Tibet Tour From Nepal- Drive in Fly out

Upgrade your Accommodation in Lhasa and Shigatse

During our Tibet tour from Nepal- drive-in in fly-out journey, Life Himalaya Trekking will offer you standard three-star hotel accommodations in a double-sharing room while in Tibet.

Kerung and Tingri towns lack high-end luxury hotels, but you will find plenty of them in Shigatse and Lhasa. If you prefer, we also offer an upgrade option to these premium hotels in Tibet for a surcharge.

You can transform your four nights in Tibet into an example of luxury, elegance, culture, and comfort. These hotels will provide you with world-class amenities that are often envied by international standards, thus making both your day tours and nights truly unforgettable.

Weather and Best Time for the Tibet Tour from Nepal

The climate of the western and southwestern parts of Tibet is very different from each other. While the southwestern towns of Lhasa, Shigatse, and Gyantse remain generally dry throughout the year, the Everest Base Camp in western Tibet receives the yearly rainfall (between June to August) up to 108 mm.

Likewise, winter (December to February) in southwestern Tibet is basically warm and sunny, while western Tibet experiences harsh cold with the thermometer showing between -12 and -17 degrees Celsius.

Regarding these climatic factors of the Tibetan region, the Tibet tour from Nepal will be best experienced in spring (March-May) and autumn (September and October).

Heat in spring revolves around 12 degrees Celsius, with the Martian Tibetan land turning into a green, rich carpet. Autumn can be a bit cold, with 8 degrees Celsius, with cloudless blue skies all the time.

8 Days Tibet Overland Tour from Nepal: Level of Difficulty

Our 8 days Tibet overland tour from Nepal presents the moderate challenge where adventure and nature go hand in hand with an extreme level of comfort.

So anyone in good physical conditioning, accustomed to the altitude variation, can attempt our Tibet tour from Nepal. The combination of comfortable driving journeys throughout the trip omits the necessity of a climbing or hiking expedition. The level required is therefore not exceptional.

Plus, the outstanding cozy facilities for sleeping and eating (except in Tingri) make the experience even easier. Thus, if you have been dreading the Everest Base Camp tour due to the tough hikes and modest comforts, then this tour is specially created for you.

However, make no mistake, our Tibet tour from Nepal has big elevation changes without forgetting the altitude reaching 5200 m. Our travel itinerary has, however, been crafted with better and well-placed acclimatization opportunities.

Still, if you have some health issues, particularly concerning your lungs and heart, make sure to visit your doctor before deciding to join our Tibet tour from Nepal.

Altitude Sickness and Acclimatization

The quick changes in altitude, the ongoing ascent, and the dry, oxygen-deficient air of Tibet are often the reasons for the onset of altitude sickness, also known to travelers as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

Thus, AMS is a real concern in our Tibet tour from Nepal, and it will be a mistake to think that it will only affect the newcomers or those who are less physically fit. In fact, even experienced travelers can be affected by AMS.

To lower the chances of experiencing it, we request all our guests to drink a minimum of 4 liters of water once they arrive in Kerung. We also urge them to get as much sleep as possible, as sleep helps in proper and quick acclimatization to the altitude.

We have also ensured that each hotel you stay in Tibet has a reliable oxygen supply. Our team will also carry supplemental oxygen if needed during the tour to EBC.

Please understand that some mild difficulty in breathing and headaches are common occurrences. Often, they go on their own; however, if the symptoms develop into more serious breathing difficulties, nausea, lethargy, dizziness, or loss of coordination, then our guide will evacuate you to a lower area.

If you desire to completely avoid the AMS during the Tibet tour from Nepal with EBC, then consuming Diamox from Kathmandu will be a good decision.

Training and Preparation for the Tibet Tour from Nepal with EBC

There is less physical strain on our Tibet tour from Nepal. The short 8 days tour will always occur in a private 4WD with a professional driver and guide who knows the best and comfortable way around.

Plus, at the last moment, you will also have the amazing Lhasa flight, and so the trip is a Tibet tour from Nepal- a drive-in in fly-out journey. However, you have to be prepared for some hardships of touring on foot around the monuments of Tibet.

General day-to-day activities of walking, cycling, and running will prep you for such a tour. Our Tibet tour from Nepal, however, is a journey of mental resilience where you need to exist as a team and have cordial relations with your driver and guide.

While Lhasa and Shigatse will be more than comfortable, the Tingri stay will be a bit modest, and the atmosphere will be a bit harsher. So, get to know about the EBC in Tibet as much as you can through video documentaries beforehand.

Sleeping, Eating, and Transportation

During our 8 days Tibet overland tour from Nepal, Life Himalaya Trekking will offer you accommodation in Rasuwagadhi in the standard mountain lodge. A double occupancy room with two single beds will comfort you at night.

In Tibet, a good medium three-star tourist hotel will be your comfort for the night’s stay. You will have twin rooms throughout the trip with the utilities of hot running water, en suite bathroom, and WiFi.

In Tingri, a humble local guesthouse will be available, and from Shigatse onwards, the hotels will have raised standards.

Our meal plan includes breakfasts throughout the Tibet tour from Nepal, while lunches, dinners, and drinks will have to be self-catered. Per day, you may need US Dollars 25 to 30 per person for your food and drink expenses.

This type of arrangement will enable each guest to select their own menu, which is wide and different in all locations except for Tingri and Rongbuk.

Life Himalaya Trekking will have a private 4WD with a professional guide and driver for your entire Tibet tour from Nepal, which includes the transportation up to Rasuwagadhi, and tours and transport inside Tibet.

However, your flight out of Lhasa has not been included in our service, but can be arranged on request.

Travel Insurance

Please do not mistake thinking that a Tibet tour from Nepal, since it doesn’t involve any hiking, needs no travel insurance. Although we are not trekking, we are still reaching 5300 m and reaching such far areas of Tibet that still lack access to advanced health care services.

While Shigatse and Lhasa do offer excellent health services, they can be quite costly for foreign tourists. Therefore, any medical or health issues that arise during the Tibet tour from Nepal with EBC can lead to high expenses.

And, if anything goes wrong at Rongbuk and EBC, needing urgent helicopter evacuation, it could cost you up to 50,000 US dollars out of pocket.

Travel insurance will protect you financially in such situations. So when you are out to procure the travel insurance for our Tibet tour from Nepal, specify helicopter rescue coverage up to 5300 m.

Also, remember that a Tibet tour from Nepal is an expensive vacation, so also get protection against tour postponement or cancellation.

About Independent Travel in Tibet

Please know that self or individual travel in Tibet is currently not allowed. You can explore and walk around the streets and shops of Lhasa without a guide, but to visit monuments, the presence of a guide is necessary.

Any obligatory permits and visas will only be granted to the travelers who are members of an organized tour hosted by a certified travel agency like Life Himalaya Trekking.

Here, an organized tour means not only the presence of a licensed guide but also of a professional licensed driver and a registered 4WD vehicle. It also means the preapproval of all your travel itinerary and accommodation arrangements.

Thus, we kindly ask all our guests to carefully read the travel details of our Tibet tour from Nepal and reserve your place at least one month before you choose your tour date.

Permits and visas are required for the Tibet Tour from Nepal- Drive In Fly Out Journey

For our Tibet tour from Nepal, a Chinese Group Visa, along with the Tibet Bureau Visa, which is generally called the Tibet Travel Permit or Tibet Visa, has been obtained.

The usual time frame essential for processing a group visa for China from Nepal is 3 to 4 days, which mandates the personal presence of each traveler in the embassy of China. So we kindly ask you to visit our office 3 or 4 days before our Tibet tour from Nepal sets off, which we have stated in our itinerary as well.

As for the Tibet visa, its general required timeframe is 15 days with the prerequisite of an advance application in the Tibet Travel Bureau through a registered travel agency in Tibet, which we have been affiliated with for many years.

So, once your Tibet tour from Nepal is confirmed, please make sure to send us:

• Most current white background plain photo of size 51 mm by 51 mm
• No makeup and no glasses when clicking the photo
• Digital color passport copy with an active time of 6 months minimum after leaving Tibet
• Two to three empty pages in the passport

TTB (Tibet Tourism Bureau) Permit

Any non-national citizen of China must have the TTP or the Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) to gain entry into its border. The Tibet Tourism Board, after reviewing and approving our Tibet tour from Nepal travel details, will issue this visa to a registered Tibetan tour and travel agency.

They will, in turn, collect this visa and present it at the time we are at the Tibet border. The Tourism Board will take around 10 to 15 office days to issue this visa; thus, we need to apply beforehand.

We will have an official invitation letter sent to us from the tourism board of Tibet via our affiliated Tibet travel agency, which we will then present at the Chinese Embassy to get the group visa for China.

Chinese Group Visa

When you select the Nepal route to gain entry into Tibet, instead of an individual Chinese Visa, you will need a group visa. The Group Visa means one visa issued for a group traveling to Tibet, requiring the simultaneous entry and exit of all the members from Tibet.

Since biometric verification is required for the processing of the group visa, the personal presence of each member together at the Chinese Embassy is a must.

The standard time the embassy will take to issue this visa is 3 to 4 office days. Thus, we kindly ask each of our guests to be in Kathmandu 3 or 4 days earlier of their Tibet tour from Nepal and visit our office.

Your original passports will be retained by the embassy of China and will be returned along with the group visa. Generally, there are two common ways to get this visa: one is the standard way, taking 4 office days and a bit cheaper, and the second is the express way, taking two to three office days and a bit pricier.

Here are the visa fees that differ based on the way you select and your nationality:

US Citizens

• Standard Chinese Group Visa Fee: $175 per tourist
• Express Chinese Group Visa Fee: $185 per tourist

For Non-US Citizens

• Standard Chinese Group Visa Fee: $70 to $170 per tourist (depending on your home nation)
• Express Chinese Group Visa Fee: $90 to $180 per tourist (depending on your home nation)

Other Obligatory permits

The Everest Base Camp in Tibet is located inside Shigatse, which is the military-regulated part of Tibet. Thus, a few more permits will be essential, which will all be managed by our affiliated Tibet Travel and tour agency.

The other permits for the 8-day Tibet overland tour from Nepal are:

• Military Permit
• Foreign Affairs Permit
• Alien Travel Permit or PSB (Public Security Bureau) Permit

The Military and Foreign Affairs permit will need an advance application of 15 days, while the PSB permit is an in situ permit.

NB

Kindly be informed that the TTP Permit cost has been integrated into the pricing of our Tibet tour from Nepal. Our service fee also includes your Grass Dame Charge and the entrance price for the Everest Base Camp. However, the fee for the group visa for China will be your sole responsibility.

Which is the better option: the North Everest Base Camp tour in Tibet or the South Everest Base Camp trip in Nepal?

The north Everest Base Camp at 5200 m sits just below the north face of Everest, while the south Everest Base Camp at 5364 m gives you a glance of the massive south wall of Everest.

Both camps are historical sites rich in legends. However, the south base camp in Nepal has welcomed many celebrities and legendary climbers, likely because of Tibet’s long closure to foreign nationals and Nepal’s more lenient regulations.

Travel-wise, the EBC trip in Nepal offers tourists variability from a two-week trek, a 4 to 5-hour helicopter tour, to a combination of trek and Helicopter return.

Plus, one of the biggest advantages of the EBC trip in Nepal is reaching the 5644 m height of Kala Patthar, which is the tallest natural mountain platform to see not only Everest but also other sky-piercing Himalayas of Khumbu.

The EBC tour in Tibet lacks such flexibility, requiring a compulsory drive to the base camp. However, the journey to EBC in Tibet is quick, taking only 2 to 3 days, placing you right under Everest.

Nature-wise, the EBC trek in Nepal is more picturesque, varying from forests to desert landscapes. Culturally, you will see a blend of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal, while Tibet offers the warmth of its Tibetan people.

The north EBC tour will only have Everest and the Rongbuk Glacier in focus, whereas the Nepal EBC trip also showcases the peaks and glaciers of the Khumbu Valley, especially Ama Dablam and Khumbu Glacier.

If we talk about the facilities and routes, then the EBC trip in Nepal has seen much improvement now.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the experience you want to have. After all, both are the base camps that sit right beneath the Mother of All Mountains.