How to Plan an Everest Tour

For a great many people, travelling to the highest mountain in the world is a dream trip. Standing in the base camp and looking up at Mount Everest is an experience that is, quite literally, almost out-of-this-world. And the best place to see the spectacular summit of Mount Everest is from the Everest Base Camp (EBC) in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

So, how does one plan a trip to Mount Everest?

Where do you start? What do you need to arrange? When should you go? All of these things can seem a little overwhelming when planning the trip of a lifetime to Mount Everest.

However, professional help is at hand. We can help you make all the arrangements simply and easily, leaving you just needing to get on the plane, and enjoy your trip.

Soaring to 8848 meters, Mount Everest is the highest and most magnificent peak in world. Every mountaineer takes climbing to its summit as his life-time long achievement. For regular tourists, it is also available to explore the mysterious north face of Mount Everest. Everest Base Camp is highest place which can be reached by tourists, offering the best viewpoint for the pyramid-like peak.

Without available direct flights or trains, it will be a long journey to travel to Everest and driving is the only transportation. This page offers the travel ideas about Everest for your reference, and you can plan an Everest tour according to your time and preference. Usually tourists take 8 days to have an Everest tour, from Lhasa to Everest via Gyantse and Shigatse.

Classic Everest Tours

Most tourists start their Everest tour from Lhasa, because Lhasa can be reached conveniently. There are daily flights to Lhasa from Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Shanghai, Kunming etc. Trains are also available to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xianan, Chongqing and Guangzhou. Lhasa is also well-linked with Kathmandu by direct flights. Moreover, spending several days in Lhasa and Shigatse can help the tourists reduce the risk of getting high altitude sickness because they have more time for acclimatization.

7 Days Everest Tour Ending in Shigatse

A tour combining Tibet and Chengdu is rather popular among all tourists. As the hometown of giant panda with a relatively close distance to Tibet, Chengdu is always listed in the itinerary before/after Tibet. If you want to leave for Chengdu after your Everest tour, it is a good idea to fly to Chengdu from Shigatse on Day 7. There is one daily flight departing from Shigatse at 8:15 and getting to Chengdu at 11:30.

7~8 Days Everest tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu

After Everest tour, drive to Gyirong instead of Shigatse on Day 6. On your way to Gyirong Town, the impressive views of snow-capped Himalayan Range won’t disappoint you. On the next day, you will drive a few kilometers from Gyirong Port where you will across the custom to Nepal and transfer to Kathmandu.

>> 7 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Tour via Mount Everest

>> 8 Days Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Tour

Extend your Everest Tour to Other Regions

Besides Mount Everest, an Everest tour covers the highlights of Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse as well. However, there are many other areas worthy of your discovery. If your time permits, you could visit Namtso, Tsetang, Nyingchi, Mount Kailash etc.

● For those people who love photograph, you can spend 1~2 days in taking the extremely beautiful pictures in Namtso. 2 days’ time ensure you to have longer time to enjoy the landscape, and you may see the sunrise, sunset and starry sky.

>> 5 Days Lhasa and Yamdrok Lake Tour

>> 6 Days Lhasa and Lake Namtso Tour

>> 9 Days Classic Trip from Lhasa to EBC with Namtso

● If you want to experience the different views in Tibet, Nyingchi will give you a surprise. Called Eastern Switzerland, Nyching shows the contradicted view of harsh landscape in Everest. You can see wild forests, colorful flowers, luxury grasslands as well as pure sky and snow mountains.

Tips for Planning a Lhasa Travel

● Travel documents: Travelling to Everest Base Camp in Tibet, Tibet travel Permit, Alien Travel Permit and Boarder Permit are all the necessary permits. There permits can only be applied from the appointed institute by travel agency on behalf of tourists. Usually, it needs about 15~20 days to get Tibet Travel Permit. Please Contact Us in advance and our travel consultant will customize a tour and apply the permits for you.

● Food & Accommodation: Except for one hotel under decoration, there are two places for accommodation at present. One is Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse (opposite Rongbuk Monastery) offering basic room without independent toilets. It is equipped restaurant where you can have Chinese food. The other is Tent Guesthouses. The rooms and service are also basic and you have to share your tents with others. There is no restaurant, but the owners can make basic food for you. You are suggested to prepare some food and drinks by yourself.

● Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Everest ranges from April to October when the weather is much better. Nevertheless, the temperature is rather low in Everest, even in summer. During the slack seasons, the weather might be changeable. Upon the arrival at Rongbuk Monastery, you are recommended to go to EBC first if the weather is good and Mount Everest can be seen clearly.

● High Altitude Sickness: Many people may feel uncomfortable more or less as they get to the high plateau area. The altitude of EBC reaches to 5,200 meters and you have to pay special attention to your physical condition. We recommend you spend several days in Lhasa and Shigatse to help you acclimatize your body to the high altitude before going to Everest. Keeping warm, drinking more water and avoiding strong activities will also be helpful.

● What to Pack: In order to ensure you a safe and comfortable Everest tour, there are some advices on what to pack. Take two bags with your – a large backpack for daily activities and a smaller carry bag for your important documents and property. You need to prepare comfortable clothing like windbreaker, waterproof clothing, down jacket etc. Sunscreen cream, sun block, lip balm, sunglasses and sunhat are also helpful to protect you from the dry weather and strong sunlight. Necessary medicines for preventing high altitude sickness or other disease are also important.