Small group or private
7 Days Overland from Lhasa to Kathmandu Tour
7 Days $698 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ Potala Palace Jokhang Temple Yamdrok Lake Gyantse Shigatse Everest Base Camp (5,200m) Gyirong Border Kathmandu The 7-day overland tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu is a perfect…
- 7 Days / 6 Nights
- Potala Palace → Jokhang Temple → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Shigatse → Everest Base Camp (5,200m) → Gyirong Border → Kathmandu
- Moderate pace
- Best: April to June and September to October
- 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 → Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
- Lhasa → Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
- Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Shigatse
- Shigatse → Everest Base Camp (5,200m)
- EBC → Gyirong Border Town
- Gyirong Border → Kathmandu
Day by day
Potala Palace → Jokhang Temple → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Shigatse → Everest Base Camp (5,200m) → Gyirong Border → Kathmandu
Day1
Arrive Lhasa — Rest and Acclimatize
Airport pick-up and hotel check-in. Rest and acclimatize in Lhasa (3,650m).
Day2
Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Explore Lhasa’s iconic UNESCO sites: the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street pilgrim circuit.
Day3
Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
Visit Drepung and Sera Monasteries. Watch the animated monk debates at Sera in the afternoon.
Day4
Lhasa — Yamdrok Lake — Gyantse — Shigatse
Drive over Kampala Pass for views of the turquoise Yamdrok Lake. Visit Gyantse Kumbum and Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse.
Day5
Shigatse — Everest Base Camp (5,200m)
Drive via Lhatse and Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp. Spend the night under the north face of Everest.
Day6
EBC — Gyirong Border Town
Sunrise at EBC. Drive west through Tingri and the Gyirong Valley — one of the most beautiful Himalayan valleys — to the border town of Gyirong.
Day7
Gyirong Border — Kathmandu
Cross the Tibet-Nepal border at Gyirong and drive to Kathmandu. Your guide will assist with border formalities. Tour ends upon arrival in Kathmandu.
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
- Tibet Entry Permit and Alien’s Travel Permit
- Nepal and/or Bhutan entry visa assistance
- All entrance fees for tourist sites listed in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking tour guide throughout
- All ground transportation as listed
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- Tourist accident/casualty insurance
Not included
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- International flights
- Meals not specified in the itinerary (lunch and dinner unless specified)
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Personal expenses (laundry, snacks, optional activities)
- Visa fees for China, Nepal or Bhutan
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.
