12 Days Popular Tibet Trek Tour from Tingri to EBC via Ra-chu Valley

When you arrive in Lhasa by train or flight, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. Then you will be transported to your hotel. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River on the way to the hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Tips: If this is your first visit to Tibet, you will need to acclimatize to the increased elevation, to prevent altitude sickness. This is best done by resting in the hotel and minimizing any physical exertion.

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Potala Palace, the world culture heritage. You can explore its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, Thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Then tourists will head to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Gampo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty, 647 A.D. Here you can observe sincere pilgrims making prostration in front of Jokhang Temple. While entering inside the temple, you can see the holiest statue of Buddha. Around the monastery is the famous Barkhor Street, where you can do the kora with pilgrims and locals. And then we’ll go to explore the old market and you may have chance to see the traditional jewelry trading between people from different part of Tibet.

Finally, you’ll taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house and enjoy a welcome dinner at night.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Optional:
After finishing the sightseeing, if time allows, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. Besides, you can also choose to upgrade your tour to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD).

Today, you will visit two of the three prestigious Gelugpa monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet. Situated at the foot of Gambo Utse Mountain, Drepung was once home to more than 10000 monks. Here you can see the biggest monastery kitchen inside and then pay a visit to the Buddhist Sculpture Carving near Drepung.

After having lunch, you’ll continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The highlight is the monk debate held in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon. Besides, you can also see the colorful Rock Painting of Buddha and the three sand Mandalas and then visit the Tibetan scripture printing house.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, we will drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. On the way, we’ll drive over the Gangbala Pass (4790 m) to view the turquoise Yamdrok Lake and Mt. Naiqinkangsang. Besides, you can also appreciate Korola Glacier on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, tourists can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass.

Then we’ll go to the heritage town Gyantse and explore its old street, Perklor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Here you can catch the far view of Gyangtse Fortress.

Stay overnight in Gyantse.

In the early morning, we will drive to Shigatse and visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the most prestigious Gelugpa monastery in Shigatse. The monastery is built in 1447, by the first Dalai Lama. You can explore the world’s largest future Buddha and do religious circumnavigation around white stupas and stroll in pencil-thin red alleys and visit the monks’ chanting room.

Later, the tour group will follow the Friendship Highway to Old Tingri via Lhatse and Shegar. The rest of the day our guide and you need to get prepared and have a good rest for tomorrow’s trekking.

Stay overnight in local guest house or dorm bed in Old Tingri.

At breakfast, 4-day Tingri to EBC trek officially begins. We follow the trails off the friendship highway. With Cho Oyu looming ahead, we trek in gravel expanses. As the road continues south, we will pass the extensive ruins of Cholung Gompa. The grass yields to sparsely-grown barley fields.

Every so often, you will encounter lonely shepherd and their packs of grazing sheep. Later, we will arrive at Lung Thang, the last settlement in this region of Tingri plains. Around 25 Tibetan families live here, farming and growing highland barley.

Camping at Lung Thang.

The second day trek begins as we continue the trails that angle south. We pass piles of Mani stones and keep moving towards Pang La. After we reach Churak, you can see the stone corrals and gravel slopes, scattered with shell fossils.

The road follows a rocky gully to Lam La, and the terrain here is speckled with the round humps of cushion plants and compact of little known flowers that can survive in harsh environment. Though a bit treacherous and strenuous when we trek towards Lamna La pass at 5150m, you will be rewarded with stunning vistas of snowy Himalayan peaks.

Camping around Lam La.

As we move further and lose the sight of Lam La, you will experience steep descent on massive steppe. Shepherds and their sheep and yaks can be seen sporadically. We follow the gravel trails to towards small Zommug Villages. On the way, you will be treated with epic view of Mt. Everest and Gyachung Kang. Given the high altitude and inhospitable environment, animal husbandry and nomadic life are the only way of survival here.

Camping around Zommug.

Gathering strength and morale, we march towards the final destination of 4-day trek. The main road continues its ascent. After passing rocky plains and dirt roads, we get closer to famous Rongbuk Monastery, and you can take incredible photos of Mt. Everest from here.

Then the final 4km’s walk from Rongbuk Monastery leads to the camping site of Mt. Everest (5200m). It’s the closest place for ordinary tourists to view the world’s summit. You can enjoy the sunset of incredible Holy Mountain here. If you dare to venture out at night, you will be rewarded with heavenly starry night at EBC.

Stay overnight in tent guesthouse at EBC.

Today we will ride from Rongpuk to Sakay, following the Friendship Highway. We will pass Shegar and Lhaste en route. Tourists can relax to enjoy the Xiqian hot spring near Lhatse.

Stay overnight at Sakya.

In the morning, we will visit the famous Sakya Monastery, famed as the “second Dunhuang” for its huge collection of more than 40,000 books. With over 900 years’ history, it is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya tradition is one of the four main Buddhist schools in Tibet. Here, you can not only discover the history of the religion, but also explore a combination of cultures. Then we will drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station, and help you with boarding.