Adventure Tibet: Grand Tibet Circle with Lhasa and Everest Base camp

This motorbike tour is your intense Tibet experience, that will not leave you untouched. We will explore the manifold and breathtaking landscapes of the Tibetan high plateau, submerging into this vivid and traditional culture and get very close to Buddhism.

First we ride east into the historical region of Kham, where steep and wooden gorges are waiting to overwhelm us. Through Yarlung valley we go, the cradle of Tibetan culture, where the oldest monasteries stand. In the direction of Everest base camp we will be soon surrounded by high plateaus, the world´s highest peaks and azure salt lakes.

Tour overview

Date: On request
Prices: On request (Shineray X5 400) / (Shineray X4 400) /  Sozius in supply vehicle / single room supplement:
Highlights/ Itinerary: Lhasa – Ganden – Draksum lake – Yarlung valley – Yumbu Lagang – Samye – Yamdrok lake – Lharze – Rongpu monastery – Everest Base camp – Tingri – Shigatse – Hot springs of Yangbajain – Namtso lake
Level of difficulty: 4/5 – Medium to challenging due to the curvy mountain roads and road conditions. Only countryside roads with little traffic and no highways.
Duration / Length: 17 days / 12 driving days / ~ 2600 kilometers
Longest driving day: 8 hours, 360 kilometers / Average driving day: 5 hours, 200 kilometers
Style:
Tibet Motorbike tour with supply vehicle. Overnight in mid range hotels, guesthouses or simple accomodations. Most of the roads are in good quality and paved. Ratio unpaved/paved: 5/95.
Media:
Motorbikes: Shineray X5 400 / Shineray X4 400

Daily Itinerary

Day Route: Description
1

International Flight to Chengdu

First meeting in Chengdu and flight to Lhasa: Group flight in the afternoon or evening from Chengdu to Lhasa. The airport is the meeting place. You will get to know the Travel guides and the Tibetan travel guide.

Flight: Chengdu – Lhasa, flight duration about 2,5 hours

 
2

Getting acclimated and sightseeing in Lhasa: Lhasa is 3650m above sea level, so we should take our time for acclimatization. In the morning we visit the Potala Palace, the Barkhor market and pilgrimage around the Jokhang temple.

In the afternoon we need to organize the drivers licenses.

 
3

Day 2 in Lhasa and surroundings: We are going to visit Sera and Drepung monastery near Lhasa.

In the afternoon we get to know our motorbikes.

 
4

Lhasa – Ganden monastery – Mi La pass (5013 m) – Draksum Tso lake: First ride to Ganden Monastery. Short break and snacks. Then heading east over Mi La pass into Kham´s wild valleys to Draksum Tso lake (Bāsōng Cuò).

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”]  359 kilometer / 8h

 
5

Draksum Tso – Serkyim La pass (4656 m)– Bayi (Nyingchi): We will ride the main highway linking Yunnan, China with Tibet up to the Serkyim La pass with view to Namcha Barwa mountain (7782 m), then going down again into the Kongpo valley. Visit of Buchu Lhakhang and Lamaling monasteries, and the tree of eternal life near Bayi.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”]  220 kilometer / 5h

 
6

Bayi – Miling – Langxian: From Bayi we enter the lowest valley of Tibet, the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) valley. While entering on the left side rises the holy Bon Ri mountain. Now we head west again to idyllic Langxian village along walnut and apricot trees.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”]  235 kilometer / 5,5h

 
7

Langxian – Podrang La-Pass (5030 m)– Tsedang – Yumbu Lagang – Samye: We take our time for famous Yarlung valley, the cradle of Tibetan culture, and visit Yumbu Lagang, palace of the Yarlung kings, before we head to Samye, oldest monastery in Tibet.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 250 kilometer / 6,5h

 
8  Day off in Samye: After a week on the bikes we use this free day for relaxing and for a short walk through the amazing landscape around Samye.  
9

Samye – Yamdrok lake – Gyangze: We drive over Nagarze along the azure Yamdrok lake and onward over the 5100 m Karo La pass to Gyangze. Depending on our arrival time, we will visit an old fort in Gyangze (Gyangze Dzong) that thrones majestically above the city.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 320 kilometer / 8h

10

Gyangze – Lharze: Leaving Gyangze, we start gaining altitude and are soon at the Shalu monastery by the river.  Before we get to Lharze, there is the option to make a detour to the Sakya monastery in a green highland valley.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 290 kilometer / 7,5h

 
11

Lharze – Rongpu monastery: From Lharze, the road goes south and snakes its way further up into the Himalayas. After several hours, we arrive at Tingri (Shelkar). A 50km gravel road leads us to the Rongpu Monastery, where we arrive in the afternoon. To get here, we must cross the 5150m high Lamna Pass. At the Rongbu Monastery, the roads suitable for our motorcycles come to an end. Overnight stay in the modest inn of the Rongbu monastery.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 210 kilometer / 6h

 
12

Rongpu monastery – Everest Base Camp – Tingri: The last road to the Everest Base camp can only be taken by governmental vehicles. However, it is possible to walk to the base camp, which takes about 1,5 hours, or to take a public bus. In the afternoon, we return to Tingri, where we stay overnight. Tingri is often used as a place to prepare for climbing Mount Everest. From here, because of the altitude of about 4300 meters, we have a very clear view of four of the highest mountains in the world.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 130 kilometer / 4,5h

 
13

Tingri – Shigatse: An entire day of motorbike riding gets us back to Shigatse, where we take a break. On the way we enjoy once more the breathtaking scenery of Tibet from our motorbikes. The afternoon is free.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 240 kilometer / 5,5h

 
14

Shigatse – Hot springs of Yangbajain: We are heading direction Namtso lake over the high plateau of Tibet. After two weeks on the bike we deserve a bath in the hot springs of Yangbajain, the highest hot springs in the world. We stay overnight at the hot springs.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 250 kilometer / 6h

 
15

Yangbajain – Namtso Lake – Tashidor: A short trip on the bikes and we arrive at overwhelming Lake Namtso. We reach the broad salt lake—one of the biggest in Tibet– after noon so that we have time to explore the landscape. The presence of the opposite shore of the lake is often only hinted at. The lake is surrounded by grazing yaks, small monasteries, meditation caves and hills that can be climbed.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 130 kilometer / 3h

 
16

Tashidor – Lhasa: We drive over the old road with little traffic and its fantastic panoramas to Lhasa in under six hours. Here we can experience the country of Tibet for the last time and say goodbye to this unique country and its people.

[icon color=”#333333″ size=”18px” target=”_blank” name=”awesome-road”] 230 kilometer / 6h

 
17

Flight: Lhasa – Chengdu, flight duration about 2,5 hours

International Flight

 

Included services:

All overnight stays in double rooms
Motorbike of your choice (Shineray X5, Shineray X4)
Engine oil, spare parts, comprehensive insurance with self contribution
Half board, all dinners through the tour
All entrance fees and activities as described in the journey overview
Supply vehicle 4×4 
Temporal Chinese driving license and all Tibet permits
All group transfers to/from airport
Flight: Chengdu – Lhasa and Lhasa – Chengdu
English speaking tour manager on motorbike
English speaking Tibetan guide in supply vehicle

 
Not included services:

International flights
Gas for the motorbikes
lunch and beverages
Travel cancellation expenses insurance
Individual transfers hotel – airport – hotel

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