Everest, Cho Oyu, Sishapangma Base Camp Trek

A tour of Lhasa and three base camps of mountains over 8,000 metres in Tibet: Everest Base Camp, Cho Oyu Base Camp and Shishapangma Base Camp.

Duration
16 days
Group size
People
Country
Tibet

Everest, Cho Oyu, Sishapangma Base Camp Trek Overview

A tour of Lhasa and three base camps of mountains over 8,000 metres in Tibet: Everest Base Camp, Cho Oyu Base Camp and Shishapangma Base Camp.

A tour of Lhasa and three base camps of mountains over 8,000 metres in Tibet: Everest Base Camp, Cho Oyu Base Camp and Shishapangma Base Camp

We fly to Lhasa, where there is plenty of time to visit the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama and Tibet's best-known landmark, with more than 1,000 rooms and 10,000 shrines. You also visit the Jokhang, Tibet's holiest temple, with its valuable statues and frescoes, and the Norbulingka, or Summer Palace, from which the present Dalai Lama fled in 1959.

The Barkhor, the busy bazaar of old Lhasa, lies on the pilgrims' circuit around the Jokhang and is a good place to buy souvenirs.

The Tibet Three Base Camps Tour shows you the natural scenery of the Tibetan Plateau and takes you to the foot of some of the world's highest peaks. It is one of the easiest ways to see the world's highest mountains without trekking or great physical effort. It also involves off-road driving by 4WD on the highest plateau on Earth. The bumpy roads and high altitude can be very tiring, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.

The tour offers views of nine of the mountains over 8,000 metres and several smaller peaks. Short hikes at the base camps give you a chance to experience trekking and camping at high altitude. While driving off-road to the base camps you may see wildlife such as antelope, wild horses, yaks and birds, as well as Tibetan nomads moving hundreds of sheep and yaks across the colourful landscape.

The trip begins and ends with two days in Kathmandu, giving you time to see the city's many attractions.

Key highlights of the Everest, Cho Oyu, Sishapangma Base Camp Trek

Itinerary

  1. A representative of Earthbound Expeditions will meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, holding an Earthbound Expeditions sign. You will then be transferred to your hotel.

    Altitude
    1,400 m (4,590 ft)
    On foot
    None, arrival day
    Night in
    Hotel, Kathmandu
    Meals
    None

  2. After breakfast, the tour begins with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley, travelling by air-conditioned bus. We visit Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Patan Durbar Square. The visa can only be collected on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

    Altitude
    1,400 m (4,590 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Kathmandu
    Meals
    Breakfast

  3. We fly to Lhasa, the capital of the 'Roof of the World'. The flight gives an aerial view of the Himalaya and the land below. Lhasa, the centre of Tibetan Buddhism, has many sites of interest. If time permits, we visit the Jokhang Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often described as the spiritual centre of Tibet. The temple was built in the 7th century and has been rebuilt several times since. It contains a life-sized statue of Shakyamuni and fine murals.

    Altitude
    3,656 m (11,990 ft)+2,256 m
    On foot
    None, flight day
    Night in
    Hotel, Lhasa
    Meals
    Breakfast

  4. Lhasa has more sights than can be visited in a single day. Its best-known landmark is the Potala Palace, built in 637 AD, which contains more than 1,000 rooms and 10,000 shrines. You also visit the Norbulingka, or Summer Palace, often called the 'Park of Treasures', which was a residence of the Dalai Lama. Depending on time, we take you to other monasteries around Lhasa, such as Sera and Drepung. After the tour, we visit the busy Barkhor bazaar, where you can shop for souvenirs.

    Altitude
    3,656 m (11,990 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Lhasa
    Meals
    Breakfast

  5. Today you drive to Gyantse, which takes approximately 5 hours. The route crosses the Karo La and Kamba La passes and is considered one of the best cycling routes in the world. The road passes through a barren landscape with views of mist-covered snow peaks and Yamdrok Tso Lake.

    Altitude
    3,977 m (13,050 ft)+321 m
    On foot
    None, 5 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Gyantse
    Meals
    Breakfast

  6. After a drive of about 2 hours you reach Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet, whose main attraction is the Tashilhunpo Monastery. It is a lively city. You can visit Shigatse Dzong, which resembles the Potala and stands high on a hilltop with wide views from the top, and the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama.

    Altitude
    3,900 m (12,800 ft)−77 m
    On foot
    None, 2 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Shigatse
    Meals
    Breakfast

  7. The last stop on the road to Everest is Shegar, about 12 km before the turn-off to Everest.

    Altitude
    4,350 m (14,270 ft)+450 m
    On foot
    None, 5–6 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Shegar
    Meals
    Breakfast

  8. Rongphu Monastery is the main Buddhist site in the valley, and it was founded in 1902. It is said to be the highest monastery in the world. Its large chortens, with Mount Everest behind them, make a fine photograph. Here you will see a statue of Guru Rinpoche.

    Altitude
    4,980 m (16,340 ft)+630 m
    On foot
    None, 3–4 hr drive
    Night in
    Tented camp, Rongbuk
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  9. Today you travel to Everest Base Camp. The 8 km from Rongphu to Everest Base Camp takes about 2 hours. The route is somewhat difficult, with ups and downs that need care. You hike to the foot of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, which is surrounded by other high peaks such as Nuptse, Pumori and Lhotse.

    Altitude
    4,980 m (16,340 ft)
    On foot
    16 km, 4–5 hrs
    Night in
    Tented camp, Rongbuk
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  10. Today you drive from Everest Base Camp to Cho Oyu Base Camp, a scenic route with much to see. Cho Oyu is the sixth-highest mountain in the world and lies 20 km west of Mount Everest on the border between Nepal and Tibet. From the base camp there is a view of the mountain, its summit often covered in mist. The rugged terrain is covered in ice in every direction.

    Altitude
    4,900 m (16,080 ft)−80 m
    On foot
    None, 4–5 hr drive
    Night in
    Tented camp, Cho Oyu Base Camp
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  11. The drive from Cho Oyu Base Camp to Lho Tingri is a quiet one through the scenic Tibetan countryside.

    Altitude
    4,300 m (14,110 ft)−600 m
    On foot
    None, 2–3 hr drive
    Night in
    Guesthouse, Tingri
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  12. Shishapangma is the only peak over 8,000 metres that lies entirely within Tibet.

    Altitude
    5,000 m (16,400 ft)+700 m
    On foot
    None, 4–5 hr drive
    Night in
    Tented camp, Shishapangma Base Camp
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  13. We drive from Shishapangma Base Camp to Nyalam (3,700 m).

    Altitude
    3,700 m (12,140 ft)−1,300 m
    On foot
    None, 3–4 hr drive
    Night in
    Guesthouse, Nyalam
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  14. You drive from Nyalam and travel on to Kathmandu by air. Before your departure, there is a farewell dinner with a cultural show.

    Altitude
    1,400 m (4,590 ft)−2,300 m
    On foot
    None, 8–10 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Kathmandu
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner

  15. Our representative will take you to the international airport for your flight home.

    Altitude
    1,400 m (4,590 ft)
    On foot
    None, departure day
    Night in
    No overnight
    Meals
    Breakfast

What's included

  • Three-star hotels in the main cities on a bed and breakfast basis
  • All camping facilities and meals at base camp for team members and the trekking crew
  • All airport transfers and road transport, mostly by private vehicle
  • Peak permit fees, trekking permit fees and national park entry fees
  • All environmental fees
  • All porter and yak costs, as specified
  • All sightseeing as specified in the detailed itinerary
  • Insurance for Nepali staff and the liaison officer

Not included

  • Lunch and dinner in the main cities
  • High-altitude tents, food and climbing equipment for team members and Sherpas
  • Personal equipment and insurance, and emergency rescue evacuation if needed
  • All international flights and airport taxes
  • Personal expenses and bonuses for climbing Sherpas

Reviews

Exceptional5.0 out of 5Reviews from Tripadvisor
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Showing 10 reviews from 901 on Tripadvisor

Exhilarating view near the Anapurna and excellent service

May 2016, Tripadvisor

I did the Jomsom Muktinath Trek in May together with my boyfriend. We changed the offered tour and got our own ‚private‘ tour for 8 days. We went together with our guide Namaraj Sapkota and our porter. Because we spent some more time in Nepal apart from trekking, we started the tour in Pokhara. On the tour we slept in comfortable Teahouses and also the drinks and food were quite good. The impressions and views will always be rembered. Our guide, Namaraj Sapkota, told us a lot about the people oft the Anapurna area and Nepal in general. As well as the rituals of the temple in Muktinath, the whole story about the earthquake and even the traditional way of living in this area. Our guide was always careing about us and our health. All the time were feeling pretty save. We didn’t see any effets oft he earthquake in the Anapurna region, all the roads and the bridges were in good conditions, so we had no problems. In Kathmandu we only saw a few buildings and temple which were beeing rebuild. The whole trip was very well organized by Earthbound Expeditions and individual and sponaeous wishes were always possible. We can highly recommed Earthbound Expeditions and our Guide Namaraj Sapkota. The next trip will definitely be with them. All in all we can say the country and the people are amazing, it has an exhilarating landscape.

Ronja_Mozer_Stuttgart, GermanyRead on Tripadvisor

Outstanding service and tour in Kathmandu and to Tibet!

June 2016, Tripadvisor

Rajan is the heart of Earthbound and I cannot say enough good about the level of service we received. Some words that come to mind to describe him are trustworthy, organized, professional, personable and dependable. Initially, our tour was scheduled for the end of May 2015, but due to the earthquake it needed to be postponed until 2016 due to my schedule. Rajan communicated with me immediately after the earthquake and maintained communication throughout the year. I had been a bit unsure about organizing a tour from the USA with a company that I only knew about through TripAdvisor. However, Rajan's professional service reassured me throughout the entire process. This was my second trip to Kathmandu and it was completely safe after the earthquake. Our trip to Tibet was wonderful. We flew both ways to and from Lhasa since the overland route between Tibet and Nepal were still not open after the earthquake. On our return to Kathamandu, Rajan escorted us to a fabulous meal with traditional Nepali music and dance on our last night there. I highly recommend Earthbound Expeditions and also encourage others to consider traveling in Nepal post earthquake to help them recover economically. Many merchants were very grateful for our presence there.

Sharon SWinston Salem, North CarolinaRead on Tripadvisor

Amazing time in Nepal

June 2016, Tripadvisor

When I contacted Rajan to arrange our activities I was so pleased to find a very organized and responsive individual who truly is interested arranging an interesting itinerary . We had amazing time discovering Nepal and earthbound expeditions made it possible . Their guides are knowledgable about the culture and customs . Their go beyond the call of duty to ensure that we were safe and happy. Needless to say we are already thinking about our next trip with them.

jaanausaHouston, TexasRead on Tripadvisor

Wonderful Trek in Nepal

May 2016, Tripadvisor

I recently returned from an amazing visit to Nepal. Earthbound Expeditions Rajan Simkhada, took such great care of us. The company and our guide, Maule dai made sure that each and every one of us had an amazing experience. All of them were affable. IF you are planning a trip /trek to Nepal make sure Earthbound Expeditions is with you.

Nita BStillwater, OklahomaRead on Tripadvisor

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