13-Day Tibet Flights & Qinghai-Tibet Railway: Lhasa, EBC., Nyingchi & Namtso
Classic Route
Details
Arrival in Lhasa (3,658m)
Upon landing at Lhasa Airport or arriving by train, you’ll be warmly welcomed by your Tibetan guide. From the airport, the drive into the city takes about an hour, following the Brahmaputra and Lhasa rivers through striking plateau scenery, with a good chance of spotting various wild bird species along the way. Travelers arriving by train have a much shorter transfer, just 20 minutes to the hotel. With Lhasa sitting at nearly 3,700 meters, the rest of the day is reserved for rest so your body can begin adjusting to the altitude.
Meals: /
Accommodation: Lhasa
Lhasa City Sightseeing — Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Your first full day of sightseeing covers two of Lhasa’s most important monasteries. The morning is spent at Drepung Monastery, once the largest monastery in the world and, before the Potala Palace was built, the seat of Tibet’s government — at its peak home to as many as 10,000 monks, and a site of deep significance to Tibetan religion, culture, and education.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit Sera Monastery, one of the great Gelug-school university monasteries. Sera is best known for its lively monastic debates, held daily except Sundays between 3 and 5 pm, where monks test their understanding of Buddhist philosophy through animated question-and-answer exchanges. Your guide will explain how this debate tradition works and its role in a monk’s academic training.
In the evening, you’ll join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.
Meals: Breakfast and Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: Lhasa
Lhasa City Tour — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street
The morning is dedicated to the Potala Palace, Lhasa’s most iconic landmark and the traditional residence of the Dalai Lamas. Originally built in the 7th century under King Songtsen Gampo, the palace has been continuously restored over the centuries and remains remarkably well preserved, its many chambers forming what feels like a small world of its own.
From there, you’ll head to Jokhang Temple, the most sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism and the destination every Tibetan pilgrim hopes to visit at least once in their lifetime. Surrounding it is Barkhor Street, a circular pilgrim pathway that draws a constant stream of the devout walking its kora. Beyond its spiritual role, Barkhor also functions as a lively market street, ideal for picking up souvenirs and gifts.
To close the day, your guide will take you to one of Lhasa’s traditional sweet tea houses, where you can sit among local Tibetans over a cup of sweet tea while learning more about everyday Tibetan life and social customs.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Lhasa
Lhasa to Shigatse via Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier & Gyantse (3,840m) — 360 km, 7 hrs
Today marks the start of the journey toward Everest, with three major stops along the way. The drive first climbs to Gampala Pass (4,790m), where you’ll get your first view of Yamdrok Lake (4,400m), one of Tibet’s three holiest lakes. Ringed by snow-capped peaks and overlooked by the towering Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7,191m), the lake is stunning from nearly every angle. You’ll drive along its shore for about half an hour, with the chance to stop, touch the water, and take photos, before lunch at a local Tibetan family’s home near the lake’s far end.
Next comes Karola Glacier, sitting at 5,100 meters with sweeping views of the Nyenchen Kangsar glacier — a brief but worthwhile photo stop.
The route then passes through Gyantse, nicknamed the “Hero City” for its role in Tibetan history and known today for its well-preserved traditional architecture. After some time here for photos, the drive continues through barley fields and farmland to Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shigatse
Shigatse to Everest Base Camp (5,200m) — 340 km, 7–8 hrs
An early start takes you toward Shegar, with your first sight of Everest possible from Gyatsola Pass (5,280m), weather permitting. Lunch is in Shegar, the last town before entering the Everest region.
In the afternoon, you’ll enter Mount Everest National Nature Reserve and climb to Gawula Pass (5,250m), where five of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks come into view: Everest itself (8,844m), along with Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma. At Tashi Zong Village, you’ll switch to the local sightseeing shuttle bus for the final hour to Everest Base Camp, arriving in the late afternoon in time for sunset, conditions permitting.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tent guesthouse at E.B.C. or monastery guesthouse near Rongbuk
Everest Base Camp to Shigatse via Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint — 340 km, 7 hrs
If skies are clear, the morning offers a chance to watch sunrise light up Everest’s peak. Afterward, you’ll visit Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world at 5,154 meters, home to a community of monks and nuns living side by side.
The return route to Shigatse takes a different path via Dinggye County, stopping at Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint for further views of Everest and neighboring Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak. This area is also home to a wetland at Everest’s base that transforms into rolling sand dunes during the winter months. A brief stop in Sakya lets you explore its ancient ruins before continuing on to Shigatse.
In the evening, your guide will bring the group to a Langma Hall, a traditional Tibetan performance venue, for dinner alongside live Tibetan dance and music to celebrate the Everest journey.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Shigatse
Shigatse to Bange via Northern Tibetan Grasslands & Serling Tso Lake — 570 km, 7–8 hrs (Breakfast)
Today’s long overland drive heads into the remote heart of northern Tibet, crossing the Qiangtang Grasslands — one of the largest alpine grassland ecosystems on Earth. The landscape opens into vast plains, rolling hills, and distant snow ranges, with herds of yaks and sheep grazing freely and, with luck, sightings of wild Tibetan antelope.
Later in the day, you’ll reach Serling Tso, Tibet’s largest lake, sitting at roughly 4,700 meters. Its enormous, still waters stretch toward the horizon, offering a powerful sense of scale and solitude rarely experienced elsewhere. After time at the lakeshore, the drive continues to Bange County (Baingoin) for the night.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bange
Bange to Damxung via Namtso Lake — 280 km, 5–6 hrs
Leaving Bange, the drive to Namtso Lake crosses quiet, sparsely populated high-altitude landscapes. A stop at Lagen La Pass (5,190m) provides a panoramic view down onto the lake before you arrive.
At Namtso, you’ll visit Tashi Dor Peninsula, where you can walk among prayer flags and small meditation caves while taking in views of the lake framed by the Nyenchen Tanglha mountain range — one of the best spots to experience Namtso up close. In the afternoon, you’ll drive back to Damxung for the night.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Damxung
Damxung to Lhasa — 180 km, 3 hrs
A shorter, more relaxed driving day brings you back to Lhasa along the express highway in about three hours. Once back in the city, you’ll have the option to try a traditional Tibetan medical spa treatment (optional, no extra charge), a relaxing way to recover from the days of travel.
The rest of the afternoon is free to explore on your own — many travelers use the time to wander Barkhor Street, take in the old town atmosphere, and pick up any last souvenirs. In the evening, the group gathers for a farewell dinner to mark the end of the journey together.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Lhasa
Departure from Lhasa
After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station for your onward journey, bringing the tour to a close.
Meals: Breakfast
Dates & Prices
| Month | Date | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul | 2026-07 | $ 1370 | Book now |
| Aug | 2026-08 | $ 1370 | Book now |
| Sep | 2026-09 | $ 1315 | Book now |
| 2026-09-25 | $ 1370 | Book now | |
| Oct | 2026-10 | $ 1370 | Book now |
| 2026-10-15 | $ 1270 | Book now | |
| Nov | 2026-11 | $ 1240 | Book now |
| Dec | 2026-12 | $ 1240 | Book now |
| Jan | 2027-01 | $ 1240 | Book now |
| Feb | 2027-02 | $ 1240 | Book now |
| Mar | 2027-03 | $ 1270 | Book now |
| Apr | 2027-04 | $ 1270 | Book now |
| May | 2027-05 | $ 1270 | Book now |
| Jun | 2027-06 | $ 1270 | Book now |
You are consulting 2025-04-12 10-Day Lhasa, Everest & Namtso Lake Group Tour
Fee Description
Tour Notes
Prices are quoted in CNY (Chinese Yuan).
Free Train Station Transfers: Complimentary pick-up and drop-off is included.
Free Airport Drop-off: Three scheduled shuttles run daily from Lhasa city to the airport, departing at 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM, and 12:00 PM.
Free Airport Pick-up: Four scheduled shuttles run daily from the airport to Lhasa city, departing at 10:00 AM, 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM, and 6:30 PM.
What’s Included
- All required government taxes and fees
- All required Tibet permits and domestic travel documents
- Private ground transport by clean, air-conditioned sedan, minivan, or coach, based on group size (luxury upgrade available on request)
- Admission tickets for all attractions included in the itinerary
- Professional licensed English-speaking local Tibetan guide (other languages, including Spanish, German, and Japanese, available on request)
- Accommodation in standard 4-star hotels throughout the trip (specific hotels of the same standard cannot be requested; based on double occupancy; hotel upgrades available for an additional fee).
- Lodging at E.B.C. at either Rongbuk Monastery’s Guest House or the E.B.C. Tent Guest House (dormitory bed with semi-private bathroom)
- Welcome dinner
What’s Excluded
- Personal expenses such as laundry, drinks, internet access, fax, and telephone calls
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Flight or train tickets to and from Lhasa (booking service available on request)
- Private transfers outside free shuttle hours in Lhasa (250 CNY for the train station, 400 CNY for the airport)
