7-Day Lhasa & Everest Base Camp Group Tour
Lhasa · Yamdrok Lake · Karola Glacier · Shigatse · Rongbuk · Everest Base Camp · Shigatse · Lhasa
The Route
Lhasa and Everest in a week
Seven days is about the shortest sensible trip that takes in both Lhasa and the north face of Everest, and this group itinerary uses them in the right order: two days in Lhasa at 3,650 m before the road climbs, so that by the time you reach base camp at 5,200 m on day four your body has had time to adjust.
Lhasa is the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the pilgrims circling the Barkhor. Then comes the overland road west: over the Kamba La for the first view of Yamdrok Lake, past the Karola Glacier and through Gyantse to Shigatse, then over the Gawu La to Rongbuk Monastery and base camp. On the way back you stop at the Gyatso La viewpoint and at Tashilhunpo, seat of the Panchen Lamas.
It is a shared group run on fixed dates by a licensed Lhasa agency: up to 16 travellers, often a mix of international and Chinese guests, in a licensed tourist vehicle with a guide who speaks English. You sleep in 4-star hotels with oxygen supply in Lhasa and Shigatse; in winter, when the base-camp tents close, the group stays in a guesthouse in Everest Town instead. Winter is the quietest and cheapest season, with cold nights and often clear skies — read our Tibet in winter guide before you choose a date.
Trip Highlights
- ◆Two days in Lhasa before you go higher, with the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the Barkhor
- ◆Yamdrok Lake from the Kamba La, with a hot-pot lunch overlooking the water
- ◆The Karola Glacier, which comes down almost to the roadside
- ◆Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp below the north face
- ◆On a clear day, five 8,000 m peaks in a row from the Gawu La
- ◆Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lamas
Upcoming Departures
Fixed group dates from the calendar of the Lhasa agency that runs this route. Tell us which one you want and we'll usually confirm availability within 24 hours. Private departures can run on any date you choose.
| Departure | Days | From (pp) | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11 – Nov 17, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Nov 18 – Nov 24, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Dec 2 – Dec 8, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Dec 9 – Dec 15, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Dec 16 – Dec 22, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Dec 23 – Dec 29, 2026 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
| Dec 30 – Jan 5, 2027 | 7 | $1,050 | Open – enquire | Request this date → |
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive in Lhasa
You're met at Lhasa railway station or Gonggar airport, an hour out of town, and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is for doing very little: at 3,650 m the first afternoon is for rest and plenty of water, and it's wise to skip the hot shower and the beer tonight. Your guide will message you the next morning's meeting time.
Overnight: Lhasa
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor
Your first full day stays in the old city. The Potala was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas; visits run on a timed, one-hour ticket booked in your name, photography isn't allowed inside, and the climb to the Red Palace is steep, so take it slowly. In the afternoon, the Jokhang — Tibet's most sacred temple, home of the statue of the twelve-year-old Buddha — and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it. One meal today is a Tibetan or Nepali specialty meal, included.
Meals: Breakfast, specialty meal·Overnight: Lhasa
Yamdrok Lake and the Karola Glacier to Shigatse
The big overland day, about 370 km. The road climbs to the Kamba La (4,790 m), where Yamdrok Lake appears far below — a long turquoise lake among snow peaks — and lunch is a hot pot at a restaurant overlooking the water, included. In the afternoon the road passes beneath the Karola Glacier, which spills down almost to the tarmac, then runs through Gyantse and the barley fields of the Nyang Chu valley to Shigatse, Tibet's second city.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch·Overnight: Shigatse
Over the Gawu La to Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp
Today is the climb to the foot of the mountain, about 350 km. A long run of switchbacks leads to the Gawu La viewpoint, where on a clear day five peaks over 8,000 m stand in a row: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. Then Rongbuk Monastery, at 5,154 m the highest in the world, where monks and nuns share the same walls. From Everest Town (Tashizom) the last stretch to base camp is by eco-bus and the group vehicle stays behind, so carry what you need for the night. When the tent camp is open you sleep at base camp, in a twin room with shared bathrooms and no oxygen supply; when it is closed in winter, the group stays in a guesthouse in Everest Town.
Meals: Breakfast·Overnight: Everest Base Camp tent camp (winter: Everest Town guesthouse)
Sunrise on Everest, the Gyatso La, back to Shigatse
If you slept at base camp and the sky is clear, set an early alarm: first light catches the summit before anything else and turns the north face gold. The drive back to Shigatse, about 350 km, stops at the Gyatso La viewpoint (5,248 m), the highest point on the Friendship Highway, where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu line the southern horizon beneath the prayer flags. An evening in Shigatse, with a hot shower.
Meals: Breakfast·Overnight: Shigatse
Tashilhunpo, then back to Lhasa
In the morning, Tashilhunpo: founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama and for centuries the seat of the Panchen Lamas, its gold roofs and chapels climb the hillside, and the giant gilded Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, sits in its own chapel beside the jewelled tombs of earlier Panchen Lamas. Then about 270 km home along the Yarlung Tsangpo, reaching Lhasa in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast·Overnight: Lhasa
Depart Lhasa
After breakfast, a transfer to Gonggar airport or Lhasa railway station. The airport is an hour from the city, so a flight after 10:00 is the comfortable choice.
Meals: Breakfast
What's Included
- ✓Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and, where needed, the military permit
- ✓A licensed guide who speaks English (bilingual Chinese–English when the group is mixed)
- ✓Licensed tourist vehicle (7 to 26 seats, depending on the group) and driver, shared; in Lhasa, groups of fewer than four go by taxi with the guide, fares paid
- ✓6 nights: 4-star hotels with oxygen supply in Lhasa (3) and Shigatse (2), and a night at Everest in the base-camp tent camp or, in winter, an Everest Town guesthouse; all twin-share
- ✓Daily breakfast and two specialty meals: Tibetan or Nepali food in Lhasa and a hot-pot lunch at Yamdrok Lake
- ✓Entrance fees for the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Rongbuk Monastery, Everest Base Camp (with the eco-bus) and Tashilhunpo
- ✓Shared transfers on the start and end dates: trains at any time; flights landing 08:00–22:00 or leaving 08:30–22:30
- ✓A small oxygen bottle each, an emergency oxygen tank in the vehicle and bottled water every day
- ✓Travel accident, passenger and travel-agency liability insurance
Not Included
- —Flights or trains to and from Lhasa (we can book them on request)
- —Chinese visa
- —Lunches and dinners other than the two specialty meals
- —Single-room supplement from $250 per person (varies by season) — rooms are twin-share by default
- —Tips — about CNY 60 per person per day, split between guide and driver, is customary
- —Private transfers outside the free windows, and extra nights before or after the tour
Accommodation
4-star hotels with oxygen supply and breakfast in Lhasa (three nights) and Shigatse (two nights), assigned by the local agency — specific hotels can't be requested. At Everest, the base-camp tent camp: twin rooms, shared bathrooms and no oxygen supply; when it closes in winter, the group uses a guesthouse in Everest Town with private bathrooms. Rooms are twin-share; if you are travelling solo, see the solo price in the FAQ.
Departures & Pricing
| Season | Per person |
|---|---|
| Winter (Nov 1 – Mar 15) | $1,050 |
| Spring & autumn (Mar 16 – Jun 25, Aug 29 – Oct 31) | $1,070 |
| Summer & holiday weeks (Jun 26 – Aug 28, Apr 29 – May 3, Sep 27 – Oct 6) | $1,230 |
per person, twin-share. Fixed small-group departures run on set dates — tell us your month and we'll confirm the next available group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — solo travellers join the same group. Rooms are twin-share and the local agency can't guarantee you a roommate, so travelling alone you pay for a room of your own: USD 1,300 in total for winter departures (November to mid-March), or the twin-share price plus a single-room supplement of USD 350 in spring and autumn and USD 450 in summer and holiday weeks.
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