11 Days In-depth Chengdu Lhasa Everest Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the Land of Abundance and the hometown of Giant Pandas!

Upon arrival in Chengdu, the Land of Abundance, our local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your downtown hotels.

After checking in at the hotel, you can take a good rest to relieve yourself or explore surrounding areas on your own.

Stay overnight in Chengdu

Insider Tips:
Chengdu has two international airports: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Please make sure to check which airport you're arriving at.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, also known as Chengdu Panda Base. Morning is feeding time, when pandas are most active. You can see lovely giant pandas eating fresh bamboo and marvel at playful giant pandas in their natural habitat. If you’re lucky, you may also see the cutest baby giant pandas.

Next, you will get back to the downtown city and visit Renmin Park to immerse yourself in the leisurely pace of local life. Enjoy a cup of fragrant green tea at a traditional tea house while observing locals playing mahjong, a quintessential Chengdu pastime.

Later, you’ll take a stroll along Kuanzhai Alley, where modernity meets tradition in Chengdu. Explore the ancient alleys adorned with shops offering Chengdu snacks, folk arts, handicrafts, and cozy coffee shops. It is one of Chengdu's liveliest destinations to experience the vibrant culture of the city.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

• Closely see the cute giant pandas at Chengdu Panda Base.
• Wide and Narrow Alley

In the morning, you will start your journey to Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which is 60 kilometers west of downtown Chengdu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and also a must-see attraction in Sichuan. Here, you are able to see the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which was built in 256 BC. You will see how it is still working to irrigate the Chengdu plain and be amazed by the wisdom of ancient humans.

Then, you’ll drive 16km to Mount Qingcheng, the birthplace of Taoism. Here, you will visit Jianfu Palace, cross Yuecheng Lake by boat, and take the Buyun Calbeway up the mountain. After hiking to Shangqing Palace, you will learn about Laozi and enjoy panoramic views of the whole mountain.

After your visit, you will return to the foot of Qingcheng Mountain and head back to downtown Chengdu.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

• Dujiangyan Irrigation system
• Qingcheng Mountain

Today, you are free until you take the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa.

Upon your arrival in Lhasa, our Tibetan guide will welcome you at the airport or train station with a traditional white Hada.

You'll then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa. Our guide will give you a brief overview of the itinerary and provide helpful tips for adjusting to the altitude.

Once you've checked in, take some time to rest and allow your body to acclimate to the high altitude.

Stay overnight on the train.

Insider Tips:
1. Please double-check the departure airport for your flight to Lhasa.

2. Our local staff will deliver the Tibet Travel Permit to you before you board the flight to Lhasa. Keep the permit safe as it is important for boarding the flight and entering the Tibet Autonomous Region.

• Tibetan tour guide greets you at Lhasa Airport.
• Lhasa River

In the morning, you’ll explore the largest monastery in Tibet - Drepung Monastery, which was once the home to over 10,000 monks. As you walk through the Coqen Hall, your guide will provide detailed explanations of the worldview of Tibetan Buddhism and introduce notable figures in Tibetan Buddhist history.

Next, you’ll visit the renowned Loseling College (or an equivalent), offering a glimpse into the study and life of Tibetan monks. Explore their dormitories to gain insights into the Tibetan monks' daily routines and living conditions.

In the afternoon, you’ll head to Sera Monastery, another of the ‘great three’ Gelug monasteries of Tibet, to witness the famous Tibetan Monks Debate (15:00 - 17:00, from Monday to Saturday). Your guide will intricately explain how Tibetan monks engage in these debates to acquire knowledge and advance in their academic degrees.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• The spectacular vista of Drepung Monastery
• Dramatic monk debate in Sera Monastery

After breakfast, your first stop is the Potala Palace, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Lhasa Old Town. Discover the lives and stories of the Dalai Lamas through history within the palace, and the extraordinary treasures it holds. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After touring the Potala Palace, you will visit Longwangtan Park at the foot of the Potala Palace. Here, you can appreciate the majestic Potala Palace from a different perspective and engage in local Tibetan folk activities.

In the afternoon, you will head to the heart of Tibetan religion - the Jokhang Temple. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market.

Next, follow your guide to one of the liveliest indoor Tibetan tea houses in Lhasa. Sip traditional Tibetan sweet tea alongside local Tibetans as your guide shares insights into Tibetan social dynamics and daily life.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Tourists are ascending the white palace of Potala Palace
• A Tibetan pilgrim is worshipping Jokhang Temple

In the morning, start the overland journey from Lhasa to Shigatse, which includes visits to Tibet's most beautiful lake, glacier, and charming Tibetan villages.

First, drive over the Gampala Pass (4790 m) to catch a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m). The Yamdrok Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and in the distance you can have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m), the highest mountain near Lhasa. Continue to explore the lakeshore from various viewpoints, and at the end of the lake, you could visit a local family in the village and have lunch with the locals.

Next, you will pass and enjoy the Korola Glacier on the roadside. It is the largest glacier in Tibet. As you see the ice tongue of the glacier climb the entire hillside, you will feel the magical power of nature.

Then, continue your journey to Gyantse. On the way, you will stop at Simila Mountain Pass, where you can hang prayer flags to pray for world peace and the health of your family.

After arriving in Gyantse, you can spend some time taking photos of the ancient city of Gyantse. From Gyantse to Shigatse, you will pass by green (in summer) and golden (in autumn) Tibetan barley fields and countless farms.

Finally, we will arrive in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. After checking in to the hotel, you can take a good rest and prepare for the next day’s trip to Mount Everest.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

• Yamdrok Lake at Gampala Pass, where you can get a marvelous bird's-eye view of the lake.
• The Karola Glacier is so close that you will appreciate a spectacular view of the white glacier contrasted with blue sky.

After breakfast, you will head directly to Mount Everest.

First, you will pass Gyatsola Pass (5280m). At Gyatsola Pass viewpoint, you’ll catch your first glimpse of Mount Everest. Hidden behind the mountain range, the Everest resembles a budding lotus flower, a captivating sight along the roadside.

Shortly after we enter Mount Everest National Nature Reserve, you will enjoy the panoramic view of the Himalayas at Gawula Pass (5198m). At this viewpoint, you will marvel at the majestic lineup of the five highest peaks in the Himalayas, including Everest at the forefront. This is your second glimpse of Everest.

Then we drive along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp. As you get close to the base camp, the majestic Everest gradually unfolds before you, drawing nearer with each winding turn. This marks your third view of Everest.

Upon reaching Everest Base Camp, the colossal white pyramid peak of Mount Everest stands towering before you. As the day transitions to dusk, witness the golden hues of the sun casting a warm glow on Everest's northern face—your fourth view.

As night falls, the sparkling Milky Way and the snow-white peak of Mount Everest reveal your fifth and final encounter with Everest.

Stay overnight at Everest Base Camp or in the local village near EBC if the EBC tent hotels are closed during the winter season.

Insider Tips:
1. The visibility of Everest is subject to weather conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

2. During the winter season, typically from November to March, the tent hotels at Everest Base Camp close. Therefore, if you’re traveling in winter, your accommodation options are limited to the village near EBC.

• Drive along the zigzag road to Everest Base Camp
• Enjoy your group tour to Everest Base Camp

Today, you will retrace the journey along the Himalayas and return to Shigatse. Once again savoring the beauty of the Himalayan mountain range.

In the morning, before departing from the base camp, you will visit Rongbuk Monastery, the world’s highest monastery, where nuns and monks live together at 5154 meters above sea level.

Then, you'll return to Shigatse via Dinggye, taking an alternative Himalayan route different from the traditional path. Here, you’ll stop at the Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint. You can not only see the majestic eastern slope of the towering Mount Everest again, but also the world's fourth-highest peak, Mount Lhotse, standing at an elevation of 8,516 meters. Additionally, you can enjoy the vast and delightful wetland landscape at the foot of Mount Everest.

Next, you’ll make a brief stop in the ancient town of Sakya to stroll around Saga Ancient Town.

Finally, you’ll arrive in Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Insider Tips:
Due to heavy rain in the summer or snowstorms in the winter, there might be changes to your travel route back to Shigatse from Mount Everest. Instead of passing through Dinggye and Sakya, you may return via Gyawula Pass and Tingri. If this happens, we’ll provide you with a paper notice while you’re in Tibet.

• Rongbuk Monastery, the higest monastery in the world
• Viewing Mt. Everest and Mt. Lhotse from Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint

After breakfast, we will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. The grand and magnificent halls of the largest local monastery occupy the entire hillside. This is the spiritual home of the Tibetan people in Shigatse, housing the world's largest statue of Maitreya Buddha. Inside, you will see monks adorned with yellow hats and red robes, moving about the temple.

Next, we will return to Lhasa along the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the mother river of the Tibetan people.

Finally, you will arrive in Lhasa. Enjoy leisure time wandering freely through Barkhor Street, where you can shop for gifts to bring back home for your family.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Tashilhunpo Monastery, the home of Panchan Lama
• Yarlung Tsangpo River in autumn

Today marks the end of your tour.

Please make sure to verify your departure flight/train details with our guide in advance. And your guide will take you to the airport or train station.

Thank you for choosing Tibet Vista, and we extend a warm welcome for your return to Tibet in the future.

• Big farewell to Lhasa, and may you have a safe and pleasant journey back home!
• Your guide will escort you to Lhasa Railway Station if you depart Tibet by train.