Everest base camp tour will take you to the “Roof of the World”, Mt. Everest, to discover the snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes, blue skies, sacred sites, and deeply devoted pilgrims. It weaves together Tibet’s most famous sites into 7 action-packed days. This tour also provides an unforgettable camping experience near Mt. Everest, with the experience of taking photos during sunrise and sunset.
Recommended Groups: Suitable for most groups, though highly recommended for youths, couples, and students. Great for those with limited time for traveling but interested in experiencing the “Roof of the World”.
Conditions: The tour pace is tight, as it allows you to see many attractions within a limited time. As you will only have 2-3 days to adapt to the high altitude before heading towards Mt. Everest, a relatively high level of fitness is required and we recommend some previous high altitude traveling experience.
Expect ascents and descents of up to about 1,000 meters per day. Activities at Mt. Everest base camp are around 5200m above sea level. (Many of our customers will add an extra day outskirts tour of Lhasa or stay one more night in Gyantse to allow enough time for high altitude adjusting. )
Best time: Between April, May and June are the best time to visit Mt. Everest, as you are more likely to have the best view of Mt. Everest. Avoid July and August as they are simultaneously the peak season and rainy season. Roads might be closed during wintertime and the rainy season. It may be too cold to travel to Mt. Everest from October to March.
Everest Base Camp Itinerary
Day 1 Lhasa Arrival
Welcome to the roof of the world! You will be pick up at the airport or train station, then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city at the comfort of your own private vehicle. En route, enjoy the breathtaking view along the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Tibetan features can be seen along the way, including Big Buddha engravings on the hill near the road, colorful prayer flags and friendly Tibetan people.
After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimatize yourself to this high-altitude city at the top of the world.
Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing
After breakfast, you will firstly visit Norbulingka Park, the former summer palace of Dalai Lama. Explore the beautiful gardens and experience one of the holiest sites in Tibetan Buddhism while soaking up the rich history. Next, come to Drepung Monastery, which was once the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery housing 10,000 monks in its heyday. Learn about the lives of Tibetan monks.
Your tour ends at Sera Monastery, where you will get the chance to experience “Buddhism Scriptures Debating”. These debates are unique to Sera and are quite famous. Enjoy the debates!
Day 3 Wondering Lhasa
The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas, and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street.
Day 4 Lhasa – Gyantse
Tibetan Stone Marks beside Yamdrok Lake in GyantseToday you will be transferred from Lhasa to Gyantse (6.5-hour drive). En route, you’ll stop to see Yamdrok Lake, one of the three most famous holy lakes in Tibet. For Tibetans, it is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and the home of the “wrathful deities”. The scenery of turquoise blue water in the lake with the reflection of surrounding snow-capped mountains is awesome. After arrival in Gyantse, you will tour Pelkor Monastery to admire fancy frescoes, statues, and sculptures. Overnight at Gyantse.
Tips of today:
1. Wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild;
2. The road condition from Lhasa to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake is good;
3. Feel free to ask your driver to stop so you can stretch your legs or take some pictures.
Day 5 Gyantse – Shigatse
Palko Monastery in Gyantse, Shigatse AreaAfter breakfast, drive about 2.5 hours to Shigatse. After lunch, you will visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of Panchen Lama and one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet, as well as the oldest and largest Gelugpa Monastery in Tibet. Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals, and ambers. Stay overnight at Shigatse.
Tips of today:
1. The road condition is fairly good so the 90km drive from Gyantse to Shigatse is pleasant. Please do not hesitate to tell the driver that you want to take a break to stretch your legs or take pictures on the way.
2. Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately when visiting Tashilhunpo
Day 6 Shigatse – Sakya Monastery – Tingri
The Main Entrance of Sakya Monastery in ShegarToday you’ll drive to Tingri and stay there overnight. En-route visit Sakya monastery. In the 13th century, the monastic town of Sakya emerged as an important center of Buddhist scholarship. With Mongolian military support, the Sakya lamas became rulers of all Tibet. Sakya Monastery, built-in 1268, is a massive fortresslike compound with high defensive walls in the southern section of the monastery. There are a lot of historical articles in the monastery, among them are Imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, and clothes given by the Yuan Dynasty emperors. Sakya monastery has over 84,000 Tibetan scriptures and books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history.
Tips of today:
1. If you are particularly interested in history or architecture, it may be worthwhile to do a bit of research in preparation for this visit;
2. Landscape along the road is amazing.
Day 7 Tingri – Rongbuk Monastery
Viewing Mt. Everest from Rongbuk MonasteryAlthough it’s just 100km from Tingri (Shegar) to Rongbuk Monastery(altitude: 4,980m), it takes about 4 hours since the cracked winding roads demand great caution. But the views are stupendous on a clear day and feature a huge sweep of the Himalayas range including peaks over 8,000m, Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Gyachung, and Cho Oyu. When you finally get to the Base Camp, the first sight of the mighty Everest will be stunning. All the hardship you bear along the way will be well worth it. The best time to watch Mt. Everest are early morning and late evening when the sun is rising or setting, bathing Everest in light.
Visit Rongbuk Monastery which is located at the foot of Mount Everest, and has earned the title of the world’s highest monastery standing at 4,980 meters high. Accommodate at Tent or Guest House near to Rongbuk Monastery.
Tips of today:
1. Bring more food and drinks for long driving;
2. Bring a warm and thick coat for low temperature in Everest;
3. Avoid strenuous activity.
Day 8 Rongbuk Monastery – EBC – Zhangmu
Lhasa to Kathmandu Via Everest, HimalayaGet up early to catch the stunning sunrise on this peak of the world. After breakfast, drive the remaining 8 km to visit Everest Base Camp where you can get a better view of Mt.Everest.
Drive via Old Tingri and enjoy the panoramic views of the snow-capped Himalayan Range on the way to Zhangmu. Zhangmu is quite close to Nepal and about 350km from Mt. Everest.
Tips of today::
1. Sunrise starts around 6:30 am to 7 am;
2. Get well prepared for long driving on the road.
Day 9 Zhangmu – Kathmandu
After breakfast, drive to the border of Nepal and China. Your overland trip to Kathmandu ends here. We can also arrange your pick up from the border to Kathmandu for you if you want.
Tips of today: Our service will end at the border of Tibet and Nepal. If you want we can arrange transfer pickup from the border of Tibet to Kathmandu for you. Some customers choose to hire a private car on the border and share costs with other travelers. It is also possible to start the tour in Kathmandu and come to Lhasa, though the price is slightly higher.
