Private tour — on your dates
13 Days Tibet Overland Adventure Group Tour with Mount Kailash & EBC
13 Days $1,971 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ Stable departure guaranteed — for small groups of 3–16 travellers Complete the sacred Kailash Kora (3-day trek) — one of the world’s greatest pilgrimages Stand at…
- 13 Days / 12 Nights
- Stable departure guaranteed — for small groups of 3–16 travellers → Complete the sacred Kailash Kora (3-day trek) — one of the world's greatest pilgrimages → Stand at Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) for the ultimate Himalayan experience → Exit at Gyirong Border for an unforgettable overland adventure into Nepal
- Challenging pace
- Best: May to mid-October (the Kora is snowed in through winter)
- No Deposit — Ever
- Cancel Free Before Permit Issued
- Full Refund except $100 Permit Fee
- Bring 7, Your Spot Is Free
- Our Own Office in Lhasa, Since 1999
The trip at a glance
- Lhasa Culture Tour → Lhasa Traditional Handicraft Art Center, Sera Monastery
- Lhasa City Tour → Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Tibetan-style Featured Dinner
- Lhasa → Gyantse → Shigatse → Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse Kumbum
- Shigatse → Mt. Everest → Gyawu La Pass, Rongbuk Monastery, EBC (hot-pot dinner)
- EBC → Saga → Mount Shishapangma, Pelkhu-tso
- Saga → Drongpa County → Darchen → Lake Manasarovar, Lhanag-tso
Day by day
Stable departure guaranteed — for small groups of 3–16 travellers → Complete the sacred Kailash Kora (3-day trek) — one of the world's greatest pilgrimages → Stand at Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) for the ultimate Himalayan experience → Exit at Gyirong Border for an unforgettable overland adventure into Nepal
Day1
Arrival in Lhasa — Airport Pick-up and Hotel Check-in
Upon arrival at Lhasa airport your guide will greet you and transfer you to your hotel. Rest and acclimatize for the remainder of the day.
Day2
Lhasa Culture Tour — Lhasa Traditional Handicraft Art Center, Sera Monastery
Morning at the Lhasa Traditional Handicraft Art Center. Afternoon visit to Sera Monastery to witness the Monks’ Debating session (15:00–17:00, except Sundays).
Day3
Lhasa City Tour — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Tibetan-style Featured Dinner
Visit the iconic Potala Palace, the sacred Jokhang Temple and the vibrant Barkhor Street pilgrim circuit. In the evening enjoy a Tibetan-style group dinner.
Day4
Lhasa → Gyantse → Shigatse — Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse Kumbum
Drive over Kampala Pass for views of the sacred Yamdrok Lake, then visit the Karola Glacier. Continue to Gyantse to see the famous Gyantse Kumbum stupa before arriving in Shigatse.
Day5
Shigatse → Mt. Everest — Gyawu La Pass, Rongbuk Monastery, EBC (hot-pot dinner)
Drive south-west over the Gyawu La Pass. Stop at Rongbuk Monastery before arriving at Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) for the night. Enjoy the famous EBC hot-pot dinner.
Day6
EBC → Saga — Mount Shishapangma, Pelkhu-tso
After the Everest sunrise, drive west past views of Mt. Shishapangma (8,012 m) and the cobalt-blue Pelkhu-tso Lake before arriving at Saga County.
Day7
Saga → Drongpa County → Darchen — Lake Manasarovar, Lhanag-tso
Drive west through the desolate plains of western Tibet, passing Drongpa County and the sacred Lake Manasarovar (4,588 m) before reaching Darchen — the start of the Kailash Kora.
Day8
Mt. Kailash Trek Day One — Darchen → Driapuk Monastery
Begin the legendary Kailash Kora from Darchen (4,560 m). Trek through the Sarshung valley, passing pilgrims, nomads and prayer flags, to Driapuk Monastery guesthouse (4,920 m). Porters and yaks are available locally (not included).
Day9
Mt. Kailash Trek Day Two — Driapuk Monastery → Dzultripuk
The most challenging day: ascend to the Dolma La Pass (5,630 m) — the highest point of the Kailash Kora — and descend to Dzultripuk (Milarepa’s Cave). An extraordinary day of trekking with spectacular views of the sacred mountain.
Day10
Mt. Kailash Trek Day Three — Dzultripuk → Darchen → Zanda
Complete the final stage of the Kailash Kora, visiting caves and shrines around Milarepa’s cave, before walking back to Darchen. Drive on to Zanda to visit the Guge Kingdom ruins and the spectacular Earth Forest.
Day11
Zanda → Guge Kingdom → Earth Forest → Tholing Monastery → Darchen
Explore the haunting ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom and the magnificent Zanda Earth Forest — a geological wonderland of eroded pillars. Visit the ancient Tholing Monastery before driving back to Darchen.
Day12
Darchen → Saga
Drive back east from Darchen to Saga across the remote western Tibetan plateau, passing through small towns and nomad camps.
Day13
Saga → Gyirong Valley → Gyirong Border
Drive south through the dramatic Gyirong Valley — one of the most beautiful Himalayan valleys — to the Gyirong Border crossing into Nepal. This ends your 13-day Tibet Overland Adventure Group Tour.
Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.
What is included
Included
- Tourist bus (7–17 seats) for all ground transportation
- Twin-sharing accommodation with daily breakfast
- Featured meals as listed in itinerary (Tibetan welcome banquet + specialty dinners)
- Professional English/Chinese-speaking tour guide
- Entrance tickets to all scenic spots listed in the itinerary
- Tibet Entry Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit and Border Pass
- Travel Accident Insurance, Vehicle Seat Insurance and Agency Liability Insurance
- Airport/station pick-up and drop-off service (7:00 am–10:00 pm)
- Emergency oxygen canister per person; 2 × 300 ml drinking water per day; 4 L medical oxygen in vehicle
- All taxes, handling charges and Potala Palace reservation fee
Not included
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Room fees for any itinerary changes due to personal reasons
- Personal expenses (laundry, drinks, telephone, optional activities)
- Force majeure costs (natural disasters, flight delays, political events, etc.)
- Guide and driver tips (suggested 30 CNY per person per day each)
- International or domestic flight/train tickets to/from Tibet
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
How large will my group be?
Join-in departures run with a minimum of 3 travellers — usually 3–8 pax, and never more than 16. You choose the departure date, the starting point and the itinerary length that suits you; guests on different day counts travel together on the shared legs, and each group leaves when their own itinerary ends. If you prefer, this route can also run as a private tour for your own party only. A 3–8 group costs a little more per person and is quieter, with more freedom to change the day on the road; a 3–16 group costs less per person and gives you more people to travel with.
Which permits does this tour need?
We arrange all required Tibet permits for you as part of the booking — you only need a valid passport. Depending on the areas visited this can include the Tibet Travel Permit (TTB), the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), the Frontier Pass and, for sensitive areas, a Military Permit.
How do I get to the starting point of the tour?
The tour starts in Lhasa. You can reach it by flight or by the Qinghai–Tibet railway — either way we meet you on arrival. Many travellers fly in and take the train out (or the other way round) to see both faces of the plateau. We are happy to advise on flights and train tickets as part of your booking.
Can this tour be customized?
Yes — every tour on this site can also run as a private departure with your own dates and pace, arranged by our own office in Lhasa. Send us your dates, group size and interests and we will adapt the itinerary around you.
Before you send your inquiry
- No deposit — ever. Your dates are held with a free inquiry, and nothing is due until we confirm. On fixed group departures, book early to secure your seats.
- Cancel free before your Tibet Travel Permit is issued — full refund, every dollar.
- After the permit is issued: the USD $100 permit fee is non-refundable, everything else is refunded. Refunds within 7 business days.
- Bring a group of 7 and your spot is free (7+1).
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Tell us your dates and route on the form below — you will have a written itinerary and an item-by-item quote within 12 hours, with no obligation to book.
- Prices depend on group size, hotel standard, season and how you travel into Tibet, so we quote each trip individually rather than from a price list.
- Hotel details — the exact hotels we use — come with your quote. Ask below for the standard you would like and we will match it.
- A Lhasa-based Tibet tour operator since 1999 — our own guides, vehicles and office in Lhasa, 7,200+ travellers from 40+ countries, 4.9★ on TripAdvisor.
