Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tibet: Lhasa, Everest Base Camp and the road to Kathmandu
13 days from Lhasa to Kathmandu: four nights in Lhasa to acclimatise, Yamdrok Tso, Gyantse and Shigatse, a night at Rongbuk below the north face of Everest, and the Gyirong road down into Nepal once the border crossing reopens (it has been closed since floods in August 2026).
13 days · Lhasa to Kathmandu · up to 12 guests
Everest's summit pyramid, seen from the Nepal side; on this trip you face its north side from Rongbuk Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Everest,_Himalayas.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days, 12 nights
- Start and end
- Lhasa to Kathmandu
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
The challenge is altitude, not distance. You sleep at 3,650 m in Lhasa for four nights, then climb to about 4,980 m at Rongbuk, crossing passes around 5,000 to 5,250 m by road. Walking is short but slow: 2 to 3 hours a day on monastery steps and stone paths, with about 300 steps up the Potala. Three road days run 5.5 to 7.5 hours with stops. You can sit out any walk, and on the Everest night you can sleep lower in Tingri.
- Meals included
- 12 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 985 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Barkhor kora at first light, walking clockwise with pilgrims around the Jokhang
- The Potala Palace on a morning ticket, then the monks' debate in the courtyard at Sera
- Yamdrok Tso from the Kamba La, turquoise below snow peaks, and the glacier at Karo La
- The Gyantse Kumbum, climbing six floors of painted chapels
- The north face of Everest at sunset from Rongbuk, the highest monastery in the area
- Dropping from the plateau into the green Gyirong valley, with a rest day before Nepal
- Boudhanath at dusk in Kathmandu, Tibetan pilgrims again on the last evening
What makes this trip different
One price, nothing to pay on the van
Everything on the itinerary is in the price, and nothing is collected on the trip.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 985 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Lhasa
Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel in Lhasa
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Lhasa
- Drive about 1 h
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
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.
Included
- Pick-up at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA)
- Altitude briefing and first pulse-oximeter check
- Welcome dinner near the hotel
Free time: Free to rest until the evening briefing
Activity: Sleeping altitude about 3,650 m. Arrive by mid-afternoon if you can; later arrivals are met and briefed at the hotel.
Lhasa: the Barkhor and the Jokhang
On foot in the old town of Lhasa
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lhasa
Morning
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
Your guide is around in the evening for anyone feeling the altitude.
Included
- Barkhor kora with the morning pilgrims
- The Jokhang Temple with your Tibetan guide, including the roof terrace
- Lunch in the old town
Free time: Afternoon free in Lhasa
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on flat old-town streets, with stairs inside the Jokhang.
The Potala Palace and debate at Sera
Lhasa to the Potala Palace, then Sera Monastery
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lhasa
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
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.
Afternoon
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
Evening free.
Included
- Potala Palace on a timed morning ticket with your Tibetan guide
- Lunch in Lhasa
- Sera Monastery and the afternoon monks' debate
Easier option: Skip the upper ramps of the Potala and wait in the gardens below, then rejoin for Sera, which is mostly level.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: 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.
Drepung and a free afternoon
Lhasa to Drepung Monastery and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lhasa
- Drive about 30 min
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.
Morning
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.
Afternoon
Lunch is back in town.
Evening
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.
Included
- Drepung Monastery with your Tibetan guide
- Lunch in Lhasa
- Evening altitude check before the road west
Optional experiences
- Norbulingka, the Dalai Lamas' former summer palace and gardens (entry about CNY 60, paid locally)
More active option: Walk the Lingkhor, the pilgrim circuit around old Lhasa, about 8 km on flat ground, with your guide's directions.
Free time: Afternoon free in Lhasa
Activity: Drepung climbs the hillside: about 2 hours on uneven steps and paths.
Yamdrok Tso and the Karo La to Gyantse
Lhasa over the Kamba La to Yamdrok Tso, then the Karo La to Gyantse
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Gyantse
- Drive about 5.5 h
Evening
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.
Included
- 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
Easier option: Stay in the vehicle at the Karo La; the glacier is in full view from the road.
Free time: Evening free in Gyantse
Activity: 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.
The Gyantse Kumbum, then Shigatse
Gyantse to Shigatse, then Tashilhunpo Monastery
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Shigatse
- Drive about 1.5 h
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
Toward sunset, join the pilgrims on the kora around the monastery walls for views over the city.
Included
- Pelkor Chode monastery and the Kumbum, Gyantse
- Lunch in Shigatse
- Tashilhunpo Monastery with your Tibetan guide
- The Tashilhunpo kora at sunset
Easier option: Stay on the lower floors of the Kumbum and skip the evening kora.
More active option: Climb to the top floor of the Kumbum, then walk the full Tashilhunpo kora, about an hour on a rising path.
Free time: Evening free in Shigatse
Activity: Steep, narrow stairs inside the Kumbum. Sleeping altitude about 3,840 m.
West on the Friendship Highway to Tingri
Shigatse to Lhatse, over the Gyatso La to Shegar (New Tingri)
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tingri (Shegar)
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
A morning walk first: the Shigatse market and the old town below the reconstructed fort, while the city wakes up.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
Dinner is together at the hotel, and your guide checks everyone's readings before the climb to Everest.
Included
- Morning walk in Shigatse's market and old town
- Lunch in Lhatse
- Gyatso La pass, about 5,250 m
- Dinner in Shegar
Free time: Late afternoon free in Shegar
Activity: Sleeping altitude about 4,300 m. Expect a cold night and a simpler town than Shigatse.
Gawu La and Everest Base Camp
Shegar over the Gawu La to Rongbuk, then the eco-bus to the base camp viewpoint
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Rongbuk
- Drive about 3 h
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.
Morning
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
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.
Included
- 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
Easier option: 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.
More active option: Walk part of the way between Rongbuk and the base camp area instead of the eco-bus, where the rangers allow it.
Activity: 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.
Down to the Gyirong valley
Rongbuk to Old Tingri, past Peiku Tso, then down to Gyirong Town
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Gyirong Town
- Drive about 7.5 h
Morning
Sunrise on Everest first, if the sky is clear, then a long road, about 370 km and seven and a half hours of driving.
Evening
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.
Included
- Sunrise on the north face of Everest
- Tea stop at Old Tingri
- Lunch by Peiku Tso, below Shishapangma
- Dinner in Gyirong Town
Activity: A long vehicle day with stops roughly every 90 minutes. Sleeping altitude about 2,700 m, the lowest since you landed.
A rest day in Gyirong
Gyirong Town and the valley around it
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Gyirong Town
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.
Morning
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice in town.
Included
- Morning walk in Gyirong Town and the Phagpa Temple
- Lunch in Gyirong Town
- Border briefing with your guide
More active option: A longer walk up the valley on forest paths with your Tibetan guide, about 3 hours.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Across the border to Kathmandu
Gyirong Town to the Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi border, then Syabrubesi to Kathmandu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kathmandu
- Drive about 6.5 h
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.
Afternoon
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.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your own, around Thamel or near the hotel.
Included
- 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
Free time: Evening free in Kathmandu
Activity: 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.
Kathmandu: Swayambhunath, Patan and Boudhanath
Swayambhunath, Patan Durbar Square, then Boudhanath
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Kathmandu
- Drive about 1 h
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.
Afternoon
Lunch is your own in Patan.
Evening
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.
Included
- Swayambhunath with your guide
- Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum
- Boudhanath kora at dusk
- Farewell dinner near Boudhanath
Easier option: Skip the Swayambhunath stairway; the vehicle goes up the back road to the top.
Free time: Early afternoon free in Patan
Activity: About 3 hours on foot over the day, with about 360 steps at Swayambhunath if you take the stairway.
Depart Kathmandu
Your hotel to Tribhuvan International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
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.
Afternoon
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.
Included
- Drop-off at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Book a flight out of Kathmandu any time today; after about 11 am is easiest.
- Lhasa4 nights
- Gyantse1 night
- Shigatse1 night
- Tingri (Shegar)1 night
- Rongbuk1 night
- Gyirong Town2 nights
- Kathmandu2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: 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.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Tibet's monasteries and the north side of Everest without trekking
- People who are happy at altitude, or willing to take it slowly and follow the guide's advice
- An overland journey that ends somewhere different from where it began
- A small group with permits, entries, most meals and tips handled
Not for you if you want
- Anyone with heart or lung conditions their doctor says rule out 5,000 m
- Travellers who need private bathrooms and heating every night (Rongbuk is basic)
- People who dislike long road days; three days run 5.5 to 7.5 hours
- Travellers who want to wander Tibet on their own; permits require a guide at all times
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
12 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lhasa4 nights
- Gyantse1 night
- Shigatse1 night
- Tingri (Shegar)1 night
- Rongbuk1 night
- Gyirong Town2 nights
- Kathmandu2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 12 nights: 4 in central Lhasa, 1 in Gyantse, 1 in Shigatse, 1 in Shegar (New Tingri), 1 at Rongbuk in a simple guesthouse or tent camp, 2 in Gyirong Town and 2 in Kathmandu
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) and drop-off at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)
- A private vehicle and driver for the group in Tibet, registered for the permit route
- The Everest national park eco-bus to the base camp viewpoint
- A private vehicle and driver from the Rasuwagadhi border to Kathmandu and in Kathmandu
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for all 13 days, crossing the border with the group
- A licensed Tibetan guide from our Tibetan partner agency in Tibet, as the permit requires
- A pulse-oximeter check every morning and oxygen carried in the vehicle
Activities
- Tibet Travel Permit and the onward permits for Shigatse, Everest and the border
- Barkhor kora and the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa
- Potala Palace on a timed ticket, Lhasa
- Sera Monastery and the monks' debate, Lhasa
- Drepung Monastery, Lhasa
- Kamba La viewpoint over Yamdrok Tso and the Karo La glacier
- Pelkor Chode and the Kumbum, Gyantse
- Tashilhunpo Monastery and its kora, Shigatse
- Gyatso La and Gawu La viewpoints
- Everest national park, Rongbuk Monastery and the base camp viewpoint
- Peiku Tso
- Phagpa Temple, Gyirong Town
- Swayambhunath, Patan Durbar Square and Boudhanath, Kathmandu
Meals
- 12 breakfasts
- 10 lunches, on days 2 to 11
- 5 dinners: welcome dinner in Lhasa, dinners in Shegar, Rongbuk and Gyirong Town, and a farewell dinner in Kathmandu
other
- A tipping pool for drivers, the Tibetan guide and the Nepal-side crew
- No shopping stops
Not included
- International flights, and your flight or train into Lhasa
- Chinese visa, if your passport needs one, and the Nepal visa
- Travel insurance, which must cover travel to 5,200 m and evacuation
- Meals not listed: lunches on days 1, 12 and 13, and 7 dinners
- Drinks
- Tips for your See Sight Tours guide (your choice)
- Optional activities, such as the Norbulingka in Lhasa
- Personal expenses and camera fees inside some chapels
- Altitude medication
Local fees: none. Nothing is collected on the trip.
Tips for your guide are included.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 985 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 12% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,420 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 4,720. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,020.
What does the price include?
Twelve nights of accommodation, 12 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 5 dinners, the Tibet Travel Permit and onward permits, every monastery and palace entry, the Everest park fee and eco-bus, a private vehicle in Tibet and Nepal, airport transfers at both ends, your See Sight Tours guide and a licensed Tibetan guide, and tips for drivers and local guides.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the Potala visit and the Rongbuk night manageable, fits one vehicle and one table at lunch, and lets your guide check on everyone at altitude every morning.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you for all 13 days, including across the border into Nepal. In Tibet the permit also requires a licensed Tibetan guide, supplied by our partner agency, who leads inside the monasteries and the Potala. In Nepal a local driver joins for the road to Kathmandu.
How bad is the altitude, and how fit do I need to be?
You sleep at 3,650 m for four nights in Lhasa, then climb to about 4,980 m at Rongbuk, crossing passes near 5,250 m. Walking is short, but everyone feels the thin air. We check your oxygen every morning, carry oxygen, and anyone who should not sleep at Rongbuk sleeps lower in Tingri. Ask your doctor before booking.
Do I need a permit to visit Tibet?
Yes. Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit and must travel with a licensed guide. Our Tibetan partner agency applies for it and the permits for Shigatse, Everest and the border, using a copy of your passport and visa about a month before you go. You cannot apply for it yourself. If a permit is refused or Tibet closes, we propose new dates; terms are confirmed at booking.
Do I need visas for China and Nepal?
We confirm both for your date. Rules for Canadian passports changed in 2026, with visa-free entry for up to 30 days introduced for a fixed period, and US and other passports follow different rules; the Tibet permit may still need a full Chinese visa. For Nepal, we advise getting the visa in advance where possible rather than at the land border.
Is the Tibet to Nepal border open?
Not at the moment. The Gyirong to Rasuwagadhi crossing, the usual road route, reopened on 1 January 2026 after a July 2025 flood, then floods on 26 August 2026 cut it off again, with no firm reopening date. We check it for every departure; if it is shut, we will propose a fallback, and the terms are confirmed at booking.
When is the best time to go?
April, May, late September and October give the clearest Everest views and drier roads. June to September is warm on the plateau but cloudy over the mountains, with landslides on the Nepal side. Tibet is usually closed to foreign visitors for part of February and March, and nights at Rongbuk are freezing in any month.
I'm travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is CAD 985 more, shown before you request to book, and solo guests get the same seat rotation and attention as everyone else. At Rongbuk rooms are simple; we tell you the exact arrangement when that stay is confirmed.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes, as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guides and vehicle. Independent travel without a guide is not allowed in Tibet, so the private trip is how to go on your own dates. We apply for the same permits, which need about a month.
How long are the drives?
Driving days run up to about 4.5 hours, with three longer: Lhasa to Gyantse (about 5.5 hours), Rongbuk to Gyirong (about 7.5 hours, downhill to 2,700 m) and the border day to Kathmandu (about 6.5 hours on a slow Nepal road). Shigatse to Shegar is 4.5. Each has a lunch stop and viewpoints, and a rest day sits between the last two.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until then. Prices start from CAD 5,020 per person sharing, with taxes. After you confirm, we collect the passport details our Tibetan partner needs for the permits.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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