10 Days Lhasa to Everest Itinerary
This tour is perfect for those who doesn’t like to rush. You wont need to spend long days in a car driving from one place to another. Instead, we will spend more time visiting beautiful places and make longer stops on the way.
This tour starts in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. We will visit UNESCO World Heritage sites there: Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. We will spend time in Sera and Drepung monasteries, some of the largest monasteries in Tibet.
After that we will take the scenic road towards Shigatse. We will visit Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. The culmination of the journey is the night we spend by the Everest.
KEY FACTS
Main Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung and Sera Monasteries, Barkhor Street, Yamdrok Lake, Kumbum Stupa, Tashi Lumpo Monastery, Everest Base Camp, Rongbuk Monastery.
Duration: 10 days
Maximum Elevation: Gyatso La Pass 5,248 m/ 17,200 ft
Best Time to Travel: April through February
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrival in Lhasa
You arrive at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport or the train station. The airport is 62 km/ 39 miles away from the city, and it takes approximately one hour to get to the hotel from there. On the way to Lhasa, you will enjoy beautiful views of mountains. The train station is located in Lhasa, and you will only need a short transfer to the hotel.
Depending on the time of your arrival, you might have some free time to spend in Lhasa. Our guides will be happy to advise you on what you can do with your time in Lhasa. Remember, that Lhasa is located at 3,650 meters/ 12,000 ft above sea level and you will need some time to acclimatize.
After you check in the hotel, you are welcome to explore the city, visit nearby temples, do some shopping, try delicious Tibetan food in one of the local restaurants, or just take a rest.
Walking around Barkhor Street can be an excellent choice for your first day in Lhasa. You will join crowds of pilgrims, local Tibetans, and monks circumambulating the Jokhang Temple.
Most importantly, on your first day in Tibet, be sure to relax, enjoy your day and allow some time for acclimatizing.
Day 2 – Lhasa City Tour: Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple
This tour visits the two most important religious sites in Tibet.
The Potala Palace was the seat of the Dalai Lamas since the 17th century. First, the guide will take you to the Chak Pori Hill to take photos of the majestic Palace. We will then go inside and spend approximately 1.5 – 2 hours there. While there, you will see many of its most famous artifacts.
There will be free time for lunch after visiting the Potala Palace.
Time permitting, you can walk around the Potala Palace and join many of the local Tibetans.
Next, we will walk towards the Jokhang Temple. It was built in the 7th century to display the Jowo Shakyamuni Statue – the statue of the 12-year-old Buddha before his enlightenment. The statue was created at the time when the historical Buddha lived. It is elaborately decorated with gold, jewels, and precious stones.
After visiting the temple, we recommend taking a walk around Barkhor Street.
Day 3 – Lhasa City Tour: Drepung and Sera Monasteries
We are visiting the two most important monasteries in the capital.
We will first visit Drepung Monastery, which once was the largest monastery in the world with over 10,000 monks living there. It was the residence of Dalai Lamas before the Potala Palace was built.
There will be free time for lunch after the Drepung Monastery.
In the afternoon we are visiting Sera Monastery. It was founded by Tsongkhapa’s disciple in the 15th century. Nowadays it is famous for monks debate that you can witness. Debates are a very important part of learning and understanding Buddhism. Monks gather in the courtyard in the shade of the trees to refine their knowledge.
In the evening you will have some time to pack for our trek and prepare everything you might need.
Day 4 – Driving to Gyantse: Yamdrok lake and glaciers.
Today we will travel on some of the most beautiful roads in Tibet on our drive to Gyantse.
Be prepared to take photos of the breathtaking views as we go up to the highest point of the day – Kamba La Pass (almost 4,800 meters / 15,750 ft).
Our next stop will be at the Yamdrok Lake. It is one of the holy lakes in Tibet, and it is famous for its turquoise colored water.
After that, we will head towards Gyantse. On the way there, we will make a stop to see the spectacular Karola glaciers.
Finally, we will reach Gyantse in the evening and stay there overnight in Yati hotel.
Day 5 – Gyantse to Shigatse
In Gyantse, morning we will visit the monastery and the biggest stupa and then drive towards Shigatse. In the afternoon we will visit Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the seat of Panchen Lamas.
We will stay overnight in hotel.
Day 6 – Shigatse to Shegar
Today we are heading to Shegar. We will drive through mountain ranges and go over one high pass. One of the highlight of the day will be Sakya monastery. It was established in 1268 and it has a distinct design, with high walls and watch towers on all four corners.
Sakya was one of the largest monastic centers in Tibet before the cultural revolution. To that day it remains one of the most impressive architectural sights.
Stay overnight in roof of the world hotel.
Day 7 – Driving to the Everest. Rongbuk Monastery
Today we will be driving towards Everest Base Camp and on the way, one of the high pass you can see Everest view. We will reach the Rongbuk monastery guesthouse or tent city in the afternoon.
Rongbuk is the highest monastery in the world. We will visit it in the evening or the next day in the morning.
We stay in the Rongbuk monastery guesthouse or tent guesthouse overnight.
Day 8 – Driving back to Shigatse
Depending on the weather conditions from the previous day, we might finish some of the activities that we were not able to do yesterday. You can take some photos from the tent camp or relax and stay inside the tent. After breakfast, we will head back to Shigatse.
Day 9 – Shigatse to Lhasa
We will take the Friendship Highway on the way back to Lhasa. It is the most direct route and usually takes around six hours to reach the capital. We will make several stops on the way in order to enjoy the views of the Brahmaputra River. In the afternoon, you might have some free time to prepare for your departure the next day.
Day 10 – Lhasa to Airport/Train station
Please prepare in advance for your departure. It takes approximately one hour to drive to the airport. We will arrive at the airport two hours before your domestic flight.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
INCLUDED
EXCLUEDED
TOURS YOU MIGHT LIKE
10 DAYS EASY ACCLIMATIZING TOUR FROM NYINGCHI TO EVEREST
This tour starts in Nyingchi, at the elevation just below 3,000 meters. We will spend two days there, traveling through one of the most beautiful regions in Tibet. It is often called “Tibetan Switzerland” for its forested mountains, river canyons and alpine lakes.
After that we will head to Lhasa, where we will spend another two days acclimatizing. We will visit POtala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera and Drepung monastery.
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8 DAYS MOUNT EVEREST TOUR
A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers.
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11 DAYS OLD THINGRI TO EVEREST TREK
A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers.
We arrive to the Old Tingri, from where our 3 days trek to the Everest Base Camp begins. We will hike over high passes, valleys and rocky mountains before reaching the Base Camp.
TOUR INQUIRY
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