Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Tibet to Kathmandu Tour - 8 days

You can arrive in Lhasa by air or overland (drive or train). Our guide will pick you up from the designated pick-up point and drive you to your hotel. If you take a flight then it will take around an hour to drive to the main city from Lhasa Gonggar Airport.

After arriving at your hotel, you can check in and take a rest. No activity has been planned for the day as you need proper rest to get your body properly acclimatized to Lhasa's high altitude. Drink lots of water and other fluids (warm soup or broth, ginger tea, etc.) to keep your body hydrated. As Lhasa and most places in Tibet are situated above 3000 meters it is important to adapt yourself to thin air. Dehydration is one of the chief causes of altitude sickness. Therefore, you need to add lots of fluids to your diet.  Keep a flask of warm water with you throughout your journey and drink it at intervals.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Your sightseeing tour begins right after breakfast at your hotel. Today your Tibetan guide will take you to some of the well-known tourist attractions in Lhasa – Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Bazaar.

Potala Palace stands majestically on the ridge of the Red Hill overlooking Lhasa. The palace which can be accessed by climbing about one thousand steps used to be the residence of the Dalai Lama. Potala Palace was first built by the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century. Since then, the original structure has been rebuilt and newer sections have been added. Potala Palace now has thirteen stories and more than one thousand rooms.

The Potala has been sectioned off into the White Palace and the Red Palace. Those sections of the palace open to the public include the museum, throne room, assembly hall, some chapels, and the tombs of the past Dalai Lamas. The exhibits at the museum include thankas or scroll paintings, ancient Buddhist relics and manuscripts, military artifacts, murals, sculptures, etc.

After exploring the Potala Palace you can head down to the main city and visit the Jokhang Temple, the oldest temple in Lhasa. It was built by King Songtsen Gampo and houses the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha brought by his queen. This temple is a holy pilgrimage site and it is filled throughout the year by Tibetan pilgrims from all over Tibet. You can see them prostrating outside the temple. Later you can stroll around Barkhor Bazaar and shop for souvenirs. The market has been in existence for hundreds of years and is quite lively. You can find shops selling handicraft items, antiques, jewelry, clothes, etc. at Barkhor Bazaar.

Later you return to your hotel and take a much-needed rest.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Today you begin your sightseeing tour by heading to Drepung Monastery. The monastery which is the largest one in Tibet lies about eight kilometers from the main city. Drepung used to be the seat of the Dalai Lama before it was moved to Potala Palace in the seventeenth century.

Built on the Ganden Utse mountain, Drepung Monastery is one of the three important Gelug monasteries in Tibet. The huge monastery has four colleges, chapels, and the former palace of the Dalai Lama. You can visit the Ganden Palace, the main assembly hall, and some chapels. From the main assembly hall, you can enjoy sweeping views of the city. The tombs of the second, third, and fourth Dalai Lamas can also be found inside the Drepung Monastery.

After spending some time at Drepung Monastery, you head towards the north of the city to visit another important Gelugpa monastery, Sera Monastery. Established in the fifteenth century by Jamchen Choeje, Sera Monastery has three colleges – Sera Je, Sera Me, and Sera Ngagpa.

You can walk through the monastery in a clockwise direction and visit the ancient chapels, assembly halls, and courtyards. At the courtyard, you will find young monks dressed in their maroon robes engaged in scholarly debates. Sera Monastery is the best place to observe the lively debates of the monks. There is vigorous clapping, stomping of feet, and wild cheers during these debates. It's a sight worth witnessing.

Later you head back to the city and visit Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norbulingka was built by the seventh Dalai Lama in 1755. Norbulingka in Tibetan means 'Jewel Park' and rightly so, as the palace complex is decorated with beautiful landscaped gardens and pools. There are several palaces, chapels, assembly halls, and audience chambers.  Locals also love to frequent this beautiful summer palace as there's ample space to enjoy family picnics and have fun.

After your sightseeing tour, you return to your hotel and take a rest.

Overnight in Lhasa.

You bid goodbye to Lhasa today and head towards Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. You make an early start at around 8 AM. Leaving Lhasa behind you ride towards the beautiful Yamdrok Tsho Lake and stop for a while to soak in its beauty. One of the three sacred lakes in Tibet, Yamdrok Tsho, a freshwater lake is said to be the life-spirit of the Tibetan highland. Locals believe that if the lake dries out there will be no life left in Tibet.

The turquoise lake is surrounded by brown hills and mountains. You can take photographs with yaks and giant Tibetan mastiff dogs for a fee. Later you continue your journey and head towards Gyantse. En route you cross three mountain passes – Simi La, Gampa La, and Karo La – and watch the glaciers tumbling down these passes. Karo La at 5020 meters is the highest of the three passes that you will cross.

After arriving in Gyantse you have your lunch and explore the main attractions of the city – Palkor Choede or Palchoe Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum.  The magnificent Kumbum Stupa is divided into nine levels. Inside the stupa are 108 cells and 75 chapels decorated with statues and paintings of Buddha and other Buddhist deities. 

Later you continue your drive toward Shigatse. On the way you cross traditional farms, and vast fields of barley and wheat. Upon your arrival at Shigatse, you check into a hotel and take a rest.

Overnight in Shigatse.

After breakfast, you explore a bit of Tibet's second most important city. Your guide will take you to Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama (the second highest ranking tulku or religious head of the Tibetans after Dalai Lama). You can walk inside the chapels and the main assembly hall and visit the tombs of the former Panchen Lamas. After your visit to this sacred site, you can explore the local market and shop for souvenirs.

Later you leave Shigatse and head towards Shegar via the mountain passes of Gyatso La and Pang La. En route, you get to enjoy impressive views of Mount Everest and other Himalayan giants. It takes around 3 to 4 hours ride on the Friendship Highway to reach the bustling town of Shegar or New Tingri. Check into a hotel and take a well-deserved rest.

Overnight in Shegar.

Today is an exciting day as you will be reaching one of the highest motorable spots on the planet, the Everest Base Camp. Leaving Shegar you drive up a zigzag asphalt road to Rongbuk. As you will be riding at elevations of 5000 meters and above you may feel the altitude hitting you. It's normal to feel breathless and lightheaded. If the symptoms of altitude sickness persist or get severe you can take supplementary oxygen which the guides carry in the vehicle.

The ride to Rongbuk is amazing as you can view the summits of five of the fourteen highest mountains in the world – Mount Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Cho Oyu (8188m), Shisapangma (8027m) and Makalu (8481m).

You can stop at Rongbuk and explore the ancient Rongbuk Monastery which is a Nyingmapa or Red Hat monastery.  It is the highest-placed Buddhist monastery in the world. Most of the monastery's buildings have been rebuilt and renovated after they were destroyed by fire and earthquake. Later walk on the Rongbuk Glacier and visit the Everest Base Camp. Unlike at the south side (Nepal) Everest Base Camp, you can clearly see the summit of Mount Everest from EBC North. The tallest mountain in the world appears stunning and glorious.

Accommodation is a bit unique at this elevation. You will be staying at a tented hotel (large tents made of yak hair with electricity and a warm stove at the communal hall, chairs, tables, beds, and food) or a dormitory in Rongbuk Monastery. The menu at these tent hotels is basic and offers a few items – soups, tea, coffee, noodles, and dumplings. Compared to the Tibetan cities and large towns, life in Rongbuk is pretty isolated and desolate. But like the rest of Tibet, the landscape over here has the same rugged and dramatic beauty.

Overnight in Rongbuk.

Leaving Rongbuk you head towards the border town of Kyirong. You are nearing the end of your trip and this is your last day in Tibet. After exiting the gate of the Qomolungma National Park you head towards the Friendship Highway. Driving along a stunning scenery of barren hills, snow-covered mountains, prayer flags, and farms you finally reach the last town on the Tibetan side, Kyirong. You can spot a lot of greenery here which feels soothing to your eyes. You stay overnight at a hotel in the center of the town.

Overnight in Kyirong.

Leaving Kyirong you will be driven towards the Nepalese border of Rasuwagadhi. After immigration, you head towards the Nepalese side of the Nepal-Tibet border and meet our representative. Board a vehicle and head towards Kathmandu. It's a long ride past the famous Langtang Trekking Region. After the arid landscape of the Tibetan plateau, you will find a profusion of trees and lush greenery on the Nepalese side. It sure will be a sight for sore eyes.

On reaching Kathmandu you will be driven to your hotel. You can choose to end your trip here or extend your trip and explore more places in Nepal. Our travel consultant will be available to assist you in case you need help with your itinerary.