Altitude and
acclimatisation

How high you actually are

Concrete reference points help:

• Xining — 2,275 m
• Beijing / Xi'an / Shanghai — sea level to 400 m
• Qinghai Lake — 3,194 m
• Lhasa — 3,650 m
• Shigatse — 3,836 m
• Yamdrok Lake — 4,400 m
• Everest Base Camp — 5,200 m

How to climb sensibly

The rule is simple: progression. Gaining 500–800 m of sleeping altitude each night gives the body time to adapt. That is why we recommend entering the plateau through Qinghai by road, before flying on to Lhasa.

• First day at altitude: no exertion, no alcohol, plenty of water.
• Second day: light activity, avoiding stairs and steep ground.
• Third day: a normal day is usually fine.
• Above 4,000 m, sleep as low as you reasonably can.
• Oxygen on board the vehicle on every one of our plateau itineraries.

Symptoms and what to do

Acute mountain sickness shows up as headache, insomnia, nausea and breathlessness. It is common on the first night and eases within 24–48 hours with rest.

Warning signs that mean descending, no argument: confusion, breathlessness at rest, a persistent cough, or loss of balance. If any of them appear, you go down.

Who should check with a doctor first

We recommend a medical consultation before booking any trip above 3,500 m if you have: existing heart or lung disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, significant anaemia, pregnancy or sleep apnoea. In those cases we can redesign the itinerary to sleep below 3,000 m.