Documents: ID card, border pass (required for traveling to Everest Base Camp and can be processed in the place of household registration or designated places like Lhasa).
Clothes: The temperature difference between day and night at Everest Base Camp is extremely large. Even in summer, the temperature at night may drop below zero. So bring thick down jackets, windproof and waterproof jackets and pants, warm gloves, hats, scarves and other warm clothes. Also prepare sunscreen clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen and other sun protection products because the ultraviolet rays are very strong in high-altitude areas.
Medicines: Anti-altitude sickness drugs (such as Rhodiola, Gao Yuan An, etc., it is recommended to take them in advance), cold medicine, fever medicine, stomach medicine, motion sickness medicine and other commonly used medicines.
Other Items: High-power binoculars (for a distant view of Mount Everest), camera and enough batteries or power banks (to record the beautiful scenery), large-capacity outdoor backpacks, trekking poles, portable oxygen cylinders, personal toiletries, etc.
Transportation Methods
Self-driving: Starting from Lhasa, passing through Shigatse, Tingri and other places to reach Everest Base Camp, the whole journey is about more than 600 kilometers. The road conditions along the way are relatively complex, with some sections being mountain roads and washboard roads, but the scenery is magnificent. It is recommended to drive a good-performance off-road vehicle and be driven by an experienced driver.
Chartering a Car: If you don’t want to drive by yourself, you can charter a car to go in Lhasa or Shigatse and other places. Generally, the charter fee depends on the vehicle type and itinerary. This way, you can arrange the itinerary more freely and stop to enjoy the scenery at any time on the way.
Carpooling: You can look for carpool partners to go together in youth hostels, travel agencies and other places in Lhasa. This can share the cost and make new friends, but the itinerary arrangement may need to be negotiated and agreed with other carpoolers.
Itinerary Arrangement
Day 1: Lhasa Shigatse
Set out from Lhasa in the morning and go forward along the Yarlung Zangbo River. On the way, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Yamdrok Lake (referred to as Yanghu). You can stop and take photos at the viewing platform. The water of Yanghu is as blue as a gem and presents different colors under different lights and angles.
Arrive in Shigatse in the evening and stay in the urban area of Shigatse. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and there are scenic spots such as Tashilhunpo Monastery that can be visited.
Day 2: Shigatse Tingri
Start from Shigatse in the morning. The scenery along the way is the vast highland grassland scenery. If you are lucky, you can see wild animals such as Tibetan wild donkeys and Tibetan antelopes.
Arrive in Tingri in the afternoon. Tingri is a town relatively close to Everest Base Camp. You can take a rest here and adapt to the high-altitude environment to prepare for going to the base camp.
Day 3: Tingri Everest Base Camp
Start from Tingri and after passing the border inspection, officially enter the Everest scenic area. Then you need to cross the Gyawula Pass with an altitude of about 5200 meters. Here you can see the spectacular continuous peak scene of more than 5 peaks above 8000 meters. It is one of the excellent positions to view Mount Everest and surrounding peaks. You can stop and take photos as a souvenir.
Continue to move forward and arrive at Everest Base Camp. After checking in, you can first stroll around the base camp to adapt to the high-altitude environment and at the same time admire the majestic appearance of Mount Everest.
Accommodation Options
Base Camp Tents: The accommodation in Everest Base Camp is mainly tents built by local Tibetans and generally charges by bed. The tents provide simple beds and quilts, but the conditions are relatively simple and it will be cold at night. However, you can experience a unique highland life atmosphere and communicate and interact with other tourists and Tibetans.
Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse: There is a guesthouse near Rongbuk Monastery for accommodation. The conditions are relatively better than tents and there are rooms of different grades to choose from, but generally speaking, the facilities are still relatively basic.
Food Guide
Local Specialty Foods
Tibetan Hot Pot: The main ingredients are yak meat, mutton, various mushrooms, vegetables, etc. The ingredients are layered and placed in a copper pot and boiled with high soup. When eating, it can be paired with a special Tibetan dipping sauce. The taste is rich and it is very suitable for eating in cold high-altitude areas and can bring a lot of heat.
Yak Jerky: This is a traditional Tibetan food made from yak meat through processes such as pickling and drying. Yak jerky has a tight and chewy texture, a salty and fragrant taste, is rich in protein, easy to carry and preserve, and is a good product for supplementing energy during the journey.
Buttered Tea: Made from butter, tea leaves and salt, etc., it has a strong milk and tea aroma. Drinking more buttered tea in high-altitude areas helps relieve altitude sickness and also provides heat for the body to resist the cold.
Highland Barley Wine: Brewed from highland barley, the alcohol content is generally low and the taste is fragrant and mellow. But drinking should be moderate in high-altitude areas to avoid increasing the burden on the body.
Tsampa: It is flour made by frying highland barley and then grinding it. When eating, it is usually mixed with buttered tea and kneaded into small balls by hand. Tsampa is rich in nutrition and convenient to carry and is one of the traditional staple foods of the Tibetan people.
Recommended Dining Places
Base Camp Tent Restaurants: There are some tent restaurants in the tent area of Everest Base Camp, providing the above Tibetan specialty foods. Dining here can experience a strong Tibetan style and you can also exchange experiences of traveling to Mount Everest with other tourists.
Restaurants near Rongbuk Monastery: There are also some small restaurants around Rongbuk Monastery, providing relatively diverse food choices, including some simple stir-fried dishes, noodles, etc., which can meet the taste needs of different tourists.
Precautions
Prevention and Response of Altitude Sickness
Before going to Everest Base Camp, try to stay in Lhasa and other places for a few days to let the body gradually adapt to the high-altitude environment. Avoid strenuous exercise during the journey and keep enough rest and sleep. If symptoms of altitude sickness such as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitation, etc. occur, stop activities immediately, lie in bed and rest, and inhale oxygen in time. If necessary, take anti-altitude sickness drugs or seek medical help.
Environmental Protection
Everest Base Camp is an area with a fragile ecological environment. Tourists should strictly abide by the environmental protection regulations of the scenic area, not discard garbage at will, and try to take the garbage out of the scenic area for unified treatment. At the same time, do not damage the local vegetation and natural landscape.
Weather Changes
The weather at Everest Base Camp is changeable and you may suddenly encounter bad weather such as strong winds and heavy snow. Before traveling, pay close attention to the weather forecast and take preventive measures in advance, such as carrying windproof and rainproof equipment. When encountering bad weather, listen to the command of the scenic area staff and return to a safe place to take shelter in time.
