Tingri To Everest Base Camp Trek

Early morning you are transferred to the airport to board the plane for the flight over the Himalaya to Lhasa. If the weather is clear there is a wonderful view of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and other peaks en route. On arrival at Gonggar airport (which is 90 km. from Lhasa), you meet your vehicle and drive east along the broad Yarlung Tsangpo valley to Tsedang (3400m.). After checking in your hotel, you drive south to see the oldest building in Tibet, the Yumbu Lakhang, a beautiful castle-like dwelling and monastery, dramatically perched on a spur looking out over the fertile valley below. If time permits you may be able to visit a small monastery close to Tsedang, or an interesting carpet factory where you can see the whole process of carpet making. You stay overnight at hotel.

Foremost, your tour begins with a visit to SERA MONASTERY. An experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter escorts you to this preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Equally adventurous and exciting tempo builds up while touring NORBULINGKA, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. JOKHANG TEMPLE is another important sacred site which unravels more deep seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Visit to BARKHOR MARKETS can be quite a change from other visits as you roam around the city savoring every tiny detail from stall hawkers coaxing their clients to purchase their goods to exhibition of Tibetan culture, custom and tradition. Eventually, the tour for the day concludes as you return to the comforts of your hotel.

Like the previous day, you experience invaluable insights during your visits to POTALA PALACE and DREPUNG MONASTERY. This 17th century POTALA PALACE offers an awesome view of entire city and also has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms and chapels. Ancient history has it that Drepung Monastery which was built in 14th century used to shelter around 10,000 monks but as now there has been quite a declination resulting in only few hundreds. Tibetans’ respect and belief are immensely knotted with this monastery. You stay overnight at hotel.

You get an entire day free for acclimatization. After proper rest, you can either indulge in sightseeing, shop or do whatever you fancy. You also get an option of undertaking an additional tour to places such as the Tibetan Medical Centre, Ganden Monastery and Tsurphu Monastery. But this will incur extra costs. You stay overnight at hotel.

Following Friendship Highway, you drive past Khamba La at 4794 meter with a brief halt to savor majestic views of Yamdrok-tso Lake and Nazin Kang Sa standing proud at 7252m. On turning westwards, you come across another Karo La pass at 5045m. If you glance at the road, you can see huge glaciers tumbling down into the road. After hours of driving for 261 km, beautifully landscaped Tibetan villages become visible as you enter the town of Gyantse.

Gyantse prides on GYANTSE DZONG and KUMBUM. Gyantse Dzong is a historical fort built in the 14th century and overlooks a mesmerizing view of entire Gyantse and surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. Kumbum has large gold-domed stupa and houses several chapels and Tibetan Buddhist murals. After you enjoy exploring Gyantse, you will take a 90 km drive to Shigatse. Having driven to an altitude of 3900 meter, you find yourself at Shigatse, second largest city of Tibet.

After wandering around TASHILHUNPO MONASTERY, the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet and major attraction of Shigatse, you will transverse along the Friendship Highway amidst picturesque landscape driving past small town of Lhatse and Gyamtso La pass at 5220m. As the route opens into plains, many monasteries and camps of nomadic herders become visible en route to Tingri where you will meet your trekking crew (cook and trek guide from Nepal)

This is a rest day at Tingri to ensure further acclimatization before you head off high into total wilderness of tough Tibetan highlands. Your camping crew will set up a camp little off the friendship highway. Views of surrounding mountains from a small hillock near your campsite are awesome.

The trail heads away from Tingri plain towards Cho Oyu. As you near the village of Chholung, a small Gompa comes into sight. Further on, barren plains open up. Amazingly, even in these barren fields local villagers yield good harvest of barley. Mostly, you will find herders in this territory. You can select a superb campsite at Lung Thang to spend the night.

As you ascend to Lamna La pass at 5,150m, you may find the trail quite strenuous. But as soon as your eyes bask in the splendor of majestic vistas of surrounding mountain peaks, you will realize that this trek has indeed been very self-rewarding and worthwhile. Camping atop this pass dwarfs other materialistic pleasures.

Further away from Langma la pass, you have to take steep descents through verdant vegetation. En route, you encounter yak herders. The trail continues towards the whitewashed walls and barren fields of Zommug village. Amazing vistas of Mount Everest and Gyachung Kang visually rejuvenates you as you enter Zommug. Since lands being infertile are unable to yield agricultural crops, local villages are largely dependent on animal husbandry for livelihood. At a superb location, you will camp for the night.

In the morning you march towards Rongbuk. Within few hours along Rongbuk Glacier, North Face of Everest becomes visible flaunting its unparalled beauty. Rongbuk Monastery lies ahead 15 kilometers below Everest Base Camp at an elevation of 4,980 m, at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier. This monastery was reconstructed into present pristine form in 1960 Cultural Revolution. In a way, Rongbuk is regarded as a gateway to Mount Everest. You will get to set your campsite at an outstanding location with the breathtaking view of Mount Everest as the backdrop.

It is a 9 km walk along dirt road to the base of Mt. Everest. The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the views of Everest more than compensate for this. It is a truly awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above you

You have to take a 215 km drive from Base Camp to Nyalam along Friendship Highway transversing past Pang La pass. On the way you can halt at Tingri for lunch. Further away amidst the stunning view of Everest, Cho Oyu and other mountain peaks, you accelerate past Lalung La pass at 5124m and Shung La pass at 5200m. The trail further commands far-reaching views of enchanting Shishapangma, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar enchant as you leave behind arid Tibetan Plateau. The route then progresses towards pristine and fortified town of Nyalam where you can find a suitable accommodation at a hotel.

Heading away from Nyalam, drive for one hour to the lush and verdant vegetation of Zhangmu at 2300 meter. Few kilometers drive follows Friendship Bridge along Bhote Koshi River to Immigration Control in Kodari where you bade goodbye to your Tibetan guide and handle re-entry formalities to return to Kathmandu. After 5 hours of driving for 123 km, you finally arrive in Kathmandu.