Tibet: Lhasa, Everest Base Camp and the road to Kathmandu

1. Jour 1 : Arrive in Lhasa

   Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel in Lhasa

   • Environ 1 h de route
   • Welcome dinner
   • Nuit : Lhasa
   Détail du jour 1

   Fly into Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) from Chengdu, Xi'an, Beijing or another mainland city; your Tibetan guide meets you with a white khata scarf and your permit, which has to travel with the group from here on. It is about an hour's drive up the Yarlung Tsangpo and Kyichu valleys into Lhasa, at about 3,650 m. The best thing you can do today is very little: check in, drink water, and rest. Your body notices the thin air within hours, usually as a headache or a short breath on stairs, and slow is how it adjusts. Your See Sight Tours guide checks in with each guest during the afternoon and takes a first pulse-oximeter reading, which we repeat every morning. In the early evening we meet for a short briefing on permits, altitude and the days ahead, then a light welcome dinner close to the hotel. No alcohol tonight is the one rule worth keeping.

   Compris

   • Pick-up at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA)
   • Altitude briefing and first pulse-oximeter check
   • Welcome dinner near the hotel

   Temps libre : Free to rest until the evening briefing

   Activité : Sleeping altitude about 3,650 m. Arrive by mid-afternoon if you can; later arrivals are met and briefed at the hotel.

   

2. Jour 2 : Lhasa: the Barkhor and the Jokhang

   On foot in the old town of Lhasa

   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Lhasa
   Détail du jour 2

   A slow first morning on foot, kept deliberately flat. We walk to the Barkhor, the old quarter around the Jokhang Temple, while pilgrims from across Tibet make the kora, the clockwise circuit, spinning prayer wheels and some prostrating full length on the stones. Join them for a lap at their pace, which is also the right pace for your lungs. Then we go into the Jokhang itself, founded in the 7th century and the most sacred temple in Tibet, with butter lamps, chapels and the gilded Jowo Shakyamuni statue at its heart; from the roof you look across the square to the Potala. Lunch is in a Tibetan restaurant in the old town: thukpa noodle soup, momos and sweet tea. The afternoon is yours to rest, which most people need, or to sit in a teahouse and watch the square. Your guide is around in the evening for anyone feeling the altitude.

   Compris

   • Barkhor kora with the morning pilgrims
   • The Jokhang Temple with your Tibetan guide, including the roof terrace
   • Lunch in the old town

   Temps libre : Afternoon free in Lhasa

   Activité : About 2 hours on foot on flat old-town streets, with stairs inside the Jokhang.

3. Jour 3 : The Potala Palace and debate at Sera

   Lhasa to the Potala Palace, then Sera Monastery

   • Environ 30 min de route
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Lhasa
   Détail du jour 3

   Potala tickets are timed and limited each day, so our agency books a morning slot with your passport details, and once inside the visit is held to about an hour. The climb is the hard part: about 300 steps up the stone ramps to the White Palace, taken slowly with stops. Inside are the Dalai Lamas' former living quarters, then the Red Palace with its chapels and the gilded tombs of earlier Dalai Lamas; photographs are not allowed inside. The palace dates mostly from the 17th century and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing with the Jokhang and the Norbulingka. After lunch we drive a few kilometres north to Sera Monastery, founded in 1419. Mid-afternoon, in a walled courtyard under the trees, monks debate Buddhist philosophy: the questioner claps and stamps to make a point, the defender sits and answers. It is loud, lively and open to watch. Evening free.

   Compris

   • Potala Palace on a timed morning ticket with your Tibetan guide
   • Lunch in Lhasa
   • Sera Monastery and the afternoon monks' debate

   Option plus facile : Skip the upper ramps of the Potala and wait in the gardens below, then rejoin for Sera, which is mostly level.

   Temps libre : Evening free

   Activité : About 300 steps up the Potala at 3,700 m: go slowly. The debate does not run on Sundays or some holidays; departures are scheduled around it.

4. Jour 4 : Drepung and a free afternoon

   Lhasa to Drepung Monastery and back

   • Environ 30 min de route
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Lhasa
   Détail du jour 4

   Drepung, on the mountainside west of the city, was founded in 1416 and was once among the largest monasteries anywhere, a town of white buildings stacked up the slope. We go in the morning, when the assembly halls are busiest and the light is clean on the walls. Your guide takes you through the great assembly hall, its kitchen with cauldrons the size of a small car, and up to the chapels above, with long views back over the Kyichu valley. Lunch is back in town. The afternoon is free on purpose: this is your fourth night at Lhasa's height, and tomorrow climbs over passes near 5,000 m, so rest is part of the plan. If you feel good, walk the Lingkhor, the longer pilgrim circuit around the old city, visit the Norbulingka gardens, or find a rooftop for the view of the Potala at sunset. We check everyone's oxygen readings this evening before deciding on tomorrow's timings.

   Compris

   • Drepung Monastery with your Tibetan guide
   • Lunch in Lhasa
   • Evening altitude check before the road west

   Activités en option

   • Norbulingka, the Dalai Lamas' former summer palace and gardens (entry about CNY 60, paid locally)

   Option plus active : Walk the Lingkhor, the pilgrim circuit around old Lhasa, about 8 km on flat ground, with your guide's directions.

   Temps libre : Afternoon free in Lhasa

   Activité : Drepung climbs the hillside: about 2 hours on uneven steps and paths.

5. Jour 5 : Yamdrok Tso and the Karo La to Gyantse

   Lhasa over the Kamba La to Yamdrok Tso, then the Karo La to Gyantse

   • Environ 5.5 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Gyantse
   Détail du jour 5

   Today is long on purpose: about 265 km and five and a half hours of driving, because there is no hotel of our standard on the high shore of Yamdrok Tso and sleeping there would mean a night at about 4,400 m too soon. We break it into short legs. We leave Lhasa after breakfast and climb to the Kamba La, about 4,790 m, where Yamdrok Tso appears below in turquoise and the snow of the Himalaya stands on the horizon. We drive along the shore with stops for photos, then lunch at Nangartse. In the afternoon the road climbs to the Karo La, about 5,000 m, where the Nojin Kangsang glacier hangs almost above the road; we stop briefly, because at this height short is better. Then it is downhill into the farmland of the Nyang valley and Gyantse, at about 3,950 m, by late afternoon, with the fort on its rock above the town. The evening is free.

   Compris

   • Kamba La viewpoint over Yamdrok Tso, with the viewpoint fee
   • Drive and photo stops along the lake shore
   • Lunch at Nangartse
   • Karo La and the Nojin Kangsang glacier

   Option plus facile : Stay in the vehicle at the Karo La; the glacier is in full view from the road.

   Temps libre : Evening free in Gyantse

   Activité : The longest climb so far: passes at about 4,790 m and 5,000 m. Sleeping altitude about 3,950 m. Oxygen is carried in the vehicle.

6. Jour 6 : The Gyantse Kumbum, then Shigatse

   Gyantse to Shigatse, then Tashilhunpo Monastery

   • Environ 1.5 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Shigatse
   Détail du jour 6

   We are at the Pelkor Chode monastery soon after it opens, before the day's drivers arrive from Lhasa. Inside the walled compound stands the Kumbum, a 15th-century stupa built in tiers, and you climb it floor by floor through dozens of small chapels painted with thousands of figures, the staircases getting narrower and steeper toward the top, where the painted eyes look out over the town and the old fort. Go as high as you like; the lower floors hold the best of the murals. After a late morning we drive about an hour and a half down the valley to Shigatse, Tibet's second city, and have lunch there. In the afternoon we visit Tashilhunpo, founded in 1447 and the seat of the Panchen Lamas, with its gilded roofs and a huge seated statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Toward sunset, join the pilgrims on the kora around the monastery walls for views over the city.

   Compris

   • Pelkor Chode monastery and the Kumbum, Gyantse
   • Lunch in Shigatse
   • Tashilhunpo Monastery with your Tibetan guide
   • The Tashilhunpo kora at sunset

   Option plus facile : Stay on the lower floors of the Kumbum and skip the evening kora.

   Option plus active : Climb to the top floor of the Kumbum, then walk the full Tashilhunpo kora, about an hour on a rising path.

   Temps libre : Evening free in Shigatse

   Activité : Steep, narrow stairs inside the Kumbum. Sleeping altitude about 3,840 m.

   

7. Jour 7 : West on the Friendship Highway to Tingri

   Shigatse to Lhatse, over the Gyatso La to Shegar (New Tingri)

   • Environ 4.5 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
   • Nuit : Tingri (Shegar)
   Détail du jour 7

   A morning walk first: the Shigatse market and the old town below the reconstructed fort, while the city wakes up. Then we head west on the Friendship Highway, about 245 km and four and a half hours of driving, half an hour over our cap because there is no town to sleep in between Shigatse and Shegar at a sensible height, broken by the Lhatse lunch and the pass stop, following the Yarlung Tsangpo valley through barley fields and mud-brick villages to Lhatse, where we stop for lunch. From Lhatse the road climbs to the Gyatso La, about 5,250 m and the highest pass of the trip, strung with prayer flags; we stop for a few minutes and the photograph, then come down. On the far side the land opens into the wide, dry plain of Tingri, with the first sight, on a clear afternoon, of the high Himalaya to the south. We sleep in Shegar, also called New Tingri, at about 4,300 m, a small town with a ruined fort on the ridge above. Dinner is together at the hotel, and your guide checks everyone's readings before the climb to Everest.

   Compris

   • Morning walk in Shigatse's market and old town
   • Lunch in Lhatse
   • Gyatso La pass, about 5,250 m
   • Dinner in Shegar

   Temps libre : Late afternoon free in Shegar

   Activité : Sleeping altitude about 4,300 m. Expect a cold night and a simpler town than Shigatse.

   

8. Jour 8 : Gawu La and Everest Base Camp

   Shegar over the Gawu La to Rongbuk, then the eco-bus to the base camp viewpoint

   • Environ 3 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
   • Nuit : Rongbuk
   Détail du jour 8

   We leave Shegar early for the national park gate and the climb to the Gawu La, about 5,200 m, reached up dozens of switchbacks. In clear morning light the whole range lines up: Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu and, far to the west, Shishapangma. Then down into the Rongbuk valley, about 105 km and three hours of driving in all, to Rongbuk Monastery, at about 4,980 m, with Everest's north face filling the head of the valley. After lunch the park eco-bus takes us up to the base camp viewpoint, around 5,150 m, with the stone marker; visitors may not go further, toward the climbers' camp. Walk slowly, look, take the photograph and come back down. The late afternoon and sunset are the reason we stay: the north face turns gold, then pink, then grey. Dinner is simple and hot. This is the coldest, most basic night of the trip.

   Compris

   • Gawu La viewpoint over five 8,000 m peaks
   • Everest national park fee and the eco-bus to the base camp viewpoint
   • Rongbuk Monastery
   • Sunset on the north face of Everest
   • Lunch and dinner at Rongbuk

   Option plus facile : Sleep lower: after sunset, drive about two hours back to Tingri at about 4,300 m with a driver and guide from our Tibetan partner, and rejoin the group the next morning on the road west.

   Option plus active : Walk part of the way between Rongbuk and the base camp area instead of the eco-bus, where the rangers allow it.

   Activité : Highest night of the trip, about 4,980 m, in simple guesthouse or tent-camp rooms with likely shared toilets and no heating beyond blankets and a stove. Anyone whose readings or symptoms worry the guide sleeps lower; this is not negotiable.

9. Jour 9 : Down to the Gyirong valley

   Rongbuk to Old Tingri, past Peiku Tso, then down to Gyirong Town

   • Environ 7.5 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
   • Nuit : Gyirong Town
   Détail du jour 9

   Sunrise on Everest first, if the sky is clear, then a long road, about 370 km and seven and a half hours of driving. It runs over our 4-hour cap because there is nowhere of our standard to sleep between Rongbuk and the Gyirong valley, and staying high another night does nobody any good. The day goes downhill in every sense, from about 4,980 m to about 2,700 m, and most people feel better by the hour. We break it up: Old Tingri for tea, a long lunch stop by Peiku Tso, a big lake below Shishapangma, and one last pass of about 5,000 m with prayer flags. Then the road drops into the Gyirong gorge, and within an hour the brown plateau turns into pine forest, waterfalls and terraced fields. We reach Gyirong Town in the early evening, warmer and greener, and eat dinner together.

   Compris

   • Sunrise on the north face of Everest
   • Tea stop at Old Tingri
   • Lunch by Peiku Tso, below Shishapangma
   • Dinner in Gyirong Town

   Activité : A long vehicle day with stops roughly every 90 minutes. Sleeping altitude about 2,700 m, the lowest since you landed.

10. Jour 10 : A rest day in Gyirong

    Gyirong Town and the valley around it

    • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
    • Nuit : Gyirong Town
    Détail du jour 10

    After two big days, a slow one in the valley the Tibetans call a hidden land of happiness. There is no driving that matters today. In the morning your guide walks the group through Gyirong Town to the Phagpa Temple, a Nepali-style pagoda temple whose origins are dated to the 7th century, a reminder that this valley has carried trade and pilgrims between Tibet and the Kathmandu valley for centuries. Lunch is in town. The afternoon is free: walk the river path through the pines, sleep, or sit in the sun and sort your bags for Nepal. At this height, about 2,700 m, the air feels thick after Rongbuk, and appetites come back. Your guide spends part of the day going through tomorrow's border crossing with you: what to have ready, how the queues work, and where the Nepal side team will meet the group. Dinner tonight is your choice in town.

    Compris

    • Morning walk in Gyirong Town and the Phagpa Temple
    • Lunch in Gyirong Town
    • Border briefing with your guide

    Option plus active : A longer walk up the valley on forest paths with your Tibetan guide, about 3 hours.

    Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

    

11. Jour 11 : Across the border to Kathmandu

    Gyirong Town to the Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi border, then Syabrubesi to Kathmandu

    • Environ 6.5 h de route
    • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
    • Nuit : Kathmandu
    Détail du jour 11

    An early start for the short drive, about 25 km, to the border post, aiming to be in the queue when it opens. Your Tibetan guide and driver stay on the Chinese side; your See Sight Tours guide crosses with you, which is not the case on most Tibet trips. On the Nepal side at Rasuwagadhi you complete Nepal entry, meet the Nepal-side driver, and set off down the Trishuli valley. The road from here to Kathmandu, about 140 km, is narrow, partly unpaved and slow, about six hours with stops, which is why this day runs past our cap: this is the usual road out, and the border formalities set the timing. We stop for lunch at Syabrubesi or Dhunche, then wind down through terraced hills and villages, a different world from the plateau. Kathmandu comes into view by late afternoon. Dinner tonight is your own, around Thamel or near the hotel.

    Compris

    • Drive to the Gyirong border post
    • Border crossing with your See Sight Tours guide
    • Nepal-side vehicle and driver to Kathmandu
    • Lunch on the road in Nepal

    Temps libre : Evening free in Kathmandu

    Activité : Have your Nepal visa or the paperwork we confirm before departure ready at the border. The Nepal-side road is rough; in the monsoon, landslide clearing can add hours. This day runs only once the crossing has reopened.

    

12. Jour 12 : Kathmandu: Swayambhunath, Patan and Boudhanath

    Swayambhunath, Patan Durbar Square, then Boudhanath

    • Environ 1 h de route
    • Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
    • Nuit : Kathmandu
    Détail du jour 12

    We climb to Swayambhunath early, before the heat and the tour buses, up the stairway on the hill west of the city to the white stupa with its painted eyes, monkeys on the railings and the whole valley below. Then across the Bagmati to Patan, where Patan Durbar Square holds the old royal palace and a crowd of Newar temples in carved brick and wood, part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage listing; your guide takes you into the palace courtyards and the museum. Lunch is your own in Patan. In the late afternoon we head to Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world and the heart of Kathmandu's Tibetan community, and walk the kora at dusk with Tibetan pilgrims as the butter lamps are lit. It brings the trip full circle from the Barkhor. The farewell dinner is near the stupa.

    Compris

    • Swayambhunath with your guide
    • Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum
    • Boudhanath kora at dusk
    • Farewell dinner near Boudhanath

    Option plus facile : Skip the Swayambhunath stairway; the vehicle goes up the back road to the top.

    Temps libre : Early afternoon free in Patan

    Activité : About 3 hours on foot over the day, with about 360 steps at Swayambhunath if you take the stairway.

13. Jour 13 : Depart Kathmandu

    Your hotel to Tribhuvan International Airport

    • Environ 30 min de route
    • Petit-déjeuner
    Détail du jour 13

    The trip ends after breakfast. Your guide arranges your transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), about 6 km and 20 to 40 minutes depending on traffic, in good time for your flight. If you are flying in the afternoon, the morning is free: walk to Kathmandu Durbar Square and the old bazaar streets of Asan and Indra Chowk, or go back to Boudhanath for a quiet morning lap with a coffee on one of the rooftops. If you want more time in Nepal, the trip joins naturally with our Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara trip or the Everest Base Camp trek from the south side, and we can book extra hotel nights in Kathmandu for you. Travellers continuing in Nepal keep the same hotel standard and can leave bags with us. Book flights out of Kathmandu any time today; for international connections, a departure after about 11 am is the most relaxed.

    Compris

    • Drop-off at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)

    Temps libre : Free until your airport transfer

    Activité : Book a flight out of Kathmandu any time today; after about 11 am is easiest.

Faune et météo : April, May, late September and October give the clearest views of Everest. June to September brings warm days on the plateau but cloud on the mountains and landslides on the Nepal side, so the border day can slow down. Nights at Rongbuk are below freezing in any month.

• Lhasa4 nuits
• Gyantse1 nuit
• Shigatse1 nuit
• Tingri (Shegar)1 nuit
• Rongbuk1 nuit
• Gyirong Town2 nuits
• Kathmandu2 nuits