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Private Tibet Tours
Your vehicle, your guide, your schedule — every itinerary built around the way you travel.
- Private vehicle — Toyota Landcruiser, exclusively yours
- Private Tibetan guide — adapted to your interests and pace
- No fixed departure dates — travel on the days that suit you
- Custom at your will — add, remove, or rearrange any day
Private or small group?
The two work differently. A small-group departure runs on fixed dates with a set itinerary and a group of three to sixteen, and it is the cheaper way to travel. A private journey runs on your dates, with your own vehicle and guide, and it is the only way to change the plan halfway through — to stay an extra day somewhere, skip something, or follow a recommendation from the guide on the day.
What private actually changes
Three things, in practice. The clock: you leave when you are ready and stop when you are interested, rather than holding to a schedule written for a group. The route: the journeys below are a menu rather than a rail — days can be added, dropped or reordered before you travel. The people: your guide works for you alone, which on the plateau matters more than it sounds, because a good guide is also the person watching how you are handling the altitude.
Choose your duration
All tours start in Lhasa. Each longer tour includes every day of the shorter one — so you always know what you’re getting.
| Route | Length | Best time | Pace | How | Start → finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Days — Lhasa | 4 days | April to October | Easy | Private | — |
| 5 Days — Lhasa + 1-Day Extension | 5 days | April to October | Easy | Private | — |
| 6 Days — Lhasa + Western Loop | 6 days | April to October | Moderate | Private | 1–3 → 4 AM → 4 PM → 5 AM → 5 PM |
| 7 Days — Lhasa to Everest Base Camp | 7 days | April to June and September to October | Moderate | Private | 1–3 |
| 9 Days — Lhasa · EBC · North Tibet Grassland | 9 days | April to June and September to October | Moderate | Private | 1–3 |
The sacred capital, unhurried
4 Days — Lhasa
Three full days exploring Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and the Barkhor, with a private guide and vehicle exclusively yours. The foundation on which every longer tour is built.
Potala Palace · Jokhang & Barkhor · Sera Debate · Local Tibetan family dinner
Add Namtso Lake or Shannan/Tsedang
5 Days — Lhasa + 1-Day Extension
All four Lhasa days, plus one day venturing out: either a drive north to the sacred Namtso Lake on the Changthang Plateau, or a day south into the Yarlung valley — Tibet’s ancient heartland.
All Lhasa highlights · Namtso Lake (Changthang Plateau) · or Shannan/Tsedang option · Your choice, your pace
Yamdrok Lake · Gyantse · Shigatse
6 Days — Lhasa + Western Loop
The classic overland circuit west of Lhasa: sacred Yamdrok Lake high above the valley road, the medieval Kumbum stupa at Gyantse, and Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse — Tibet’s second city.
All Lhasa highlights · Yamdrok Lake viewpoint · Gyantse Kumbum Stupa · Tashilhunpo Monastery
EBC · Yamdrok · Gyantse · Shigatse
7 Days — Lhasa to Everest Base Camp
The full western arc, continued to the Tibetan plateau’s ultimate destination: Everest Base Camp at 5,200 m, with the north face of Everest filling the horizon. Overnight at Rongbuk Monastery.
All 6-day highlights · Everest Base Camp 5,200 m · Rongbuk Monastery overnight · Sunrise on Everest
The Grand Loop
9 Days — Lhasa · EBC · North Tibet Grassland
The full western circuit to Everest, then north across the Shogula and Dongula passes into the North Tibet Grassland — rolling plateau, nomad herders, and Namtso Lake before returning to Lhasa.
All 7-day highlights · North Tibet Grassland · Namtso Lake · Yangpachen Hot Springs
Need a different duration or a completely different route?
Every itinerary listed here is a reference, not a constraint. Longer tours, different regions, Kailash, Nepal — all possible.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a private Tibet tour different?
You travel with your own vehicle — a Toyota Land Cruiser — your own Tibetan guide, and no fixed departure dates, so the itinerary is adapted to your interests and pace. You can add, remove or rearrange any day.
Which private tour durations do you offer?
Private tours run from 4 days in Lhasa up to 9 days and beyond: Lhasa plus a western loop, Lhasa to Everest Base Camp, and Lhasa with the North Tibet grassland. All start in Lhasa, and each longer tour includes every day of the shorter one.
Do I need a permit for a private tour, and who arranges it?
Yes — the Tibet Travel Permit, plus any additional permits the route needs, are required for every foreign visitor. We apply for all of them in-house; you only need a valid passport.
Can you build a completely different route for me?
Yes. The durations shown are starting points, not fixed packages. Tell us your dates, group size and interests and we will design the itinerary around them.
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.
We answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday.