Saga Dawa 2026 Dates — 17 May to 15 June (Duchen 31 May)

Saga Dawa 2026 runs from Sunday 17 May to Monday 15 June 2026, with Saga Dawa Duchen — the full-moon day and the holiest day of the month — falling on Sunday 31 May 2026. 2026 is the Tibetan Year of the Horse, when religious merit earned by completing the Kailash Parikrama is traditionally multiplied 13 times — making this the most spiritually significant Kailash Yatra window in a twelve-year cycle.

Quick facts — Saga Dawa 2026

Fact	Value
Saga Dawa month (4th Tibetan lunar month)	17 May – 15 June 2026
Saga Dawa Duchen (full moon, holiest day)	31 May 2026
Tibetan year	Year of the Horse
Kora merit multiplier	×13 (Horse Year only)
Most-requested yatra window	22 – 31 May 2026 (Pre-Duchen)
Tibet permit deadline	Send passport scans by late March 2026

What is Saga Dawa?

Saga Dawa is the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. It commemorates the three most important events in the Buddha's life — his birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. For Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims alike, the full-moon day of this month — Saga Dawa Duchen — is considered the single most auspicious day to perform the Kailash parikrama. Tibetan tradition holds that the merit earned from religious practice on this day is multiplied a hundred thousand times.

For yatra operators in Kathmandu, the four-week window around Saga Dawa is when bookings spike, helicopter slots tighten, and Tibet permits go in early.

2026 is the Year of the Horse — merit multiplied 13×

2026 is a Horse Year in the Tibetan twelve-animal cycle. Tibetan Buddhist tradition teaches that completing the Kailash Kora (the 52 km, 3-day parikrama around Mount Kailash) during a Horse Year generates merit equivalent to thirteen ordinary years of kora. The Year of the Horse comes around only once every twelve years — the last was 2014, the next will be 2038. Combined with Saga Dawa Duchen on 31 May, this is the rarest and most spiritually significant Kailash Yatra window in a generation.

The three Saga Dawa yatra windows

The full-moon day — Duchen — falls on Sunday 31 May 2026. The most auspicious yatra departures cluster around it:

• Pre-Duchen departure: 22 – 31 May 2026. Arrives at Kailash with parikrama days falling on or just before the full moon. The most-requested window — books out 8–10 weeks in advance.
• Duchen departure: 28 May – 6 June 2026. Full moon falls during the parikrama itself. Highest spiritual significance, also the most crowded.
• Post-Duchen departure: 5 – 14 June 2026. Calmer crowds, still warm weather, slightly cheaper as flights are less booked.

Why this matters for your booking

1. Tibet permits take 4–6 weeks to issue. To depart on a Saga Dawa window, your passport scans need to reach our office by the last week of March 2026.
2. Helicopter availability tightens early. Saga Dawa departures from Simikot to Hilsa book out 8–10 weeks in advance.
3. Hotel rates rise in Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, and Taklakot during this window. We lock in fixed rates with our partners by mid-April.

Beyond Saga Dawa: when else to go?

If you cannot make Saga Dawa, there are other good windows in the May–October season:

• Kartik Purnima (early November): the second-most auspicious full moon, marks the end of Diwali / Tibetan harvest. Cooler air, clear skies, golden light — best photographs of the season.
• Janai Purnima / Raksha Bandhan (August): sacred bathing ritual at Mansarovar. More rain at lower altitudes but the lakes are at their fullest.
• September: clearest skies of the year, fewest crowds, best for serious pilgrims who want a quiet parikrama.

Booking tips for Saga Dawa 2026

• Send us your passport scan and personal details by end of March 2026 at the latest
• Pay the 30% deposit promptly — the queue for permits is first-come first-served
• Pack for both extreme cold (parikrama nights at 4,900 m) and warm afternoons in Kathmandu
• Consider buying cancellation-flexible international flights — yatras at this time of year occasionally get rescheduled by Chinese authorities for security reviews

If you have questions about the 2026 Saga Dawa departures or want a quick check on availability, reach out on WhatsApp or send us a custom inquiry. Our coordinator typically replies within an hour.

Frequently asked questions about Saga Dawa 2026

What are the exact dates for Saga Dawa 2026?

Saga Dawa 2026 runs from Sunday 17 May to Monday 15 June 2026. Saga Dawa Duchen — the full-moon day and the holiest day of the month — falls on Sunday 31 May 2026.

When does Saga Dawa start and end in 2026?

Saga Dawa 2026 starts on 17 May and ends on 15 June. These are the start and end dates of the fourth lunar month in the Tibetan calendar — the holiest month of the year for both Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims circumambulating Mount Kailash.

What date is Saga Dawa Duchen 2026?

Saga Dawa Duchen 2026 — the full-moon day, the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan lunar month, and the holiest day for the Kailash Parikrama — falls on Sunday 31 May 2026.

Why is 2026 special — Year of the Horse?

2026 is the Tibetan Year of the Horse. Traditional Tibetan Buddhist belief holds that completing the Kailash Kora (parikrama) during a Horse Year generates merit equivalent to thirteen ordinary years of kora. This makes Saga Dawa 2026 the most spiritually significant Kailash Yatra window in a twelve-year cycle.

What is Saga Dawa in the Tibetan calendar?

Saga Dawa is the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. It commemorates the three most important events in the Buddha's life — his birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. In 2026, the fourth Tibetan lunar month corresponds to 17 May through 15 June in the Gregorian calendar.

Is it "Saga Dawa" or "Saka Dawa"?

Both spellings are used. "Saga Dawa" is the standard transliteration in English-language Tibetan Buddhist sources; "Saka Dawa" is an alternate Romanisation. Both refer to the same fourth-month Tibetan lunar festival in 2026, running 17 May to 15 June.

How do I book a Kailash Yatra for Saga Dawa 2026?

Choose an overland package (13 or 14 days), a helicopter route (11 days), or a trek via Simikot (20 days) through The Kailash Holiday — TAAN 1586. Send your passport scans to our office by end-March 2026 — Tibet permits take 4–6 weeks, and Saga Dawa is the year's most in-demand window.