Atlas of China
Tibet: Lhasa, Namtso and Everest Base Camp
The Potala and the Jokhang, the turquoise lake at Namtso, and the road to the north face of Everest from Shigatse.
- Days
- 76.5 seeing, 0.5 travelling
- Stays
- 2Lhasa · Shigatse
- Trains and flights
- ¥64per person, planner's figures
- Distance
- 221 kmbetween the stays
- Best time
- April to June and September to October for clear views of Everest
Lhasa, at 3,650 m, is where the trip begins, and the first two days belong to the Potala Palace, the Jokhang temple and the pilgrims circling the Barkhor. Namtso, a day’s drive north, is a salt lake the colour of a peacock below snow peaks. The road west through Shigatse, seat of the Panchen Lamas, leads over passes of 5,000 m to the Rongbuk monastery and the base camp under the north face of Everest. Foreign visitors travel Tibet with a licensed agency, which arranges the permits and the car.
Day by day
Laid out by the atlas's trip planner from the stops below, with the trains and flights in its tables; open it on the map to change the days, the order or the stops.
Day 1 · Lhasa
Day 2 · Lhasa
- Potala Palace continued
Day 3 · Lhasa
Day 4 · Shigatse
- Namtso Lake continued
- High-speed train Lhasa → Shigatse, 2 h 4 min (C885, 3 a day); about 2½ hours door to door, ¥64. Compare ways
Day 5 · Shigatse
Day 6 · Shigatse
- Everest (Qomolangma) Base Camp continued
Day 7 · Shigatse
- Everest (Qomolangma) Base Camp continued
Why this order
Lhasa first for the altitude, then the lake as a day out, then the long road west; Shigatse breaks the Everest drive into two days.
When to go
April to June and September to October for clear views of Everest; the monsoon brings cloud in July and August, and winter is cold but very clear.
Good to know
- A Tibet Travel Permit is required and comes through a registered agency, which must also book your transport outside Lhasa; allow a few weeks.
- Give Lhasa two nights before any higher ground, drink water, and keep the Potala climb for the second day.
- Base camp sleeps at over 5,000 m; many people stay at Rongbuk and drive down the same day.
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
The map opens with these 3 stops in a trip; "Plan my days" lays out the same days and lets you move stops, change the days each gets, or choose where you arrive and leave.
Other trips
- The Silk Road by train: Xi’an to Dunhuang, Turpan and Ürümqi 11 days · Xi'an, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan and Ürümqi
- Yunnan by train: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La 9 days · Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La
Written for the atlas and last checked October 2026. Days and legs come from the trip planner: the fastest practical way between stays from the 12306 timetable for 2026-10-28 or 2026-11-11 and the airlines' schedules for 2026-10-28, with about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time for a flight, and standard-class fares where the timetable has them. Entry rules, tickets and opening arrangements change: confirm with official sources before you travel.