If you are searching for a Tibet travel route map, the real question is usually simpler: how many days do you have, and how far can you honestly go in that time? Tibet is bigger than most first-time visitors expect. Lhasa sits at 3,650 m, Everest Base Camp is a two-day drive west, and Mount Kailash is another two days beyond that. On the map the distances look manageable; on the road they are not. This page is part of our the Tibet map hub, which links every Tibet map page on this site.
Quick Tibet Travel Route Map Facts
Sources: Border-suspension status follows the National Immigration Administration announcement No. 5 of 2026 (27 August 2026) on the Gyirong port closure. Route distances, pass elevations and cost bands are CHIBET planning estimates for the periods stated, not operator quotations. Checked October 2026.
Below, every route we operate is laid out the same way: day-by-day route, total distance, highest point, highest sleeping altitude, who it suits, what it costs — and the map to match. For the road distance and driving time behind each leg, see our distance map. For the geography behind these lines, see our Tibet regions map and the attractions each route covers. Route lines on this page are our own operational plans; the administrative boundary drawing behind them follows China’s official standard maps from the Ministry of Natural Resources standard map service.
How to Choose a Tibet Travel Route by Days
| Days | Route | Highest point | Driving intensity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lhasa cultural route | ~3,650 m | Minimal | First taste of Tibet |
| 5 | Lhasa + Yamdrok Lake | ~5,030 m | One day trip | Short holidays |
| 5 | Lhasa + Namtso Lake | ~5,190 m | One long day trip | Sacred-lake seekers |
| 5 | Lhasa + Ganden + Drak Yerpa | ~4,500 m | Easy half-day drives | Monastery lovers |
| 6 | Lhasa – Yamdrok – Gyantse – Shigatse | ~5,000 m | Two long days | Culture-focused visit |
| 7 | Lhasa – Everest – Gyirong – Kathmandu | 5,248 m | Heavy, one-way | Tibet + Nepal combos |
| 8 | Lhasa + Everest Base Camp | 5,248 m | Heavy | The classic Everest trip |
| 8 | Lhasa + Everest + Namtso | 5,248 m | Heavy | Everest plus a sacred lake |
| 8 | Kathmandu – Gyirong – Everest – Lhasa | ~5,200 m | Heavy, one-way | Entering from Nepal |
| 10 | Kathmandu + Kailash + Manasarovar | 5,630 m | Very heavy + 3-day trek | Pilgrims starting from Nepal |
| 12 | Winter blue ice: Laigu + Yalong + Everest + Namtso | 5,248 m | Heavy, seasonal (Dec–Feb) | Glacier and winter scenery |
| 12 | Lhasa – Everest – Kailash – Kathmandu | 5,630 m | Very heavy + 3-day trek | Everest and Kailash, one-way |
| 13 | Lhasa – Everest – Manasarovar – Kailash | 5,630 m | Very heavy + 3-day trek | Fit travelers with 2 weeks |
| 15 | Everest – Kailash – Guge – Namtso | 5,630 m | Very heavy + 3-day trek | The full western loop |
Four of these routes cross the Nepal border via Gyirong, which has been suspended since a debris flow on August 26, 2026 — no reopening date yet. Details in each route card below.
4 Days: Lhasa Cultural Route
Tour: Private departures only — ask us for current dates and prices.
Travel Route: The shortest trip that makes sense for a foreign traveler never leaves Lhasa — you sleep at 3,650 m every night while your body adjusts, and you get the city’s greatest hits at walking pace.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery (monk debates from around 3:30 pm)
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: no long-distance driving; city transfers under 10 km a day
Highest Point: Lhasa, about 3,650 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Lhasa, about 3,650 m
Best For: first-time visitors with limited days, festival trips, and anyone wary of altitude
Estimated Cost: indicatively US$600–800 p.p. with permits, guide and vehicle
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this itinerary is a tight Lhasa city circle — Potala and Jokhang in the center, Drepung and Sera on the western and northern edges, the airport 70 km south. See the Tibet city map for the layout and the Lhasa map for street-level detail.
5 Days: Lhasa + Yamdrok Lake
Tour: Private departures only — ask us for current dates and prices.
Travel Route: Keep the Lhasa core and add one full day trip south to Yamdrok Lake — the day that previews the scenery of every longer route on this page.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Gampa La – Yamdrok Lake – Lhasa
Day 5: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 260 km round trip, plus airport transfers
Highest Point: Gampa La, about 5,030 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Lhasa, about 3,650 m
Best For: short holidays, families, and travelers who want one sacred lake without a long expedition
Estimated Cost: indicatively US$750–900 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this loop runs Lhasa → Gampa La → Yamdrok lakeshore and back the same road, about 130 km each way.
5 Days: Lhasa + Namtso Lake
Tour: Private departures only — ask us for current dates and prices.
Travel Route: The same Lhasa core with the lake swapped for the north: one long day across the Changtang grasslands to Tibet’s most famous sacred lake, best from May to October.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Nagen La – Namtso Lake – Lhasa
Day 5: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 460 km round trip
Highest Point: Nagen La, about 5,190 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Lhasa, about 3,650 m
Best For: travelers set on Namtso specifically, in the May–October season
Estimated Cost: indicatively US$800–950 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map here is a single northern out-and-back: Lhasa → Nagen La → Namtso lakeshore → Lhasa — the longest single driving day of any short Tibet itinerary, so keep that in mind if your days are fixed.
5 Days: Lhasa + Ganden Monastery + Drak Yerpa
Tour: Private departures only — ask us for current dates and prices.
Travel Route: The same Lhasa core with the lake swapped for monasteries: a quieter day east of Lhasa to the hilltop Ganden Monastery and the hermitage caves of Drak Yerpa, with a short kora walk and the lightest driving day of the three 5-day options.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Ganden Monastery – Drak Yerpa caves – Lhasa
Day 5: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 130 km round trip
Highest Point: Ganden Monastery, about 4,500 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Lhasa, about 3,650 m
Best For: Buddhist monasteries, meditation sites, and travelers who prefer culture over lakes
Estimated Cost: indicatively US$750–900 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this day shows two short spokes east of Lhasa — Ganden about 60 km northeast on the road toward Nyingchi, Drak Yerpa about 16 km closer in.
6 Days: Lhasa + Yamdrok + Gyantse + Shigatse
Tour: Private departures only — ask us for current dates and prices.
Travel Route: With six days you turn around at Shigatse instead of Lhasa, adding Gyantse and the full cultural spine of central Tibet without ever sleeping above 3,840 m.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Gyantse (Pelkor Chode Monastery) – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhasa
Day 6: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 700 km round trip
Highest Point: passes between Yamdrok and Gyantse, about 5,000 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Shigatse, about 3,840 m
Best For: culture-focused first visits; travelers adding Tibet to a China itinerary
Estimated Cost: indicatively US$850–1,000 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet itinerary map of this route follows the southern highway Lhasa → Yamdrok → Karola Glacier → Gyantse → Shigatse, returning the same corridor along the Yarlung Tsangpo valley.
7 Days: Lhasa – Everest Base Camp – Gyirong – Kathmandu
Tour: View the 7-day Lhasa to Kathmandu overland tour
Travel Route: If Tibet is one leg of a bigger Asia trip, this route uses every day in one direction — you never drive back the way you came, and you exit south to Nepal.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 6: Everest Base Camp – Shishapangma – Peiku Tso – Gyirong Town (2,800 m)
Day 7: Gyirong Town – Gyirong Border, cross into Nepal (tour ends at the border; Kathmandu transfer can be arranged)
Travel Distance: about 1,200 km within Tibet
Highest Point: Gyatso La, about 5,248 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m (a 4,300 m hotel night in Dingri is the lower option)
Best For: combining Tibet with Nepal without repeating a single road day
Estimated Cost: from US$939 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this line runs Lhasa → Yamdrok → Shigatse → Everest Base Camp → Peiku Tso → Gyirong → Kathmandu, dropping from 5,200 m to 1,400 m in two days.
Border status, updated October 2026 (Last checked: October 4, 2026): the Gyirong border has been suspended since a debris flow on August 26, 2026, and no reopening date has been announced. Until it reopens, this exit route cannot run as scheduled. In rare cases the crossing further east at Zhangmu has been used as a fallback for overland departures, but its status changes and conditions there are difficult — confirm with us before you build a booking around any land border, and before you book onward flights out of Kathmandu.
8 Days: Lhasa + Everest Base Camp
Tour: View the 8-day Lhasa Everest Base Camp tour
Travel Route: For most first-time visitors this is the classic Tibet route with eight days: three nights to settle in Lhasa, two long driving days to the north face of Everest, a night near the mountain, and a different road home.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 6: Everest Base Camp – Dinggye – Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint – Sakya Ancient Town – Shigatse
Day 7: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhasa
Day 8: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 1,400 km round trip
Highest Point: Gyatso La, about 5,248 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m (a 4,300 m hotel night in Dingri is the lower option)
Best For: the classic first Everest trip; travelers comfortable with two 8-hour driving days
Estimated Cost: from US$918 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this loop shows Lhasa → Yamdrok → Shigatse → Gyatso La → Gawu La → EBC, returning via Dinggye and Sakya — note that the return leg is a different road, so you see new scenery all the way. See the the full Everest route map for the day-by-day version.
An honest warning that applies to this card and every Everest card below: cloud can sit on the summit for days, even in the best season. Book this route for the journey, not for a single photograph.
8 Days: Lhasa + Everest Base Camp + Namtso Lake
Tour: View the 8-day Lhasa, Everest and Namtso tour
Travel Route: The Everest itinerary with one addition — a final full day north to Namtso. Two honest notes: the Namtso day is the longest single drive of the trip and it comes at the end, and Nagen La can close after snow — if it does, that day simply falls back to Lhasa sightseeing.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 3: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 4: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 5: Everest Base Camp – Shigatse
Day 6: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhasa
Day 7: Lhasa – Namtso Lake – Lhasa
Day 8: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 1,950 km round trip
Highest Point: Gyatso La, about 5,248 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m (a 4,300 m hotel night in Dingri is the lower option)
Best For: travelers who want Everest and a sacred lake in one trip and accept one very long driving day
Estimated Cost: from US$928 p.p.
Travel Map: The Lhasa–Everest–Namtso route map shows how the route connects Lhasa, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and Namtso Lake — the southern Everest loop with a northern spur out to the lake across the Changtang.
8 Days: Kathmandu – Gyirong – Everest – Lhasa
Tour: View the 8-day Kathmandu to Lhasa overland tour
Travel Route: The same border in reverse, and a surprisingly gentle way to enter the plateau: the first two nights are in Gyirong Town at 2,800 m — the lowest night on any route on this page, and the greenest corner of Tibet — before the road climbs toward Everest. Since the 2025 visa update, a standard Chinese Tourist Visa (L visa) obtained in advance is enough for this direction — you no longer need the group visa arranged in Kathmandu.
Day 1: Kathmandu – Rasuwagadhi Border – Gyirong Town (2,800 m)
Day 2: Gyirong Town acclimatization day (optional Milarepa Cave visit)
Day 3: Gyirong – Gongtang La (5,236 m) – Peiku Tso – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp – Tingri
Day 4: Tingri – Tashilhunpo Monastery – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse – Karola Glacier – Yamdrok Lake – Lhasa
Day 6: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 7: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 8: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 1,150 km within Tibet
Highest Point: Gyatso La, about 5,248 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: Tingri hotel, about 4,300 m
Best For: travelers starting in Nepal who want the low-to-high altitude ramp
Estimated Cost: from US$969 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of the Nepal entrance runs Kathmandu → Gyirong → Peiku Tso → Everest → Shigatse → Yamdrok → Lhasa, climbing from forested valley to open plateau in one read.
10 Days: Kathmandu + Kailash + Manasarovar
Tour: View the Kathmandu Kailash Mansarovar tour
Travel Route: The pilgrim’s route: in and out through the Gyirong border, with the full 52 km, three-day kora around Mount Kailash and no Everest detour — the road goes straight west, which is what keeps this loop inside ten days.
Day 1: Kathmandu – Rasuwagadhi Border – Gyirong Town (2,800 m)
Day 2: Gyirong Town acclimatization day (optional Milarepa Cave visit)
Day 3: Gyirong – Gongtang La (5,236 m) – Shishapangma viewpoint – Peiku Tso – Saga (4,480 m)
Day 4: Saga – Mayum La – Manasarovar Lake (lakeside guesthouse, ~4,590 m)
Day 5: Manasarovar morning – Darchen (4,575 m), kora preparation
Day 6: Kailash Kora Day 1: Darchen – Yam Dwar – Dirapuk Monastery (trek ~13 km)
Day 7: Kailash Kora Day 2: Dirapuk – Dolma La (5,630 m) – Zutrulpuk Monastery (trek ~22 km)
Day 8: Kailash Kora Day 3: Zutrulpuk – Darchen (~6.5 km), complete the 52 km circuit; drive to Saga
Day 9: Saga – Gyirong Town (2,800 m)
Day 10: Gyirong – Border – Kathmandu
Travel Distance: about 1,600 km by road, plus the 52 km kora on foot
Highest Point: Dolma La on kora day 2, about 5,630 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: monastery guesthouse on the kora, about 4,900 m
Best For: pilgrims and fit trekkers starting from Nepal; two nights at 2,800 m ease the climb
Estimated Cost: from US$1,435 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this loop runs Kathmandu → Gyirong → Saga → Manasarovar → Darchen, with the 52 km kora circle around Kailash at the far end — our Mount Kailash map details the circuit.
12 Days: Tibet Winter Blue Ice Tour — Laigu + Yalong + Everest + Namtso
Tour: View the 12-day winter blue ice tour
Travel Route: The only route on this page built for winter: east first to the Laigu and Yalong glaciers — their famous blue ice season runs December to February — then back through Lhasa and south to Everest and Namtso.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival (3,650 m)
Day 2: Lhasa – Basum Tso – Nyingchi (2,900 m)
Day 3: Nyingchi – Lulang Forest – Ranwu Lake – Bomi (2,700 m)
Day 4: Bomi – Laigu Glacier – Yalong Glacier – Lulang (3,300 m) — the blue ice day
Day 5: Lulang – Kading Waterfall – Lhasa
Day 6: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 7: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse (3,840 m)
Day 8: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Rongbuk Monastery – Everest Base Camp
Day 9: Everest Base Camp – Gawu La – Shigatse
Day 10: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhasa
Day 11: Lhasa – Nagen La – Namtso Lake – Lhasa
Day 12: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 3,300 km
Highest Point: Gyatso La, about 5,248 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m (a 4,300 m hotel night in Dingri is the lower option)
Best For: winter travelers chasing blue ice, frozen lakes and clear mountain views; December to February only, and ice conditions are never guaranteed
Estimated Cost: from US$1,470 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this winter line reads as a figure-eight: east from Lhasa to Nyingchi, Lulang, Bomi and the Laigu–Yalong glaciers, back to Lhasa, then the southern loop to Yamdrok, Shigatse and Everest before the Namtso spur.
Nights on this route drop to around −15°C, and the Laigu and Yalong side roads need ice cleats and a patient driver. Ice conditions change with each cold snap — some winters deliver the ice caves, others only the views. Pack a full down kit and treat whatever the glacier shows you that week as the bonus it is.
12 Days: Lhasa – Everest – Kailash – Kathmandu
Tour: View the 12-day Lhasa, EBC, Kailash and Kathmandu tour
Travel Route: Everest and Kailash in one continuous line: west to Everest and the kora, then south through Gyirong to Nepal — no repeated road days, and you land in Kathmandu with Everest and Kailash behind you.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 6: Everest Base Camp – Shishapangma – Peiku Tso – Saga
Day 7: Saga – Manasarovar – Darchen
Day 8: Kailash Kora Day 1: Darchen – Dirapuk Monastery
Day 9: Kailash Kora Day 2: Dirapuk – Dolma La (5,630 m) – Zutrulpuk Monastery
Day 10: Kailash Kora Day 3: Zutrulpuk – Darchen; drive to Saga
Day 11: Saga – Gyirong Town (2,800 m)
Day 12: Gyirong – Border crossing into Nepal (tour ends at the border; Kathmandu transfer can be arranged)
Travel Distance: about 1,950 km within Tibet, plus the 52 km kora on foot
Highest Point: Dolma La, about 5,630 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m
Best For: travelers linking Tibet and Nepal who want both Everest and Kailash without backtracking
Estimated Cost: from US$2,200 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of this line draws one continuous westward-then-southward arrow: Lhasa → Yamdrok → Everest → Saga → Darchen → Gyirong → Kathmandu.
13 Days: Lhasa – Everest – Manasarovar – Kailash
Tour: View the 13-day Lhasa, EBC and Kailash Mansarovar tour
Travel Route: The fullest acclimatization profile of any Kailash trip: three nights in Lhasa, a night at Everest, then two more driving days west — and you return along the same southern corridor, which makes this the version to pick if you want the gentlest build-up to the 5,630 m pass.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Drepung Monastery & Sera Monastery
Day 3: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 4: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 5: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 6: Everest Base Camp – Shishapangma – Peiku Tso – Saga
Day 7: Saga – Mayum La – Manasarovar – Darchen
Day 8: Kailash Kora Day 1: Darchen – Dirapuk Monastery
Day 9: Kailash Kora Day 2: Dirapuk – Dolma La (5,630 m) – Zutrulpuk Monastery
Day 10: Kailash Kora Day 3: Zutrulpuk – Darchen; drive to Saga
Day 11: Saga – Shigatse
Day 12: Shigatse | Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhasa
Day 13: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 2,800 km round trip, plus the 52 km kora on foot
Highest Point: Dolma La, about 5,630 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m
Best For: first-time Kailash trekkers who want maximum acclimatization time
Estimated Cost: from US$2,200 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet itinerary map of this route traces Lhasa → Shigatse → Everest → Saga → Darchen and back the same southern road, about 1,400 km each way — an out-and-back line, not a loop.
15 Days: Lhasa – Everest – Kailash – Guge – Namtso
Tour: View the 15-day grand loop tour
Travel Route: The widest sweep we operate, and the only route with zero repeated road days: out along the southern corridor to Everest and the kora, a detour to the Guge Kingdom ruins, then home across the Changtang on the northern road past Siling Co to Namtso.
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Day 3: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse
Day 4: Shigatse – Gyatso La – Gawu La – Everest Base Camp
Day 5: Everest Base Camp – Shishapangma – Peiku Tso – Saga
Day 6: Saga – Rakshas Tal (La’ang Tso) – Darchen
Day 7: Kailash Kora Day 1: Darchen – Dirapuk Monastery
Day 8: Kailash Kora Day 2: Dirapuk – Dolma La (5,630 m) – Zutrulpuk Monastery
Day 9: Kailash Kora Day 3: Zutrulpuk – Darchen; drive to Zanda (3,700 m)
Day 10: Zanda Earth Forest – Guge Kingdom ruins – return to Darchen
Day 11: Darchen – Manasarovar Lake – Saga
Day 12: Saga – Peiku Tso – Shigatse
Day 13: Shigatse – Changtang grasslands – Siling Co – Baingoin (4,700 m)
Day 14: Baingoin – Namtso Lake – Lhasa
Day 15: Lhasa Departure
Travel Distance: about 4,200 km, plus the 52 km kora on foot
Highest Point: Dolma La, about 5,630 m
Highest Sleeping Altitude: EBC tent guesthouse, about 5,200 m; 4,700 m at Baingoin on the northern return
Best For: repeat Tibet visitors and fit travelers with a full two weeks who want the whole west in one loop
Estimated Cost: from US$2,064 p.p.
Travel Map: The Tibet travel route map of the grand loop runs south to Everest, west to Kailash and Guge, then north across the Changtang past Siling Co to Namtso — a true circle with no repeated road.
Permit requirements are confirmed per itinerary by a licensed operator; the boundary and division drawing behind these routes follows China’s official standard maps from the Ministry of Natural Resources standard map service. Train and flight details for the gateway legs are on our Tibet train map and Tibet airport map.
Rail and air legs are booked separately from the permits: China Railway sells tickets through its official 12306 system, and flights into Lhasa, Shigatse or Ngari change by season.
How the Routes Change as You Add More Days
Look at the cards above as a ladder, not a menu. From 4 to 6 days you stay in Lhasa and Central Tibet — the city, one or two lakes, at most Shigatse — and never sleep above 3,850 m.
At 7 to 8 days the map opens west: Everest becomes reachable, and so does the Nepal corridor in either direction. This is where you first sleep above 5,000 m if you take the tent guesthouse, and where driving days start hitting eight hours — our Tibet altitude map shows how each route’s elevation profile builds.
Ten days is the Kailash threshold from Nepal: the western road is simply too far to combine with Everest in less. Twelve days is where the seasonal and multi-region routes live — the winter blue ice line east, or Everest plus Kailash exiting to Kathmandu. Thirteen to fifteen days complete the western loops: the acclimatization-heavy round trip, and finally the grand loop through Guge with no repeated roads at all.
Which Tibet Route Fits Your Trip?
First Tibet trip: the 8-day Lhasa + Everest Base Camp route — enough time to acclimatize properly and still see the mountain most people come for.
Lhasa plus a lake: 5 days with Yamdrok for short holidays, Namtso for the bigger, more famous lake between May and October.
Buddhist monasteries and meditation sites: the 5-day Ganden + Drak Yerpa version, or the 6-day route if you want Gyantse and Tashilhunpo as well.
Everest Base Camp: the 8-day loop — three nights in Lhasa, a night at the mountain, and a different road back.
Everest + Namtso together: the 8-day Lhasa, Everest and Namtso tour — same days as the classic loop, one very long lake day bolted on at the end.
Tibet–Nepal overland: 7 days Lhasa to Kathmandu, 8 days Kathmandu to Lhasa, or 12 days with Kailash included — all on hold while the Gyirong border stays closed after the August 26, 2026 debris flow (status note under the 7-day route).
Mount Kailash: 10 days from Kathmandu if you start in Nepal, 12 days from Lhasa with Everest included and exit to Kathmandu, 13 days round trip from Lhasa for the gentlest acclimatization, and 15 days for the grand loop with Guge.
Large western loop with no repeated roads: the 15-day Everest – Kailash – Guge – Namtso tour — the only itinerary where the return is a completely different line across the Changtang.
Winter blue ice: the 12-day Laigu + Yalong + Everest + Namtso tour, December to February only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tibet Travel Route Map FAQ
How many days do I need for a Tibet trip?
Four days covers Lhasa itself; five to six days is enough for Lhasa plus one lake or a Shigatse loop; eight days is the sweet spot for Everest Base Camp; and Mount Kailash needs at least 10 days from Nepal or 12–13 days from Lhasa. Under four days is not worth the permit cost and travel time. Each card above lists its highest sleeping altitude, and our Tibet altitude map shows how every route’s elevation profile compares.
What can I see in Tibet in 4 days?
Lhasa’s three core sites — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor circuit — plus Drepung and Sera monasteries with their afternoon monk debates. You stay at 3,650 m the whole time, which doubles as the best possible altitude acclimatization for a longer Tibet trip later.
Can I visit Yamdrok Lake in a 5-day Tibet tour?
Yes, easily. Yamdrok is only about 130 km from Lhasa each way, so it fits as a single day trip over the 5,030 m Gampa La while you sleep back in Lhasa every night. It is the most relaxed lake option for a short itinerary.
Can I visit Ganden Monastery and Drak Yerpa in 5 days?
Yes — both sit east of Lhasa and combine into one day of about 130 km round trip, with a short kora walk at Ganden around 4,500 m. It is the best 5-day pick if you prefer monasteries and meditation sites to lakes.
Can I visit Everest Base Camp in 8 days?
Yes, and it is our most popular route. The map gives you three acclimatization nights in Lhasa, two long driving days each way, and one night at the base camp area near 5,200 m — about 1,400 km round trip with a different return road.
Can I combine Everest Base Camp and Namtso Lake?
Yes — the 8-day Lhasa, Everest and Namtso tour adds Namtso as a final day trip and brings the total to about 1,950 km. Be aware the Namtso day is the longest single drive of the trip, and the 5,190 m Nagen La can close after snow, so the plan has a built-in Lhasa backup day.
How many days do I need for Mount Kailash?
At least 10 days if you enter and exit through Nepal via Gyirong, or 12–13 days from Lhasa to include Everest and acclimatize properly. The kora itself is 52 km over three days, topping out at the 5,630 m Dolma La — the days around it matter more than the trek itself. Nepal entry routes are on hold while the Gyirong border stays closed, so the Lhasa round trips are the practical choice for now.
What is the Tibet winter blue-ice route?
A 12-day December-to-February itinerary that goes east from Lhasa to the Laigu and Yalong glaciers in Eastern Tibet — where frozen waterfalls and lake ice turn deep blue — then loops back through Yamdrok, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and Namtso. Winter skies are the clearest of the year, but ice conditions vary and cannot be guaranteed.
Why does a Tibet route map sometimes look easier than the actual trip?
A map shows distance, but not altitude, passes, checkpoints or acclimatization time. Two places can look close on the map while the road between them costs a full driving day at high elevation — which is why every card above lists distance, highest point and highest sleeping altitude separately.
Create a realistic seven-day Tibet itinerary on a map
A workable seven days is Lhasa (three nights) → Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier → Shigatse → Gyatso La and Everest Base Camp (one night) → exit or return. If you exit south to Nepal via Gyirong, the same seven days ends at the border instead of back in Lhasa — you never repeat a road day. Seven days is the first length at which Everest fits comfortably.
Compare Tibet itineraries for 5, 8, 10 and 15 days
Five days: Lhasa plus one day trip (Yamdrok or Namtso), sleeping at 3,650 m throughout. Eight days: Lhasa plus Everest Base Camp, about 1,400 km, the classic first trip. Ten days: Kailash from Kathmandu, including the 52 km kora and the 5,630 m Dolma La. Fifteen days: the grand loop — Everest, Kailash, Guge and Namtso — with no repeated road at all.
Plan a Tibet route with no more than six hours of driving per day
Keep to Central Tibet. Lhasa, Yamdrok, Gyantse and Shigatse all sit within roughly six-hour driving days, and a Lhasa-plus-lake itinerary has even shorter legs. The Everest and Kailash lines cannot meet this limit — the Everest leg alone needs two 8-hour driving days, so treat six-hour days as a reason to stay central or to extend the trip.
Can I visit Lhasa, Everest Base Camp and Lake Manasarovar in one week?
No — not honestly. Lhasa to Everest Base Camp already takes two full driving days each way, and Manasarovar is another two days west beyond that. A week allows Lhasa plus Everest, or Lhasa plus Manasarovar by flying, but not both overland. Realistic minimums are 8 days for Everest and 10 to 13 days for Kailash and Manasarovar.
How many days should I give Tibet inside a one-month China itinerary?
Five to eight days is the usual share for Tibet within a month in China. Five days covers Lhasa and one lake with proper acclimatization; eight days adds Everest Base Camp. Allow a buffer of one to two days around your Tibet dates for permit approval and for the altitude adjustment, since the first two days are deliberately light.
