Lhasa to Everest Base Camp
The journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp region will take you from the modern Tibetan capital of Lhasa to pristine high altitude lakes, rivers, glaciers, farming valleys and through the Himalaya’s to Everest Base Camp Region at Rongphu Monastery at an altitude of nearly 5100 meters/17,000 feet. In the Buddhist holy city of Lhasa, you will rub shoulders with pilgrims while going through the Jokhang, the most famous temple in the Himalaya. You will wander through the Potala Palace as well as the massive monasteries of Sera and Drepung.
From Lhasa, you will go the to turquoise-colored lake of Yamdrok and the amazing Karo La Glacier before arriving in the town of Gyantse. Then you will go to Tibet's second largest city, Shigatse, and go through Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. From there, the destination is Everest! At the Everest Base Camp Region, you will get up close and personal with the world’s highest peak from the travelers base camp at Rongphu Monastery. You will spend 10 days experiencing, exploring and photographing the uniqueness of Tibetan culture. This is one of the most fascinating and exciting overland routes in Asia!
Most companies do this route in just 7 or 8 days, which means many long hours in a vehicle each day! We do this route in 10 days so that you can adjust better to the higher altitude and so you can really experience Tibet and its amazing scenery and culture. For more information, please send an email to: info@himalayajourney.com
Day 1: Lhasa Elevation: 3600 meters
Arrive in Lhasa. When you arrive to Lhasa, you will be met by your guide and transported to your hotel. You can spend the afternoon wandering around the Barkhor, Tibet’s ancient market area that surrounds Jokhang Temple. Each day thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make their way around this sacred temple.
Day 2: Lhasa
You will explore the Jokhang, the holiest Buddhist temple in the Himalaya’s. Founded nearly 1400 years ago, Jokhang Temple houses the most sacred statue of Buddha. You will work your way through this fascinating temple alongside Buddhist pilgrims from the faraway regions of Tibet. The sound of pilgrims chanting mantras fills the air as does the smell of yak butter candle offerings. In the afternoon, you will go to the 600 year old Sera, one of Tibet’s largest Buddhist monasteries. Each weekday afternoon starting at 3pm, monks engage in Buddhist philosophy debates, which are fun to photograph.
Day 3: Lhasa
You will start the day by exploring the Potala Palace, Tibet’s most iconic building. Towering above Lhasa with more than 1000 rooms, the Potala Palace served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lama’s for hundreds of years. After lunch, you will go to Drepung, another of Tibet’s huge monastic complexes. The pilgrimage circuit around Drepung takes about an hour or so and offers spectacular views.
Day 4: Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Karo La Glacier—Gyantse Distance: 260kms Elevation: 3980m
After breakfast, you will hit the road and begin the next part of your Tibet adventure. From Lhasa, you will drive along the scenic Kyi Chu River Valley and then ascend to the top of the 4794 meter Kamba La Pass, which has a breathtaking view of Yamdrok Lake and 7191 meter Mt. Nojin Kangtsang. You will then descend and drive along the lakeshore before making your way back up to the Karo La, a beautiful glacier that comes down almost to the roadside. In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Gyantse.
Day 5: Gyantse Pelkhor Monastery—Shigatse—Tashi Lhunpo Monastery Distance: 90kms Elevation: 3840m
You will begin by exploring Pelkhor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa, the largest Buddhist pagoda in Tibet. This beautiful monastery lies within a walled complex in the Gyantse Old Town. A short hike to the top of the wall offers an excellent panoramic view of the monastery, town and the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Afterwards, you will make the short drive to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. Along the way from Gyantse to Shigatse, you can stop at a couple of interesting farming villages to experience traditional Tibetan culture. In Shigatse, you will visit the huge monastery of Tashi Lhunpo. The excellent pilgrimage route around the monastery takes about an hour and has fantastic views.
Day 6: Shigatse—Gyatso La Pass—Farming Villages—Shelkar Distance: 240kms Elevation: 4315m
Today’s destination is the small town of Shelkar, located in the Everest Region. Along the way to Shelkar, you will see more farming villages and beautiful landscapes. You will cross over the 5248 meter Gyatso La Pass, which has great views of the Himalaya Mountains. That afternoon you will arrive in the small town of Shelkar to stay the night.
Day 7: Shelkar—Rongphu Monastery and Mt Everest Distance: 120kms Elevation: 5150m
In the morning you will begin driving up the 5198 meter high Geu La Pass. On clear days, this pass offers a stunning panoramic view of the Himalaya’s. You can see four 8000 meter peaks from this pass including Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse and Everest. You will continue on to Rongphu, the highest monastery in the world at just under 5000 meters. Rongphu has an unbelievable view of Everest! You will stay at a basic guesthouse with an excellent view of the mountain. NOTE: You will not be able to go beyond Rongphu Monastery without a climbing permit for Mt Everest. The view of Everest from Rongphu is amazing!
Day 8: Everest—Farming Villages—Shigatse Distance: 350kms Elevation: 3840m
After watching the sun rise on Mt. Everest, you will begin the journey back to Shigatse. You will stop at some farming villages as well as the small farming town of Lhatse. You will arrive in Shigatse with enough time to explore the main market street there or to hike the pilgrimage path at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery again.
Day 9: Shigatse—Yarlung River—Lhasa Distance: 260kms Elevation: 3600m
Your last full day in Tibet will take you back to Lhasa along the beautiful Yarlung River Valley. You will arrive in Lhasa in the afternoon with time to explore Barkhor Square, rub shoulders with Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims and walk around the mighty Potala Palace one last time.
Day 10: Depart Lhasa
You will be transferred to the airport or train station to depart Tibet for your next destination.
All of our travel routes are built with altitude acclimatization in mind to reduce the risks of altitude-related illness. Contact us today to begin arranging your journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Region! Send your inquiries to: info@himalayajourney.com
Lhasa to Mt Everest
The journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Region can be done anytime of the year, however, the months that offer the best views are from April through mid June and mid September through early December.
To book this journey, send an email to: info@himalayajourney.com
For a price on this private journey, let us know which month you plan to travel and the total number of people traveling. We also offer this as a small group journey. Contact us for more info on this option.
Included in the price:
- All accommodations (based on double occupancy)
- Breakfast each morning in Tibet
- Bottled drinking water
- All ground transportation in Tibet
- All entrance fees for the itinerary listed
- All Tibet travel permits
- Local Tibetan guide fees
- All Everest permits
- All meals and accommodations for your driver and guide
- Lhasa Airport or train station pick up and transfer
Not included in the price:
- Passport and Chinese Visa fees
- International airfare to/from Lhasa, Tibet
- Lunch and dinner
- Travel vaccinations
- Insurance (travel, medical, etc)
- Souvenirs or personal items such as laundry, snacks, alcohol drinks, etc
- Photography fees inside temples and monasteries
- Gratuities to the Tibetan guide and driver
Packing List: Go to the following link for info on What To Pack For Your Journey
Weather to Expect: Look at the info in the following link: Weather in Tibet
China Visa: Upon booking, information on how to obtain a Chinese Tourist Visa will be sent to you. Chinese Tourist Visa must be arranged at least 8 weeks before the journey begins if you plan to enter from Mainland China. If you plan to enter from Nepal, we will need to assist you in getting your visa from the China Embassy in Kathmandu. Go to the following links for further assistance on China visas:
Visa when going from Mainland China to Tibet
Visa when going from Nepal to Tibet
Accommodations: In Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse, you will be staying in comfortable and pleasant locally-rated 3 or 4 Star Tibetan-owned hotels. Hotels in other areas of Tibet will be the best available. At Everest, accommodation will be a simple guesthouse without showers and with shared bathrooms. All hotels, except for those in the Everest Region, should have internet access. Hotel upgrades available in Lhasa upon request. For a list of hotels we stay at, go to the following link: Hotels We Use in Tibet
Meals: Breakfast is included in the price for each morning you are in Tibet. Lunch and dinner are not included in the price. Restaurants are all along this travel route. Your guide will know the best places to eat at.
Eligibility: Participants must be in good health and be able to spend each day walking around towns, villages and monasteries. Though you will be doing a lot of walking each day, no trekking is required. Most of this tour will take place in mountainous terrain between 3600 meters and 5200 meters (11,800 feet to 17,000 feet) above sea level. You will spend 3 nights in Lhasa for altitude acclimatization before going above 3600 meters. Ascent will be slow and gradual along the way from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Region.
Responsible Tourism: Himalaya Journey is joint American and Tibetan owned company with offices in the US, Tibet and Nepal. All of our guides and drivers are local Tibetans who have been working in tourism for many years. It is a top priority for us to support as many Tibetan-owned businesses as possible. During this tour, all of the hotels you will be staying at in Tibet are locally-owned. The preservation of the culture of Tibet, as well as the protection of the environment of Tibet, are extremely important to us. In fact, when we are not out leading and arranging journeys across Tibet, we are working with local Tibetans in numerous eco-tourism and conservation projects.
Why travel with us: Unlike other travel companies who have sales managers who have likely never seen Everest base camp and have spent little time (if any!) exploring Tibet, we have decades worth of experience in the Himalaya Mountains. We have trekked, climbed and explored all areas of Tibet and know the area better than anyone! Go to the following link to read more about why you should travel with experts who specialize in Tibet journeys: Why travel with us
