Tibet Tour with Everest Base Camp and Kailash
Sacred Mountains and Mystical Valleys
15-Days Journey through the Roof of the World to Everest Base Camp and Mt. Kailash.
The Tibet Tour with Everest Base Camp and Kailash is a 15-day trek starting and finishing in Lhasa. The high point is 5,250 m. A normal day is 5 to 6 hours of walking. We run it as a private trip on your own dates, or as a small group departure.
The route runs Shigatse, Rongbuk, Saga, Mansarovar, Darchen, Dira Puk Monastery and Dzutul. Rongbuk monastery, the highest in the world, founded in 1902.
Graded moderate. Nothing on the route is technical, but the altitude is real and it is what decides who finishes. Rongbuk sits at about 5,000 m and you reach it by vehicle, which is the fastest ascent on any of our itineraries. We build the drive up over several days and monitor everyone.
Best time to go. April to October, with the clearest Everest views in late April to early June and again in October.
Permits and getting there. Chinese group visa, Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and a military permit for the Everest area. All arranged by us; allow 25 days. Overland from Lhasa or from the Gyirong border, on sealed road most of the way to Rongbuk.
Where you sleep. Hotels in Shigatse and Shegar, then the guesthouse or tented camp at Rongbuk. Basic, cold and unforgettable.
Why book with us. Trekking Team is a family company in Gongabu, Kathmandu, running trips since 1991 under TAAN licence 1106. About ten thousand people have travelled with us and we hold more than 630 TripAdvisor reviews. Every departure runs with a government-licensed guide, permits arranged before you arrive, insured and equipped staff, and a fixed price. If the dates or the route do not suit you, write to us and we will rebuild the itinerary around what you want.
Trip Summary
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Trip Outline
- Day 1Arrival in Lhasa
- Day 2Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace, and Tibet Traditional Hospital
- Day 3Lhasa Sightseeing: Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Bazaar
- Day 4Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse
- Day 5Shigatse to Rongbuk via Sakya Monastery
- Day 6Acclimatization and Exploration at Everest Base Camp
- Day 7Everest Base Camp to Saga
- Day 8Saga to Mansarovar
- Day 9Mansarovar to Darchen
- Day 10First day of Kora: hiking to Dira Puk Monastery
- Day 11Second day of Kora: hike to Dzutul-puk
- Day 12Kora ends, return to Saga
- Day 13Saga to Shigatse
- Day 14Shigatse to Lhasa
- Day 15Final Departure
Included
- All internal flights and border transfers between Tibet and Nepal that appear in the itinerary
- Chinese group visa, Tibet Travel Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit and the Kailash area permit
- Licensed Tibetan guide and a Nepali tour leader for the group
- Tourist vehicle with a permitted driver, and a support truck carrying supplies on the plateau
- Hotel and guesthouse accommodation throughout, twin or multi share
- Basic teahouse accommodation at Dirapuk and Zutulpuk during the three-day kora, with bedding and blankets provided
- Breakfast daily at the hotels, outside the kora
- Support vehicle shadowing the group on the first and third days of the kora
- A pulse oximeter and a comprehensive first aid kit carried by the guide
- All government taxes and company service charges
Not Included
- International flights and the Kathmandu to Lhasa air ticket unless listed
- All lunches and dinners. Kailash programmes run on a bed and breakfast basis
- All meals during the three-day kora, including breakfast. You pay the teahouses directly at Dirapuk and Zutulpuk
- Travel insurance covering trekking to 5,700 m and evacuation from western Tibet. Compulsory
- Supplementary oxygen, which is available as an optional extra
- Horse and personal porter for the kora, arranged at Darchen at extra cost. The porter and yak weight limit is 5 kg per person
- Extra nights in Darchen if you do not complete the kora and return early, which are chargeable
- Drinks, laundry and items of a personal nature
- Costs arising from a border closure, permit refusal, illness or an early return
- Emergency evacuation, which your insurance must cover
- Tips for the guide, driver and kitchen crew
- Anything not listed under what is included
Get started on your journey
Detailed itinerary
Arrival in Lhasa
Arrival day in Lhasa is an altitude day and we treat it as one. The city sits at 3,656 m and you have arrived there by aircraft, which means no acclimatisation at all. Our Tibetan guide meets you at Gonggar airport and it is about an hour into the city.
Check in, then do almost nothing. Drink plenty of water, skip alcohol entirely, eat lightly and go to bed early. Mild headache and broken sleep on the first night are normal and usually gone by the second. Your guide will check on you in the evening and again at breakfast.
If you feel well, a short slow walk in the neighbourhood is better than lying down all afternoon, but keep it flat and keep it brief.
Altitude: 3,650 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace, and Tibet Traditional Hospital
Explore the iconic Potala Palace, visit the serene Norbulingka Palace, and learn about traditional Tibetan medicine at the Tibet Traditional Hospital.
The Potala Palace rises thirteen storeys above Lhasa and was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from the seventeenth century. Inside are the golden funerary stupas of eight Dalai Lamas, the fifth's alone covered in more than three tonnes of gold, along with chapels, murals and the meditation cells of the earliest kings. Visits are on a timed ticket with a strict one-hour limit inside, and the climb up is at 3,656 m, so take it slowly.
Altitude: 3,650 m | Travel: 5 to 6 hours | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Lhasa Sightseeing: Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Bazaar
Experience the vibrant spiritual energy of these sacred sites and shop for Tibetan handicrafts at Barkhor Bazaar.
The Jokhang is the most sacred temple in Tibetan Buddhism, founded in the seventh century to house the Jowo Rinpoche, a statue of the Buddha as a twelve-year-old brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess Wencheng. Pilgrims prostrate full-length on the flagstones outside from before dawn. The interior is dark, thick with butter lamp smoke, and unlike anywhere else.
The Barkhor is the pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang and the old heart of Lhasa: a clockwise kora walked by thousands of pilgrims a day, lined with stalls selling prayer wheels, turquoise, incense and yak butter. Walking it once with the flow of people tells you more about Tibet than any museum.
Sera Monastery, founded in 1419, is one of the three great Gelugpa university monasteries of Lhasa. The reason to go in the afternoon is the debating courtyard, where monks challenge each other on points of doctrine with a formalised hand clap that punctuates each question. It runs most weekday afternoons and it is genuinely gripping even without the language.
Drepung was once the largest monastery in the world, housing around ten thousand monks, and it climbs the hillside west of Lhasa like a small white city. The Ganden Podrang within it was the seat of the Dalai Lamas before the Potala was built.
Altitude: 3,650 m | Travel: 5 to 6 hours | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse
Drive across high passes with stunning views, stopping at Gyantse to visit the Kumbum Stupa and Pelkor Monastery before continuing to Shigatse.
Gyantse holds the Kumbum, a 32 m tiered stupa from 1427 containing seventy-seven chapels and thousands of murals, the finest surviving body of Newar-influenced Tibetan painting anywhere. The Gyantse dzong above the town gives a wide view over the barley fields of the Nyang valley.
Shigatse is Tibet's second city at 3,840 m, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, and the natural overnight stop between Lhasa and the Everest region. The old town market below Tashilhunpo is worth an hour.
Altitude: 3,900 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Shigatse to Rongbuk via Sakya Monastery
Drive to the historic Sakya Monastery, then proceed to Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world.
Rongbuk monastery at about 5,000 m is the highest monastery in the world, founded in 1902, and it sits directly beneath the north face of Everest with the mountain filling the end of the valley. The view from here is the one the early British expeditions had, and it is more complete than anything visible from the Nepal side.
Shigatse is Tibet's second city at 3,840 m, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, and the natural overnight stop between Lhasa and the Everest region. The old town market below Tashilhunpo is worth an hour.
Altitude: 5,150 m | Overnight: Tea House | Meals: Breakfast
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Acclimatization and Exploration at Everest Base Camp
Explore the northern base of Mount Everest and enjoy incredible views of the world’s tallest peak.
The Tibetan base camp sits at about 5,150 m at the foot of the Rongbuk glacier, reached by road rather than on foot, with the north face of Everest rising uninterrupted in front of it. Because you arrive by vehicle, this is the fastest altitude gain on any of our itineraries and the acclimatisation days before it are not optional.
Altitude: 5,250 m | Overnight: Tea House | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Everest Base Camp to Saga
Travel through stunning mountain terrain as you make your way to the town of Saga.
The Tibetan base camp sits at about 5,150 m at the foot of the Rongbuk glacier, reached by road rather than on foot, with the north face of Everest rising uninterrupted in front of it. Because you arrive by vehicle, this is the fastest altitude gain on any of our itineraries and the acclimatisation days before it are not optional.
Altitude: 4,600 m | Overnight: Tea House | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Saga to Mansarovar
Drive to the sacred Lake Mansarovar, a key pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Hindus.
Lake Mansarovar at 4,590 m is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and sacred in four religions. Pilgrims bathe in it and perform puja on the shore, with Kailash to the north and the Gurla Mandhata massif to the south. Nights here are cold and the accommodation is simple guesthouse or tented camp.
Altitude: 4,556 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Mansarovar to Darchen
Short drive to Darchen, the starting point for the Mount Kailash Kora (circumambulation).
Lake Mansarovar at 4,590 m is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and sacred in four religions. Pilgrims bathe in it and perform puja on the shore, with Kailash to the north and the Gurla Mandhata massif to the south. Nights here are cold and the accommodation is simple guesthouse or tented camp.
Darchen at 4,670 m is the small settlement at the foot of Kailash where the kora begins and ends. It is a functional place of guesthouses, supply shops and pilgrims preparing, rather than somewhere you go for its own sake.
Altitude: 4,700 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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First day of Kora: hiking to Dira Puk Monastery
Begin the sacred trek around Mount Kailash. Walk along the north face to Dira Puk Monastery.
Altitude: 5,120 m | Travel: 5 to 6 hours | Overnight: Tea House | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Second day of Kora: hike to Dzutul-puk
Continue the challenging Kora, crossing the Dolma-La Pass (5,630m), before descending to Dzutul-puk.
The Dolma La at 5,630 m is the high point of the Kailash kora and the hardest single stretch of the yatra: a steep 700 m climb to a pass thick with prayer flags, then a long knee-punishing descent past Gauri Kund. Most groups take ten to fourteen hours for the day and start well before dawn.
Altitude: 4,790 m | Travel: 6 to 7 hours | Overnight: Tea House | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Kora ends, return to Saga
Complete the Kora at Darchen and drive back to Saga.
Darchen at 4,670 m is the small settlement at the foot of Kailash where the kora begins and ends. It is a functional place of guesthouses, supply shops and pilgrims preparing, rather than somewhere you go for its own sake.
Altitude: 4,600 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Saga to Shigatse
Travel back to Shigatse through high-altitude landscapes.
Shigatse is Tibet's second city at 3,840 m, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, and the natural overnight stop between Lhasa and the Everest region. The old town market below Tashilhunpo is worth an hour.
Altitude: 3,900 m | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Shigatse to Lhasa
Drive back to Lhasa, taking in the scenic views along the way.
Shigatse is Tibet's second city at 3,840 m, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, and the natural overnight stop between Lhasa and the Everest region. The old town market below Tashilhunpo is worth an hour.
Altitude: 3,650 m | Travel: 4 to 5 hours | Overnight: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
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Final Departure
Transfer to the airport about three hours before your international flight. If you have a late departure we will hold a day room or arrange a final few hours in the city rather than leave you sitting in the terminal.
If you would rather not go home yet, this is the easy point to extend: a few days in Pokhara, a wildlife stay in Chitwan or Bardiya, a short Bhutan add-on, or a rest week somewhere quiet. Tell us before you travel and we will build it in at cost rather than as a late upgrade.
Altitude: 3,650 m | Meals: Breakfast
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Getting ready
Two to three months of preparation makes the difference between enduring this trip and enjoying it. Walk hills, not treadmills. Build to a five or six hour day with a 7 kg pack, twice a week, and add a back-to-back weekend so your legs learn what consecutive days feel like. Stairs with a loaded pack are the best substitute if you live somewhere flat.
Break in your boots properly. More trips are ruined by new footwear than by altitude.
Altitude and acclimatisation
The high point on this trip is 5,250 m. Rongbuk sits at about 5,000 m and you reach it by vehicle, which is the fastest ascent on any of our itineraries. We build the drive up over several days and monitor everyone.
Rules we work to: gain no more than 400 to 500 m of sleeping altitude a day above 3,000 m, take a rest day roughly every 1,000 m, climb high and sleep low on those days, drink three to four litres daily, and skip alcohol and sleeping tablets above 3,500 m. Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and a first aid kit and records the group morning and evening.
Diamox (acetazolamide) is a legitimate aid, not a shortcut, and works best started 24 hours before you go high. Discuss it with your own doctor before you travel; we do not prescribe.
If anyone deteriorates, the answer is descent, immediately and without debate. Our guides have the authority to turn a client around and they use it.
Permits and paperwork
Chinese group visa, Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and a military permit for the Everest area. All arranged by us; allow 25 days.
For Tibet you must send clear passport and visa scans at least 25 days before departure. The Chinese group visa is issued in Kathmandu and it is a physical document for the whole group, which is why late bookings are difficult and why you cannot join partway through.
Money, tipping and costs on the ground
Nepali rupees are the only currency accepted on the trail. Draw cash in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you leave; ATMs have a per-transaction limit of around NPR 35,000 and charge a fee, and above the roadhead there are no machines and no card terminals.
Budget roughly USD 10 to 20 a day for drinks, snacks, hot showers, charging and wifi that are not in the price. Bottled water is best avoided for both cost and plastic reasons.
Tipping is customary and genuinely matters to the crew, but it is not compulsory and never demanded. As a guide to the guide: around USD 8 to 12 per day for your trekking guide and USD 6 to 8 for each porter, pooled by the group and handed over at the end.
Staying in touch
None at Rongbuk. Signal returns at Shegar.
Ncell and Nepal Telecom tourist SIM cards are sold at Kathmandu airport and take about ten minutes. Bring your passport.
What to pack
We send a full checklist when you book. The items people most often get wrong:
- Broken-in boots with ankle support, plus trainers or sandals for the evenings
- A four-season down sleeping bag rated to at least minus 10 C, and a down jacket. We lend both at no charge if you would rather not buy them
- Layers rather than bulk: thermal base, fleece, windproof shell, waterproof jacket and trousers
- Sun hat, warm hat, glove liners and warm gloves, and category 4 sunglasses. Snow glare at altitude is brutal
- A one-litre bottle plus a two-litre bladder, and a SteriPen or chlorine tablets so you can refill instead of buying plastic
- Personal first aid: blister plasters, ibuprofen, rehydration salts, antiseptic, any prescriptions in original packaging
- A 20,000 mAh power bank, headtorch with spare batteries, and a two-pin European plug adapter
Health and safety
No vaccinations are legally required for Tibet or Nepal, but hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are sensible and a rabies course is worth discussing if you are travelling for a long time. Check with a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you fly.
Drink treated water rather than bottled where you can, wash hands before every meal, and eat what is freshly cooked. Stomach upsets ruin more trekking days than altitude does.
Our guides carry a comprehensive first aid kit, a pulse oximeter and, on the higher routes, supplementary oxygen. We hold a 24-hour operations line in Kathmandu throughout your trip, and we run rescue coordination ourselves rather than handing it to a third party.
Responsible trekking
We pay porters above the TAAN minimum, insure every member of staff, cap load weights and provide boots, jackets and shelter at altitude. That is not a marketing line; it is the reason our crew come back season after season and some have been with the family for twenty years.
On the trail: carry your rubbish out, use refill points instead of plastic bottles, ask before photographing people, walk clockwise around mani walls and chortens, and give way to loaded yaks on the mountain side of the path, not the drop side.
Booking and cancellation
A deposit confirms your dates and the balance is due before departure. If your plans change we will move your booking to another date rather than treat it as a cancellation wherever the ground operators allow it.
Written quotes are fixed. We do not add fuel or permit surcharges after you have booked, and if a government fee rises between your booking and your departure we absorb it.
Questions before you commit are welcome and never rushed. Write to us with what you actually want and we will tell you plainly whether this trip is the right one, including when the answer is that a different route would suit you better.
Ready to start your journey?
Start planning your dream trip today. Enquire now for more information or customize this trip to tailor it to your needs and make it truly unforgettable.