Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Tour

Everest Base Camp tour begins with your arrival in Lhasa, either by train or flight. Your friendly guide will be there to welcome you and take you to your hotel. On your way to Lhasa, you’ll have the opportunity to view the magnificent Yarlung Tsangpo River/Bhamaputra River, the longest and largest river in Tibet, as well as the Lhasa River.

After arriving in Lhasa, take some time to rest and acclimate yourself to the high altitude. If you’re feeling up to it, you can venture out to the Potala Square, where you’ll be treated to a stunning fountain display and have the opportunity to capture amazing photos of the Potala and its surroundings.

Tips of the Day

For those new People to Tibet and dealing with the high altitude, it’s recommended to take it easy and have a good sleep in your hotel. Avoid rushing to visit attractions inside Lhasa city. Relax and spend the night in Lhasa, preparing for the exciting journey ahead.

Your second day in Lhasa begins with a visit to the iconic Potala Palace, the winter residence of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century. This magnificent palace is adorned with priceless treasures, including the gilded burial stupas of previous Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After lunch, you will visit the Jokhang Temple, founded in the 7th century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. Inside, you will see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can witness the devotion of pilgrims who prostrate themselves before the temple. Barkhor Street, encircling the temple, is a bustling market where you can join in the kora (a religious circuit around a building or mountain) with locals and pilgrims.

During the tour, you will have the opportunity to taste traditional Tibetan tea with locals in a tea house. In the evening, a welcome dinner will be arranged for you.

As an optional activity, if time permits, you can visit the Tibetan handicraft art or Traditional Tibetan Medicine center with your guide. Alternatively, you can upgrade your service to enjoy a vibrant Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (starting from $60 USD). Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today’s tour starts with a visit to Dadong Village, located 25 kilometers southwest of Lhasa downtown. Dadong Village is a well-preserved ancient Tibetan village surrounded by valleys and is known for its picturesque scenery. You will visit the Nyimatang Monastery, which was built in the 11th century and is one of the oldest monasteries in the area. Afterward, you will take a light walk in the village and experience the rural life of Lhasa. You will also visit a local Tibetan family and enjoy a traditional lunch offered by the family.

In the afternoon, you will visit Sera Monastery, one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. The highlight of the visit is the Monks debate, which takes place from around 3-5 in the afternoon. You can also tour the Tibetan religious scripture printing house inside the monastery. Inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and the colorful Rock Painting of Buddha. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

You will start your day early in the morning and drive from Lhasa to Shigatse, covering a distance of approximately 360 kilometers. During the journey, you will drive over the Gampala pass, which is at an altitude of 4,790 meters. From the pass, you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso, a stunning lake situated at an altitude of 4,400 meters. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and you can enjoy spectacular views of the Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, which is the highest mountain near Lhasa.

On the way, you will also get to enjoy the view of the Korola Glacier, which you will see on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, you can hang prayer flags at Simila Mountain Pass. Later, you will arrive at Gyantse, which is historically Tibet’s third-largest city after Lhasa and Shigatse. Here, you will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum, which is a unique structure that houses many chapels with impressive murals and statues.

After spending some time in Gyantse, you will continue your journey and drive for around one and a half hours to reach Shigatse, which is the second-largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, you can visit a traditional barley mill and view the beautiful landscape of barley fields (in summer). Stay overnight in Shigatse.

We will start the day by visiting the Tashilunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. After that, we will leave Shigatse and head towards Lhatse, a small town where we will stop for lunch.

As we continue on our journey, we will drive through the Tsola Pass (4600M) and the Gyatsola Pass (5248M). Once we enter the Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve, we will reach Gawula Pass(5198m), which offers stunning panoramic views of the Himalayas. We will then drive along the new zigzag road to reach Everest Base Camp (5200m).

At the base camp, you will get a chance to see the majestic Mt. Everest up close and take in the breathtaking views. If time and weather permit, we will also witness the sunset over the golden peak of Mt. Everest from our lodging area. We will spend the night at a tent or the Rongbuk Monastery guest house.

In the morning, you’ll have the opportunity to witness the sunrise over Mount Everest, weather permitting. After that, we will visit the Rongbu Monastery, which is the highest monastery in the world where monks and nuns coexist.

Later, we will begin our journey back to Shigatse, passing through the same scenic routes as before. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas and the surrounding landscapes during the drive. We will have a lunch break in Lhatse town before continuing our journey back to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

After breakfast, we’ll start our journey back to Lhasa, following the scenic Yarlung Tsangpo River (also known as Yalong River) valley. Along the way, we’ll stop for some photo opportunities at the viewing platform overlooking the Yarlung River bed, and take a break for lunch in a local restaurant.

We’ll arrive in Lhasa in the afternoon, and the rest of the day will be free for you to relax and explore the city on your own. You can visit some of the places you missed before, do some souvenir shopping or just take a stroll through the old town. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

We hope you had a wonderful time exploring Tibet with us. Our team Himalayan 360 would like to express our gratitude for choosing us as your travel partner and for trusting us to show you the beauty of Tibet.

As your tour comes to an end, we hope you take with you memories that will last a lifetime. We also hope that our services and hospitality have exceeded your expectations.

We would appreciate it if you could take a moment to provide us with any feedback or suggestions for improvement.

Thank you once again for choosing Himalayan 360, and we look forward to serving you again in the future.