Pilgrimage to the Roof of the World
8-Day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Private Tour
Some say the earth has three poles: the North Pole, the South Pole, and Tibet. The collision of tectonic plates has brought about the world’s highest peak and incredible plateau scenery. Its location at the crossroads of oasis culture, nomad culture, farming culture, and ancient Indian culture helped its people cultivate their unique Tibetan culture and mysterious religion.
This 8-day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp private tour includes all the cultural heritage sites that you are probably looking forward to seeing in Lhasa followed by a holy lake, a glacier, and awesome snow-capped mountains on your way to EBC. Some activities allowing you to interact with local people have been added to enrich your experience on this once-in-a-life-time pilgrimage.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Stand in Front of the "Apex" of the Roof of the World
Travel to Everest Base camp, and witness the starry sky and the morning sunshine as never before on “the roof of the world”.


Be Blessed by a Lama in the Highest Monastery
Talk with a lama in Rongbuk Monastery, which is at the foot of Mt. Everest. Receive a most sacred blessing in the highest monastery in the world.


Unlock Stories of the Mysterious Dalai Lamas in the Potala Palace
Discover the secrets of building the highest palace in the world. Be impressed by the priceless treasures in the palace. Listen to stories of Dalai Lamas who lived in the palace.


Step into Tibetan Life in the Less-Touristy Corners of Barkhor Street
Feel the piety of local Tibetans as you see them worship with their whole body touching the ground. Explore a local market to experience Tibetan daily life and sit in a peaceful nunnery for a cup of sweet tea that's loved by locals.


Enjoy a Picnic on the Bank of the Holy Lake
Pilgrimage to the Lake Yamdrok and enjoy a picnic on the bank with a great view of the lake.


Encounter a Fabulous Glacier
Get close to the Karola Glacier which is one of the top three continental glaciers in Tibet.


Experience a Local Tibetan Family's House and Farming Work
Discover Tibetan folk customs when you visit the living room of a local family's house. Listen to the hosts talking about their daily life. Help Tibetan people with their farming work, such as seeding, cutting barley, or hanging barley on racks.


Listen to the Stories of Panchen Lamas in Splendid Tashilunpo Monastery
Admire the architectural beauty of Tashilunpo monastery: its golden roof, red walls, and white pagodas. Get to know the relationship between Dalai and Panchen lamas and the reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhism.

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What Our Customers Said
Lhasa Tibet Adventure
Coco helped us plan our ideal trip to recent trip Tibet. She was informative, patient, and helped us tailor the trip to our own needs. She made excellent suggestions and supported us with the permits, travel itinerary, and even flights. She is an incredible asset to the China Highlights Team! Our local guide Tenzin was also excellent and flexible with us each day. I was hit with some altitude sickness and Tenzin helped me get oxygen and medicine needed. He worked with us each day to help us eat local foods and recommended ideal times to visit sites to minimize wait times. We were able to see everything on our list and eat excellent food. Thank you Coco and Tenzin! moreOct 2021, Samantha Jane
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Spiritual connection brought me back to Potala
Potala Palace mesmerizes me with its charm since 1997 when I first laid eyes on a photograph hung onto a wall at a monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. From then on, I dreamt of visiting this place before I leave this world. The only thing that held me back choosing from my other favorite travel destinations that I travelled to in the past, is the fear of high altitude sickness and breathing difficulty. Once I step foot onto it, I felt a spiritual connection to this place. I climbed up to the top at the peak without any issue and gazed at Lhasa city from the top. It was a rare and wonderful experience. moreJul 2020, paulinelyepohlinl
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Lhasa - what a special place
Lhasa welcomed us with sunshine, but Sonem with an even brighter smile. It was a great pleasure to have him as guide - an exceedingly kind person. With his profound knowledge and experience, he gave us deep insights in the daily life of a Tibetan. The highlight of our stay was, of course, the visit of the Potala Palace, but we also wouldn’t have missed the discussion of the monks or the Yoghurt Festival. Thank you, Sonem, for the perfect organization. moreSep 2019, S-T-Travelling
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Top of the World!
From our welcome at the airport with the traditional Tibetan scarves to our departure 3 days later, out time in Lhasa was nothing short of fabulous! Our guide, Tenzin was exceptionally energetic, knowledgeable and friendly. He made sure our time was spent experiencing the many wonderful sites as well as learning about the history and culture of this exciting place. Potala palace is magnificent inside and out. Be sure to return to the nightly fountain show... the icing on the cake! The monasteries were very interesting and the location of many is breathtaking. We enjoyed Barkhor Street, especially at night when the lights create a serene atmosphere, a great contrast to the hustle and bustle during daylight. Outside the city, the drive to Yomdrok Lake is beautiful and the lake itself amazing. Stopping along the way to see the prayer flags flying in the wind left no doubt that you are in a special place. Thank you to China Highlights and their local partners, in particular our fabulous guide Tenzin for organizing and executing a most wonderful trip! moreAug 2019, anaI39VU
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Top of the World!
From our welcome at the airport with the traditional Tibetan scarves to our departure 3 days later, out time in Lhasa was nothing short of fabulous! Our guide, Tenzin was exceptionally energetic, knowledgeable and friendly. He made sure our time was spent experiencing the many wonderful sites as well as learning about the history and culture of this exciting place.Thank you to China Highlights and their local partners, in particular our fabulous guide Tenzin for organizing and executing a most wonderful trip! moreAug 2019, anaI39VU
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Great time with the Best Guide Norbu
I can’t say enough good things about China Highlights as they organized everything for us - the visa, guide and itinerary. When I asked for changes to make sure we saw the debates (none on sundays) they made the change. When my daughter was suffering from altitude sickness itinerary was adjusted to give her more time to recover. We had a fantastic guide - Norbu. His background was as interesting as Lhasa. While all of the guides we have had so far have had good English command, some are harder to understand than others making it hard work at times. Norbu’s English is embarrassingly good (as I have no capability in any other languages and am dependent on others learning English). He was very kind to my daughter while she was struggling. I highly recommend you ask for him as he will add to the enjoyment of your trip moreJul 2019, 913WorldTraveler
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LHASA - TIBET WITH KELSANG FROM CHINA HIGHLIGHTS
KELSANG was our Guide Tour in LHASA - TIBET. His English was great and he was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Since he picked us up from the airport till we left LHASA, KELSANG had always a smile, showed us his heart and soul and accommodate all our needs. We had a great time with KELSANG! All places mentioned above are unique and very special! Our experience in Tibet was stunning and we will not forget it for the rest of our lives! We will highly recommend KELSANG as your local guide tour in TIBET and ask for ALISA when contacting China Highlights as she will organize your tours as no one else will! Believe me! moreJun 2019, Fabian D
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china highlights is well organized(Tibet and Beijing)
I could say so many wonderful things about China Highlights; they have great qualified, knowledgeable guides and drivers, they understand the flight in and out and work around it beautifully, the prices are good, and the correspondence is top notch. Bit tops I would say, is they are efficient and organized. It can be a little worrisome planning a trip to the other side of the world. My agent through the whole process was Coco and she couldn't have done better. She answered every question, before and during the trip. moreMay 2019, Tim S
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Tour Map

Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your private guide and driver will pick you up at Lhasa's airport or train station and accompany you to your hotel.
Start your day with a trip to Norbulingka. There, you can breathe in the fresh morning air and slowly get used to the altitude.
Then visit the biggest and the most important monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Drepung Monastery.
After lunch, visit Sera Monastery and watch a monks' debate. Guess the meaning of their gestures and grasp the chance to take photos.
This is your third day in Tibet, so you should be physically ready for the Potala Palace. Prepare to enjoy the resplendent chambers, exquisite wall paintings, and the stories about the king of the Tubo Kingdom and Dalai Lamas.
Have a walking tour in the afternoon. Visit Jokhang Temple and explore Barkhor Street including its local market, admire traditional Tibetan architecture, and take afternoon tea in peaceful Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery.
Leave for Shigatse via Gyantse. First, you will visit Lake Yamdrok. On sunny days, the lake appears turquoise. If it's good weather, you will enjoy a lakeside picnic including sandwiches, vegetables, and fruit.
Along the way, you will view the fabulous scenery of the Karola Glacier, one of the top three continental glaciers (ice fields) in Tibet. And you’ll also visit a local Tibetan's house and help them with their farming work.
When you stop at Gyantse, visit the town's top attraction Palcho Monastery. The huge white pagoda and murals are its highlights.
Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse, which is the residence of Panchen Lamas and then take the drive to Tingri. The journey from Shigatse to Tingri takes about 4½ hours by car, but you will not get bored: there are stunning views along the way.
Have a good night's sleep to be ready for Mt. Everest Base Camp on the next day.
Take a 3-hour trip towards the top of the Roof of the World. You will have many chances to take photos of the Himalayas along the way.
When you reach Mt. Everest Base Camp, you'll see Mt. Everest right there in front of you (weather permitting).
Visit Rongbuk Monastery near EBC, and see the hard life of the monks and nuns there. Talk with a lama. He will be happy to answer your questions about his life and study. Present a hada (Tibetan silk scarf) to him to express your respects.
After visiting the monastery, you will be driven back to Shigatse.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will be driven back to Lhasa. The journey takes about 6 hours, but there is marvelous scenery on the way. You'll travel along the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, where you'll see plateau lakes, rivers, snowy mountains, and traditional Tibetan villages. Your guide will know some interesting stops.
Your guide and driver will take you to Lhasa's airport or train station on time for your departure.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.

Price includes:
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