The journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp 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 at an altitude of nearly 5200 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 Tibet. 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 Everest Base Camp, you will get up close and personal with the world’s highest peak.
For more details please send an email to: service@tibetctrip.com
Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa (Elevation 3650 m)
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.
Accommodation: Lhasa Ganggyan Hotel or similar one
Day 2 Lhasa sightseeing
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.
Accommodation: Lhasa Ganggyan Hotel or similar one
Day 3 Lhasa sightseeing
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.
Accommodation: Lhasa Ganggyan Hotel or similar one
Day 4 Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karo La Glacier – Gyantse – Shigatse
Distance: 360 kms Elevation: 3980 m
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 Kambala Pass, which has a breathtaking view of Yamdrok Lake and 7191 meter Mt. Nojin Kangtsang. You will then descend and drive along the lake-shore 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. 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.
Day 5 Shigatse – Gyatso La Pass – Everest Base Camp
Distance: 350 kms Elevation: 5250 m
This day will take you from Shigatse to Tibet’s North Face Everest Base Camp. Along the way, you will be passing through several small Tibetan farming villages that you will be able to photograph. You will?cross over the 5248 meter high Gyatso La Pass, which ?offers a sweeping view of the rolling Himalaya Mountains.?You will continue on to the Everest Region crossing over another high pass. This pass, the Geula, offers a panoramic view of the glacier-covered Himalaya. From?here, you can see 5 of the world’s 15 highest peaks, including Everest.
From the Geu La, you will then go to Rongphu, the highest monastery in the world at just under 5000 meters in elevation. The iconic view of Everest from here will be a high point of your journey! You will then continue on to the Tent Hotels, which operate from mid April through mid October. The Tent Hotels are the closest that travelers can stay to Mt. Everest and are located 2 kilometers before base camp. If you are traveling outside of this time frame, you will stay at the Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse. From the Tent Hotels, elevation 5050 meters, you will take a separate bus the remaining 2 kilometers to base camp. If you’d like, you can also hike this last short distance.
The driving distance from Shigatse to Everest Base Camp is 350 kilometers with the driving time being 7 hours.
Day 6 Everest – Farming Villages – Shigatse
Distance: 350 kms Elevation: 3840 m
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 7 Shigatse – Yarlung River – Lhasa
Distance: 260 kms Elevation: 3600 m
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 8 Depart from Lhasa
You will be transferred to the airport or train station to depart Tibet for your next destination.