15 Days Lhasa EBC Kailash Guge Namtso Group Tour

Distance: 70 km (about 1 hr) from Gonggar Airport; 20 km (about 30 min) from Lhasa Railway Station | Meals: Self-arranged | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa (3,650m)

Tashi Delek! Your CHIBET Travel guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station and transfer you to the hotel.

If you arrive by air, the drive into Lhasa follows the Yarlung Tsangpo River Valley and gives you an easy first look at the plateau. After check-in, the rest of the day is free, with no sightseeing planned.

Use the afternoon and evening to rest and settle into the altitude before the city tour begins tomorrow.

Overnight in Lhasa.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Complimentary airport pick-up is available from 08:00 to 22:00, while train station pick-up operates 24 hours. Keep the first day easy and avoid strenuous activity while you adjust to the altitude.

Distance: Approx. 4 km local driving | Meals: Breakfast, Tibetan Sweet Tea, Tibetan Welcome Dinner | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa

Spend today in the historic heart of Lhasa, with the city’s best-known landmarks mixed with a few more everyday local experiences.

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 palace was used beyond its famous exterior.

Later, visit Jokhang Temple, where pilgrims come to pray throughout the day. Step outside onto Barkhor Street and follow part of the traditional clockwise kora through the old quarter.

Around the old streets, stop at a local teahouse for Tibetan sweet tea. A traditional Tibetan costume photoshoot is also arranged in the historic lanes.

In the evening, meet the group for a Tibetan welcome dinner before the long overland journey begins tomorrow.

Overnight in Lhasa.

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

Distance: 360 km (about 8 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Shigatse (3,840m)

Leave Lhasa and begin the road west toward Shigatse. It is a full driving day, but the lake, glacier and changing plateau scenery break up the journey well.

The first major stop is Gampala Pass, where Yamdrok Lake opens below the road in long blue curves between dry mountain ridges. After the high viewpoint, continue down toward the lakeshore for a closer look.

Later, stop at Karola Glacier, where the ice descends unusually close to the highway. The glacier can be seen from the main viewing area without a long hike before the road continues through Gyantse toward Shigatse.

Arrive in Shigatse later in the day and check in for the night.

Overnight in Shigatse.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Gampala Pass and Karola Glacier can be much colder and windier than Lhasa. Keep a warm, windproof layer in your daypack.

Distance: 340 km (about 8 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast, Tibetan Yak Hotpot | Hotel: EBC Tent Guesthouse / Vienna International Hotel / Rongbuk Monastery Hotel

Today the road leaves Shigatse and heads into the Himalayas. Towns become smaller, the plateau opens up and the mountain skyline gradually becomes the focus of the day.

Cross Gyatso La Pass, where Mount Everest may appear in the distance when the sky is clear. The wider Himalayan panorama comes later at Gawula Pass, with Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma lined across the horizon on a good-weather day.

From the pass, descend the winding mountain road toward Everest Base Camp. Spend time at the main viewing area facing the north side of the mountain, with possible sunset views if the weather cooperates.

Dinner tonight is a warm Tibetan yak hotpot before settling in for the night.

Accommodation Options:

EBC Tent Guesthouse: the upgraded tent accommodation offers cleaner, more comfortable sleeping areas and improved shared toilet facilities. It remains simple high-altitude accommodation, but the location keeps you close to Everest for the evening and a possible sunrise.

Vienna International Hotel in Tingri: a more comfortable private room at a lower altitude. Guests staying here leave the Everest area before nightfall and do not return to EBC for sunrise.

Rongbuk Monastery Hotel upgrade: a private room close to Everest, available with a supplement and subject to seasonal availability.

Overnight near Everest Base Camp or in Tingri.

CHIBET Travel Notice: Everest sunset, stars and sunrise depend on the weather. Nights around EBC are very cold, so bring your warmest layers. Sunrise the next morning is available only for guests staying near EBC or at Rongbuk Hotel.

Distance: 370 km (about 8 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Saga (4,500m)

Guests staying near Everest can rise early for another chance to see the mountain at sunrise. When the sky is clear, the first light reaches the upper slopes before the valley below. Guests staying in Tingri do not return to EBC for sunrise.

After breakfast, the route turns west into a quieter section of the plateau. Look toward Shishapangma, the only 8,000-meter peak located entirely within Tibet, then stop at Pelkhu Tso Lake with its blue water and wide open surroundings.

Continue across the remote landscape to Saga and check in for the night.

Overnight in Saga.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Everest sunrise and mountain visibility are weather-dependent. Today is another long high-altitude driving day, so keep the pace easy at stops.

Distance: 490 km (about 8 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Darchen (4,575m)

Leave Saga and continue west on the G219 Highway through some of the broadest landscapes of the trip. The road crosses Zhongba County and the Maquan River Wetland, the headwater region of the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

Later, stop at Lake Rakshastal, where dark blue water and a stark mountain backdrop create a very different mood from neighboring Lake Manasarovar.

Arrive in Darchen at the foot of Mount Kailash. This small town is the starting point for the three-day kora, so the evening is mainly for rest and preparation.

Overnight in Darchen.

CHIBET Travel Notice: If you plan to hire a porter or pack animal for the Kailash trek, tell your guide today. These services are optional and paid separately.

Distance: 6 km eco-bus + 13 km trekking | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse (shared dormitory, 5,080m)

The Mount Kailash kora begins today. Take the eco-bus toward Sarshung Valley, then start walking through the Lha Chu Valley with pilgrims and other trekkers.

Pass Tarboche Prayer Flag Square and Yam Dwar, the symbolic gateway onto the sacred trail. Farther along the valley, Choku Monastery appears across the river beneath the mountain slopes.

The trail climbs gradually toward Dirapuk Monastery, where the north face of Mount Kailash rises directly across the valley. Arrive by late afternoon and settle into the simple guesthouse.

Overnight at Dirapuk Monastery Guesthouse.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Walk at a steady pace and do not try to match faster trekkers. The altitude is already above 5,000 meters by the end of the day, and the guesthouse facilities are basic.

Distance: 22 km trekking | Meals: Self-arranged | Hotel: Zutulpuk Monastery Guesthouse (shared dormitory, 4,820m)

This is the hardest day of the entire journey. Leave Dirapuk early and climb steadily toward Dolma La Pass, the highest point of the kora at 5,630 meters.

The final approach is steep and slow. Prayer flags cover the pass, and the landscape feels very exposed at this altitude. After crossing the top, descend carefully past Gauri Kund and the nearby glacier fields.

The trail eventually becomes gentler as it follows the eastern valley toward Zutulpuk Monastery, known for its connection with the Tibetan yogi Milarepa.

Overnight at Zutulpuk Monastery Guesthouse.

CHIBET Travel Advice: This is a long trekking day with a major altitude gain and descent. Start early, keep your pace conservative and follow the guide closely, especially around the pass and steeper descent sections.

Distance: 6.5 km trekking + 4.5 km eco-bus + 227 km (about 4 hrs driving) | Meals: Self-arranged | Hotel: Hotel in Zanda (3,700m)

The final morning of the kora is much easier. Follow the valley for about 6.5 kilometers to Zongto, then take the eco-bus back to Darchen to complete the 52-kilometer circuit.

After rejoining the vehicle, continue west toward Zanda. The road crosses high passes before dropping into the deeply eroded canyon country of Ngari.

Arrive in Zanda and check in for the night.

Overnight in Zanda.

Distance: 270 km (about 5 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Darchen

Spend the morning in the Zanda Earth Forest, where wind and water erosion have carved ancient lake sediments into a vast maze of ridges, towers and canyon walls.

Continue to the Guge Kingdom Ruins at Tsaparang. Walk through the hilltop remains, rock-cut passages and surviving chapels, where old murals and religious art give a sense of the kingdom that once controlled much of western Tibet.

After the visit, drive back to Darchen and rest after several demanding days.

Overnight in Darchen.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Some parts of the Guge ruins involve uneven steps and short climbs. Take your time after the Kailash trek and follow local photography restrictions inside surviving chapels.

Distance: 490 km (about 8 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Saga

Leave Darchen and stop at Lake Manasarovar, one of the most important sacred lakes in the Kailash region. On a clear day, the water opens toward Mount Kailash and Mount Gurla Mandhata across the wide plateau.

Continue east through Ngari, with another stop at Gongzhucuo Lake before the long drive back to Saga.

Arrive in Saga in the evening and check in for the night.

Overnight in Saga.

Distance: 580 km (about 9 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Shigatse

Today is one of the longest driving days. Follow the southern highway east through the Mount Everest Nature Reserve, returning past the open landscapes around Pelkhu Tso Lake and Shishapangma.

The scenery is familiar from the outward journey, but the light and direction are different on the way back. Continue across the plateau toward Shigatse.

Arrive in Shigatse in the evening and check in for the night.

Overnight in Shigatse.

CHIBET Travel Advice: This is a long road day with limited sightseeing stops. Keep snacks, water and a warm layer in your daypack.

Distance: 490 km (about 7 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Baingoin (4,700m)

Turn north from the main southern route and enter the Changtang Plateau. Villages become fewer and the landscape opens into broad grazing country, with distant mountains and long stretches of empty road.

Pass Jiegangri Sacred Mountain before reaching Serling Tso, one of the great lakes of northern Tibet. The lake spreads across a huge open basin, and wildlife such as kiang or Tibetan antelope may sometimes be seen along the route.

Continue to Baingoin and check in for the night.

Overnight in Baingoin.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. This section is remote and high, so weather and road conditions can affect driving times.

Distance: 435 km (about 6 hrs driving) | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Hotel in Lhasa

Continue south toward Namtso Lake, where the broad blue water sits below the Nyenchen Tanglha mountain range. Spend time around Tashi Peninsula, with its rocky shoreline, prayer flags and wide lake views.

The road then climbs across Nagenla Pass for a final high view over Namtso before descending toward the Lhasa River Valley.

Arrive back in Lhasa for the final evening of the trip.

Overnight in Lhasa.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Namtso and Nagenla Pass are exposed to strong wind and sudden weather changes. Road access can be adjusted if local safety conditions require it.

Distance: 70 km (about 1 hr) to Gonggar Airport; 20 km (about 30 min) to Lhasa Railway Station | Meals: Breakfast | Hotel: Self-arranged

After breakfast, check out of the hotel. Your CHIBET Travel guide and driver will transfer you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station for your onward journey.

Your 15-day Tibet grand loop 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 departure details with your guide the day before.