Everest Base Camp: Updated January 2019. Mt. Everest is the main destination that travelers in Tibet go to. The Tibet-side of Everest offers an amazing view of the world’s highest peak.
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Tibet-side Everest Base Camp
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UPDATED January 2019
For many people, the main reason that they go to Tibet is to see the amazing view of Everest’s famous North Face. The view of Everest from the Tibet side gives a clear, sweeping view of the mountain. I receive more emails about the Everest region that any other region of the Tibetan Plateau. I have been fortunate enough to go to the Tibet-side Everest Region over 3 dozen times the past 18 years. In this post, I will answer some of the most common questions I receive regarding the world’s highest peak.
View of Everest and the Himalaya from the Geu La Pass, located along the way to base camp
The awesome North Face of Mt Everest viewed from the Tibet side of the mountain
1. How do I get to Everest Base Camp?
As everyone should already know, the only way that foreigners can go to Tibet or Everest Base Camp Region is by arranging an organized tour through a travel agency. There are NO exceptions. In order to go to Mt Everest, you need to contact a travel agency in advance, preferably owned by Tibetans and based in Tibet, and have them arrange the required travel permits, tour guide, private vehicle and driver. You cannot use public transportation (ie. buses) to travel to Everest. For more detailed information on how to travel to Tibet, go to the following links:
How to go to Tibet from Mainland China
For recommendations on which travel agency to use to go to Everest or other regions of Tibet, send me an email at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.
2. How long does it take to get to Everest from Lhasa?
Everest Base Camp Region (EBC), elevation 5100 meters, is over 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Lhasa. Most people prefer to visit the many amazing sights along the way to EBC such as Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse, Shigatse and Sakya Monastery. Altogether, a journey going from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp and back to Lhasa takes between 8 and 12 days. A journey going from Lhasa to the Nepal border via Mt Everest base camp takes 9 or 10 days. Here are some suggested travel itineraries that include going to Everest Base Camp:
Overland from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp
Overland From Lhasa to Kathmandu via Mt Everest
3. How long is the hike to Everest Base Camp?
Unlike the Nepal side of Everest which can only be reached by trekking, no hiking is required to reach the Tibet side of Everest. You can drive all the way to Everest Base Camp from both Lhasa and the Nepal-Tibet border. If you wish to trek there, I recommend starting from Old Tingri and going to EBC from there. The trek normally takes 4 or 5 days.
Tibetans doing work on the road to Everest Base Camp
Trekking in to the Tibet-side Everest base camp
4. What types of accommodations are available at Everest Base Camp Region?
For the 2019 tourism season, the ONLY accommodation option will the Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse. The so-called “tent hotels” will not be open in 2019. It is hard to say if the tent hotels will return in 2020. The Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse is clean, but very basic. The rooms have 4 to 6 beds inside of them. Bathrooms are not located in the rooms, but are located on the far end of the guesthouse and are separated into mens and womens. Showering facilities are not available here. Rooms are not heated, but have plenty of thick, warm blankets. There is also a cozy restaurant that serves decent meals. The restaurant is usually kept heated, especially in the evenings.
The elevation of Rongphu Monastery (around 5100 meters) is very high. If you want to stay at a lower altitude, an alternative to staying at Rongphu is to stay in village of Basum, located 40 kms (25 miles) north of Rongphu. Basum sits at around 4325 meters, considerably lower than the places near base camp. If you want to stay at an actual hotel, consider visiting the Everest Region on a day trip and ten returning to the town of Shelkar (Shegar) that night. In Shegar, there are decent hotels to stay at that have in room bathrooms with hot showers.
New Regulation at Everest Base Camp
A new government regulation as of January 2019 states that all travelers going to the Everest Base Camp region can only go as far Rongphu (Rongbuk) Monastery. To go beyond this point, you will require either a trekking or climbing permit, which will add many thousands of $$$ to your journey price. Don’t worry, the view of Everest from Rongphu is still amazing!
Overlooking the village of Basum. This is a good place to spend the night if you feel the elevation of EBC is too high.
The “tent hotels” with Everest rising above. For the 2019 tourism year, these tents will be CLOSED.
5. Is Rongphu Monastery located at Everest Base Camp Region?
Yes, the monastery is located in the Everest Base Camp Region and offers an excellent view of the world’s highest mountain. For the 2019 tourism season, Rongphu Monastery is closest you will be able to go to the mountain, unless you have an expensive climbing permit ($10,000 USD) or trekking permit. Again, the view from here is AWESOME.
6. What are the best months to see a clear view of Everest?
The best months to see a clear view of Everest are from April through early very June and again from late September through December. During these months, the weather is usually clear offering excellent views of the mountain. You can also visit Everest base camp in January and early February as long as you a prepared for very cold temperatures. The road leading from Lhasa to Mt Everest is almost always open and only rarely closes due to snow.
Though the peak high season for travel in Tibet is during the summer months from July through early October, the views of Everest are often not good in the middle summer time. Don’t expect clear views of the mountain in the summer, especially in July and August. Read the following post for more details when to visit Everest: Best Time to Visit Tibet
7. Is Everest Base Camp going to be covered in heavy snow?
Though EBC Region sits nearly 5100 meters, it is relatively rare to see heavy snow on the ground in the area. While snow does fall in the region, the strong rays of the sun quickly melt away the snow. In all of the times I have been to EBC Region, I have never seen more than 7 cm (3 inches) of snow on the ground there. Most of the times I have been there, there hasn’t been any snow on the ground. However, do keep in mind that you are in the Himalayas at very high elevation, so anything can happen! In October 2013 there was an unexpected heavy snow storm that dropped nearly 1 meter of snow in some places on the Tibet side causing a large group of travelers to become stuck at the Everest Base Camp region (these travelers were completely safe at base camp, but the road leading out was temporarily closed). This group was not stuck for too long as the government cleared the road to get all the travelers out of the region and on with the rest of their journey. Again, heavy snow is the area is very, very rare.
8. Is it possible to go to Everest Base Camp in the winter?
Yes, you can go to EBC Region in the winter months. The road to EBC usually doesn’t receive heavy snow, so getting there is no problem. The Rongphu Monastery guesthouse usually remains open as do the guesthouses in Basum, which about 3 minutes north of Mt Everest. Tibet is closed each year in February and March so it is not possible to go to Everest or any other area of Tibet during that time. Read more on this annual closure in the following link: Tibet closed each year from mid February through March
An expedition tent at Everest Base Camp
Rongphu Monastery with Everest in the background
9. Can you see Everest from the main road that connects Lhasa to the Nepal border?
Yes, there are a few places that you can see Everest from the main road, but none of the views are very good. You will only get a very small glimpse of the mountain. In order to really get a good view of Everest, you will have to take the cut-off from the main road. From the main road, the road to Everest Base Camp Region is around 100 kilometers.
As the view of Mt Everest is amazing, it is easy to see why it is the main attraction in Tibet. If you are planning to travel the route from Lhasa to Kathmandu, it would be terrible to skip going to the Everest Region. The cost is only slightly more to take you up close to the world’s highest peak.
10. Is it possible to trek to EBC?
Yes, trekking the Everest Region is quite popular. The best time to go is from late April to early June and then from mid-September to early November. There are 2 main routes to take. The first is from the village of Baber (often referred to as “New Tingri”) to Everest Base Camp going via the villages of Chay, Tashi Dzom and Basum. This route usually takes about 5 days and follows the newly paved road to base camp. In my opinion, this is not a very good route as the views of Everest and the rest of the Himalaya’s are not that good until you get closer to Rongphu Monastery (the exception being the amazing sweeping view of the Himalaya’s from the Geu La pass).
The more interesting route in my opinion is trekking to EBC Region from the small town of Old Tingri. This route is about 70 kilometers long and can be done in 4 or 5 days. There are several small villages along the way and in addition to seeing good views of Everest, you can also get good views of Cho Oyu, the 6th highest peak in the world, and several other peaks above 6000 meters.
As with all treks in the Tibet Autonomous Region, treks in the EBC region need to be arranged in advance through a travel agency. Even if you have an organized tour, you cannot decide to do a trek at EBC once you arrive there. It must be arranged prior to you arriving in Lhasa.
11. Is it possible to trek higher than Everest Base Camp?
Yes, though it is not often advertised on travel agency websites, many Lhasa-based companies can arrange treks up to Advanced Base Camp (ABC). ABC sits at 6400 meters. From EBC, it takes 4 days to trek to ABC and back down to EBC. No technical climbing is required. ABC, which requires an additional permit, is the highest you can go on Everest without a climbing permit.
12. Can I go and talk to climbing expeditions while at EBC?
No, if you don’t have a trekking or climbing permit that allows you beyond Rongphu Monastery, you will not be allowed to interact with climbing teams. With the new regulation that went into place for 2019, the closest you can get to Everest is Rongphu Monastery. Climbing expeditions in the spring months base themselves a further 3 kilometers past the monastery, so you cannot go and interact with the climbers. Military personnel patrol the area and will not allow anyone beyond Rongphu who does not have the proper permits. Trying to sneak past the military will result in a large fine and will cause your guide and the travel agency you are using to get into serious trouble. Please do not go beyond the area that you are permitted to go to.
Mt Everest from Rongphu Monastery in Tibet
13. How much are the entrance fees for visiting EBC?
In order to enter the Everest Region, you not only need to purchase an entrance ticket, but you also need to purchase a vehicle entrance ticket. The price of an entrance ticket is 180 RMB ($27 USD) per person. You (or your group) are also responsible for purchasing a ticket for your guide. In addition to this, you also have to purchase a 400 RMB ($60 USD) vehicle entrance fee which includes the fee for the driver. Be advised that these prices are scheduled to be raised by summer 2020.
Nearly all places in Tibet are free for your Tibetan guide to enter. The only real exception is the Everest Base Camp region. You will be required to pay for your guides entrance fee to Everest. Be sure you ask your travel agent that is arranging your journey to Tibet if that ticket cost is in your tour price or if you will have to pay it upon arrival.
The road from Rongphu Monastery to Everest Base Camp
14. Which travel agency should I use to arrange my tour to Everest Base Camp?
We can help you! Send us an email and we can give your further details on traveling in Tibet, including to the Everest Base Camp Region. Contact us via contact page.
Do you have a question about the Everest Base Camp Region or Tibet travel that I didn’t answer? Send me an email with your question and I will add it to this list!
Lobsang བློ་བཟང་