Tibetan Plateau — Lhasa, Shigatse and Everest Base Camp, 10 days

Day by day

1. Day 1 · lhasa

   Arrive Lhasa, rest and acclimatise

   Fly Chengdu or Beijing → Lhasa (LXA). The airport is 60km from the city; a shuttle or guide-arranged vehicle will collect you. Rest completely for the first afternoon — altitude sickness is a real risk. Drink water; no alcohol. Your tour guide (mandatory) will brief you on the itinerary.

   Stay in: Lhasa city centre, near the Barkhor area. Stay below 4,000m for the first two nights.

2. Day 2 · lhasa

   Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Circuit

   Morning at Jokhang Temple — the holiest site in Tibetan Buddhism, built in 647 CE. The Barkhor circuit (circumambulation route) around the temple takes 20–30 minutes at a devotional pace; observe pilgrims with prostrations. Afternoon rest. Avoid strenuous activity on the second day.

   Attractions: barkhor-square

3. Day 3 · lhasa

   Potala Palace

   Morning at the Potala Palace — the former winter palace of the Dalai Lama, perched on Red Hill above the city. The interior visit is strictly timed (1 hour maximum); the 13 storeys house chapels, tombs and thousands of statues. Book tickets through your agency.

4. Day 4 · lhasa

   Drepung and Sera Monasteries

   Morning at Drepung Monastery — once the largest monastery in the world by population. Afternoon at Sera Monastery, famous for the monk debate sessions held in the courtyard each weekday afternoon at 3pm.

   Attractions: drepung-monastery

5. Day 5 · lhasa

   Norbulingka, Lhasa exploration

   Morning at the Norbulingka (the Dalai Lama's summer palace — less visited than the Potala, more intimate). Afternoon at your own pace in the old Tibetan quarter. Tibetan butter tea and tsampa at a local tea house.

   Attractions: norbulingka

6. Day 6 · gyantse

   Drive to Gyantse via Yamdrok-tso

   Four-wheel-drive journey from Lhasa over the Kamba La pass (4,794m) to the turquoise Yamdrok-tso Lake — the colour is extraordinary at altitude. Continue to Gyantse: the Pelkhor Chöde monastery and the Kumbum stupa. Overnight in Gyantse.

   Attractions: yamdrok-tso

   Stay in: Gyantse — basic but clean guesthouses.

   4WD vehicle with driver and guide, approx 5h Lhasa → Gyantse.

7. Day 7 · shigatse

   Drive to Shigatse, Tashilhunpo Monastery

   Morning drive to Shigatse (1.5h). The Tashilhunpo Monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lama — a working monastery of several thousand monks, with a 26m gold-encased Maitreya statue inside. Afternoon at leisure in Shigatse city.

   Attractions: tashilhunpo-monastery

   Stay in: Shigatse city.

   4WD vehicle, approx 1.5h Gyantse → Shigatse.

8. Day 8 · rongbuk

   Drive toward Everest Base Camp

   Long drive from Shigatse to Rongbuk (6–7h via the Friendship Highway). Cross the Gyatso La pass (5,220m) — the high point of the road. Arrive Rongbuk Monastery (5,100m) for the night. The Rongbuk is the highest monastery in the world and the departure point for the EBC walk.

   Stay in: Rongbuk Monastery guesthouse — basic, cold, essential to the experience.

   4WD vehicle, approx 7h Shigatse → Rongbuk.

9. Day 9 · rongbuk

   Everest Base Camp (5,200m)

   Morning walk or electric bus to the North Face Everest Base Camp at 5,200m. The North Face view is different from the Nepal south side — you see the full pyramid profile. Altitude affects everyone differently; take it slowly. Return to Rongbuk, then drive back toward Lhasa via a different route if time allows.

   Electric bus or walk from Rongbuk to EBC, 5km each way.

10. Day 10 · lhasa

    Return to Lhasa, departure

    Drive back to Lhasa (full day, 6–7h). Fly LXA → Chengdu or Beijing for onward connection. The descent from altitude usually brings a pleasant sense of restored energy by the time you reach a lower city.

    4WD Rongbuk → Lhasa approx 7h, then flight LXA → CTU/PEK.

Budget guide (CNY per day)

Per person total 10 days including mandatory guided tour package (permits, guide, 4WD vehicle — typically ¥3,000–8,000 per person depending on group size and itinerary). Tibet Travel Permit arranged by agency. Lhasa accommodation excluded from group package cost. International flights excluded.