12 Days Tibet Classic Trek from Old Tingri to Everest Base Camp Tour

After breakfast at your hotel, drive to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung Monastery was ever the largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, and now it is one of three great monasteries in Lhasa. Seen from the distant, its grand, white construction gives the appearance of a heap of rice.

In the afternoon, drive to visit Sera Monastery, which is famous for the unique “Daily Scriptures Debating” activity held from 3:30pm to 5pm in the central courtyard. In addition, you can tour  the Tibetan religious scripture printing house; inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha. Then transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight at Lhasa.

Tips:
1. The road condition to Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery is good.
2. Pack plenty of drinking water, sun glasses, suncream and some food.

After breakfast, your tour guide & driver will pick you and drive to visit the splendid Potala Palace, which is Lhasa’s cardinal landmarks. You will have a whole morning to explore this world-level architectural works: White Palace, Red Palace, corridors and stairs and countless lama’s dormitory. Others include: Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted, murals, etc.

In the afternoon, you will walk to visit the age-old Jokhang Temple, as the spiritual center of Tibet, which will deeply impress you with its magnificence and sincere pilgrims. You will see pilgrims donating butter oil to keep the lights burning for the Buddha; learning Tibetan Buddhism; hearing the red-robed Lamas praying; taking photos of the gold roof and enjoying the beautiful sunshine of Lhasa.

Finally, you will have a relaxing walk around Jokhang Temple at Barkhor Street, which is the oldest street in Lhasa, and full of religious atmosphere, showcasing Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble. Then transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight at Lhasa.

Tips:
1. In Potala Palace, your visiting time is limited on 1 hour. Climb up there, you might experience slight shortness of breath, please take your time and rest when needed.
2. Don’t disturb pilgrims and Lama. Don’t take photos of them without permission.
3. In Barkhor Street, remember to bargain and compare the price in different shops for the souvenirs if you are purchasing.

On leaving from Lhasa, we will firstly drive southwest towards the beauty of Lake Yamdrok taking the winding road up to the crest of the Gampa La pass at 4794 meters. From the pass you get the first glimpse of the beauty of Lake Yamdrok below ringed by snowy mountain peaks and stretching out across the whole landscape before you. In the distance, the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar stands tall in the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain Range. We will drop down to the lake shore for a closer look before continuing on to Nagartse for a delicious local lunch.

After lunch, on the way to Gyantse, we cross over the pass at Karo La (5159m) where we can view the beautiful glacier that falls from the slopes of Mount Nyenchen Khangsar. In Gyantse we will stop at the Pelkor Chode Monastery to explore both the monastery and the outstanding 32-meter stupa that is the highlight of the day. Known as the Kumbum Stupa, this one-of-a-kind stupa has nine floors and 108 chapels which contain thousands of images and statues throughout. Then we will continue to reach Shigatse before nightfall.

Overnight at Shigatse.

After breakfast, you will go to apply for Aliens’ Travel Permit. And then you will leave Shigatse for the final destination of today - Old Tingri Town. Enjoy the magnificent plateau landscape along the road.

Overnight at Shigatse.

The route starts in Old Tingri, and heads south on a direct line for the world’s highest mountain. After leaving the town, you will pass onto the wide Tingri Plain, crossing the huge area of local grasslands, which are inhabited by Tibetan antelopes and other local creatures. As you cross into the Ra Chu Valley, the verdant meadows are dotted with herds of sheep and goats, grazing on the lush grasses, and you follow the valley all the way to Lungchang. The area is home to sheep, goats, antelopes, and nomadic herders, with no permanent settlements in sight. In the afternoon, you can visit the small remote monastery of Choelun.

Overnight at tent.

Day two of the hike to EBC is a little more challenging for trekkers, as you will start the ascents into the lower mountains of the Himalayas, as you get closer to Mount Everest. The route follows a long uphill climb to Nam La Pass, at 5,150 meters above sea level, and the campsite for the night is just below the crest of the pass. With the uphill hike ascending more than 600 meters in one day, you should take every opportunity to take a break and rest, especially if you are feeling tired from hiking in the high altitude. Frequent rest breaks can help reduce the risk of altitude sickness.

Overnight at tent.

After a good night’s sleep in your tent, you will wake in the morning ready to tackle the easier downhill leg of the hike, descending from the high pass into the lush landscape below. Few people can be found in this area of Tibet, and in the lush but desolate landscape, you are only likely to see yaks, sheep, goats, and herders, with their nomadic tents set up on the plains. The hike is pretty level after the descent from the pass all the way to Zommug, a small community set in the more barren area of the plains. However, the sunsets in Zommug are some of the most beautiful on the plateau, so get your camera ready.

Overnight at tent.

The last leg of the hike takes you from Zommug to EBC, and is a much easier ascent than the one to the pass at Nam La. The route winds through the valley near the foot of Mount Everest, and ends at the famous Rongbuk Monastery, the highest Buddhist monastery in the world. As you get closer to the mountain, it seems to loom higher and higher with each footstep along the trail, until you are finally standing in its shadow, looking up at the highest peak on the planet, just a few thousands meters above you.

Overnight at EBC.

After a pleasant night at the base camp or monastery guesthouse, we can rise early to get the best view of the sunrise on the eastern sloped of Mount Everest. The hill behind the monastery is the best spot for good early-morning photos of the mountain. Then it is time to say goodbye to the world’s highest mountain as we pack up and prepare to drive back to Shigatse.

On the way at Gawu La Pass (5250m), you will get an amazing view of the Himalayan panorama. The view of the peaks includes several mountains above 8000 meters including Mount Everest (8848m) Mt. Lhotse (8516m) Mt. Makalu (8463m) Mt. Shishapangma (8020m) and Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m).

Overnight at Shigatse.

After breakfast we will spend the first part of the morning touring around the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery the seat of the Panchen Lama before heading off along the Friendship Highway towards Lhasa. Built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, the monastery is now the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama Tibet’s second highest religious incarnation. There you will be able to see the tombs of 7 Panchen Lamas explore the twisting cobbled streets and get a peek into monastic life.

On the rout drive back to Lhasa by following Yalong Valley, you can stand on the viewing platform and view the vast Yalong River bed. Finally the guide will transfer you back to your hotels in Lhasa.

Overnight at Lhasa.

Today is free for you until you are escorted to the airport or railway station for departure and the guide will help you get on board.