As foreign travelers are not allowed to travel independently in Tibet. After you enter Tibet, transport to Everest Base Camp (EBC) must be arranged by your travel agency. To give you an understanding of what you can expect, we have summarized the trip for you.
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- The usual route to the base camp is: China–Lhasa–Shigatse–Tingri–EBC (Rongbuk Monastery)
How to get to Lhasa from other Cities in China
There is no direct flight, train, or public bus to Tibet's Everest Base Camp (EBC). You will need to enter Tibet first, usually via Lhasa. This requires a Tibet Entry Permit.
This table provides a comparison of time-needed by air or railway to Lhasa:
By Flight:
- Beijing – Lhasa: 4½ h
- Xi'an – Lhasa: 3½ h
- Chongiqng/Chengdu – Lhasa: 2½–3 h
- Xining/Lanzhou – Lhasa: 2½ h
- Kunming – Lhasa: 3 h
We Suggest You Fly to Tibet: It's much easier to book a Tibet flight than a train, due to the high demand for a limited number of train tickets.
Other main cities have stop-over flights to Lhasa, e.g. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou flights stop at Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi'an. These flights usually take more than 7 hours.
>>Read more on How to go to Lhasa
By Train:
- Beijing – Lhasa: 40 h
- Xi'an – Lhasa: 31½ h
- Chongqing – Lhasa: 42 h
- Xining/Lanzhou – Lhasa: 21½–24½h
Qinghai-Tibet RailwayTaking a train into Lhasa is not the best way to acclimate to Lhasa's altitude. The key to getting used to high altitudes is to ascend slowly, but the train climbs quite fast.
It goes much higher than Lhasa (5,072m compared to 3,700m), so lack of rest on the train may make your body more prone to sickness when you get off. It is better to acclimate to Lhasa.
>>Read more on Qinghai-Tibet Train, please contact us to book train tickets
Get to Lhasa Via Kathmandu, Nepal
Currently, there are two ways of traveling from Nepal to Tibet: by air or by road.
Flying is the best way to get from Nepal to Tibet, i.e. from Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport to Lhasa Gongga Airport.
Traveling by road is a less easy way to get from Kathmandu to Tibet. The overland distance between Kathmandu and Lhasa is about 1,300 km (800 miles), and the journey usually takes three days.
>>Read more on entering Tibet from Nepal
Lhasa to Mount Everest Base Camp by Road
A suggested arrangement like the following:
- Day 1: Lhasa-Yomdrok Lake- Shigatse (7hrs)
- Day 2: Shigatse- Dingri (4 hours)
- Day 3: Dingri- Rongbuk Monastery -Everest Base Camp (4hrs)
Lhasa–Shigatse Raod Summary
| Section | Lhasa–Shigatse Friendship Highway (G318) | Shigatse–Tingri Friendship Highway (G318) | Tingri–EBC G318 + county/local roads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road Conditions | 6 hours on one of the best roads in Tibet: quite straight, few slopes. | 4½ hours on asphalt/dirt road: winding in places, 1,000m+ of ascent | 4 hours on asphalt/dirt road: winding in places, 1,000m+ of ascent |
There is a strict speed restriction in Tibet. Vehicles have to stay below 60 kph (40 mph), even on highways; and are not allowed to drive faster than 30 kph (20 mph) when going through villages.
So the average speed is only about 45 kph when driving in Tibet. This is about 50% slower than in mainland China.
From Lhasa to Shigatse: by Road or Rail
- Distance: 270 km, 6 hours by road, 3 hours by train
There are four types of vehicles that you may use: bus, van, 4-wheel-drive (4WD), or train. Your travel agency will arrange a vehicle according to your group size and other requirements.
Yomdrok LakeBy Group Tour Bus
A bus is usually 19–28 seats for 9–22 people, to leave enough space for luggage.
A bus tour is cheaper than a private tour, but it usually takes longer to arrive at Shigatse as it stops at "attractions". Group tour buses' seats are small; you may be uncomfortably seated for 6 hours.
By Van
The capacity of a mini van is usually 7–14 seats for 5–8 people. The heating system is better than on a bus, and seats can be more comfortable. We at China Highlights usually arrange comfortable vans for our customers.
By 4WD
Many of the 4WDs used in Tibet are old now, and the heating systems don't work so well. Since the Lhasa-Shigatse road was asphalted 4WDs have been less used.
By Train
If you don't want to take a 6-hour van ride to Shigatse, you can ask your travel agency to arrange a train trip for you. It takes about 3 hours.
Lhasa–Shigatse train schedule
| Route | Train | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lhasa-Shigatse | Z8801 | 08:30 | 11:25 |
| Z8803 | 15:20 | 17:59 | |
| Shigatse-Lhasa | Z8804 | 12:05 | 14:40 |
| Z8802 | 18:40 | 21:33 |
Everest Base CampFrom Shigatse to Tingri by Road: 4½ Hours
- Distance: 240 km
You can only get to Tingri by road. 90% is asphalted, but some are dirt. There are some steep and winding ascents and descents.
From Tingri to Everest Base Camp by Road: 4 Hours
- Distance: 120 km
From Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery, the good news is that the road is well asphalted now. But there are still many zig-zag bends that may cause car sickness.
After you get off at the EBC base camp, you will need to take the shuttle bus or walk to the viewing point. During this short journey, you can see the peak of Mount Everest in clear weather.
You can also walk from Old Dingri to the EBC camp, read more about Trekking to the Everest Base Camp
Tour Mount Everest with China Highlights
China Highlights are your China travel expert. We can help you design to trip to Tibet to experience this festival. See the following popular Tibet tours for inspiration:
- 17-Days Beijing, Xian, Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hong Kong Tour
- 13-Days Beijing–Xi'an–Lhasa-Shanghai Private Tour
- 14-Day Tibet Tour including Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
- 10-Days Beijing-Lhasa-Shanghai
This customizable option includes the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, watching monks debating, and camping to see Mount Everest.
You can also contact us to tailor-make your own unique tour by telling us your interests and requirements. We will help you design your perfect trip.