8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour with Everest Base Camp

We have an early start. We will leave Kathmandu around 4:30 a.m. and ride long and bumpy to the Tibetan border. On our way, we will enjoy the Nepali scenery.

We will cross the Tibetan border near Kyirong (Kerung). There, we will stop at Chinese immigration. You should have a Tibet Travel Permit and a Chinese Visa. Once customs and immigration formalities are completed, we will drive to Kyirong town.

O/N Basic Hotel at Kyirong.

The Tibet tour starts today, and we will start it with a warm breakfast. After having a decent breakfast, we drove towards the Quinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the highest plateau in the world.

Along the way, you will travel through forests and waterfalls until you reach the highest pass, Kong Tang Lamu Pass (5236m). Continuing our journey, you will get breathtaking views of Mount Shishapangma (8027m) and pass-through Lake Peiku Tso on the way to old Tingri. If lucky, we will witness the stunning view of Mount Everest (8848m). Later, we will continue our drive on the Friendship Highway towards Tingri.

We will reach Tingri after passing through magnificent valleys and several Tibetan villages from Kyirong. The journey will take about 5-6 hours, but the environment makes it beautiful.

O/N Hotel (BB) at Tingri.

Today, we will visit the world’s highest monastery, Rongbuk Monastery (4980m), which belongs to the Nyingma sect, and reach Mount Everest Base Camp. It will be the best and most unforgettable day of our lives, as we will be closely watching the highest peak in the world.

Early in the morning, we drive off route, leaving the Friendship Highway and driving towards Base Camp. We pass through the Pang La Pass (5050m), one of the highest passes in Tibet. You will witness the breathtaking view of five of the highest peaks (8000ers) in the world, including Mount Everest (8848m), Mount Makalu (8485m), Mount Cho Oyu (8188m), Mount Shishapangma (8027m), and Mount Lhotse (8516m).

Once we reach Rongbuk, we will visit the Rongbuk Monastery and have lunch. Then, we will hike to Everest Base Camp. After staying at base camp for a while, enjoying a closer view of the massive Mount Everest and capturing lifetime memories, we will return to our overnight destination, Shegar.

O/N Hotel/Guest House (BB) at Shegar.

After breakfast, we will drive to Shigatse. The drive is about four hours long, and we will see breathtaking views. Once we reach Shigatse, we will visit Tashilimphu Monastery. Tashilimphu Monastery, depicted as a “heap of Glory,” was built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama and is the residence of the Panchen Lama.

The monastery was attacked by Nepalese Gurkhas in 1791, but they were driven out again by the Chinese. The monastery’s spectacular architecture, with its white walls and golden roofs, makes it the largest monastery in Shigatse. Also, the biggest statue of the Maitreya Buddha sits in one of the chapels of this monastery. We can witness the Dharma Ceremony if we visit at the right time.

After visiting the monastery, we will explore the local market where you will have time to experience daily Tibetan life. Smell the different fragrances and observe the colors of the local products. You can talk to locals and get to know their culture and traditions.

O/N Hotel (BB) at Shigatse.

Today, we will be heading towards Gyantse, where we will explore three more famous attractions in Tibet, including Khumbum Stupa, Pelkhor Chorten, and Yamdrok Lake. We will continue our journey to Gyantse, the third largest city in Tibet, which is the center for trading Tibet’s wool and timber with neighboring countries.

First, we will visit the Khumbum Stupa, the only Nepalese-style Stupa built in Tibet. The name means ‘hundred thousand images of Buddha,’ and that name reflects the stupa’s decorations. Walk up this Stupa clockwise. From the top, you will have a fantastic view of the old part of Gyantse.

Second, we will visit Pelkhor Chorten, built in 1418, next to the Stupa. It is a mix of Han, Tibetan, and Nepalese architecture. It consists of 15 chapels and halls and houses three different orders of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery’s main temple is the Tsulaklakang, which has three floors and contains murals and images from the 15th century.

After lunch, we will drive to Lhasa. On our way, we will make a final stop at Yamdrok Lake. Yamdrok Lake, also known as the turquoise lake, is one of Tibet’s three biggest holy lakes. It is 72 km long and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. With the majestic Mt. Noijin Kangsang (7191m) in the background, this amazing lake reveals its splendor from the Gambala Mountain Pass (4790m).

O/N Hotel (BB) at Lhasa.

This morning, we visit the Potala Palace, the Dalai Lama’s winter home and the world’s most famous landmark. Although the palace cannot be freely explored, you will experience some of its chapels, including the audience hall, the golden burial Chorten (Tomb) of past Dalai Lama, a tremendous number of paintings on the walls, a Statue, Thangka, and Mandala, etc.

After lunch, we will visit Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism and an important sacred site in Tibet.  The Temple was founded during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo for his two brides, Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Princes Bhrikuti of Nepal; both are said to have brought important Buddhist images and statues from Nepal & China to Tibet as part of their dowries. After visiting the Temple, explore Barkhor’s surroundings and watch the pilgrims prostrate themselves near the front gate of Jokhang Temple. Take part in a clockwise circuit, walking around the temple and walking around narrow alleys to explore old Lhasa city.

O/N Hotel (BB) at Lhasa.

This morning, we will drive 8 km northwest of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery, one of the “great three” Geluk Monasteries of Tibet, founded by JamyangChoje in 1416. The Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and was once home to as many as 10,000 monks. This winter, the Palace was the residence of hundreds of monks from all the major Geluk monasteries who were staffing individual chapels.

In the afternoon, drive 5km from Lhasa to Sera Monastery, founded in 1419, another one of Tibet’s “great three” Geluk monasteries. The monastery is well known for the monk’s debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon.

O/N Hotel (BB)

You will be driven to the airport in time to catch your flight back to Kathmandu (B).