Tingri to Everest Base Camp – 15 Days

Day 1: Arrive at Lasha (3660m)

We can arrange your arrival in Lhasa from anywhere. You can either join the trip from Kathmandu and fly to Lhasa or arrive in Lhasa from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, or any nearby hub. You will be met at Gonggar Airport by your Tibetan guide. After immigration formalities, you will be driven to Lhasa (3650 meters). It takes around an hour to reach the old city. After checking in at your hotel, you are advised to take a rest and take it easy. Drink plenty of fluids and let your body get used to Lhasa’s high altitude.

Note: There is no arranged program for today. You are free to relax and get acclimatized by going for a stroll down the street.

Day 2: Sightseeing in Lasha

After breakfast, you will be briefed on the day’s program. An experienced guide will take you on a tour of Sera Monastery, Norbulingka, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Square. At the famous Sera Monastery, you will get an insight into the important aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. You pay a visit to Norbulingka, the summer retreat of the Dalai Lama. Completed in 1956, the handsome building is ornately decorated with Tibetan carvings and paintings. Jokhang temple provides yet another glimpse of the rich Tibetan cultural heritage. You will also get the chance to stroll around the busy Barkhor Square, the nerve center of Lhasa. After the day’s tour, you will be escorted back to your hotel.

Day 3: Sightseeing in Lasha

After an early breakfast, you will be escorted by your guide to the majestic Potala Palace. The imposing structure of the palace dominates the landscape of Lhasa. As you are guided through the ancient chambers of the palace, you get to see the best of Tibetan art. The Potala Palace has a vast array of intricate Tibetan murals and beautiful statues.

You will also get to view the tombs of the eight Dalai Lamas. Later in the day, you will visit the beautifully landscaped Drepung Monastery where you can observe nuns and monks chanting and performing religious discourses. After the day’s tour is over, you are escorted back to your hotel for a well-earned rest.
Note: Since only a limited number of visitors are allowed inside the Potala Palace each day, the guide will decide upon the order of sightseeing places.

Day 4: Free day in Lhasa for acclimatization

This day is for you to spend as you wish. Explore and soak in the sights and sounds of the old city, revisit a favorite monastery, go souvenir hunting in the busy local market at Barkhor Square, or simply sit in a café and watch the pilgrims as they circumambulate the Jokhang.

There is also the option of an additional tour to places such as the Tibetan Medical Centre, Ganden Monastery, and Tsurphu Monastery. But this additional tour will incur an extra cost.

Day 5: Drive to Gyantse (3950m) / 261 km

As we move by jeep along the Friendship Highway you cross the Khamba La (4794m). The drive offers you stunning views of Yamdrok-to Lake and the snowy summit of Nazin Kang Sa (7252m). You continue westwards, over another high pass, the Karo La (5045m), where you are treated to the spectacular sight of a huge glacier tumbling down, within a few hundred meters of the road. After passing through beautiful valleys and colorful Tibetan villages you arrive in the town of Gyantse.

Day 6: Sightseeing & drive to Shigatse (3900m) / 90km

You will be taken on a guided tour of Gyantse Dzong and Gyantse Kumbum. The Dzong is a 14th-century fort, from where you get amazing views of Gyantse and the surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. The Kumbum is a large gold-domed stupa. It has many small chapels which house an impressive array of Tibetan Buddhist murals. We move on to Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city, which is about 90 km away.

Day 7: Sightseeing & drive to Tingri (4390m) / 304 km.

After breakfast, you will be guided to explore the local market and the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet and there is much to explore within its high surrounding walls. After a detailed visit to Shigatse, you will drive to Tingri. This is a wonderful scenic journey.

Day 8: A day for Rest at Tingri (4390m)

Today is a rest day at Tingri, to ensure proper acclimatization before you head into the total wilderness of tough Tibetan highlands. Your camping crew will set up a camp a little off the friendship highway. You get excellent views of the surrounding mountains from a small hillock near your campsite

Day 9: Trek to Lung Thang (4510m) trekking 4 hrs

The trail heads away from Tingri Plain towards Cho Oyu. As you are near the village of Chholung, a small Gompa is visible. Further on, barren plains open up. Amazingly, even in these barren fields, local villagers yield a good harvest of barley. Mostly, you will find herders in this territory. You can select a superb campsite at Lung Thang to spend the night.

Day 10: Trek to Langma La (5150m) trekking 5 hrs

As you ascend to Lamna La pass at 5150m, you may find the trail quite strenuous. But as soon as your eyes bask in the splendor of majestic vistas of surrounding mountain peaks, you will realize that this trek has indeed been very self-rewarding and worthwhile. Camping atop this pass dwarfs other materialistic pleasures.

Day 11: Trek to Zommug (5200m) trekking 5 hrs

Further away from Langma la Pass, you have to take steep descent through verdant vegetation. En route, you encounter yak herders. The trail continues towards the whitewashed walls and barren fields of Zommug village. Amazing vistas of Mount Everest and Gyachung Kang visually rejuvenate you as you enter Zommug. Since lands being infertile are unable to yield crops, local villages are largely dependent on animal husbandry for livelihood. At a superb location, you will camp for the night.

Day 12: Trek to Rongbuk (5000m) trekking 3 hrs

As the morning seeps in, you march towards Rongbuk. Within a few hours along Rongbuk Glacier, the North Face of Everest becomes visible flaunting its unparalleled beauty. Rongbuk Monastery lies ahead 15 kilometers below Everest Base Camp at an elevation of 4980 m, at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier. In a way, Rongbuk is regarded as a gateway to Mount Everest. From this outstanding location, you get breathtaking views of the magnificent Mount Everest.

Day 13: Trek to Everest Base camp (5150m) trekking 2 hrs.

 It is a 9 km walk along the dirt road to the base of Mt. Everest. The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the views of Everest more than compensate for this. It is a truly awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above you. What more can you expect from a holiday of this kind?

Day 14: Drive Base Camp to Kerung(2300m)/350km

 You take a 215 km drive from Base Camp to Kerung along Friendship Highway traversing past Pang La pass. On the way, you can halt at Tingri for lunch. Further away amidst the stunning views of Everest, Cho Oyu, and other mountain peaks, you accelerate past Lalung La Pass at 5124m and Shung La Pass at 5200m. The trail further commands far-reaching views of enchanting Shishapangma, Menlungtse, and Gauri Shankar enchant as you leave behind the arid Tibetan Plateau. The route then progresses towards the pristine and fortified town of Kerung where you can find suitable accommodation at a hotel.

Day 15: Drive from Kerung (2300m) to Kathmandu / 145km

 Heading away from Kerung, you drive for one hour to the lush and verdant vegetation of Zhangmu at 2300 meters. A few kilometers' drives follows Friendship Bridge along Bhote Koshi River to Immigration Control in Kodari. Here you depart with your Tibetan guide and after completing re-entry formalities, you return to Kathmandu. After 5 hours of driving for 145 km, you finally arrive in Kathmandu and warm soft bed at your hotel.

Visa Information

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign travelers traveling to Tibet from the territory of China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months' valid passport.

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa — enter from Nepal to Tibet after the Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with a valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be canceled when we apply for group visa (if a visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to move to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

Weather Information

The weather in Tibet is similar to that of Mainland China, though with lower temperatures due to higher altitudes. Summers have warm days with strong sunshine and cool nights, but summer days can even be chilly at higher elevations. Winters are cold but there isn't all that much snow. Lhasa enjoys a lot of sunshine even in winter. Most Tibet experiences frost at least 6 months of the year. Some high lakes are frozen from October to March. The weather varies a lot from region to region. Lhasa is an ideal destination because it is in a valley area of lower elevation.

Safety Guidelines

We recommend you go through our following safety guidelines and stay tuned with the latest happening.

• Have at least 2 copies of the Tibet Permit.
• Keep your belongings properly.
• When you feel uncomfortable due to altitude change or have any troubles, report to your guide promptly.
• Never rush to visit attractions shortly after you arrive in Lhasa.
• Shop around but avoid undue bargaining with street vendors and never buy wildlife and unknown Tibetan herbal medicine and fake products.
• Take your money and important belongings with you all the time.
• Spend a few days in Lhasa for acclimation and always follow a gradual ascent when traveling to higher places to avoid altitude sickness.
• Refrain from heavy drinking and smoking.
• Respect the religion, and customs and avoid taboos in Tibet.
• Pay special attention to the unique alpine climate (such as sunburn, dramatic temperature change, etc.)
• Keep necessary medicines at the consult of your doctor.
• Never travel alone at night or venture into unknown places without informing your guide.
• In most places, cash is only accepted. Do prepare enough and small changes.
• If an emergency arises, report it to your guide promptly.
• Don’t carry any documents or papers related to Dalai Lama or free Tibet.
• We also recommend not carrying any guidebook to Tibet.

1. Where is Tibet?

Tibet is situated toward the southwest of China, likewise bordering India, Nepal, Burma, and Bhutan. Tibet's three original provinces are U-Tsang, Kham, and Amdo. The general population in these locales all thinks about themselves as Tibetan, although everyone has a solid identity and diverse tongues of Tibetan is used.

Under China's occupation, Tibet has been partitioned up, renamed, and joined into Chinese territories, with little reference to the original borders between Tibet's areas. At the point when China refers to Tibet, it implies the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR, which incorporates just U-Tsang and part of Kham. The rest of Kham was isolated amongst Sichuan and Yunnan Chinese areas. Amdo was partitioned between Gansu, Sichuan, and Qinghai territories. The region covers a region of around 1.22 million km2, which represents 12.8% of the aggregate of China. The pristine snow-capped view and inescapable Tibetan Buddhism environment and simple access to its neighboring nation Nepal make Tibet rank high on the movement travel bucket list. Its unmistakable geography and land area enable it to share the world's most amazing mountaineering and trekking asset with its neighbor nation Nepal.

2. What is the time difference in Tibet?

Tibet  Standard Time ( IST ) is 0800 hours (6 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).

3. How can I obtain a Visa?

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign travelers traveling to Tibet from the territory of China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months' valid passport.

China Visa or Tibet Group Visa

To enter Tibet using Mainland China, right off the bat, you have to apply China visa for entry to China. Tibet is a part of China, under the Chinese Central Government's Sovereignty. Therefore to travel from China to Tibet, you need to acquire a China Visa at the first stage before all are followed up. Visas for individual travel in China are very easy to get from most Chinese embassies. Most Chinese embassies and consulates will issue a standard 30-day, single-passage visitor visa in three to five working days (an 'L' Visa means to travel). If you are lucky, some embassies abroad may give you 60 or even 90 days. However, in Hong Kong it is very easy to get a 90-day visa; most agencies can organize it in one day. If you need greater adaptability to enter and leave China a few times, most Chinese embassies will issue a double-entry visa. Indeed, for individuals who are to work, study or live temporarily in China, you may require other related China Visa, for example, an "F" Visa, "X" Visa, or "Z" Visa, and so on. All these sorts of visa holders can go to Tibet with Tibet entry permits and other travel permits which can be obtained by a neighborhood travel agency in Tibet with strict and serious procedures.

4. How to enter Tibet?

By Road: There are five main highways in Tibet, to be specific:

Sichuan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and Lhasa.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – it runs between Xining, the capital city of Qinghai, to Lhasa.

Yunnan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Yunnan territory and Tibet.

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway – it runs crosswise over boundless deserts and lofty and steep peaks.

The China-Nepal Highway – it is the main international highway in Tibet

By Air: Flying to Lhasa dependably requires a stopover in either China or Nepal. Lhasa Gonggar Airport is situated around 98 kilometers (around 61 miles) toward the south of Lhasa City. The main international trip to and from Tibet is between Lhasa and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

By Rail: The Gormo to Lhasa railway extends for 1,142 kilometers (710 miles) and serves as a connection between the territory of China and Tibet.

5. How is the weather in Tibet?

Since the country expands at high elevations, usually difficult to predict the climate. It is cold for the most part. Lhasa and around it is a cool, bright day during the day time however evening, night, and morning will be cold. Need to bring sufficiently warm clothes.

6. When is the best time to visit Tibet?

The Tibetan atmosphere isn't as harsh as we imagine it to be. Tibet's climate is ideal to travel from April to the start of November, and most perfect in August and September. In any case, Lhasa's climate is more clement than the rest of Tibet and is suitable to travel year-round. The sun radiation in Tibet is extremely strong. It's not for nothing that Lhasa is known as the Sunlight City. The months of May, June, and September are the primary tourist season in eastern Tibet.

7. What are the documents necessary for visiting Tibet?

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa —enter from Nepal to Tibet after the Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with a valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be canceled when we apply for group visa (if a visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to move to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

8. Can I organize a Tibet visa myself? Can I travel alone in Tibet?

Sadly, because of China's extremely strict tourism policy for Tibet, you can't get a visa independent from anyone else and it isn't conceivable to not possible to travel Tibet on your own. As an authorized travel company we can organize everything; visa, allow to permit, and all other paperwork.

9. Is altitude sickness a problem?

As Tibet is known as the Roof of the World it is one of the highest places on the earth. Due to this many visitors from lower altitude areas may suffer from altitude sickness. Most people endure minor effects of altitude sickness only including loss of appetite, headache, and a propensity to have no vitality until the point when their bodies conform to the high landscape. This adjustment can take place for a few hours and in rare cases for a few days. If visitors do some simple preparations before going to Tibet, most of the symptoms of altitude sickness can be avoided. We recommend you talk to your local physician about AMS pills to help combat altitude sickness. Your guide will be there to assist you and help you throughout the trip.

10. Are there ATM counters in Tibet?

There are ATM facilities easily available in Lhasa and Shigatse; however, it might be difficult to find one in other small towns.

11. What currency do I have to use in Tibet?

The unit of currency is the Chinese Yuan. The Bank of China can exchange all foreign currencies. The bank in Tibet /China is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Traveler’s cheques and credit cards are very difficult to be cashed outside the banks, especially outside Lhasa.

12. Is politics a problem? 

Most tourists, who stay with their tour and avoid getting engaged in the politics of the country, will not encounter issues.

13. What vaccination is recommended for Tibet travelers?

The suggested vaccination you should consider for this trip includes the following:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria & Tetanus Vaccinations
• Hepatitis A The vaccine for Hepatitis A (eg Avaxim, Havrix 1440, or VAQTA)
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza The flu vaccine
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Pneumonia A vaccine
• Polio
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

14.  Will the language barrier be there are problem?

Visitors to Tibet don't have to worry about the language barrier at all. Every visitor will have an English-talking visit guide, and most of the front work area staff in the big hotels can communicate in English. The main languages used in a part of Tibet are Chinese, Tibetan, English, and Nepali.

15. Is there internet access in Tibet for foreign travelers?

Certainly, there is web access for the foreign traveler in Tibet yet just limited areas like Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, and Tsedang where some bistro gives web offices. Moreover, hotels in some cities like Lhasa and Shigatse also provide internet facilities to their customers.