Tibet Loop Tours — Never the Same Road Twice
Most Tibet tours drive out from Lhasa and come back the same way. Ours do not have to. A loop tour goes out by one road and comes back by another, so every day shows you something new — different passes, different valleys, different villages. Every loop ends in Lhasa: different roads, but they all lead home.
What Is a Loop Tour in Tibet?
A loop tour is a round trip from Lhasa that never drives the same road twice. Instead of going to a place and turning back, the route makes a circle: out by one valley, back by another. You see twice as much of Tibet in the same number of days, and the long drives feel shorter because the view never repeats. It is also the choice for anyone who simply does not like going back the way they came. Below are our loops, by direction from Lhasa.
North Loop: Everest and the North Tibet Grassland
- 9 Days Everest & North Tibet Grassland Loop — 9 days, small group, from US$915. South to Everest Base Camp by Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse and Shigatse, then north across the grassland with its nomad camps to Namtso Lake, and back to Lhasa.
- The Grand Loop — 9 days, private. The same great circle at your own pace: Yamdrok, Gyantse, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp, Yangpachen and Namtso.
- Lhasa & Namtso Lake Grassland Tour — 5 days, private — a journey we ran for real guests. North to the nomad grassland and Namtso Lake by Damxung, and back by the quiet G561 road through Lhünzhub County: Reting Monastery, the black-necked crane wetlands and the barley farms.
West Loop: Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse and Shigatse
- 5 Days Lhasa & Yamdrok Lake — 5 days, small group, from US$560. Over the Gampala Pass to the lake, along the quiet east shore, over the Zhila Pass and back to Lhasa past Gonggar Airport.
- Lhasa · Yamdrok · Gyantse · Shigatse — 6 days, private. Yamdrok Lake and the Karo La glacier to Gyantse and Shigatse, and back to Lhasa along the Yarlung Tsangpo.
East Loop: the Yarlung Valley, Where Tibet Began
- 7 Days Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and the Yarlung Valley — 7 days, small group or private. Yamdrok Lake — walk along the shore if you like — over the Zhila Pass to the Yarlung Valley for Yumbulakhang, the first palace in Tibet, and Samye, the first monastery.
- Eastern Shannan Cultural Loop — 7 days, private — a journey we ran for real guests. The same valley the other way round, with more of its temples and hermitages: Samye, Chimpu, Dorje Drak, Tsedang, Yumbulakhang and back by Yamdrok Lake.
Far West Loop: Mount Kailash and the Changtang
- The Grand Ngari Loop — 16 days, private. Everest, Lake Manasarovar and the Kailash kora, the Guge Kingdom, and back east across the wild Changtang, home of antelope and wild yaks.
Around a Holy Lake: the Yamdrok Kora
A kora is a loop of its own: pilgrims go around a holy place, always clockwise, and come back to where they started. Around Yamdrok Lake you can make it in two ways, walking part of each day and riding the rest: the Yamdrok Lake Inner Kora, around the lake’s peninsula from Nagarze and back, or the Yamdrok Lake Outer Kora, around the whole lake from the foot of the Gampala Pass. If you would rather trek, see the Yamdrok Lake Trek on the Inner Circle, and for all three kinds, Yamdrok Lake tours.
Which Loop Is Right for You?
- About a week, first visit: the West Loop for Yamdrok Lake, or the East Loop for Tibet’s oldest history.
- Everest is a must: the North Loop — Everest Base Camp and the grassland in nine days.
- Only five days, but you want the grassland: the short North Loop to Namtso Lake and back by Reting Monastery.
- Two weeks or more: the Far West Loop to Mount Kailash.
- Walkers and pilgrims at heart: a kora around Yamdrok Lake.
Every loop can also run as a private trip on your own dates, and we can join two loops together. Send us a free inquiry — we answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday. For fixed dates, see our small group departures.
Frequently asked questions
What is a loop tour in Tibet?
A round trip from Lhasa that never drives the same road twice. The route goes out by one road and comes back by another, so you see twice as much of Tibet in the same number of days.
Do all loop tours start and end in Lhasa?
Yes. Every loop starts in Lhasa and comes back to Lhasa by a different road, so your flights or trains in and out are simple.
Which Tibet loop tour is best for a first visit?
With about a week, the West Loop to Yamdrok Lake or the East Loop to the Yarlung Valley. If Everest is a must, take the 9-day North Loop to Everest Base Camp and the North Tibet grassland.
Can I join a loop tour as a small group?
Yes. The 9-day North Loop and the 5-day West Loop run as small group tours of 3 to 8 travellers, and the 7-day East Loop runs as a small group or private trip. Every loop can also run privately on your own dates.
Is a kora a loop?
Yes, a holy one. A kora goes around a holy place, always clockwise, and comes back to where it started. Our Yamdrok Lake Outer Kora and Inner Kora Trek both follow pilgrims’ circuits around the lake.
We answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday.