10 Days Tibet Nature Discover Tour with Mount Everest

Tour Overview

This 10 days Tibet Nature Discover Tour with Mount Everest is one of the perfect ways for a taste of the utmost beauty Tibet can offer. It includes the...

Code of Tour: YCT0000003511

Length of Travel: 10 Day

Destinations of Tour: Lhasa - Lake Namtso - Lhasa - Shigatse - EBC - Shigatse - Lhasa

Departure City: Lhasa

Price of Tour: Request

Type of Tour:

Features of Tour: Nature Culture Minority Landscape

More Map & Picture

This 10 days Tibet Nature Discover Tour with Mount Everest is one of the perfect ways for a taste of the utmost beauty Tibet can offer. It includes the major sights in Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse plus a visit to the holyLake Namtso, which shades the valley floor a miraculous shade of turquoise offering a glimpse of the nomad life of the Tibet. Besides, tourists may enjoy the Tibet’s superb scenery of beautiful Yamdrok Lake and Karo Glacier and they can have a chance to gaze on the magnificent north face of the world’s tallest peak, Mt Everest.

Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
• Day 2: Lhasa
• Day 3: Lhasa
• Day 4: Lhasa-Namtso Lake
• Day 5: Namtso Lake-Lhasa
• Day 6: Lhasa-Shigatse
• Day 7: Shigatse-EBC
• Day 8: EBC-Shigatse
• Day 9: Shigatse-Lhasa
• Day 10: Lhasa Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa （3650m）

Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Lhasa
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:None

When you arrive in Lhasa either by train or flight, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel .An route to viewing the Yarlung Tsangpo River/ Bhamaputra river (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa river. After arrive in lhasa, you can take rest and acclimatize. If you feel to go out, then you can go to the Potala square, where you will enjoy the fountain with different color and get amazing photos of the Potala and around. Stay overnight in Lhasa. 

Day 2 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It has been used since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collection are the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.  
After you take lunch and then head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the single most venerated object in Tibet Buddhism.
Around the temple Barkhor Street where you can do kora (circling the Barkhor street) with pilgrims and locals and buy the souvenirs. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 3 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Carpet factory, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which was one of the “three greet” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace is used as Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.
Afternoon, Sera Monastery—It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419 by Jamchen chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 4 Lhasa (3650m)-Namtso Lake (4718m)

Sightseeing and Activities:Namtso Lake, Nyenchen Thanglha
Accommodation:Namtso Lake
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we continue to drive to Namtso Lake and all the way you can see Nyenchen Thanglha snow mountain ranges and lots of nomads’tent with grazing yak and sheep densely-populated along the mountain side. Namtso Lake is the Heavenly Lake which is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest salt lake. You can do a very relax trekking around the lake side and Tashi Island. To spend a night at lake shore is a fantastic plan to see the stars. Stay overnight in Namtso Guest house.

Day 5 Namtso (4718m)-Lhasa (3650m)

Sightseeing and Activities:Namtso Lake, Tashi Dor Island,Yangpachen Hot Spring
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy the clear morning at the lakeshore, and you can trek along the lake shore to Tashi Dor Island to explore the meditation caves. Drive to Dumxung to have lunch. In the afternoon, you may enjoy Yangpachen Hot Spring (Optional) which has both indoor and outdoor swimming pool filled with hot springs water. The hot spring itself is the highest swimming pool in the world. Then drive back to Lhasa. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 6 Lhasa (3650m) to Shigatse(3900m)

Sightseeing and Activities:Yamdrok Lake,Karo Glacier, Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum
Accommodation:Shigatse
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we have to drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. On the way, passing over the Gampala Pass (4790 m),you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountain and in the distance you have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa. Gyantse was historically known as the Tibet’s third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse). In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery (also known as Gyantse Kumbum). After one and a half hour’s driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we’ll visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the seat of Tibet’s second highest incarnation, the Panchen Lama. Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Day 7 Shigatse(3900m) to Everest Base Camp(5200m)

Sightseeing and Activities:Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
Accommodation:EBC
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

We’ll leave Shigatse after getting your Alien’s travel permit, and then drive to Lhatse. It is a small town where you can take lunch. After that, you will drive to Shegar and if the weather is clear enough then on the way down to shegar you will view the Mt. Everest in the distance. After 4 to 6 hours then you will arrive at Rongbuk Monastery but on the way, you will pass one of the highest passes in Tibet (pang la pass height 5050m) from that’s pass you will view the whole five highest peaks in the world. Stay overnight in tent or Guesthouse.

Day 8 Everest Base Camp (5200m) to Shigatse (3900m)

Sightseeing and Activities:sunrise of Mt Everest, Rongphu Monastery
Accommodation:Shigatse
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you can see the sunrise appearing on the top of Mt Everest, and have a full view the magnificent Mt. Everest standing like a snow-capped pyramid in front of you at Rongpuk, which is the vantage point for watching Mt. Everest. Then you may trek from tent to Base camp 4/km one way or go to EBC by local bus. After visiting base camp, tourists can visit Rongphu Monastery which is the highest monastery in the world (5000m) and belongs to Nyingma sect. After that drive back to Shigatse. Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Day 9 Shigatse(3900m) to Lhasa(3650m)

Sightseeing and Activities:Yarlung Tsangpo River / Bhamaputra River
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa on the Friendship Highway. The whole distance is almost 280km and it takes 6 hours along the Yarlung Tsangpo River / Bhamaputra River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet). Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 10 Depart from Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:None
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.

Recommended Hotels

Service Included:

• Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
• All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
• Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
• Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
• All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
• Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
• All meals listed in the above itinerary;
• Tourist accident/casualty insurance;
• First aid kit;

Service Excluded:

• International flight to and out of China;
• Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
• Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
• Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
• Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
• Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.

Travel Tips:

1. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

2. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, May to early October is the best time to for a Mount Kailash trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It may be too cold to travel in Kailash area from November to March. There is usually heavy snow. The conditions in Namtso Lake and Mount Everest area are quite similar with Kailash. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.

3. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

4. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. Kathmandu also has several flights to Lhasa each week.

If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended. As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.