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Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in 3 Days? Possible, but Better in 8 Days or More!

September,23 2024 BY Kham Sang 0 COMMENTS

“Is it possible to visit Everest Base Camp from Lhasa in 3 days?”

As the award-winning EBC tour operator in Tibet, receiving around 8000+ global tourists each year, such a question is never new to us. Technically, it is possible, but for most tourists, especially those who are visiting Tibet for the first time, such a short itinerary is not recommended.

Here, we will tell you why 3 days are too short to visit Everest Base Camp and provide insights on how to arrange a safe and enjoyable journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in Tibet.

1. Can you travel from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in 3 days? Yes, but it’s not advisable.

Considering the distance from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in Tibet, the 700-kilometer journey can be completed in 3 days.

Day 1: Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Shigatse - Lhaste (492 km, around 8.5 hrs)
Start your journey from Lhasa to Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's holiest lakes, where you can enjoy stunning turquoise views. Then, you’ll drive to Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, and visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lamas. Finally, you’ll head to Lhatse County. The drive takes about 8.5 hours, excluding sightseeing.

Yamdrok Lake in GyantseEnjoy stunning turquoise views in Yamdrok Lake.

Day 2: Lhaste - Tingri - Everest Base Camp - Lhaste (404km, around 9.5 hours)
This is a challenge to drive from Lhaste to Everest Base Camp and back on the same day. Once you pass Tingri, you will drive along the winding road to the Everest Base Camp at nearly 5,200 meters above sea level. Along the way, you can enjoy the magnificent view of the eight highest peaks of the Himalayas lined up in a row at the mountain pass. After arriving at the Everest Base Camp, stop briefly to take photos before returning to Lhatse.

Gawula PassFrom Tingri to Everest Base Camp, you can get a chance to see the majestic Himalayas at Gawula Pass.

Day 3: Lhaste - Shigatse - Lhasa (410km, about 6 hours)
You will return to Lhasa along the G318 National Highway and enjoy a different view from the way you came.

The above itinerary is very tight, leaving almost no time to adapt to the rapid rise in altitude. Therefore, such an itinerary is not recommended for ordinary tourists, especially those who are visiting Tibet for the first time and is somewhat dangerous.

2. Why is it dangerous to visit Everest Base Camp from Lhasa in 3 days or so?

Traveling from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in just three days can put immense stress on your body. First, as you can only get to Tibet from the mainland of China or Kathmandu in Nepal, this would already be an increase in altitude of between 1,400 and 3,650 meters. Arriving in Lhasa and then traveling immediately to Shigatse, at 3,845 meters, means you will not have time to acclimatize before heading even higher. With only one night to rest and adjust, traveling to Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,150 meters poses risks. You would be ascending more than 5,000 meters in less than 36 hours. This is highly dangerous, even for those who have been to Tibet before.

As you ascend quickly, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath. These may escalate to more severe conditions like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), both of which are life-threatening.

Moreover, with such a tight schedule, you will never see or rush around some of the most beautiful landscapes in Tibet. This could be a waste of the trip while you are traveling along the scenic G318 highway through the Tibetan Plateau.

Acclimatization to the High Altitude at Everest Base CampUsing bottled oxygen is one way to acclimatize to high altitude at Everest Base Camp.

3. 8 Days is the Most Popular Travel Length for a Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Tour

For a better travel experience, the 8-day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour is the most popular travel route among tourists. It takes you through Gyantse, Shigatse, and Tingri over a longer period, to allow for better acclimatization. It also allows you to get a better experience of the Tibetan Plateau landscape, culture, and people, to make your Everest Base Camp in Tibet more worthwhile.

Upon your arrival in Lhasa, spend the first 3 days sightseeing and acclimatization is essential for adjusting to the higher altitudes of the plateau before heading to the extreme altitude of Everest Base Camp.

Potala Palace in LhasaAdjust to the higher altitudes in Lhasa and visit the magnificent Potala Palace.

On Day 4, you can take a one-day trip that covers more than 300 kilometers from Lhasa to Shigatse. You will stop at Yamdrok Lake on the way before arriving in Shigatse, around 200 meters higher than Lhasa.

Having spent the night at Shigatse, you are ready to head higher, by another 1,300 meters from Shigatse to Everest Base Camp on Day 5. While this is high for a single ascent, you will not be doing any climbing or trekking once you arrive at the base camp, and while you may feel some symptoms, they are not normally too bad to dull your enjoyment.

On Day 6, you will head back to Shigatse after the night at EBC is a “downhill” run, so any symptoms of altitude sickness you may have felt will dissipate, as you have already acclimatized to these altitudes. The same goes for the trip back from Shigatse to Lhasa on Day 7.

The last day is for departing from Lhasa, which has no ill effects at all, except for the sadness of leaving this beautiful land at the Roof of the World.

4. More Recommended Lhasa Everest Base Camp Tours (7 to 15 Days)

Besides the popular 8-day journey from Lhasa, you can also include a visit to Everest Base Camp in Tibet tours ranging from 7 days to around 2 weeks.

The epic overland journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu covers a day trip to the Everest Base Camp en route. Following the same route from Lhasa to EBC, you will continue the journey along the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway after spending a night at the base camp, crossing the Gyirong Border to reach Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

Conversely, if you travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa by land, you can also visit Everest Base Camp. Usually, the Kathmandu to Lhasa overland tour takes 8 days, allowing you to acclimate to the altitude as you move from Kathmandu's elevation of over 2,000 meters to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which averages over 4,000 meters.

Moreover, on the way from Lhasa to Mount Kailash, you’ll have the chance to visit Everest Base Camp. All our Mount Kailash tours from Lhasa include a night at the base camp, allowing you to experience the stunning views of the world’s highest peak before continuing on your sacred journey. We offer several options, including a classic 15-day round trip from Lhasa to Mount Kailash and a 13-day overland tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu that features both Everest Base Camp and Mount Kailash.

5. Key Points to Consider When Planning Your Days for an EBC Visit

For anyone planning a trip to Everest Base Camp, and deciding how many days you need to make the trip worthwhile and comfortable, there are some things to take into consideration. These items will not only make your trip better but will also help to prevent any serious health risks.

Proper Acclimatization to Altitude Ascent

Acclimatization is key, we cannot stress that enough. So you need to allow at least two full days in Lhasa to allow your body to adjust to the higher altitude of the Tibetan capital. Three days is better, and with most travelers arriving in Lhasa in the afternoon or evening, and spending the next two days acclimatizing and sightseeing, this is normally adequate. Not only will you have time to adjust to the higher altitude and thinner atmosphere, but it will allow you to enjoy the trip more, without feeling the debilitating headaches and nausea associated with altitude sickness.

Everest Base Camp in TibetAvoid the rushed 3-day schedule! Opt for a leisurely journey to Everest Base Camp for better acclimatization and a more enjoyable experience.

Strike a Balance between Scenery and Travel Speed

How long you take to get from Lhasa to EBC is really up to you. But if you travel too fast, in a rush to get to the mountain, you will miss out on some of the most fantastic scenery in the world. The Tibetan plateau is home to mountains, lakes, rolling hills, grassy plains and prairies, ancient monasteries and cities, and people that are well worth spending time learning more about. And in most of the cases, you can only visit them by tour vehicle.

The trick is to balance your travel speed with your desire to see more of the plateau than just one big pile of rock, no matter how famous it may be. Some attractions can be skipped if you are adamant about traveling quickly.

Take Your Special Interest into consideration

Everyone has a reason for visiting Tibet, and it usually coincides with their own personal interests. If you have special interests that you want to combine on your tour of Tibet, then you need to be a little more flexible. For those that want to experience trekking or cycling to Everest Base Camp, then you need to include more days in the tour itinerary, as cyclists cannot go as fast as cars and trekking takes time as well.

Cycling to Everest Base Camp in TibetYou can also take a cycling trip from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in Tibet.

Just feel free to share your travel ideas with our professional travel consultants, and we can make your dreams come true. Our expert consultants can advise you on the best ways to travel, where you can visit, and what to see, and can even recommend customizing your tour to meet your exact needs and requirements. And by customizing your trip with us, you can just relax and enjoy your lifetime trip to EBC without any hassles.

Conclusion

While there are no rigid rules on how long you can or should take for a trip to Everest Base Camp from Lhasa, it is better to take your time in Tibet than to rush off as fast as possible to the base camp of Mount Everest. A short 3-day tour can be dangerous to you and your guides, while taking a little longer can ensure you remain healthy, and makes the tour even more worthwhile.

No matter how you want to visit Everest Base Camp, a classic sightseeing tour, or an in-depth experience such as cycling or trekking, we can tailor the trip according to your needs. As the award-winning Everest Base Camp tour operator, we at Tibet Vista provide expertly crafted experiences to ensure you make the most of your journey.

Kham Sang

About the Author - Kham Sang

With fluent English skills rivaling a native English speaker, Khamsang often impresses our travelers with her gifted language capacity and deep understanding of Tibetan culture and history.

Professional, flexible, and attentive, throughout her 10+ years of guide experience, Khamsang has received zero complaints from her guests. Besides, as a mom of two lovely sons, Khamsang is also a devoted mother and loves writing expert travel articles to help travelers longing for a Tibet adventure.

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