarantee of visa approval,” Ojha stated, noting that over 2,000 religious tourists have been unable to proceed to Kailash Mansarovar. He added that the new visa policy has severely impacted the tourism industry during its peak season.

Namraj Joshi, an operator from Liajar Port in Mumbai, shared his frustration, explaining that his group of 39 tourists has been waiting in Kathmandu for 10 days at the Dusit Princess Hotel, hoping for swift visa approvals. These prolonged delays have led to significant financial losses for tour operators, who are covering additional hotel costs—ranging from five to 10 nights—out of their own pockets. “We’re spending more on managing tourists than we earn from commissions,” said Surya Pathak, Managing Director of Soham Journeys Pvt. Ltd. His company facilitated trips for nearly 4,000 pilgrims in 2019 but now expects to send only about 1,000 this year due to the disruptions.

Compounding the visa delays, recent floods in Rasuwa have obstructed the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route, a primary pathway for pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar. This route, heavily used by Indian pilgrims, has been rendered impassable, forcing operators to explore alternative, more challenging, and costly routes such as Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Humla.

Some tourists who have secured visas are being rerouted through Nepalganj and Humla’s Simikot to reach Hilsa, a closer entry point to the pilgrimage site. Despite these efforts, prolonged stays in Kathmandu are leaving some tourists financially strained, with reports of others considering abandoning their plans and returning home.

The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage is a significant contributor to Nepal’s tourism industry, accounting for approximately 20% of the country’s total tourism traffic. Annually, 20,000 to 25,000 pilgrims travel through Nepal to reach the sacred site in Tibet. The pilgrimage packages, costing between $2,500 and $3,000, exclude airfare, which adds another $2,000, bringing the total cost for foreign tourists to approximately $5,000 to $7,000. For Indian citizens, the cost ranges from NPR 250,000 to 300,000, while NRIs face expenses starting at NPR 1 million.

Tour operators, including Ojha Holidays, Richa Travels and Tours, Eco Trek, Heritage Tours and Travel, Sunny Travel, and Trekker Society, are among the dozens of companies facilitating these trips. The Association of Kailas Tour Operators Nepal, representing over 30 companies, reports that the visa delays and route disruptions have imposed a heavy financial burden on the industry. From June 25 to July 9, 2025, tourists have been stuck in hotels, with operators bearing the brunt of additional accommodation costs.

The issue has garnered attention at the governmental level. During a meeting on July 6, 2025, Nepal’s House of Representatives International Relations and Tourism Committee raised concerns about the visa delays, urging action to address the plight of stranded tourists. In response, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey committed to coordinating with the Chinese Embassy through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to streamline the visa process.

Despite these assurances, the situation remains largely unresolved. While a group of American NRIs recently completed their visa verification after a 10-day wait and reached Lhasa on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, according to one tour operator, this is an exception rather than the norm. Most tourists remain stranded, causing frustration among both travelers and operators. The prolonged delays have not only disrupted travel plans but also eroded confidence in the reliability of the pilgrimage process during the peak season.

Kailash Mansarovar, located in Tibet, holds immense spiritual significance for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and followers of the Bon religion. The site, centered around Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, attracts thousands of pilgrims annually, particularly from India and the global Indian diaspora. For many, the journey is a once-in-a-lifetime undertaking, requiring significant financial investment and emotional commitment. The current delays and logistical challenges have left pilgrims, many of whom have spent $5,000 to $7,000 on the trip, in a state of uncertainty. Some are reportedly running out of funds due to extended stays in Kathmandu, while others are contemplating returning home without completing their pilgrimage.

The majority of affected tourists are Indian citizens and non-resident Indians (NRIs) from countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. These NRIs often travel via air routes, such as Kathmandu to Simikot in Humla or Kathmandu to Lhasa, to reach their destination. However, the visa verification delays have disrupted even these alternative pathways, as the Chinese Embassy’s new policy requires extensive scrutiny for all foreign nationals, regardless of the route.

The tourism industry in Nepal, which relies heavily on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, is facing significant financial strain. Tour operators are not only losing their commissions but are also incurring additional costs to accommodate stranded tourists in Kathmandu’s high-end hotels. According to Surya Pathak of Soham Journeys Pvt. Ltd., the expenses for extended hotel stays far exceed the profits earned from organizing these tours. “We’re managing tourists at a loss, and the stress and hassle are overwhelming,” Pathak lamented.

The Association of Kailas Tour Operators Nepal estimates that up to 25,000 pilgrims travel through Nepal annually to reach Kailash Mansarovar, contributing significantly to the local economy. The current disruptions threaten to drastically reduce this number, with operators like Pathak projecting that only 1,000 tourists may complete the journey this year, compared to 4,000 in 2019. The economic ripple effect is felt across hotels, airlines, and local businesses that cater to these pilgrims.

Tour operators are scrambling to find solutions, such as rerouting pilgrims through Nepalganj and Humla’s Simikot to Hilsa, which is the closest entry point to Kailash Mansarovar. However, this route is logistically complex and costly, requiring domestic flights and additional permits. The flood-damaged Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route, a popular overland pathway, remains impassable, further limiting options. Operators are also pressing the Nepalese government to expedite diplomatic efforts with the Chinese Embassy to streamline the visa process.

On July 6, 2025, Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, assured the House of Representatives’ International Relations and Tourism Committee that his ministry would work through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the visa delays. Despite this commitment, tangible progress has been slow, leaving operators and tourists frustrated.

The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage accounts for approximately 20% of Nepal’s tourism traffic, making it a cornerstone of the country’s tourism economy. The current crisis highlights the vulnerability of this sector to external factors, such as foreign visa policies and natural disasters. The prolonged visa verification process, combined with the flood-induced closure of key routes, has exposed systemic challenges in coordinating international travel logistics. If unresolved, these issues could deter future pilgrims and damage Nepal’s reputation as a reliable transit hub for the pilgrimage.

Tour operators like Ramesh Ojha and Namraj Joshi have voiced their concerns about the long-term impact on their businesses. “This is the peak season, and we’re losing both money and trust,” Ojha said. Similarly, tourists like those in Joshi’s group, stuck at the Dusit Princess Hotel, are growing increasingly impatient. “We came for a spiritual journey, but we’re stuck in limbo,” one pilgrim reportedly shared. The combination of financial strain, logistical hurdles, and emotional disappointment has cast a shadow over what is meant to be a sacred experience.

As the pilgrimage season progresses, stakeholders are hopeful that diplomatic efforts will yield a resolution to the visa verification delays. In the meantime, operators are exploring alternative routes and urging tourists to remain patient. However, with the season running only until September, time is of the essence to salvage the 2025 pilgrimage cycle. 

For now, the 2,500-plus tourists stranded in Kathmandu continue to wait, their dreams of reaching Kailash Mansarovar delayed by bureaucratic and environmental challenges beyond their control.

Additional reporting by CB Adhikari, RSS, Kathmandu.