Tibet: Everest Base Camp & Namtso Lake 10-Day Tour

Ten days crossing Tibet's highest passes to Everest and the world's highest salt lake

You travel 2,000 kilometers across Tibet's highest plateaus, visiting Potala Palace, five major monasteries, two sacred lakes, and Everest Base Camp. Your Tibetan guide handles all permits and logistics; you get accommodation, meals, entrance fees, oxygen in the vehicle, and airport pickup included. The ten days move you from 3,600 to 5,200 meters and back, so book at least 20 days ahead so the tour operator can secure your Tibet Permit.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and acclimatization in Lhasa

• Arrive in Lhasa
• Meet Tibetan guide at airport or station
• Transfer to hotel in downtown Lhasa
• Enjoy scenery of Yarlung Tsangpo and Lhasa Rivers
• Rest and acclimate to high altitude

Day 2 — Lhasa city tour and cultural sites

• Visit Potala Palace
• Have lunch
• Visit Jokhang Temple
• Walk Barkhor Street and do kora
• Taste Tibetan tea in tea house
• Attend welcome dinner

Day 3 — Dadong Village and Sera Monastery visit

• Visit Dadong Village and Nyimatang Monastery
• Take light walk in village
• Visit local Tibetan family for lunch
• Visit Sera Monastery
• Watch monks debate
• Tour scripture printing house and see mandalas

Day 4 — Drive Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse

• Drive from Lhasa to Shigatse
• Pass Gampala Pass and view Yamdrok Lake
• See Karola Glacier and Manak Dam Lake
• Hang prayer flags at Simila Mountain Pass
• Arrive in Gyantse

Day 5 — Shigatse to Everest Base Camp journey

• Obtain Alien’s travel permit
• Drive to Lhatse for lunch
• Pass Tsola and Gyatsola Passes
• Enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve
• Enjoy panorama at Gawula Pass
• Drive zigzag road to Everest Base Camp
• View Mt. Everest peak and sunset if possible

Day 6 — Sunrise at Everest and return to Shigatse

• Watch sunrise on Mt. Everest
• View Mt. Everest from Rongpuk vantage point
• Drive back to Shigatse

Day 7 — Shigatse to Lhasa via Tashilunpo Monastery

• Visit Tashilunpo Monastery
• Drive 280 km to Lhasa via Friendship Highway

Day 8 — Lhasa to Namtso Lake and trek

• Drive from Lhasa to Namtso Lake
• View Nyenchen Thanglha Mountains and nomads
• Stop at Lagenla Pass for lake vista
• Trek around Tashi Dor Island and lakeshore
• Overnight in Damxung

Day 9 — Stone Elephant Gate and return to Lhasa

• Take off-road vehicle to Stone Elephant Gate
• Explore Stone Elephant Gate site
• Return to Lhasa by shuttle bus
• Stop for lunch en route

Day 10 — Departure from Lhasa

• Complete tour and prepare for departure
• Arrange airport or railway drop-off if needed

The Experience

What happens when you drive over a pass at 5,248 meters and realize you're still climbing? That's the moment this Tibet tour stops being a checklist and becomes something you'll think about for years. You start in Lhasa at 3,600 meters—already higher than most people have ever been—and over ten days you move through monasteries where monks debate scripture, across turquoise lakes ringed by snow peaks, and up to Everest Base Camp at 5,200 meters. The itinerary moves you through real Tibetan villages, nomad grasslands, and some of the most remote terrain in Asia, all with a Tibetan guide who knows the routes, the permits, and the rhythm of the high altitude.

The first few days anchor you in Lhasa itself. You'll see the Potala Palace—the winter seat of the Dalai Lamas since the 7th century—then walk the kora (pilgrimage circuit) around Jokhang Temple on Barkhor Street with locals and pilgrims. There's a visit to Dadong Village, 25 kilometers southwest of the city, where you eat lunch with a Tibetan family and walk through an 11th-century settlement that feels untouched. Sera Monastery comes next, and if the timing works, you'll catch the monks' debate in the afternoon—a loud, physical argument about Buddhist philosophy that's nothing like the quiet you might expect. Then the road opens up. You drive south toward Shigatse, crossing the Gampala Pass at 4,790 meters, where Yamdrok Lake spreads below you, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar rising to 7,191 meters.

The Everest section is the physical heart of the tour. After getting your Alien's travel permit in Shigatse, you push south through Tingri, crossing Tsola Pass and Gyatsola Pass, then enter the Everest National Nature Reserve. The final stretch to base camp follows a new zigzag road; you arrive at 5,200 meters as the light turns gold on the peak. You sleep at Rongpuk Guesthouse in a dorm bed—it's basic, but you wake to watch the sunrise hit Everest from the vantage point where the mountain fills the entire sky. The drive back to Shigatse takes most of the day, and you'll stop at Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, before heading back to Lhasa on the Friendship Highway.

The final stretch takes you north to Namtso Lake, the world's highest saline lake at 4,400 meters. You drive past nomad camps with grazing yaks and sheep, cross the Lagenla Pass at 5,190 meters, and spend time trekking around Tashi Dor Island and the lakeshore. On the last full day, you take an off-road vehicle to the Stone Elephant Gate on the northern shore—a naturally formed rock that looks like an elephant drinking from the lake, with prayer flags fluttering and snow peaks reflected in the water. Then it's the long drive back to Lhasa on paved highway, and the tour ends.

What’s included

• Your ten days include hotel accommodation with breakfast (twin-share, except a dorm bed at Everest Base Camp), all entrance fees to Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung and Sera monasteries, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Namtso Lake, and Everest Base Camp, plus the Everest Base Camp shuttle bus.
• Transportation is by comfortable van or minibus with an experienced local driver and an English-speaking Tibetan guide.
• You get airport or train station pickup and drop-off in Lhasa, the Tibet Permit and all necessary permits (excluding the China L Visa), an invitation letter for your China L Visa if needed, oxygen cylinders in the vehicle, drinking water throughout the trip, a Tibet map, travel insurance, and a welcome dinner in a local restaurant when the group meets in Lhasa.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Tibet Vista

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Everest, Tibet's sacred lakes, and major monasteries in one trip without arranging permits, transport, or timing yourself—the ten days pack all the logistics into a fixed schedule, though you'll need to book at least 20 days ahead so the tour operator can secure your Tibet Permit.

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Top questions

Do I need a China visa before booking this tour?

If you're flying from outside China, yes—apply for a China L Visa through your embassy. If you're flying from Kathmandu, the tour operator will arrange a Tibet Group Visa through the Chinese Embassy there instead. Either way, you'll need an invitation letter from the tour operator, so contact them first.

What's the altitude like, and will I get altitude sickness?

You start at 3,600 meters in Lhasa and reach 5,200 meters at Everest Base Camp. The tour includes oxygen cylinders in the vehicle and builds in rest time in Lhasa on day one. Moderate physical fitness is required; the tour isn't recommended for people with poor cardiovascular health or spinal injuries.

How much of the tour is driving versus walking?

Most days involve several hours of driving. Walking is light—around villages, monastery grounds, and the lakeshore at Namtso. There's no technical trekking, though the altitude makes any walking feel slower than usual.

What's included in the price?

All accommodation (twin-share hotels, except a dorm bed at Everest Base Camp), breakfasts, entrance fees to all sites, the Tibet Permit, transportation, an English-speaking Tibetan guide, airport pickup in Lhasa, drinking water, and a welcome dinner. Travel insurance and the China L Visa invitation letter are also included.

Can I see the monks debate at Sera Monastery?

Yes, if timing allows. The debate usually happens in the afternoon (around 3–5 pm). It's a loud, physical argument about Buddhist philosophy and is one of the highlights of the Lhasa section.

What happens if the weather is bad or a monastery is closed?

Some activities may be altered or cancelled due to bad weather, monastery closures, or other unforeseen circumstances. The tour operator will adjust the itinerary as needed.

Do I need to book a single room, or is it twin-share?

Accommodation is twin-share by default. Single rooms are available on request but cost extra and depend on availability.

How long is the drive to Everest Base Camp?

The drive from Shigatse to Everest Base Camp takes most of a full day, crossing multiple high passes. The return drive to Shigatse also takes most of a day.

What's the Stone Elephant Gate?

It's a naturally formed rock on the northern shore of Namtso Lake that resembles an elephant with its trunk extending into the water. It's about 50 kilometers from where you stay and is considered the most scenic spot on the lake.