Everest & Tibet Overland – Chengdu to Kathmandu

$ 5,399.00

China, Tibet & Everest Overland to Kathmandu

This trip is legit stacked. Most trips have one or two headline moments. This has a LOT. China’s viral cyberpunk city and the world’s largest drone show. Giant pandas in Chengdu. Two days aboard the highest railway on Earth, climbing over 5,000 metres onto the Tibetan Plateau. Ancient Lhasa and the Potala Palace. A road trip across the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp. Then overland into Nepal to finish in Kathmandu.

Thirteen days, three countries’ worth of culture, and a night’s sleep beneath the tallest mountain on the planet.

Short on holiday days? You can skip the China section and join us in Lhasa from Day 6, flying straight into Tibet for the road trip to Everest and Kathmandu.

Highlights

🌆 Chongqing – China’s futuristic megacity, home to the world’s biggest drone show

🐼 Giant Pandas – A morning at Chengdu’s famous Panda Research Base

🚄 The Qinghai-Tibet Railway – Two days aboard the highest train journey on Earth, oxygen piped in, scenery off the charts

🛕 Lhasa – The ancient Tibetan capital: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and pilgrims circling Barkhor Street

🏫 Community Project – Visiting our partner school in Tibet and delivering supplies the school actually needs

🏔 Everest Base Camp – Standing beneath the north face of the world’s highest mountain, and sleeping nearby

🌄 Overland into Nepal – Crossing the Himalayas by road, one of the great border crossings on Earth

🇳🇵 Kathmandu – Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa and the buzzing streets of Thamel

Adventure Level

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Tour Date

APRIL 17 - 29, 2027
Arrival City

Lhasa, Tibet China
Departure City

Kathmandu, Nepal
Included

All Accommodations

All Breakfasts

All ground transport

Domestic Flight

Local Guides

Western Tour Leader

Fann Mountains

Issyk-Kul

Charyn Canyon
Not Included

Lunch and Dinners

International Airfare

Travel Insurance

Visas

Discover the Tibetan capital of Lhasa

The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and pilgrims spinning prayer wheels at 3,650 metres. It's another world entirely.
Ride the famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Two days on the highest railway on Earth, oxygen piped in, yaks and snow peaks rolling past your bunk window. It's a train ride you won't soon forget
Close Range with Giant Pandas

Up close and personal with the bamboo-munching, tree-tumbling pandas in Chengdu.
Cyberpunk City

Trains through apartment blocks, five-storey highways and the world's biggest drone show. This city experience has to be seen to be believed.
Roll Up Your Sleeves with Mudita

As always we'll be helping out a community along the way. Travel just feels better knowing your money has helped out a local community.
Stand at Everest Base Camp and look out at the worlds highest mountain We'll take the easy way to Base Camp and soak in the north face of Everest
Wander through Kathmandu Soak up the chaotic buzz of Nepals capital city
2 countries 1 journey Cross the Himalayas by road and walk over one of the world's great borders.

Day 1

Welcome to Chongqing

NOTES: DAY 1- 6 are included if you book the whole trip from April 17-29. If you don't have the time (or money! we get it!) to do the whole thing, then you can start your trip from Lhasa, which is Day 6 on this itinerary, and continue on with us from there. Welcome to one of the wildest cities on Earth. I recently took my family to Chongqing and LOVED IT! Chongqing has exploded across social media over the last couple of years thanks to its futuristic skyline, trains running through apartment blocks and multi-level highways that seem to defy physics. It honestly feels like Blade Runner brought to life. We’ll meet at our hotel this afternoon for introductions and a trip briefing before heading out for our first dinner together. If timing allows, we’ll kick things off with a sunset cruise along the Yangtze River, watching China’s ultimate cyberpunk city transform as darkness falls and the skyscrapers light up.

Day 2

Chongqing & The World’s Biggest Drone Show

Today we properly explore this incredible city. We’ll visit some of Chongqing’s most famous viewpoints, wander its bustling streets and discover why millions of people now call it China’s coolest destination. Ancient alleyways sit beneath giant skyscrapers while elevated roads twist through the skyline in every direction. Then comes tonight’s main event. If conditions allow, we’ll watch the famous Chongqing drone show, where thousands of drones fill the sky to create enormous moving displays unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s ridiculous, futuristic and an unforgettable way to begin our adventure.

Day 3

Chengdu & Giant Pandas

This morning we travel to Chengdu, home of China’s most famous residents. the giant pandas. We’ll visit the renowned Panda Research Base to watch these gentle giants eating, climbing and generally being ridiculously photogenic. Afterwards we’ll explore Chengdu itself, wandering its relaxed streets and perhaps sampling some legendary Sichuan cuisine, don’t worry, we’ll find options that won’t melt your face off too. Tonight we enjoy a comfortable night in Chengdu before tomorrow’s journey towards Tibet begins.

Day 4

The Legendary Tibet Train

Before leaving Sichuan, we’ll visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The incredible Leshan Giant Buddha. Carved directly into the cliffs over 1,200 years ago, it’s the largest stone Buddha anywhere on Earth and an astonishing sight in person. Then, forget airports. This is how journeys are supposed to happen. Today we’ll spend the day rolling across some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in Asia. Endless grasslands, snow-covered mountains, crystal-clear lakes and tiny Tibetan settlements stretch endlessly outside your window. The railway climbs above 5,000 metres, making it the highest in the world, with oxygen supplied throughout the train to make the altitude easier. Bring a good book, a camera and enjoy slowing down for once. The scenery genuinely gets better every single hour.

Day 5

Across the Tibetan Plateau

Wake up aboard the Tibet train is every bit as spectacular as yesterday. Wake up to endless open plains dotted with yaks, frozen lakes reflecting the mountains and landscapes so vast they barely seem real. This is one of those travel experiences where the journey itself is the destination. Spend time chatting with locals, photographing the incredible scenery or simply watching Tibet slowly unfold outside your window. Today is all about the journey. As the train climbs above 5,000 metres, the scenery outside becomes increasingly surreal. Endless grasslands dotted with yaks, frozen lakes reflecting snow-covered peaks, wild Tibetan antelope and tiny settlements sitting in complete isolation. Oxygen is supplied throughout the train as we cross the highest railway on Earth, allowing everyone to relax and simply enjoy the ride. 99% of people fly into Tibet. Almost nobody experiences it like this. By tonight you’ll understand why this railway has become a bucket-list journey in its own right.

Day 6

Welcome to Lhasa, Tibet.

NOTE: If you book the shorter trip, this is essentially your day 1. You fly into Lhasa airport, and the trip begins for you here. If you're coming on the train with us, then early this morning we arrive in Lhasa, Tibet’s ancient capital, sitting at around 3,650 metres above sea level. We’ll transfer to our hotel before taking things easy to allow everyone to acclimatise. Later we’ll stretch our legs with a gentle walk around Barkhor Street, where pilgrims spin prayer wheels and circle Jokhang Temple exactly as they’ve done for centuries. The atmosphere here is unlike anywhere else in China. Prayer flags flutter overhead, incense fills the air and the pace of life slows dramatically. Welcome to Tibet.

Day 7

Discover Ancient Lhasa & Donations to our Partner School

Today we discover one of Asia’s most remarkable cities. We’ll explore the magnificent Potala Palace, once home to the Dalai Lama, before visiting Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s holiest religious site. Afterwards we’ll visit our partner school, spending time with the children and delivering supplies we’ve brought with us. It’s a chance to give something back and always becomes one of the most meaningful moments of the trip. This isn’t just about ticking countries off a list. It’s about making genuine connections with the people who call these extraordinary places home.

Day 8

Lhasa to Shigatse

Today we begin one of Asia’s greatest road trips. Leaving Lhasa behind, we’ll drive west across the Tibetan Plateau, climbing high mountain passes and stopping at breathtaking viewpoints overlooking turquoise lakes and endless Himalayan scenery. Every few kilometres seems to reveal another unbelievable panorama. Cameras will be working overtime today. y evening we reach Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city and our final major stop before heading towards Everest. The excitement is definitely building no, we’re getting incredibly close to the highest mountain on Earth.

Day 9

Everest Base Camp

Bucket-list day. Today we travel to Everest Base Camp on the Tibetan side, arguably the finest viewpoint anywhere of the world’s highest mountain. I can't believe I climbed this thing once upon a time! Standing beneath Everest’s enormous north face is one of those moments that photographs simply can’t capture. Weather permitting we’ll spend plenty of time taking in the views before settling into our accommodation nearby. There aren’t many places on Earth that make you feel quite so small. Tonight we’ll sleep beneath the tallest mountain on the planet, something very few people ever get the chance to experience.

Day 10

Everest to Gyirong

This morning we leave Everest behind and continue south towards the Nepal border. The scenery changes dramatically as we descend from the vast open Tibetan Plateau into greener valleys surrounded by towering Himalayan peaks. The drive itself is spectacular, winding through remote villages and dramatic mountain landscapes all the way to Gyirong. Tonight we’ll stay close to the border crossing, enjoying one final evening in Tibet before tomorrow’s journey into Nepal. Two countries. Two completely different cultures. One incredible adventure.

Day 11

Cross into Nepal

Today we cross one of the world’s most iconic land borders, leaving Tibet behind and entering Nepal. Almost immediately everything changes. The roads become busier, the villages livelier and the atmosphere wonderfully chaotic. From the border we’ll continue through the Himalayan foothills to Kathmandu, Nepal’s colourful capital. After checking into our hotel we’ll head out together to soak up our new surroundings before enjoying another fantastic group dinner. We’ve travelled by bullet train, sleeper train and crossed the Himalayas by road, and somehow the adventure still isn’t over.

Day 12

Kathmandu, Nepal

Your final full day is spent exploring one of Asia’s great capitals. We’ll visit Kathmandu’s incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple, learning about Nepal’s fascinating history and culture along the way. There’ll also be free time to wander the lively streets of Thamel, grab a coffee, hunt for souvenirs or simply enjoy the atmosphere. Tonight we’ll celebrate an extraordinary journey together over one final dinner, sharing stories from thirteen days that packed in more adventure than many people experience in a lifetime.

Day 13

That's a wrap

Sadly, every adventure has to end. After breakfast it’s time to say goodbye and head home. Over the last thirteen days we’ve explored China’s most futuristic city, met giant pandas, travelled across the highest railway in the world, wandered ancient Lhasa, stood beneath Mount Everest and crossed the Himalayas into Nepal. Not bad for less than two weeks. Safe travels, and hopefully this won’t be the last ridiculous adventure we share together.

Everest & Tibet Overland - Chengdu to Kathmandu