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A Tibet trip is never complete without an adventure out of Lhasa. Although the ancient capital of Tibet has much to offer for its visitors, traditional rural life out there as well as the incredibly beautiful environment offers a really complete experience.
Tibet Plateau with its 4,000 meters plus average altitude offers one of the best alpine experiences you can have on the planet. And nothing compares to the alpine experience of an Everest Base Camp Tour.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on the planet and can be accessed both from Nepal and Tibet (it is on the border between Nepal and China). Everest is called “Qomolangma ” in Tibet and is the third goddess. In Nepal, Mount Everest is called ” Sagarmatha “, the forehead of the sky.
The Everest Base Camp in Tibet is one of the two Everest Base Camps. The other one, South Base Camp is in Nepal. North Base Camp in Tibet can be accessed by motorized vehicles while the one in Nepal requires trekking a long distance. But approaching Everest from Nepal side is a little disappointing if you are expecting Mount Everest to be the dominant spot. The mountain scenery is beautiful but North Base Camp Everest approach have a better view of the mountain and especially its peak.
Traveling and hiking in Nepal is freer than Tibet so you can take Everest Base Camp route on your own or a small group without any guide or special document. Tibet is more restricted so you can only take it with a travel agency and group. More, Everest is a restricted area and it requires Tibet permit to visit.
Travel Documents Needed for Everest Base Camp Tour
In Nepal, you also can freely climb to South Base Camp but in Tibet, a visit to the North Base Camp currently requires a Tibet Travel Permit from the Chinese government, on top of the permit required to visit Tibet itself. These permits will be arranged by tour company in Lhasa as part of the package tour that include hiring a vehicle, driver and guide.
Alien’s Travel Permit, also called PSB Permit, is also required to visit Mount Everest. If you are entering Tibet from Nepal, you need a Tibet Group Visa, also called Group Visa is a must document, along with Tibet Travel Permit.
Packing List
Visiting Everest Base Camp in Tibet is a challenge with the nature. The camp is at 5,200 meters above sea level and requires you to be properly acclimatized. This is required to avoid altitude sickness, one of the most common problems a tourist can face in Tibet.
The weather in Everest Base Camp is notoriously hard to predict. Although, it is not as gloomy as you would imagine, Everest Base Camp route can be very cold, especially in the night. The freezing temperatures and wind requires a packing list composed of at least;
- A wind/rain proof over layer – jacket and pants,
- Light hiking boots
- a good quality sleeping bag (the temperature can fall below freezing degrees in the night even in summer and you will most probably sleep in a tent in most of the nights),
- waterproof pants and hooded rain jacket plus 2 to 3 pairs of hiking pants (especially if you are visiting Tibet outside April – May or August – October season)
- Cotton socks (number of them depends on the number of days and level of the smell of your feet)
- Synthetic underwear (you will not be able to change them frequently so synthetic works better than cotton) – 4 to 6 pairs of underwear should be OK
- T-Shirts (long and short sleeved)
- Sunscreen with high SPF
- Sun hat (large enough to shade your face)
- Sun glasses with UV protection
- Warm gloves
One important point to note is that because of the altitude, everything feels much heavier in Everest (due to the lower levels of oxygen). So, it is very important to keep it light as well. Which means, you should take everything you would need to survive in the extremes of Everest environment but you should also keep it as light as possible.
You should have waterproof shoes and outer layering (waterproof jacket and pants) since you might encounter rain in the lower altitudes.
Different Ways to Travel to Tibet
There are several ways to travel to Tibet. You can take a direct flight to Tibet from many major Chinese cities and there is an international Tibet flight from Kathmandu.
Tibet train, a train service which can take you from major Chinese cities to Lhasa, is another option which is getting increasingly popular. The Qinghai–Tibet railway is operational since 2006 and as of today it carries as many people as the planes to Tibet. You can take Tibet train from Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xining and Xi’an and Lanzhou. But the real part which is crossing the Tibet plateau, starts from Xining.
You can also combine plane and train. You can fly to Xining and then from here take the Tibet train. Xining – Lhasa leg is the last 24 hours of Tibet train and most of the things attractive in Tibet train travel are in this section. Taking a plane to Xining also will have an added advantage of best acclimatization. Although it may look like taking a train from a coastal city and climbing slowly to Lhasa would be the best method for acclimatization, flying to Xining and then resting there a few days would provide a better option to prevent the altitude sickness and offer a great solution when direct train ticket from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou becomes unavailable.
Best Season to Travel to Everest Base Camp
Best seasons to travel to Everest Base Camp is spring and autumn. From April to May is usually known as the best time to travel to EBC. During these months, weather is not as cold as winter and you can have some of the best clear views of Everest. This is also the climbing season and many mountaineers will be on their way to conquer Mount Everest.
Before winter sets, September and October months are also very good times to travel to EBC. This small window is a time after wet monsoon season and before the harsh winter. September to November period is also more popular among mountaineers compared to April – May period.
The Everest Base Camp is one of the must-sees for any of trip to Tibet. A Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour can be taken in spring or in November and will introduce you the rural Tibet with its fantastic alpine environment and Tibet culture. If you prepare well, pack the right things and acclimatize well; you should have a very smooth and enjoyable trip to EBC.