Everest Preparation: 6 Things to Keep in Mind for Your Everest Base Camp Tour in Tibet

Once you are planning your lifetime Everest Base Camp tour, what preparation you should do before you go? What do you need to bring with you or what things you need to do in advance?

Here are the top 6 things you should keep in mind when taking your trip to Everest Base Camp in Tibet.

Good mental preparations will help a lot

A journey to Tibet sounds like an adventure to a mysterious land that you know nothing about that.

What is altitude sickness? Will I get sick in Tibet? How dangerous it is to get to the base camp at 5000 meters above the sea level? There may be many questions around you before you really step to Mount Everest in Tibet Plateau.

The first thing for your first trip to Tibet is that you need to have good mental preparation, but don’t be too nervous about the high altitude of Tibet.

The altitude sickness in Tibet is always the biggest problem that makes many tourists afraid of it. However, it is not that terrible.

It is quite common for tourists from low land to get altitude sickness when they arrive in Lhasa. You may feel headache, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, etc.

Don’t arrange too much sightseeing upon your arrival. You need to take some time to let your body get used to the high altitude of Tibet.

Usually, a good rest can reduce the light symptoms of altitude sickness. Just keep relax and have a good mood.

If you still feel uncomfortable or the symptom becomes severe, tell your local travel guide immediately. They will get you to the hospital in time for more effective measures.

In addition to the fear of altitude sickness, another psychological burden is the living conditions in Tibet.

The living standard and service quality in Tibet are quite different from other tourist cities in the world. Even the so-called 5-start and 4-star hotels in Lhasa are not that good as the luxury hotels in other destinations.

So when you plan your trip to Tibet, don’t make too much on the living level and service in Tibet.

Once you leave Lhasa, on the way to the Everest Base Camp, the living standard even goes worse and worse.

And at the base camp, there are only tent hotels and a Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse, which can only provide basic facilities, even no showers.

If you get a good mental preparation for these, you may more enjoy your Tibet Everest Tour.

It is better to do some physical preparation for your EBC tour

For ordinary Everest Base Camp tour in Tibet, you just need to make sure that you can finish hours trekking (covers about 8 km) to the base camp from Rongbuk Monastery at about 5000 meters above the sea level.

If you are going to take an Everest Trekking tour in Tibet including camping, you need to do some physical practice at least 8 to 12 weeks before you go to make sure you can complete 6 to 7 hours’ trekking per day at such a high altitude.

The hardest journey is to travel from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp by bike or by motorcycle. The total distance is about 670km and takes about 19 days from Lhasa to EBC (including day tours en route).

Pack your luggage wisely for your EBC Tour in Tibet

What to wear is always a big problem in packing for a trip to Tibet. Too many clothes will increase the burden, and too few to bring for fear of catching a cold.

In fact, when you are packing for your Tibet Everest Base Camp tour, you need to pay attention to the big temperature difference between day and night. It is suggested to bring the warm clothes that are easy to put on and take off.

Since the Everest Base Camp is about 5200 meters above the sea level, the temperature of the base camp will be lower than in Lhasa and Shigatse. Also, the wind is strong at the base camp. You need to carry a windproof warm jacket for your trip to EBC.

And for the night at the base camp, you can bring your own sleeping bag since the living condition is very poor at the base camp.

You cannot take a shower so bring some personal toiletries, like wet wipes and hand sanitizer.

And don’t forget, sun protection is essential for every trip to Tibet.

Make sure to get all required Travel Permits before you go

To start your Everest Base Camp Tour in Tibet, you also need to get some required travel documents in advance.

The most important travel document for all Tibet tours is the Tibet Travel Permit. It is an entry permit for all foreign travelers entering Tibet. It will be checked at the train station and the airport when you take the train/flight to Tibet.

Besides the Tibet travel permit, you also need to have a Chinese Visa, as well as some other travel permits to travel outside Lhasa city to the Mount Everest area, like the Alien’s Travel Permit.

It sounds a little bit complicated. To make things easier, we provide hassle-free Tibet Everest Base Camp Tour with guaranteed Tibet travel permit application.

The only thing you need to provide is the copies of your passport and your Chinese visa. Once you confirm your Tibet Everest tour with us, we will apply for all the required travel permits on your behalf.

Prepare for long time transfer to Tibet and EBC

It is a long journey to get to Everest Base Camp in Tibet since you can only get to mainland China or Nepal first and then transfer to Tibet.

Enter Tibet from Mainland China

It is suggested to get to mainland China first and then get to Tibet by air, by train, or by land from the gateway cities.

Recently, there are about seven cities offering trains to Tibet, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xining, Chongqing, and Lanzhou. And all of them have flights to Lhasa.

You can choose to get to one of these cities first and spend a few days in the gateway cities to see how China is and then transfer to Tibet.

Generally, Tibet trains from most cities take more than 48 hours. You need to spend at least one night on board.

The shortest train journey to Tibet is from Xining which takes around 24 hours, and the longest one is from Guangzhou to Lhasa, which takes over 53 hours.

Chengdu has the most frequent flights to Tibet and the flight journey takes around 2 hours. Most flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are connecting flights, which may stopover at Chongqing, Xian, etc.

After arriving in Lhasa, you need to take another overland journey to Everest Base Camp. The distance from Lhasa to EBC is about 630 km. For a general EBC tour in Tibet, the first day you can travel from Lhasa to Shigatse, and get to EBC on the next day.

Enter Tibet from Nepal

The only option instead of getting to Tibet from mainland China is to get to Tibet from Nepal.

The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa is the only international flight to Tibet. You can take a flight to Kathmandu first and then fly to Lhasa.

Another choice for traveling to Everest Base Camp from Nepal is to take the overland trip from Nepal to Tibet via Gyirong Border.

Generally, it takes 8 days to drive from Kathmandu to Lhasa with a one-night stay at the base camp.

Travel Tips for long time international flight and Tibet train journey

1. Long international flights can be exhausting. It is recommended to stay a few days before entering Tibet to recover energy and adjust to jet lag. Good rest will help alleviate altitude sickness.

2. If you choose to take the train into Tibet, you will need to prepare personal toiletries since it is not able to shower on the train. Also, if you are not comfortable with Chinese dishes, you can bring some instant noodles or snacks, as only Chinese food is served on the train.

Choose a trusted travel agency

Unlike traveling to other destinations, you cannot travel to Everest Base Camp in Tibet alone without a local travel agency that offering the tour service for you in Tibet.

So it is important to choose a professional and reliable travel agency that guarantees your travel permit and well engaged your days in Tibet.

There are manyTibet travel agencies you can find on the Internet. It is more important to choose an reliable Tibet travel agency than one that is cheaper.

A good travel agency will not only arrange the hotels, the transfers, and sightseeing in Tibet but also guarantee your Tibet travel permit and secure your Tibet train ticket.

Conclusion

Preparing for an Everest Base Camp tour in Tibet isn't as difficult as it seems.

It is suggested to have some knowledge and understanding of the altitude and living conditions in Tibet, and be fully prepared mentally and physically for your Tibet Everest Tour.

You need to choose a reliable travel agency to provide you with document processing, airline ticket booking, and itinerary customization can save you time and effort.

Once you confirm your travel plan with the agency, all you need to do is to pack your luggage reasonably, pay attention to the temperature difference between morning and night and get a good rest after a long flight.

Your Everest Base Camp tour in Tibet is just waiting for you not far away.