8-Day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Tibet Tour: Jokhang Temple+Sera Monastery+Yamdrok

Arrival in Lhasa (3,595m)

Upon arrival at Lhasa Airport or the train station, you’ll be greeted by your Tibetan guide. From the airport, it’s about a 68 km, roughly one-hour drive into the city, following the Brahmaputra and Lhasa rivers through striking plateau scenery, with a good chance of spotting black-necked cranes, wild ducks, and other bird species along the way. Travelers arriving by train typically land in the late afternoon or evening, with just a 20-minute transfer to the hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is reserved for rest to help your body adjust to the altitude.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa.

Lhasa City Sightseeing — Potala Palace & Jokhang Temple

Your first sightseeing day in Lhasa is kept intentionally light to ease the adjustment to altitude, focused on two essential sites. Jokhang Temple, built in the 7th century, sits at the heart of Lhasa’s old town and is considered the most sacred shrine in Tibet; the circular pilgrim path around it, Barkhor Street, doubles as one of the city’s best spots for souvenir shopping. Potala Palace, Tibet’s most recognizable landmark, was long the residence of the successive Dalai Lamas and remains a vast complex containing what feels like a self-contained world. Both sites draw constant streams of pilgrims prostrating and circling in devotion.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa.

Lhasa Sightseeing — Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery & Norbulingka

Today covers three more of Lhasa’s key sites. Drepung and Sera are both Gelug (“Yellow Hat”) sect monastic colleges — Drepung once served as the seat of Tibet’s government before the Potala Palace was built, and at its peak was the largest monastery in the world, home to some 10,000 monks. Sera Monastery is known for its lively philosophical debate sessions, where monks challenge one another with sharp gestures and clapping, a tradition well worth witnessing firsthand.

The day also includes a visit to Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama’s traditional summer palace, where you can explore the residences built by different generations of the lineage. During the Shoton (Yogurt) Festival each August, the surrounding park fills with picnicking locals and traditional festivities.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa.

Lhasa to Shigatse via Yamdrok Lake & Gyantse — 360 km, 7 hrs

The day begins with a climb to Kampala Pass (4,794m) for your first view of Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet’s three holy lakes, its turquoise, pincer-shaped waters set against the backdrop of Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. From Karo La Pass, you’ll also catch striking views of the Nyenchen Khangsar glacier.

Continuing along the southern Friendship Highway, you’ll reach Gyantse to visit the Gyantse Kumbum, a multi-tiered stupa regarded as one of Tibet’s most remarkable architectural achievements. In the late afternoon, the drive continues to Shigatse for the night.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight in Shigatse.

Shigatse to Everest Base Camp via Rongbuk Monastery — 340 km, 7 hrs

An early departure takes you toward Rongphu via Lhatse and Shegar, crossing Gyatsola Pass (5,200m) and Gawula Pass (5,250m). From the top of Gawula, five towering Himalayan peaks come into view side by side: Makalu (8,463m), Lhotse (8,516m), Everest (8,844m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), and Shishapangma (8,020m). The road then winds down through numerous switchbacks into the dry valley of Tashi Zom before reaching Everest Base Camp.

Along the way, you’ll pass Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in Tibet, home to both monks and nuns, and still one of the best vantage points for viewing Everest.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Local tent guesthouse or Rongbuk Monastery guesthouse (dorm bed)

Everest Base Camp to Shigatse via Shegar — 340 km, 6–7 hrs

The morning brings a chance to watch sunrise over Everest and take in the full sweep of the mountain. Due to current regulations, Rongbuk is now the highest point regular tourists can reach for an unobstructed view of Everest. After a relaxed breakfast, you’ll begin the drive back to Shigatse.

Accommodation: Overnight in Shigatse.

Shigatse to Lhasa — 300 km, 6 hrs

The morning is spent at Tashilhunpo Monastery, one of Tibet’s principal Gelug monasteries and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second most important spiritual leader. There’s plenty to explore across its many chapels and ancient artifacts, and for those interested in hiking, the kora circling the monastery offers excellent views over Shigatse and the surrounding countryside.

In the afternoon, the drive back to Lhasa follows the northern Friendship Highway, tracing the Brahmaputra River through scenic countryside the whole way.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa.

Departure from Lhasa

In the morning, you’ll be transferred to Lhasa Airport or Lhasa Railway Station for your onward journey, bringing the tour to a close.

Meals: Breakfast