One of our most popular Tibet Tour/Trek is Gyantse-Shigatse-Tingri-Everest Base Camp. The tour includes all the important places of interest in central & south Tibet including a visit to Rongphu Monastery and Mt. Everest Base Camp. After flying in to Lhasa from Kathmandu, Chengdu or Beijing, explore the cultural and historic sites of Lhasa, Shigatse and Gyantse. Afterwards drive overland, in 4WD jeeps, across the Tibetan highlands and high passes to the fabled Rongbuk Monastery and Mt. Everest Base Camp from where the view of the great North face of Mount Everest is the most spectacular of all.
With travel boom to Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery is gradually becoming a highlight for the tourists in its own right. Rongbuk Monastery was built by a local lama in about 1899. The altitude is 5, 000 m. (16, 404.2 ft.) more or less, which is the highest among all the temples in the world. It was greatly damaged during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt since. There is a basic guest house in the Monastery. Mountaineers who climb the Mt. Everest often stay here. It is about 8 km. (4.97 mi.) to the Everest Base Camp and a good point to appreciate the scenery there at dawn and dark.
However, if you travel during the winter starting from November, Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse is closed. The tent hotels 4.8km (3 mi.) from the EBC is also closed down for winter. The closest lodging for travelers to the North Base Camp is Tashi Dzong Village’s guest houses. Tashi Dzong is about 60km (37 mil) away from the Base Camp and it is where most of the owners of the tent hotels reside. In the winter they pack up the tents and move home. Guest houses at Tashi Dzong have better conditions than Rongbuk Monastery because its better accessibility to other cities. However, its location is still remote and weather harsh. Don’t expect too much for comfort but expect to be awed by the unique environment and spectacular scenery.
