8 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour

Distance: Approx. 130 km (about 7-8 hrs driving, depending on road and border conditions) | Meals: Self-arranged | Hotel: Hotel in Gyirong Town (2,800m)

Leave Kathmandu early and travel north through Nepal’s mountain foothills toward the Rasuwagadhi border. Terraced fields, river valleys and winding mountain roads fill most of the journey before you reach the immigration checkpoint.

After completing the Nepal-side departure formalities, cross the border into Tibet at Gyirong Port. Your local Tibetan guide meets the group on the Chinese side and assists with the entry process before you continue up the valley.

The final drive to Gyirong Town is short but noticeably different from the high plateau scenery ahead. Forested slopes and deep river gorges make this one of the greenest parts of Tibet.

Overnight in Gyirong Town.

CHIBET Travel Notice: For the current tour arrangement, travelers enter Tibet from Nepal with the required China visa and Tibet Travel Permit. Entry policies can change, so confirm the latest document requirements with your travel consultant before departure. The Nepal-side road is winding and can be rough in places; bring motion-sickness medicine if needed.

Distance: Approx. 5 km local driving if joining the optional visit | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Gyirong Town (2,800m)

Today is deliberately light after yesterday’s border journey. Gyirong sits much lower than the Everest region, so a second night here gives the group more time before the big climb onto the Tibetan Plateau tomorrow.

There is no fixed sightseeing schedule. Rest at the hotel, walk around town or spend some time in the quieter streets and cafés nearby.

If you feel comfortable, an optional visit can be arranged to Milarepa Cave, a small pilgrimage site linked with the Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa. The cave and shrine sit in a peaceful mountain setting outside town.

Overnight in Gyirong Town.

CHIBET Travel Advice: The Milarepa Cave visit is optional and not part of the fixed sightseeing program. Keep the day easy, especially if you are still adjusting after the long road journey.

Distance: Approx. 480 km (about 10-11 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Tingri (4,300m)

This is the longest and most dramatic road day of the tour. Leave the green Gyirong Valley and climb over Gongtang La (about 5,236 m), where forest gradually disappears and the broad Tibetan Plateau opens ahead.

The road continues past Peiku Tso Lake, with Shishapangma rising beyond the open basin when the weather is clear. The combination of blue water, dry grassland and snow mountains marks a clear change from yesterday’s Himalayan valley.

Later, climb to Gawu La for one of the widest Himalayan panoramas on the route. On a clear day, Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma can all be picked out along the skyline.

Continue toward Everest Base Camp and spend time at the main viewing area facing the north side of Mount Everest. The light and clouds change quickly here, so clear views are never guaranteed, but when the mountain is open this is the biggest moment of the journey.

Then we will continue our journey to Tingri (4300m).

Overnight in Tingri

CHIBET Travel Advice: Today involves a large altitude gain from Gyirong to passes above 5,000 meters. Move slowly at viewpoints and keep warm layers close. Everest and the Himalayan skyline are weather-dependent.

Distance: Approx. 239 km (about 4 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast, Tibetan Yak Hotpot | Hotel: Hotel in Shigatse (3,840m)

After the high passes and Everest road yesterday, today is shorter. Travel east along the G318 through Lhatse, with a stop around the highway’s 5,000-kilometer milestone before continuing to Shigatse.

In the afternoon, visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and still an active religious center. Walk through its courtyards and prayer halls, where monks and pilgrims move between the old red-and-white buildings.

Inside the Maitreya Buddha Hall, see the large gilded image of the Future Buddha before continuing through the monastery complex.

In the evening, sit down with the group for a warm Tibetan yak hotpot, a relaxed finish after several days on the road.

Overnight in Shigatse.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Photography may be restricted or require an extra fee inside some monastery halls. Ask your guide before taking indoor photos.

Distance: Approx. 280 km (about 5-6 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa (3,650m)

Leave Shigatse and travel east toward Lhasa on the southern plateau route. The day combines one close roadside glacier with one of Tibet’s best-known high-altitude lakes.

Stop first at Karola Glacier, where the ice descends unusually close to the highway. You can see the glacier from the main viewing area without a long hike before continuing toward the lake belt.

Later, reach Yamdrok Lake and climb across Gampa La for the broad view over its long blue curves. The route then drops closer to the lakeshore, where the water, villages and grazing land feel much more immediate than from the high pass.

Continue to Lhasa and check in at the hotel in the evening.

Overnight in Lhasa.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Karola Glacier and Gampa La can be cold and windy even when Shigatse or Lhasa feels mild. Keep a warm outer layer in your daypack.

Distance: Approx. 10 km local driving | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa (3,650m)

After several days of long-distance driving, today stays entirely in Lhasa and shifts the focus from landscape to Tibetan monastic life.

Start at Drepung Monastery, once one of Tibet’s largest monastic communities. Walk through the hillside courtyards, assembly halls and old lanes while your guide explains how the monastery became an important center of Buddhist study.

In the afternoon, continue to Sera Monastery for the monk debate session. Questions, hand claps and quick gestures are part of the training, giving the courtyard a much livelier atmosphere than a typical temple visit.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Distance: Approx. 4 km local driving | Meals: Breakfast, Local Sweet Tea, Tibetan Farewell Dinner | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa (3,650m)

Spend the final full day in the historic heart of Lhasa, moving from the city’s best-known palace to the pilgrimage streets of the old quarter.

Begin at the Potala Palace and climb through the White Palace and Red Palace. Former living quarters, chapels, murals and memorial stupas help explain how the complex was used beyond its famous exterior.

Later, visit Jokhang Temple, where pilgrims come to pray throughout the day. Step outside onto Barkhor Street and walk part of the traditional clockwise kora around the temple.

Around the old quarter, stop for Tibetan sweet tea and enjoy a traditional Tibetan costume photoshoot in the historic lanes.

In the evening, meet the group for a Tibetan farewell dinner and a relaxed final night in Lhasa.

Overnight in Lhasa.

CHIBET Travel Notice: Potala Palace uses fixed entry times and daily visitor limits, so your guide may adjust the sightseeing order around the confirmed ticket time. Photography is restricted inside some areas.

Distance: 70 km (about 1 hr) to Gonggar Airport; 20 km (about 30 min) to Lhasa Railway Station | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: None

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and some free time before departure. At the scheduled time, your local Tibetan guide and driver will transfer you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station for your onward journey.

Your 8-day Kathmandu to Lhasa overland group tour ends here.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Complimentary airport drop-off is available from 08:30 to 22:30, while train station drop-off operates 24 hours. Please confirm your flight or train details with your guide on Day 7.