9-Day Lhasa, Everest Base Camp & Namtso Lake Small-Group Tour

Duration9 days

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 12 travelers

Pickup offeredSee the meeting and pickup details below

Overview

Nine days from the monasteries of Lhasa to the foot of Everest, finishing at Namtso, one of Tibet's great sacred lakes. Three nights in Lhasa ease you into the altitude: a hands-on workshop in incense-making and woodblock printing, the debating monks of Sera Monastery, the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. The road west crosses the Kamba La above turquoise Yamdrok Lake and passes the Karola Glacier to Shigatse. Then over the Gawu La, where five 8,000-meter peaks line the skyline in clear weather, to Rongbuk Monastery and a night at Everest Base Camp. After Tashilhunpo Monastery and the drive back to Lhasa, the last full day goes to Namtso, reached over the 5,190-meter Laken La once you are well acclimatized. Shared group on fixed dates, with an English-speaking licensed guide, a licensed tourist vehicle and all Tibet permits arranged. Hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse are 4-star with oxygen supply. A 7-day option without Namtso is also available.

Options

7-Day Lhasa & EBC (no Namtso)

4-star hotels + Everest stay: 4-star hotels with oxygen: Lhasa 3 nights, Shigatse 2. Everest: base-camp tent, or Everest Town guesthouse in winter.
Duration: 7 days: 7 days / 6 nights: Lhasa 3 nights, Shigatse 2, Everest 1. No Gyantse or Namtso; ends in Lhasa on Day 7.
Breakfast + 2 specialty meals: Daily breakfast; a Tibetan or Nepali meal in Lhasa; mini hot pot lunch at Yamdrok Lake. Other meals not included.
Lhasa, Shigatse & Everest BC: Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Shigatse, Rongbuk, EBC, Gyatso La, Tashilhunpo, Lhasa. No Gyantse or Namtso.
Shared tourist vehicle: Licensed 7-26 seat vehicle shared with the group. In Lhasa, with fewer than 4 guests, the guide may use a taxi (fare paid).
Pickup included

9-Day Lhasa, Everest Base Camp & Namtso Lake

Pickup included

What's included

English-speaking licensed guide (also speaks Chinese for mixed groups)
Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and military permit where required
Daily breakfast, a Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal in Lhasa and a hot-pot lunch at Yamdrok
Shared licensed tourist vehicle and driver
Shared airport or railway station transfers on the first and last day
Lunch
1 night in the Everest Base Camp tent camp (Everest Town guesthouse in winter)
Breakfast
For all sites, including the eco-buses at Everest Base Camp and Namtso
Travel accident insurance
Portable oxygen bottle per person, emergency oxygen in the vehicle, daily bottled water
4-star hotels with oxygen supply in Lhasa (5 nights) and Shigatse (2 nights), twin share

Flights or trains to and from Lhasa
Chinese visa
Lunches and dinners other than those listed
Personal expenses
Tips for guide and driver
Costs arising from force majeure - weather, road or permit closures

What to expect

Day 1: Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m)

Lhasa Railway Station
1h

You are met at Lhasa railway station or Gonggar Airport and taken to your hotel. Keep the rest of the day easy so your body can adjust to the altitude: drink plenty of water, skip alcohol and rest. Your guide confirms the next morning's start time in the evening.

Day 2: Tibetan crafts and the debate at Sera

Sera Monastery
2h · Admission ticket included

At a handicraft center you make Tibetan incense, print from a carved woodblock and see your name written in Tibetan script. In the afternoon you visit Sera Monastery, one of Lhasa's three great monasteries, where monks debate Buddhist philosophy in the courtyard from around 3 pm (no debate on Sundays).

Day 3: Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple

Potala Palace
2h · Admission ticket included

Visit the Potala Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lamas, on a timed ticket. Then see the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple in Tibet, and walk the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it. A Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal is included. The Potala is closed on Mondays; on that day the Lhasa visits are reordered.
Jokhang Temple
1h 30m · Admission ticket included

The most sacred temple in Tibet, with the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it.

Day 4: Yamdrok Lake and the Karola Glacier to Shigatse (3,850 m)

Yamdrok Yumtso Lake
1h · Admission ticket included

Drive about 370 km west. From the Kamba La pass (4,790 m) you look down on turquoise Yamdrok Lake, and lunch is a mini hot pot with a view of the water. You continue past the Karola Glacier and the farmland of Gyantse to Shigatse.
Karo La Glacier
Pass by

The road passes beneath the glacier on the way to Shigatse.

Day 5: Gawu La, Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp (5,200 m)

Rongbuk Monastery
1h · Admission ticket included

Cross the Gawu La (5,198 m), where five 8,000-meter peaks line the horizon in clear weather. The last 50 km to base camp are by eco-bus, so keep warm clothes and essentials with you. Visit Rongbuk Monastery, which looks straight at the north face of Everest, and spend the night at base camp.
Mount Everest Base Camp
2h · Admission ticket included

A night at base camp (5,200 m), beneath the north face of Everest.

Day 6: Everest at sunrise, the Gyatso La, back to Shigatse

Mount Everest Base Camp
1h 30m · Admission ticket included

If the sky is clear, walk to the viewpoint at dawn and watch the sun reach the summit. Return by eco-bus to Everest Town and drive back to Shigatse, stopping at the Gyatso La (5,248 m), where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu are all visible.

Day 7: Tashilhunpo Monastery, back to Lhasa

2h · Admission ticket included

Visit Tashilhunpo, founded in 1447 and seat of the Panchen Lamas, with its giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha. Then drive about 270 km east to Lhasa. Occasionally the group stays in Damxung, on the Namtso road, instead; no sightseeing is dropped.

Day 8: Day trip to Namtso Lake (4,718 m)

Lake Namtso
3h · Admission ticket included

Drive north through herding country beneath the Nyenchen Tanglha range and over the Laken La (5,190 m) to Namtso, one of Tibet's sacred lakes. Walk on the Tashi Dor peninsula among small monasteries and rock formations, then return to Lhasa. If snow closes the road in winter, the day goes to Ganden or Tsurphu Monastery instead.

Day 9: Depart Lhasa

Lhasa Railway Station
1h

After breakfast, shared transfer to Lhasa railway station or Gonggar Airport.

Meeting and pickup

Pickup details

On Day 1 your Tibetan guide meets your arriving flight or train at Lhasa and transfers you to your hotel. After booking, please share your flight or train arrival details and your Lhasa hotel so we can confirm the exact pickup time. The final day includes a transfer back to Lhasa airport or railway station for your departure.

Additional information

Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Send a passport scan and your Chinese visa as soon as you book. The Tibet permits are applied for about four weeks before arrival.
These are shared group tours (up to 12 travelers). The guide or vehicle may change during the trip.
The Potala Palace is closed on Mondays, so the order of sightseeing may change.
Luggage: one suitcase (26 in max) and one small backpack per person.
Free shared transfers cover any train, flights arriving 08:00–22:00 and flights departing 08:30–22:30.
March is a sensitive month for foreign groups. If a departure cannot run for policy reasons, the tour price is refunded.
High-altitude trip (up to 5,248 m). Travelers with heart or lung conditions should consult a doctor.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

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