Tibet and Everest,
to the roof of the world

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Arrival in Lhasa: complete rest

   3,650 m

   Fly to Lhasa at 3,650 metres and do nothing at all. No sightseeing today: rest, drink plenty of water, no alcohol and no exertion, which is how you avoid the worst of the altitude.

2. Jokhang Temple and Barkhor

   3,650 m

   A slow first day out: the Jokhang, the spiritual heart of Lhasa, and the pilgrims circling it clockwise on Barkhor Street. Short walks only, with plenty of pauses.

3. Potala Palace and Sera

   3,650 m

   The Potala, thirteen storeys and a thousand rooms, entered on a timed slot after three hundred steps up. In the afternoon, the clapping philosophy debates in the courtyard at Sera Monastery.

4. Drepung and Norbulingka

   3,650 m

   Drepung Monastery, once the largest in the world, and the Norbulingka, the former summer palace with its gardens. A gentle day before heading higher.

5. Drive to Shigatse via Yamdrok Lake

   4,441 m

   The road to Shigatse over the Khamba La pass, with the turquoise Yamdrok Lake far below and the Karola glacier beyond it. Overnight in Shigatse.

6. Tashilhunpo Monastery

   3,836 m

   Morning at Tashilhunpo, seat of the Panchen Lamas and one of the great monasteries of Tibet. The afternoon is free to walk the old quarter of Shigatse.

7. Drive to Shegar

   4,300 m

   Climb steadily into the high desert of the plateau, crossing passes above five thousand metres, to Shegar, the last town before Everest. An early night to rest.

8. Everest Base Camp (Rongbuk)

   5,200 m

   The great day: through the reserve gates to Rongbuk, at 5,200 metres, with the north face of Everest filling the valley ahead. Sunset on the peak from the camp.

9. Back to Shigatse

   3,836 m

   Descend to lower altitude and warmer air, with a stop at Sakya Monastery and its grey-walled fortress on the way back to Shigatse.

10. Back to Lhasa

    3,650 m

    Return to Lhasa along the Friendship Highway. The afternoon is at leisure, with a last walk on Barkhor and time for shopping.

11. Departure

    3,650 m

    Transfer to Lhasa airport for your flight home, or continue by road into Qinghai and Gansu for the plateau's other great route, descending gradually to lower ground.