8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour with Everest Base Camp

Potala-durbar- Palace-at-Nightview-Lhasa-Tibet

Overview

Cross the Himalaya by road from Nepal into Tibet and stand face to face with the north face of Mount Everest. The 8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour with Everest Base Camp (7 nights / 8 days) drives from Kathmandu to the Rasuwagadhi–Kerung border, spends a day acclimatising in the forested Gyirong valley, and then crosses the Tibetan plateau past Peiku Tso and Shishapangma to Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) and Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. From Gawu La Pass you see five 8,000 m peaks in one panorama. The journey continues to Shigatse and the Tashilhunpo Monastery, via Gyantse, the Karo La Glacier and the turquoise Yamdrok Lake to Lhasa, where you visit the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street, and watch the monks debate at Sera Monastery.

The tour runs in small groups with a licensed Tibetan guide and a comfortable tourist van or minibus. Hotels are 3- to 4-star, many locally run by Tibetan families, with breakfast daily, a farmhouse lunch at Yamdrok, a dinner with Tibetan song and dance in Shigatse, a welcome dinner in Lhasa and a sweet-tea break in a Lhasa teahouse. The Tibet Travel Permit, entrance fees, the Everest environmental bus, oxygen on board and high-altitude insurance are included.

Hotels (or similar)

Place	Hotel	Nights
Rasuwagadhi / Timure (Nepal border)	River Bank Hotel or similar	1
Gyirong	Pencuo Kangsang Hotel or similar	1
Tingri	Tingri Everest Hotel or similar	1
Shigatse	Shigayagcha Hotel or similar	1
Lhasa	Xinding Hotel Lhasa or similar	3

Why choose this tour?

Overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa via the north side of Everest.
A rest day at 2,800 m in Gyirong for gradual acclimatisation.
Permit, entrance fees, oxygen and altitude insurance included.

Who is it for?

Adventurous travellers in good health who want to see Everest and Tibet without trekking. The altitude (up to 5,200 m) makes it moderately demanding; not recommended for people with serious heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions or for pregnant women. Best from April to October.

ITINERARY IN BRIEF WITH LOCATION MAP

Trip Facts

Tour Code: PTT-TB-OV-08
Duration: 8 Days
Program Type: Group Tour
Maximum Altitude: 5,200 m (Everest Base Camp, Tibet)
Minimum Pax: 2
Mode of Travel: Jeep, Tourist van/coach
Start Trip: Kathmandu
End Trip: Lhasa
Program Grading: Easy

Trip at a Glance

Day 01: Drive Kathmandu – Rasuwagadhi (Nepal–China border) (about 130 km, 7 hours)
Day 02: Cross into Tibet at Kerung – acclimatisation day in the Gyirong valley
Day 03: Gyirong – Peiku Tso and Shishapangma – Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Monastery – Gawu La – Tingri (about 410 km, 8 hours)
Day 04: Tingri – Lhatse – Shigatse (about 240 km, 5 hours) – Tashilhunpo Monastery – dinner with Tibetan song and dance
Day 05: Shigatse – Gyantse Pelkor Chode – Karo La Glacier – Yamdrok Lake farmhouse lunch – Lhasa (about 360 km, 8 hours)
Day 06: Lhasa – Drepung Monastery – Sera Monastery monks' debate – welcome dinner
Day 07: Lhasa – Potala Palace – Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street – sweet tea in a Tibetan teahouse
Day 08: Transfer to Lhasa airport or railway station – departure

Trip Highlights

Overland drive from Kathmandu across the Himalaya into Tibet
Acclimatisation day in the green Gyirong valley
Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) and Rongbuk Monastery
Gawu La Pass panorama of five 8,000 m peaks
Tashilhunpo Monastery, Gyantse Kumbum, Karo La Glacier and Yamdrok Lake
Monks' debate at Sera and Drepung Monastery
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street

Itinerary in Details

Day 01Drive Kathmandu – Rasuwagadhi (Nepal–China border) (about 130 km, 7 hours)
Drive about 7 hours | Altitude: 1,400–1,800 m | Overnight: border town (River Bank Hotel or similar)

Our staff escort you by jeep from Kathmandu north through the Trishuli valley and Langtang foothills to the border at Rasuwagadhi. The road is bumpy in places, but the forests and snow peaks are beautiful. Stay overnight near the border ready to cross into Tibet the next morning.
- OvernightSyabrubesi
- CountryChina
- Highest PointRasuwagadhi Border
- Altitude1,800m / 5,906ft
- Travel ModeDrive: 130 km / 7 hr
- Places VisitedSyabrubesi, Rasuwagadhi Border
Day 02Cross into Tibet at Kerung – acclimatisation day in the Gyirong valley
Altitude: about 2,800 m | Overnight: Gyirong (Pencuo Kangsang Hotel or similar)

Our Nepali staff accompany you through the border formalities, where your Tibetan guide meets you. Spend the day adjusting to the altitude in the green Gyirong valley, crossing the great chain bridge over the canyon, walking through Sherpa and Tibetan villages and enjoying views of snow peaks above the forests.
- OvernightKerung (Gyirong)
- CountryChina
- Highest PointKerung (Gyirong)
- Altitude2,700m / 8,858ft
- Travel ModeDrive: 25 km / 1 hr
- Places VisitedKerung (Gyirong)
- MealsBreakfast
Day 03Gyirong – Peiku Tso and Shishapangma – Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Monastery – Gawu La – Tingri (about 410 km, 8 hours)
Drive about 8 hours | Highest point: Everest Base Camp, about 5,200 m | Overnight: Tingri, about 4,300 m (Tingri Everest Hotel or similar)

Climb onto the Tibetan plateau past the lake of Peiku Tso beneath Shishapangma (8,027 m). Enter the Everest National Nature Reserve and take the environmental bus to Everest Base Camp, facing the vast north face of Everest, and visit Rongbuk Monastery. On the way out stop at Gawu La Pass (5,198 m) for the panorama of Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. To protect your health, the night is spent lower down at Tingri.
- OvernightTingri
- CountryChina
- Highest PointEverest Base Camp (Tibet)
- Altitude5,200m / 17,060ft
- Travel ModeDrive: 410 km / 8 hr
- Places VisitedPeiku Tso, Shishapangma View Point, Everest Base Camp (Tibet), Rongbuk Monastery, Gawu La Pass, Tingri
- MealsBreakfast
Day 04Tingri – Lhatse – Shigatse (about 240 km, 5 hours) – Tashilhunpo Monastery – dinner with Tibetan song and dance
Drive about 5 hours | Altitude: 3,850 m | Overnight: Shigatse (dinner with song and dance performance)

Drive east via Lhatse to Shigatse, Tibet's second city. In the afternoon visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lamas, with the world's largest gilded copper statue of the Future Buddha and the tombs of past Panchen Lamas. In the evening enjoy dinner with a Tibetan song and dance show.
- OvernightShigatse
- CountryChina
- Travel ModeDrive: 240 km / 5 hr
- Places VisitedLhatse, Shigatse, Tashilhunpo Monastery
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
Day 05Shigatse – Gyantse Pelkor Chode – Karo La Glacier – Yamdrok Lake farmhouse lunch – Lhasa (about 360 km, 8 hours)
Drive about 8 hours | Highest point: Karo La / Kamba La, about 5,000 m | Overnight: Lhasa, 3,650 m (Xinding Hotel or similar)

Cross the barley fields to Gyantse to visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery and its great Kumbum stupa with thousands of Buddha images. Pass beneath the Karo La Glacier, which spills down from Nojin Kangsang (7,191 m) almost to the road, then drive along the shore of turquoise Yamdrok Lake for a farmhouse lunch with a local family and the classic view from Kamba La, before descending to Lhasa and your first sight of the Potala Palace.
- OvernightLhasa
- CountryChina
- Highest PointKamba La Pass
- Altitude4,990m / 16,371ft
- Travel ModeDrive: 90 km / 1 hr / 30 min · Drive: 270 km / 6 hr
- Places VisitedGyantse, Pelkor Chode & Kumbum, Karo La Glacier, Yamdrok Lake, Kamba La Pass, Lhasa
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch
Day 06Lhasa – Drepung Monastery – Sera Monastery monks' debate – welcome dinner
Sightseeing | Overnight: Lhasa (welcome dinner)

Visit Drepung, once the largest monastery in the world, with its assembly halls, colleges and the monks' kitchen. In the afternoon watch the lively monks' debate in the courtyard of Sera Monastery (about 3 pm, except Sundays and some holidays). In the evening your guide takes you to a local restaurant for dinner.
- OvernightLhasa
- CountryChina
- Travel ModeDrive: 25 km / 6 hr
- Places VisitedDrepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
Day 07Lhasa – Potala Palace – Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street – sweet tea in a Tibetan teahouse
Sightseeing | Overnight: Lhasa

Climb the steps of the Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, to see its halls, chapels and golden tomb stupas. Join the pilgrims in the park below, then visit the Jokhang Temple, Tibet's holiest shrine, and walk the Barkhor kora. End the day with a cup of sweet tea in a local teahouse.
- OvernightLhasa
- CountryChina
- Highest PointPotala Palace
- Altitude3,700m / 12,139ft
- Travel ModeDrive: 10 km / 6 hr
- Places VisitedPotala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
- MealsBreakfast
Day 08Transfer to Lhasa airport or railway station – departure
Transfer about 1 hour | End of tour

After breakfast, our guide and driver take you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport (about 1 hour) or the Lhasa railway station for your onward journey – flights connect to Kathmandu, Chengdu and other Chinese cities, and trains run across the plateau to Xining and beyond.

Say goodbye to Tibet with memories of Everest’s north face, turquoise lakes and the golden roofs of the Potala Palace.
- CountryChina
- Travel ModeDrive: 65 km / 1 hr
- MealsBreakfast

Altitude Chart of 8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour with Everest Base Camp

Total Driving Time: 21h 30m Total Travel Distance: 1,035 km

Driving distance & time shown here are approximate — for city tours the exact distance/duration can vary and isn't always measurable.

Highest point: 17,060 ft / 5,200 m — Day 03 · Gyirong – Peiku Tso and Shishapangma – Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Monastery – Gawu La – Tingri (about 410 km, 8 hours)

Services Included

Jeep transfer from Kathmandu to the Rasuwagadhi border with staff assistance
Tibet Travel Permit and related permits
7 nights in 3–4-star hotels and local guesthouses with daily breakfast
Meals as listed: farmhouse lunch at Yamdrok Lake, dinner with Tibetan song and dance in Shigatse, welcome dinner in Lhasa and a tea break in a Lhasa teahouse
Licensed English-speaking Tibetan guide
Comfortable tourist van (2–5 travellers) or minibus (6–13 travellers) with driver
Entrance fees to the sites listed, and the Everest environmental bus
Medical oxygen on board for high-altitude sections
Travel accident and high-altitude sickness insurance (within China)
Transfer from your Lhasa hotel to the airport or railway station
Tibetan gifts and travel map

Services Excluded

Chinese group visa fee (issued in Kathmandu)
Flights or trains out of Lhasa
Single room supplement
Meals not listed in the itinerary
Tips for guide and driver (about USD 7 per person per day is suggested)
Travel insurance outside China and personal expenses

Trip Notes

Notes for this tour

Altitude: Lhasa lies at 3,650 m. Take the first day easy, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and strenuous activity, and tell your guide at once about headache, nausea or breathlessness. Consult your doctor before travelling if you have heart, lung or blood-pressure problems.
Visa and permits: travellers entering Tibet from Nepal need a Chinese group visa (issued in Kathmandu – please arrive at least 3 working days before departure; the Chinese Embassy works Monday to Friday) and a Tibet Travel Permit, which we arrange. Send a clear passport scan at least 3–4 weeks before travel. Travellers from mainland China use their Chinese visa plus the Tibet permit.
Guide and rules: foreigners in Tibet must travel with a licensed Tibetan guide on a fixed itinerary. Photography is not allowed inside most chapels, and permits can occasionally be suspended at short notice by the authorities.
Climate: days are sunny and dry but nights are cold, even in summer; bring layers, a warm jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm. April–October is the main season.
Chinese visa: for entry from Nepal you need a Chinese group visa, which we process in Kathmandu – do not apply in your home country. An existing Chinese visa is replaced by the group visa. Your passport must be valid for at least six months.
Money: only Chinese yuan is accepted in Tibet; exchange US dollars at the border or use ATMs in Shigatse and Lhasa.
Health: avoid catching a cold before travel, carry your regular medicines and vitamins, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and smoking during the first days at altitude.
Potala Palace: tickets are booked by time slot on the official system, so the order of the Lhasa days may change.
Group travel: foreigners must stay with the group and guide throughout the tour.
Flexibility: the order of visits may change because of monastery opening times, festivals, weather or permit conditions.

FAQ

April to early June and September to October are the best times, with stable weather and clear views of Everest. July and August are the rainy season on the Nepal side of the border (landslides can delay the drive) but pleasant in Tibet. November to March is cold and dry with very clear skies; some EBC facilities close in winter. Tibet is usually closed to foreign tourists for part of February–March around Tibetan New Year and sensitive dates.

The grade is easy, with a maximum altitude of about 5,200 m. Most healthy travellers manage well, but please take care at high altitude and consult your doctor if you have heart or breathing problems. Children and seniors are welcome with sensible precautions.

No technical skills are needed, but you should be in good health and able to walk for several hours a day on uneven mountain trails. Regular walking, hiking and cardio exercise in the weeks before your trip will make it much more enjoyable.

Yes. Travel insurance covering trekking at the maximum altitude of your itinerary, including emergency helicopter evacuation and medical treatment, is mandatory for all trekkers.

Yes, porters are included as stated in the package (normally one porter for two trekkers, carrying up to about 20–25 kg in total). You carry only a small daypack with water, camera, snacks and a warm layer. Extra luggage can be left safely at your hotel.

Jeep transfer from Kathmandu to the Rasuwagadhi border with staff assistance; Tibet Travel Permit and related permits; 7 nights in 3–4-star hotels and local guesthouses with daily breakfast; Meals as listed: farmhouse lunch at Yamdrok Lake, dinner with Tibetan song and dance in Shigatse, welcome dinner in Lhasa and a tea break in a Lhasa teahouse; Licensed English-speaking Tibetan guide; Comfortable tourist van (2–5 travellers) or minibus (6–13 travellers) with driver; Entrance fees to the sites listed, and the Everest environmental bus; Medical oxygen on board for high-altitude sections; and more – see the full Includes list.

Chinese group visa fee (issued in Kathmandu); Flights or trains out of Lhasa; Single room supplement; Meals not listed in the itinerary; Tips for guide and driver (about USD 7 per person per day is suggested); Travel insurance outside China and personal expenses.

This package includes 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners, as marked on each day of the itinerary. Other meals are at your own cost; your guide will recommend good local restaurants, and vegetarian, vegan and other dietary needs can be catered for.

Yes. We run this tour privately for your group on the dates you choose, and we can tailor it – add extra nights, change or upgrade hotels, add activities, flights or a guide in your language (Russian, German, French, Spanish, Chinese or Hindi on request). Just send us your wishes.

A deposit of 20–30% is required to confirm your booking, with the balance due before or on arrival. Visa invitation letters, where required, are issued only after the deposit has been received. You can enquire through this page, email pigeontravel@gmail.com or contact us on WhatsApp, and we will confirm availability and send a booking confirmation.

30 or more days before departure: full refund minus deposit. 15–29 days before departure: 50% refund. Less than 15 days before departure: no refund. Please see the Cancellation Policy section for full details.

Children under 5 travel free, sharing with parents. Children aged 5–11 receive a discounted rate. Children 12 and above are charged the full adult rate.

Cancellation Policy

30 or more days before departure: full refund minus deposit. 15–29 days before departure: 50% refund. Less than 15 days before departure: no refund.

Booking Policy

A deposit of 20–30% is required to confirm your booking, with the balance due before or on arrival. Visa invitation letters, where required, are issued only after the deposit has been received.

Child Policy

Children under 5 travel free, sharing with parents. Children aged 5–11 receive a discounted rate. Children 12 and above are charged the full adult rate.

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8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour with Everest Base Camp