Here are some of the top questions we get as we travel from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp on the Tibet side:

1.) Can you see Mt. Everest from Lhasa?

Everest is not visible from Lhasa, since it is almost 300 miles / 482 km away as the crow flies. (or a 700km drive on winding roads)
Coming from Lhasa, you can get your first glimpse of Everest from the Gyawu La Pass, between Lhatse and Shelkar.

2.) Where is Mount Everest located?

If you wonder if Everest is in Nepal or Tibet, you may be surprised to know that it is in both.
To find where Mount Everest is located on a map, you will see that the mountain straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet and the summit sits exactly on the border.
A mountain climber can climb up one side, from one country, and descend down the other side, into a different country. (Amazingly, this has been done, by climbers from Nepal and from Tibet, on the same day!)

That’s why you will find two major Everest Base Camps, one on the northern side of Mount Everest, in Tibet, and one to the south, in Nepal.

In this video, we focus on the base camp on the Tibet side at 5,150 meters above sea level.

3.) Is Mount Everest Base Camp closed to foreigners?

Generally, both the Tibetan and Nepali base camps are open to travelers.

2023 Travel Advisory: Great news! Tibet travel is now open to everyone! As of March 15, 2023 China is issuing tourist visas to get into the country and Tibet is issuing Tibet Travel Permits again after almost 3 years of being closed due to Covid19 regulations. We were actually one of the very first foreigners to visit Everest Base Camp in the last 3 years and many of the locals were surprised to see our foreign faces again!

After 3 years of closures, Tibet travel permits are now being processed for all international travelers, no matter if you are traveling from outside China, or if you currently live and work in China.

To travel to Tibet you must have both a Chinese visa and a special Tibet travel permit, which you must get from an official Tibet travel agency (please ask and we can help you with this!)

4.) Which is better: “Tibet or Nepal Everest base camp”?

Advantages of Everest Base Camp Tibet.

The view is more expansive, not obscured by other mountains.
You can drive there or trek there, your choice. (In Nepal you have to trek 8 days on a hiking trail to Everest Base Camp. In Tibet you drive up to Everest Base Camp in a car on a paved road. So if you are looking to a less rigorous experience choose Tibet instead of Nepal).

You can see Lhasa and other Tibetan highlights on the same trip including the Potala Palace and other famous landmarks of Tibetan Buddhism.

Advantages of Everest Base Camp Nepal

More varied and spectacular trekking
Easier to get visa and permit for Nepal than Tibet
You can travel independently in Nepal

5.) How high is Everest Base Camp?

Everest Base Camp Tibet elevation: 17,060 ft/ 5200 m

When we talk about Everest Base Camp in this post, we are referring to the base camp that travelers are allowed to visit, near the Rongbuk Monastery area.

Mountaineers use a different base camp located at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier.

6 .) How hard is it to get to Everest Base Camp?

On the Tibet side, the hardest part of getting to base camp is getting to Tibet itself. It’s not that hard to visit Tibet, but you will require a Chinese visa plus a special permit for Tibet. The drive is 700km from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp so expect a few long days in a car and a fairly bumpy road.

7.) Is Everest Base Camp safe?

The greatest danger at Everest Base Camp is altitude sickness.

And there is a lot you can do to avoid it, including good hydration + slow acclimatization.

8.) How cold is Everest Base Camp?

Because it is so high, the traveler’s base camp at Everest is always considerably colder than Lhasa, no matter what time of year. And it’s especially cold at night. Temperatures from 7 Celcius to 5 Celcius in the Spring and Fall and 5 to 10 C in the Summer.


9.) When is the best time to visit Everest Base Camp?

For the clearest views of the Everest summit we like April, May, September, and October to visit Everest.

#tibet #everest #basecamp



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