The kora around Amnye Machen is an 80 to 100 kilometre circuit of the sacred massif, taking four to six days on foot. The route crosses several high passes above 4,500 metres, traverses yak pastures and glacial moraine, and passes small nomad camps where Tibetan herders occasionally offer shelter and the thick, salted butter tea that is as much fuel as drink at this altitude.
The mountain is the home of Machen Pomra, one of the most powerful protective deities in the Tibetan pantheon, and the pilgrimage route is ancient — trodden for centuries before outsiders were permitted anywhere near this part of Amdo. Most trekkers who walk it are Tibetan, and the atmosphere on the trail is devotional rather than recreational. Expect to walk alongside pilgrims spinning prayer wheels and chanting mantras, and to encounter stone cairns, prayer flags, and small shrines at every significant point of the circuit.
You will need a tent and full cold-weather gear — temperatures drop sharply at night even in summer. A support yak or pack horse, arranged through a local guide in Maqin, is strongly recommended. Altitude sickness is a real risk; acclimatise in Xining and ideally Maqin before starting the trek. June through September is the viable season; July and August can bring afternoon rain on the high sections.