9-Day Lhasa, Everest Base Camp & Namtso Lake Small-Group Tour, Lhasa

About this activity

Nine days from the monasteries of Lhasa to the foot of Everest, finishing at Namtso, one of Tibet's great sacred lakes. Three nights in Lhasa ease you into the altitude: a hands-on workshop in incense-making and woodblock printing, the debating monks of Sera Monastery, the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. The road west crosses the Kamba La above turquoise Yamdrok Lake and passes the Karola Glacier to Shigatse. Then over the Gawu La, where five 8,000-meter peaks line the skyline in clear weather, to Rongbuk Monastery and a night at Everest Base Camp. After Tashilhunpo Monastery and the drive back to Lhasa, the last full day goes to Namtso, reached over the 5,190-meter Laken La once you are well acclimatized. Shared group on fixed dates, with an English-speaking licensed guide, a licensed tourist vehicle and all Tibet permits arranged. Hotels in Lhasa and Shigatse are 4-star with oxygen supply. A 7-day option without Namtso is also available.

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At a glance

Duration: 9 days
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 12 people
People per booking: 1–12
Guide: English
Operated by: Tibet Trails

Ages: Children (8–11 years) · Adults (12–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: English-speaking licensed guide (also speaks Chinese for mixed groups)
Included: Government fees: Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and military permit where required
Included: Daily breakfast, a Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal in Lhasa and a hot-pot lunch at Yamdrok
Included: Shared licensed tourist vehicle and driver
Included: Shared airport or railway station transfers on the first and last day
Included: Lunch
Included: 1 night in the Everest Base Camp tent camp (Everest Town guesthouse in winter)
Included: Breakfast
Included: Entrance fees: For all sites, including the eco-buses at Everest Base Camp and Namtso
Included: Travel accident insurance
Included: Portable oxygen bottle per person, emergency oxygen in the vehicle, daily bottled water
Included: 4-star hotels with oxygen supply in Lhasa (5 nights) and Shigatse (2 nights), twin share

Not included

Not included: Flights or trains to and from Lhasa
Not included: Chinese visa
Not included: Meals: Lunches and dinners other than those listed
Not included: Personal expenses
Not included: Tips for guide and driver
Not included: Costs arising from force majeure - weather, road or permit closures

Itinerary

Day 1 · Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m)

Lhasa Railway Station

one hour

You are met at Lhasa railway station or Gonggar Airport and taken to your hotel. Keep the rest of the day easy so your body can adjust to the altitude: drink plenty of water, skip alcohol and rest. Your guide confirms the next morning's start time in the evening.

Overnight in Lhasa, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 2 · Tibetan crafts and the debate at Sera

Sera Monastery

2 hours Admission included

At a handicraft center you make Tibetan incense, print from a carved woodblock and see your name written in Tibetan script. In the afternoon you visit Sera Monastery, one of Lhasa's three great monasteries, where monks debate Buddhist philosophy in the courtyard from around 3 pm (no debate on Sundays).

Overnight in Lhasa, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 3 · Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple

Potala Palace

2 hours Admission included

Visit the Potala Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lamas, on a timed ticket. Then see the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple in Tibet, and walk the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it. A Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal is included. The Potala is closed on Mondays; on that day the Lhasa visits are reordered.
Jokhang Temple

1 h 30 min Admission included

The most sacred temple in Tibet, with the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it.

Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal

Overnight in Lhasa, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 4 · Yamdrok Lake and the Karola Glacier to Shigatse (3,850 m)

Yamdrok Yumtso Lake

one hour Admission included

Drive about 370 km west. From the Kamba La pass (4,790 m) you look down on turquoise Yamdrok Lake, and lunch is a mini hot pot with a view of the water. You continue past the Karola Glacier and the farmland of Gyantse to Shigatse.
Karo La Glacier

Passing by

The road passes beneath the glacier on the way to Shigatse.

Hot pot at Yamdrok Lake

Overnight in Shigatse, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 5 · Gawu La, Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp (5,200 m)

Rongbuk Monastery

one hour Admission included

Cross the Gawu La (5,198 m), where five 8,000-meter peaks line the horizon in clear weather. The last 50 km to base camp are by eco-bus, so keep warm clothes and essentials with you. Visit Rongbuk Monastery, which looks straight at the north face of Everest, and spend the night at base camp.
Mount Everest Base Camp

2 hours Admission included

A night at base camp (5,200 m), beneath the north face of Everest.

Overnight in Everest Base Camp tent camp (winter: Everest Town guesthouse)

Day 6 · Everest at sunrise, the Gyatso La, back to Shigatse

Mount Everest Base Camp

1 h 30 min Admission included

If the sky is clear, walk to the viewpoint at dawn and watch the sun reach the summit. Return by eco-bus to Everest Town and drive back to Shigatse, stopping at the Gyatso La (5,248 m), where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu are all visible.

Overnight in Shigatse, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 7 · Tashilhunpo Monastery, back to Lhasa

Stop 1

2 hours Admission included

Visit Tashilhunpo, founded in 1447 and seat of the Panchen Lamas, with its giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha. Then drive about 270 km east to Lhasa. Occasionally the group stays in Damxung, on the Namtso road, instead; no sightseeing is dropped.

Overnight in Lhasa, 4-star hotel (or similar); occasionally in Damxung

Day 8 · Day trip to Namtso Lake (4,718 m)

Lake Namtso

3 hours Admission included

Drive north through herding country beneath the Nyenchen Tanglha range and over the Laken La (5,190 m) to Namtso, one of Tibet's sacred lakes. Walk on the Tashi Dor peninsula among small monasteries and rock formations, then return to Lhasa. If snow closes the road in winter, the day goes to Ganden or Tsurphu Monastery instead.

Overnight in Lhasa, 4-star hotel (or similar)

Day 9 · Depart Lhasa

Lhasa Railway Station

one hour

After breakfast, shared transfer to Lhasa railway station or Gonggar Airport.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Lhasa Airport

On Day 1 your Tibetan guide meets your arriving flight or train at Lhasa and transfers you to your hotel. After booking, please share your flight or train arrival details and your Lhasa hotel so we can confirm the exact pickup time. The final day includes a transfer back to Lhasa airport or railway station for your departure.

Using your ticket

Present your voucher (on your phone or printed) to your guide at the meeting point. Your guide carries your Tibet Travel Permit and all included site entrance tickets, so no separate tickets are required.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

If you cancel	You get back
At least 6 days before	100%
At least 2 days before	50%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Send a passport scan and your Chinese visa as soon as you book. The Tibet permits are applied for about four weeks before arrival.
These are shared group tours (up to 12 travelers). The guide or vehicle may change during the trip.
The Potala Palace is closed on Mondays, so the order of sightseeing may change.
Luggage: one suitcase (26 in max) and one small backpack per person.
Free shared transfers cover any train, flights arriving 08:00–22:00 and flights departing 08:30–22:30.
March is a sensitive month for foreign groups. If a departure cannot run for policy reasons, the tour price is refunded.
High-altitude trip (up to 5,248 m). Travelers with heart or lung conditions should consult a doctor.

Options

7-Day Lhasa & EBC (no Namtso)

4-star hotels + Everest stay: 4-star hotels with oxygen: Lhasa 3 nights, Shigatse 2. Everest: base-camp tent, or Everest Town guesthouse in winter.

Duration: 7 days: 7 days / 6 nights: Lhasa 3 nights, Shigatse 2, Everest 1. No Gyantse or Namtso; ends in Lhasa on Day 7.

Breakfast + 2 specialty meals: Daily breakfast; a Tibetan or Nepali meal in Lhasa; mini hot pot lunch at Yamdrok Lake. Other meals not included.

Lhasa, Shigatse & Everest BC: Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Shigatse, Rongbuk, EBC, Gyatso La, Tashilhunpo, Lhasa. No Gyantse or Namtso.

Shared tourist vehicle: Licensed 7-26 seat vehicle shared with the group. In Lhasa, with fewer than 4 guests, the guide may use a taxi (fare paid).

Pickup included
9-Day Lhasa, Everest Base Camp & Namtso Lake

Pickup included