10 Days Central Tibet Tour with Everest Base Camp

Potala Palace → Jokhang Temple → Sera Monastery → Tashilunpo Monastery → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Everest Base Camp

1. Day1

   Arrival in Lhasa – Airport Pick Up

   Meals NoneOvernight Lhasa 3-star hotel

   Upon landing at Lhasa Gonggar Airport, you step into one of the world’s most extraordinary environments — a brilliant blue sky stretching over the vast Tibetan Plateau at 3,600 metres above sea level. At the arrivals hall, your local Tibetan guide greets you with a traditional white silk kata scarf — the customary Tibetan gesture of welcome and good fortune. From the airport, you transfer to your hotel in Lhasa city, your home for the next three nights.

   Your most important task today is simply to rest. The reduced oxygen level at this elevation affects every visitor regardless of age or fitness, and proper acclimatisation on day one makes the rest of the tour far more enjoyable. Drink significantly more water than usual, eat lightly, and avoid any strenuous activity.

   Practical Tip: Avoid taking a shower on your first night in Tibet — the body is still adjusting to altitude and the risk of catching a cold is higher than normal. At high altitude, even a mild cold becomes a serious health concern.

2. Day2

   Lhasa – Potala Palace – Jokhang Temple – Barkhor Street

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa 3-star hotel

   After breakfast, your guide escorts you to the iconic Potala Palace — a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched on Red Hill and one of the most recognisable structures in Asia. The palace rises thirteen storeys and served for centuries as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. Inside, the White Palace served as living and administrative quarters while the Red Palace is the sacred religious heart, housing countless gilded chapels, ancient thangka scrolls, and the stupas of past Dalai Lamas. Take your time climbing the stone steps — the altitude is still something to respect.

   From the Potala Palace, continue to Jokhang Temple — the most sacred site in all of Tibetan Buddhism, drawing pilgrims from across Tibet, China, and the Himalayan world. At its spiritual centre stands the Jowo Rinpoche, a precious statue of Shakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet from China’s Tang Dynasty over 1,300 years ago. On most days you will witness monks chanting sutras in the main hall — a deeply atmospheric experience.

   The day concludes with a walk along Barkhor Street, the ancient circular pilgrim circuit surrounding the Jokhang Temple. Join streams of pilgrims spinning prayer wheels while browsing colourful stalls selling thangka paintings, jewellery, aromatic incense, and traditional handicrafts.

3. Day3

   Lhasa – Sera Monastery – Drepung Monastery – Norbulingka

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa 3-star hotel

   Your second full day in Lhasa begins at Sera Monastery, one of the great three Gelugpa university monasteries of Tibet. The highlight is the afternoon monk debating session in a shaded courtyard — monks engage in lively philosophical debate, clapping hands sharply and challenging each other’s understanding of Buddhist scripture with striking theatrical energy. This is one of the most authentic and captivating cultural spectacles anywhere in Tibet.

   From Sera, continue to Drepung Monastery on the hillside west of Lhasa. Once the largest monastery in the world with over ten thousand resident monks, Drepung is a vast city of whitewashed buildings, steep stone lanes, and gilded assembly halls. Its scale and the sense of ancient monastic life it preserves make it unlike any other site on the plateau.

   The afternoon brings a visit to Norbulingka — the summer palace and private parkland of the Dalai Lamas, and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike the imposing Potala Palace, Norbulingka feels more like a beautifully landscaped garden estate, with ornate pavilions, willow-lined pathways, and a peaceful, contemplative atmosphere. The upper floor murals of the New Summer Palace depict the entire story of humanity in vivid Tibetan style — one of the most fascinating rooms in all of Tibet.

4. Day4

   Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Gyantse – Shigatse

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Shigatse 3-star hotel

   Leaving Lhasa, today’s scenic drive toward Shigatse takes you through some of the most dramatic landscapes on the entire route. The journey begins with the climb over Kampala Pass at 5,100 metres, where the first sight of Yamdrok Lake unfolds below in breathtaking fashion. One of Tibet’s three holiest lakes, its surface shifts between vivid jade green, sky blue, and rich emerald depending on the angle of light — one of the most photographed natural sights on the entire plateau.

   Continuing west, you pass the dramatic Karola Glacier, a sweeping ice field descending from the Nojin Kangtsang peak above the roadside. Further along lies Gyantse, home to the remarkable Pelkor Chode Monastery and the famous Kumbum Pagoda — a unique multi-storey structure containing over seventy chapels, blending Tibetan, Indian, Nepali, and Chinese architectural styles into a single extraordinary building. Arriving in Shigatse in the late afternoon, you check in for the night.

5. Day5

   Shigatse – Tashilhunpo Monastery – Shigatse Old Town

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Shigatse 3-star hotel

   This morning brings a dedicated visit to Tashilhunpo Monastery — one of the largest and most important monasteries in Tibet, and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas since the 15th century. Founded in 1447, the monastery is a vast complex of gilded rooftops, whitewashed walls, and sacred assembly halls that feels like an entire city of devotion. At its heart are the magnificent golden stupas enshrining the remains of successive Panchen Lamas, each lavishly decorated with precious gems — the most revered objects within these walls.

   Tashilhunpo differs from the Potala Palace in an important way: while Potala served as the combined political and residential seat of the Dalai Lama, Tashilhunpo remains a fully functioning Buddhist monastery dedicated to scholarship, prayer, and living devotion to this day. The scale, the gilded architecture, and the atmosphere of genuine religious life make it a deeply moving experience.

   The afternoon is free to explore Shigatse’s old town at your own pace — browse the local market, try Tibetan noodles at a local restaurant, or simply rest before the long drive to Everest Base Camp that begins tomorrow.

6. Day6

   Shigatse – Lhatse – Pang La Pass – Rongbuk Monastery – Everest Base Camp

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Guesthouse or tent at EBC

   Today is the most anticipated day of the entire journey — the drive to Everest Base Camp. After breakfast, the route climbs dramatically to Pang La Pass at 5,200 metres, one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the entire Himalayan region. On clear days, five of the world’s highest peaks are visible simultaneously from the summit: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma — a breathtaking skyline of snow giants that leaves every visitor speechless.

   Descending from the pass, you reach Rongbuk Monastery — the highest monastery in the world, set directly at the foot of Mount Everest’s magnificent north face. From Rongbuk, a short ride on local eco-friendly transport brings you to Everest Base Camp at approximately 5,200 metres. There are no hotels here — accommodation is in simple guesthouses or traditional tents. The air is extremely thin and every movement must be slow and deliberate. Yet spending a night at the foot of the world’s highest mountain, under a sky blazing with stars, is one of the most extraordinary experiences available to any traveller on earth.

   Practical Tip: Pack very warm layers and a cold-weather sleeping bag. If you experience severe breathlessness, dizziness, or chest tightness, inform your guide immediately.

7. Day7

   Everest Base Camp – Sunrise – Return to Shigatse

   Meals NoneOvernight Shigatse 3-star hotel

   Rise before dawn for one of the most extraordinary natural spectacles on earth — sunrise over the north face of Mount Everest. As the first light of day reaches the 8,849-metre summit, the ice and snow shift gradually from deep violet to soft rose and then warm golden amber. The mountain stands in absolute silence against the brightening sky — immense, majestic, and profoundly humbling. This is the moment that every traveller on this tour remembers for the rest of their lives.

   After the sunrise, the journey begins its return eastward across the plateau toward Shigatse. The vast open landscapes — yak herds grazing on high grasslands, distant snow ranges, remote nomad encampments — feel subtly different seen from the return direction, in the shifting afternoon light. Arriving in Shigatse in the late afternoon, rest well before the final drive back to Lhasa tomorrow.

8. Day8

   Shigatse – Gyantse – Yamdrok Lake – Lhasa

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa 3-star hotel

   The drive from Shigatse back to Lhasa follows the reverse of Day 4’s route, and the familiar landscapes — Gyantse, the Karola Glacier, and Yamdrok Lake — feel like returning friends on the homeward journey. The turquoise lake seen from Kampala Pass in the afternoon light is particularly beautiful, often catching the golden hour in a way that morning light does not reveal.

   Arriving back in Lhasa, the city’s familiar skyline with the Potala Palace rising above the rooftops welcomes you as though returning home. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner in the holy city — a chance to reflect on ten extraordinary days across the roof of the world.

9. Day9

   Lhasa – Free Day for Personal Exploration

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa 3-star hotel

   A completely free day in Lhasa — perhaps the most appreciated day of the entire journey. After nine days of early mornings and long drives across the plateau, today is yours entirely. Return to any site that moved you most during the first days — the Jokhang Temple in morning light feels entirely different from its afternoon pace, and Barkhor Street is most atmospheric at sunrise when pilgrims begin their circuits and shop owners open for the day.

   For shoppers, Barkhor Street’s handicraft stalls, thangka galleries, and jewellery shops offer the finest selection of Tibetan souvenirs in the region. For those interested in going deeper, the Tibet Museum near Norbulingka offers richly detailed exhibits on Tibetan history, art, and culture that reward a slow and unhurried visit. Or simply sit at a rooftop café in the old quarter, watch Lhasa life pass below, and let the altitude and the memories settle.

10. Day10

    Lhasa Departure

    Meals Breakfast

    Your final morning in Lhasa arrives with the quiet satisfaction of a journey completed in full. After breakfast, your guide transfers you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or the train station for your onward journey. Carry with you the memories of ten extraordinary days: the golden chapels of the Potala Palace, the chanting pilgrims of Jokhang Temple, the debating monks of Sera Monastery, the turquoise shimmer of Yamdrok Lake, and above all — the silent, immense north face of Mount Everest at dawn. Few journeys in the world change a traveller’s perspective as completely as ten days in Tibet.

    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.