Overview
Mt. Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world lies on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Everest has two Base Camps, the northern base camp located at Nepal while the southern at Tibet.
During your Everest Base Camp trek from Tibet, you will stand at 5200 meters on the southern base of Mt. Everest. This trek gives you a clear and sweeping view of Mt. Everest from the Tibetan side.
The Everest Base Camp Trek from Tibet is more accessible for all to undertake because it is not as lengthy and tough as the ideal 14 days Everest Base Camp trek from Nepal.
Highlights of Everest Base Camp Trek from Tibet
- Basum Primary School- This is the Primary School located at 4700 meters, the highest altitude in the world. It lies in Tingri County, Shigatse prefecture.
- Rongbuk monastery- The Monastery at the highest altitude in the world. It lies 20 km below the Everest Base Camp.
- View of 5 highest mountain peaks.
- Everest Base Camp: Mount Everest's Tibetan side is a kilometer-wide U-shaped valley area.
- The sunset at Mount Everest from Tibet side- From the base camp and other areas of this trek, you can see the sun setting from the west shine on the summit, making a golden triangle. It makes for a magical view.
- Tibetan Buddhist culture and way of life.
Itinerary
On arrival at the airport, one of our representatives will pick you up. From here, we will transfer you to the hotel where you will stay for the night.
If you arrive early, you can partake in some local shopping and sightseeing.
Today you can engage in some popular places in Kathmandu for sightseeing. Some of the must-see places in Kathmandu, Nepal are
- Basantapur Durbar Square
- Swayambhu Stupa, Bouddha, Pashupatinath
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- Patan Durbar Square
After breakfast, you will take a scenic drive to the frontier town of Nepal at Kodari.
From here, you will have to take a short walk to the friendship bridge. From here, you drive to Zhangmu, the main entrance of Tibet, China.
Zhangmu at 2,300 m is about 145 km from Kathmandu. In Zhangmu, our guide from the Tibetan counterpart will receive you.
After all the immigration formalities at the check post here, your journey continues for another 35 km. This takes almost 3 hours through the uphill winding road to Nyalam.
Overnight at a hotel or lodge in Nyalam.
This day is your acclimatization or rest day. After the sudden ascent in altitude, this day helps your body adjust to the changing elevations. You can take short treks in Nyalam or explore this small town.
Duration: 4-hour drive
Distance: 210 km
This spectacular drive takes you through the wide desert plains of the Tibetan Plateau. Here, you can get great views of Shishapangma.
After an hour's drive, you get your first view of Mt. Everest.
Tingri is a small town with a single street sitting on a dusty plain. From some places in Tingri, you can get views of Mt. Everest, Gyachung Kang, and Cho Oyu.
Altitude: Tingri (4390m), Lungthang (4510m)
Duration: 5 hours
Distance: 12km
Tingri is where your actual trek on foot begins. You will trek along the Ra-chu valley and enter the Mt. Everest Nature Reserve.
Here, you can enjoy the extensive meadows and see some yaks. You will also cross beautiful, remote villages of Zhaka, Che, Chholong on your way to Lung Thang.
You will spend your night at Lung Thang.
Altitude: Lungthang to Lamna La (5150 m)
Duration: 8 hours
Distance: 21km
This is a challenging part of your trek. Much of the trek for today is uphill ascends.
Once you ascent to Lamna La Pass at 5150m, you get splendid rewards of majestic vistas of surrounding mountain peaks.
You can see 4 of the highest peaks of the Himalayas from here. This includes Mt. Makalu and Everest in the south, Cho Oyu in the southwest and Shishapangma.
Altitude: 4790m
Duration: 8 hours
Distance: 21km
Today, your trek takes you through a steep descent through verdant vegetation. You will trek through local villages, pastures and pass a few yak herders.
Amazing vistas of Mt. Everest and Gyachung Kang will be your reward once you enter Zommug.
You stay at Zommug for the night.
Altitude: 5000 m
Duration: 6 hours
Distance: 15km
Today, you will trek to Rongbuk Monastery. Rongbuk region is the gateway to Mt. Everest from the Tibet Side. It lies only 15 km below Everest Base Camp.
Once here, you can see the North Face of Everest flaunting its unparalleled beauty.
Here is where you will spend the night today.
We will acclimatize today. There are a lot of places you can explore in the Rongbuk region including Rongbuk Glacier. Some other places to explore in this region are:
- Rhongphu Monastery (5000m) is the world’s highest monastery.
- Meditation Caves near Everest Tent Camp
- Rongbuk Glacier
Altitude: Xegar (4200m), Everest Base camp (5200m)
Duration: 3-4 hours trek
Distance: 8 km trek, 68 km drive
You will trek along the dirt road to reach the Base Camp of Mt. Everest. You will trek through the picturesque Rongbuk glaciers to reach Everest Base Camp.
Though the Base Camp itself is dry and barren, the awe-inspiring views of Everest more than compensate for this. You can see the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above you.
Unless you want to camp here, you need to trek back before 4:00 pm. After reaching Rongbuk, we will take a ride to Xegar. The amazing views of Everest don't leave your side even when returning back.
The drive from Rongbuk Monastery to Xegar also passes one the highest passes in Tibet- Pang La Pass. At a height of 5050m, this pass offers you views of 5 highest peaks in the world.
Duration: 5 hours
Distance: 300 km
You will pass along the Friendship Highway during this stretch. It has some of the most stunning landscapes of Tibet.
You will cross places like Lhatse, Gyamtso La Pass (5220m). You will also see animal herders, isolated monasteries and calm countryside.
You will spend the night at Shigatse.
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 90 km
Shigatse (3840 m) is Tibet’s second biggest town. You can explore the town today.
Some places to visit are Shigatse Dzong and the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Tashi Lunpo monastery is famous as the seat of the Panchen Lama. Here, you can witness the 21.6 m high wooden statue of Maitreya.
You can also see the exotic looking chorten encrusted with precious jewels inside the monastery.
After your sightseeing tour of this beautiful town, we will drive to Gyantse.
If you arrive early, you can explore the town of Gyantse. Some places to visit here are Pelker Choede Monastery and dzong (fort). From the fort, you get good views of the town.
Duration: 8 hours
Gyantse is an old trading town at 3950m. From here, you will drive to Lhasa.
The drive takes you through spectacular scenery along the banks of the Yamdro Lake. You will also drive across 2 passes- Khanba-La and Kora-La.
On day 15 and 16 you can explore around a lot of places in Lhasa. Some of the most famous places for sightseeing in Lhasa are:
- Viewing of the Yarlung Tsangpo River or Brahmaputra River. This is the longest and largest river in Tibet.
- Potala Palace: The winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It was home to the 33rd king of Tibet during the 7th century. You can witness the most valuable collections of gilded burial stupas of ancient Lamas, meditation caves here.
- Jokhang Temple: Founded by the 33rd king of Tibet in the 7th century. It was built to promote Buddhist religion throughout the world. You can see the statue of a young, 12 year Shakyamuni Buddha.
- Barkhor Street
- Drepung monastery: Was once the three great Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Founded in 1416, it is one of the oldest monasteries built by Jamyang Choge. It was once the biggest monastery in the world and the seat of the government of Tibet before Potala.
- Sera monastery: Another one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Founded by the same man as Drepung monastery during 1419. You can witness monk’s debate around 3-5 pm in the grounds of the monastery.
After this incredible journey, we will bid farewell to you. The driver will drop you to the airport or train station.
Frequently Asked Questions
For treks to Everest Base Camp from the Tibet side, you need the following documents:
- Chinese Entry Visa
- Tibet Travel Permit
- Alien’s Travel Permit
- Military Permit
- Everest Region entrance ticket
Note:
Your Tibetan guide doesn’t need any of these documents except for the Everest Region entrance ticket.
Independent travel is not permitted outside the city limits of Lhasa. Hence, you can not do treks to Everest Base Camp by yourself from the Tibet side.
For treks to Tibet, you need to book an organized tour with a registered tour operator like us. We will then arrange your travel documents outside Lhasa and to EBC. Allow us to do this for you.
Outside of Lhasa, your Tibetan guide will always assist you.
April and May are perfect spring months while October, November, December are great fall months to do this trek. These two seasons are the ideal time to visit Mount Everest.
Everest Base Camp on the Tibetan side lies at 5200m below the snow line. During Spring and fall, the daytime temperatures are above freezing. These seasons are the best time to visit EBC from Tibet side.
You can enjoy the dry, cool weather along with clear skies and amazing views of the mountains.
Even during the night, you get a spectacular view of the stars.
January and early February are also great months to do this trek if you don’t mind the cold temperatures. You can enjoy fabulous views with fewer crowds at the camps.
Kathmandu and Lhasa
These capital cities offer a wide range of accommodation facilities. You can choose from basic lodges, dorm rooms to 3-5 star hotel accommodations.
Other Stops
The choices are less. The accommodation is quite basic with basic facilities. Most of them provide rooms on a twin sharing basis.
The rooms include beds, blankets, mattress, pillow, sheet. You will have to use the communal bathrooms in most of these accommodation places.
Tibet is also known as the roof of the world. The average altitude of the trekking trail from Tingri to EBC is over 4,000m. Hence, Altitude sickness is the biggest risk for this trek.
Make sure you stick to acclimatization schedule. While trekking, eat balanced meals, stay hydrated and pace yourself. The slow pace is the ideal pace.
Get as much information about altitude sickness as you can. This way you can recognize any symptoms that may occur and take the necessary steps to prevent them.
If any symptoms occur, stop your ascend and rest. Descend to a lower altitude as soon as possible. Make sure to inform your guide if any symptom occurs.
For most days, you will trek over altitudes of 4000m. Make sure to pack all the trekking essentials for a high altitude trek.
You need to be very careful while packing for the varying weather conditions and temperatures that you travel in. And, do not forget to pack warm clothes for the dropping temperatures of the mountainous region.
Final Say,
From the Tibet side, the actual trek on foot to the Everest Base Camp is short in terms of the distance and duration.
With this trek, you also get a clear and sweeping view of Mt. Everest.
The trek to Everest Base Camp from Tibet is suitable and doable for almost anyone regardless of age, gender. If you do not want to trek but still wish to be at the Everest Base Camp from Tibet, you can drive all the way to Everest Base Camp from Tibet.
If you have any further queries or questions about Everest Base Camp trek from Tibet, feel free to contact us.
Write a Review