Small group departures
9 Days Lhasa–Everest–North Tibet Grassland Loop Small Group Tour
9 Days $915 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ North Tibet Grassland (Changthang) — rolling plateau, nomad camps and yak herds on a road most Tibet visitors never take A true loop: south to Everest via Yamdrok Lake, north…
- 9 Days / 8 Nights
- North Tibet Grassland (Changthang) — rolling plateau, nomad camps and yak herds on a road most Tibet visitors never take → A true loop: south to Everest via Yamdrok Lake, north through the Grassland to Namtso — back to Lhasa by expressway → Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) overnight at Rongbuk Monastery — sunrise over the north face → Tashilhunpo Monastery after EBC — a full, unhurried morning, no long drive to worry about → Yangpachen Hot Springs — white geothermal steam rising from the North Tibet plateau floor → Shogula and Dongula mountain passes — a road through the North Tibet Grassland most visitors never take
- Challenging 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
Days 1 through 6 follow the same programme as our 8-Day Lhasa–Everest Round Trip tour. See that page for the complete descriptions.
Day 7: Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning — unhurried, Everest behind you. After lunch in Shigatse, the group drives north on a road that most Tibet visitors never take. Two mountain passes — Shogula and Dongula — and then the plateau opens onto the North Tibet Grassland: rolling grassland, nomad tents, yak herds, a sky that takes up more of your field of vision than seems geometrically possible. The day ends at Yangpachen Hot Springs, where white geothermal steam rises straight from the plateau floor, and then at Damxiong County for the overnight.
Day 8, the group drives to Namtso Lake. At 4,718 m, Namtso is the highest saltwater lake in the world and one of Tibet’s three holy lakes. The Nyainqentanglha mountain range — peaks above 7,000 m — rises directly from the far shore, the snow reflected in water so blue it looks doctored. After lunch at the lake, the group returns to Lhasa by expressway.
Day 9 is departure. The circuit is complete: south through the sacred lake and the high passes, west across the Friendship Highway to Everest, north through the grassland and back to Lhasa.
- Tibet Museum · Nanshan Park · Jokhang Temple · Barkhor Street
- Potala Palace · Sera Monastery Monk Debate · Local Family Visit
- Gampala Pass · Yamdrok Lake · Karola Glacier · Gyantse · Shigatse
- Drive West · Gyawula Pass Five-Peak Panorama · Overnight at Rongbuk
- EBC Sunrise · Simple Breakfast · Sakya Monastery · Return to Shigatse
- Tashilhunpo Monastery · Drive North via Shogula & Dongula Passes · Yangpachen Hot Springs · Overnight Damxiong
Day by day
North Tibet Grassland (Changthang) — rolling plateau, nomad camps and yak herds on a road most Tibet visitors never take → A true loop: south to Everest via Yamdrok Lake, north through the Grassland to Namtso — back to Lhasa by expressway → Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) overnight at Rongbuk Monastery — sunrise over the north face → Tashilhunpo Monastery after EBC — a full, unhurried morning, no long drive to worry about → Yangpachen Hot Springs — white geothermal steam rising from the North Tibet plateau floor → Shogula and Dongula mountain passes — a road through the North Tibet Grassland most visitors never take
Day1
Arrival in Lhasa — Transfer & Acclimatisation
Arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or the train station. Your guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel. Rest, hydrate, and let the altitude settle. See the 8-Day Lhasa–Everest Round Trip tour for the full day description.
Day2
Tibet Museum · Nanshan Park · Jokhang Temple · Barkhor Street
Tibet Museum in the morning, Nanshan Park panorama, then Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit in the afternoon. See the 8-Day tour for the full day description.
Day3
Potala Palace · Sera Monastery Monk Debate · Local Family Visit
Potala Palace in the morning, Sera Monastery’s monk debate in the afternoon, and a local Tibetan family visit to close the day. See the 8-Day tour for the full day description.
Day4
Gampala Pass · Yamdrok Lake · Karola Glacier · Gyantse · Shigatse
South from Lhasa over the Gampala Pass to Yamdrok Lake, then west through Gyantse — the Kumbum Stupa, the Karola Glacier — and on to Shigatse for the night. See the 8-Day tour for the full day description.
Day5
Drive West · Gyawula Pass Five-Peak Panorama · Overnight at Rongbuk
Full day drive west. Gyawula Pass: five of the world’s highest peaks in one frame. Arrive Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse in the late afternoon — Everest’s north face gold at sunset. See the 8-Day tour for the full day description.
Day6
EBC Sunrise · Simple Breakfast · Sakya Monastery · Return to Shigatse
EBC before dawn. Return via Sakya Monastery — founded 1073, grey-white-red striped walls, one of the largest surviving manuscript collections in Tibet — overnight in Shigatse. See the 8-Day tour for the full day description.
Day7
Tashilhunpo Monastery · Drive North via Shogula & Dongula Passes · Yangpachen Hot Springs · Overnight Damxiong
After breakfast, the morning belongs to Tashilhunpo. Everest is already behind you, and there is no long westward drive ahead — only a northward one. The Hall of Maitreya, the gilded chortens, the courtyards — at the pace they deserve.
After lunch in Shigatse, the group turns north. This is the road that makes this tour a loop rather than an out-and-back.
The route climbs through the Shogula Pass and then the Dongula Pass — crossing the mountain ranges that separate the Brahmaputra valley from the North Tibet Grassland. As the passes descend, the landscape transforms: the grey stone of the south gives way to rolling grassland, nomad tents, yak herds, and a sky that takes up more of your field of vision than seems geometrically possible.
In the early evening the group reaches Yangpachen Hot Springs (Yangbajain). The geothermal field is unlike anything else in Tibet: white steam vents rising straight from the plateau floor, the air carrying a faint mineral warmth, the mountains blue and cold in the background. Worth stepping out of the vehicle for.
Day8
Namtso Lake · Lunch · Return to Lhasa via Expressway
From Damxiong, the drive to Namtso Lake takes about 45 minutes. The lake appears suddenly as the road crests a low ridge — turquoise water stretching to the horizon, the Nyainqentanglha peaks rising directly from the far shore, their snow reflected in water so blue it looks altered.
Namtso sits at 4,718 m, making it the highest saltwater lake in the world. It is one of Tibet’s three holy lakes — the others being Yamdrok, visited on Day 4, and Manasarovar near Mount Kailash. Pilgrims circumambulate Namtso on foot; the route takes several days. The group spends the morning at the shore.
After lunch near the lake, the group drives south on the Lhasa–Damxiong Expressway. The expressway cuts through the Nyainqentanglha range via a long tunnel, and the descent into the Lhasa valley takes about two hours. The evening is free in Lhasa — a last walk, a last cup of butter tea, a last look at the city.
Day9
Lhasa Departure — Transfer to Gonggar Airport
After breakfast, your guide transfers you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport for your onward flight. Tour services end at the terminal. The circuit is complete.
Please share your flight details at booking so your guide can arrange the right pick-up time.
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
Am I qualified to join this tour? Is there serious trekking involved?
No trekking is required. Everest Base Camp is reached by vehicle, with a short flat walk of about 500 metres at the end. Namtso Lake is also reached by vehicle and explored on foot at the shore.
What you do need is a reasonable tolerance for altitude. This tour spends time at 5,200 m (EBC), 4,980 m (Rongbuk) and 4,718 m (Namtso) across several days. Most travellers who acclimatise properly in Lhasa for three days manage the itinerary comfortably. Travellers with heart conditions, serious respiratory illness or a history of severe altitude sickness should consult a doctor before booking.
What permits do I need, and are they included?
This tour requires two permits, both included in the tour price and handled entirely by us:
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit — mandatory for all foreign visitors. Apply at least 15 days before your departure date.
Alien’s Travel Permit (ATP) — required for travel outside Lhasa city, including the Yamdrok area, Gyantse, Shigatse, the EBC area and Namtso Lake.
Please book as early as possible — permit processing cannot be rushed and availability can be limited in peak season.
How many people will be in my group?
Our small-group tours are run with a group size of 3–8 pax. Most departures run with 4–8 people. You travel in a comfortable private minibus for the Lhasa days, switching to a 4WD or Landcruiser from Day 4 onward for the higher-altitude roads toward EBC and across the North Tibet Grassland. 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.
When is the best time for this tour?
April through late June are the best months. The skies are clear, Everest is visible from base camp on most days, and the North Tibet Grassland is coming into its spring green. Namtso is fully open and the light on the lake in May and June is exceptional.
July and August are monsoon months. EBC is frequently cloud-covered and the road to Namtso can flood. Not recommended.
September through December bring exceptional clarity across the whole route. The grassland is golden in autumn, and Namtso is mirror-calm in the cold. October is particularly strong for both lakes. November and December are very cold at altitude but the visibility is often at its sharpest.
December through March: EBC is accessible with special arrangement, but Namtso’s approach road can be blocked by snow. These months are not part of our standard group departure schedule.
What is Namtso Lake like?
Namtso is the largest lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the highest saltwater lake in the world at 4,718 m. It covers approximately 1,920 square kilometres — larger than Luxembourg.
The colour of the water changes with the light: turquoise in the morning, deep cobalt at midday, silver and then orange at dusk. The Nyainqentanglha mountain range — the main peaks exceeding 7,000 m — rises directly from the southern shore, close enough that the snow is reflected in the water.
The name Namtso means ‘Heavenly Lake’ in Tibetan. It is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet. Pilgrims walk the full circumference — several days on foot. For the group, the morning at the shore is unhurried: walk the lakeside, watch the yaks, look at the mountains.
How does this tour differ from the 8-Day Lhasa–Everest Round Trip?
The first six days are identical. The difference begins on Day 7.
In the 8-day tour, after Tashilhunpo the group drives east back to Lhasa for a final evening, and departs on Day 8. In this 9-day tour, after Tashilhunpo the group drives north — through the Shogula and Dongula mountain passes, across the North Tibet Grassland, past Yangpachen Hot Springs — and overnights at Damxiong County. Day 8 is Namtso Lake, then return to Lhasa by expressway. Day 9 is departure.
The practical result is a complete loop: the 8-day tour is an out-and-back through the south; this tour forms a circuit, covering both of Tibet’s accessible holy lakes (Yamdrok in the south, Namtso in the north) and a section of the Changthang plateau that most Tibet visitors never reach.
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.
