Tibet Photo Workshop: Lhasa to Everest

• Dates: October 14-26, 2025
• Cost: $4500 USD
• 12 nights / 13 days
• Limit of 12 participants

Reserve your spot with our partner – Elevated Trips

Overview

The journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp region will take you from the modern Tibetan capital of Lhasa to pristine high altitude lakes, rivers, glaciers, farming valleys and through the Himalaya’s to Everest Base Camp Region at Rongphu Monastery at an altitude of nearly 5100 meters/17,000 feet. In the Buddhist holy city of Lhasa, you will rub shoulders with pilgrims while going through the Jokhang, the most famous temple in the Himalaya. You will wander through the Potala Palace as well as the massive monasteries of Sera and Drepung.

From Lhasa, you will go the to turquoise-colored lake of Yamdrok and the amazing Karo La Glacier before arriving in the town of Gyantse. Then you will go to Tibet’s second largest city, Shigatse, and go through Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. From there, the destination is Everest! At the Everest Base Camp Region, you will get up close and personal with the world’s highest peak from the travelers base camp at Rongphu Monastery. You will spend 10 days experiencing, exploring and photographing the uniqueness of Tibetan culture. This is one of the most fascinating and exciting overland routes in Asia!

Most companies do this route in just 7 or 8 days, which means many long hours in a vehicle each day! We do this route in 10 days so that you can adjust better to the higher altitude and so you can really experience Tibet and its amazing scenery and culture.

During this journey Ariel, a professional photographer from Canada, will be giving photography tutorials each day while clients explore Tibet. In addition Ben, an American who has lived in Tibet for nearly 10 years and is an expert on Tibetan culture and history, will be giving lectures each day of different aspects of Tibetan life.

This journey is for those wanting to see the amazing beauty of Tibet, improve upon their skills as a photographer and learn more about the uniqueness of the Tibetan people and culture. This Tibet Photography Workshop will run from October 14—26, 2025 and is limited to only 10 participants. It is open to clients with any photography skill level from beginner to expert with no specific camera gear required.

Full Itinerary

This workshop is run in partnership with Elevated Trips

OCTOBER 14
Day 1: Fly into Chengdu
All participants must arrive in Chengdu, China by 4pm on 14 October. We will give you detailed instructions on how to easily get to the 5-Star Chengdu Airport Hotel. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:30pm. We will eat dinner together during a time of meet and greet at a centrally located restaurant in the hotel.

OCTOBER 15
Day 2: Fly from Chengdu to Lhasa
In the late morning/early afternoon, we will fly to Lhasa and arrive in the mid afternoon. The Tibetan capital sits at 3590 meters and is the cultural and spiritual heart of Tibet. After getting situated in a centrally located hotel, we will explore and photograph the center of the Old Tibetan Quarter in the heart of Lhasa. The Barkhor is the main shopping market for local Tibetans. It is one of the most interesting markets in all of Asia and is an excellent place to photograph modern Tibetan culture. In Lhasa we will stay at the 4 Star Shangbala Hotel, located within short walking distance to Jokhang Temple and the Lhasa Old Town.

OCTOBER 16
Day 3: Jokhang Temple and Sera Monastery Monk Debates
After breakfast, we will spend the morning going through the Jokhang, Tibet’s holiest and most famous temple. Each day, thousands of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims work their way through this nearly 1400 year old temple. We will also explore Tsamkhung Nunnery, one of the largest nunneries in the Lhasa area. In the afternoon, we will photograph the Buddhist philosophy debates at Sera, one of Tibet’s largest monasteries. The monk debates will be a major highlight during your time in Tibet. In the late afternoon and after dinner, you can explore the Lhasa Old Town on your own.

OCTOBER 17
Day 4: Potala Palace
We will start the day by exploring Tibet’s most iconic building, the Potala Palace. Towering above Lhasa with more than 1000 rooms, the Potala Palace served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lama’s for hundreds of years. In the afternoon, we will have some free time to do some shopping and continue photographing Lhasa’s amazing Old Town. NOTE: The exact time for us to visit the Potala Palace will be set by the tourism bureau. It normally is in the morning, but could be in the afternoon.

OCTOBER 18
Day 5: Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse (via Yamdrok Lake and Karo La Glacier)
In the morning, we will depart from Lhasa and drive to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake. Yamdrok Lake, during clear weather, is a brilliant turquoise color and is one of the 4 main holy lakes in Tibetan Buddhism. The huge, glaciated 7191 meter Mt. Nojin Kangtsang forms the backdrop of the lake. The lake sits at an elevation of 4441 meters above sea level. Along the way to Gyantse, we will stop by the glaciers of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang at the Karo La Pass, which come down almost to the highway. Gyantse is a small, but modern Tibetan town, that lies at 4025 meters. We will be photographing the Pelkor Chode Monastery as well as the Gyantse Kumbum, the highest stupa (Buddhist pagoda) in Tibet. The drive from Lhasa to Gyantse covers 260 kms (162 miles). In Gyantse, we will stay at the 3 Star Yeti Hotel, the best in town.

OCTOBER 19
Day 6: Gyantse to Shigatse
After breakfast, we will photograph the 600 year old Pelkor Chode Monastery. This beautiful monastery lies within a walled complex in the Gyantse Old Town. The short hike to the top of the wall gives an excellent panorama view of the monastery, town and the high plateau in the distance. After lunch, we will depart Gyantse and drive to Shigatse, elevation 3840 meters. Along the way, we will stop and photograph some traditional villages along the way to experience rural Tibetan life. The distance from Gyantse to Shigatse is 95 kilometers (60 miles). In Shigatse we will stay at the 4 Star Tashi Choten Hotel.

OCTOBER 20
Day 7: Rest day in Shigatse
Shigatse is home to Tashilhunpo Monastery and its 650+ monks. This monastery, one of the largest in Tibet, is the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important lama in Tibetan Buddhism. We will spend the morning exploring this massive Buddhist complex. After lunch, we will walk around the pilgrim route that goes up and around the famous monastery and up to the recently rebuilt Shigatse Fortress, which sits above the Old Town. This nice hike offers great views above the monastery and above the city of Shigatse. Then we will explore the small Old Town Market located near our hotel.

OCTOBER 21
Day 8: Shigatse to Sakya Monastery
This day we will depart Shigatse and continue westward to the town of Sakya, located 155 kilometers (95 miles) away. Upon reaching Sakya, elevation 4330 meters, we will have lunch and afterwards begin exploring this unique area. Sakya is the home of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The main monastery of the the Sakya school is located in this town. Most of the homes in this area are painted gray, red and white matching the colors of the Sakya Monastery. We will explore the small town of Sakya including the large monastery of Sakya and the villages nearby. We will stay at the 3 Star Manasarovar Hotel, the best in town.

OCTOBER 22
Day 9: Everest Base Camp, 5150 meters
From Sakya we will drive 240 kilometers (150 miles) to the Everest Base Camp Region. Along the way, you will cross the 5231 meter high Gyatso La Pass, the highest point along the journey. From the top of the pass, there is a sweeping view of the Himalayan foothills. From there, you will then go to the Geu La Pass, elevation 5200 meters. From this pass, you can see 5 of the world’s 15 highest peaks, including Mt Everest. This pass offers one of the most impressive panoramic views of the Himalaya’s in Tibet. Next, you will go to Rongphu (Rongbuk) Monastery and stay at a simple guesthouse that looks directly out to the world’s highest peak. We will photograph the sun setting on Everest’s epic North Face.

OCTOBER 23
Day 10: Everest Base Camp to Shelkar
We will get up early this morning to watch the sun rise on Mt Everest from near our guesthouse at Rongphu Monastery. October generally offers clear skies allowing for excellent views of Everest. After watching the sunrise, we will travel a few kilometers closer to the mountain and photograph near the Rongphu River, which flows off of the Everest glaciers located further up the mountain. We will spend several hours photographing Mt Everest before driving 115 kilometers (72 miles) to the town of Shelkar where we will stay at the 3 Star Qomolangma Everest Hotel, the best accommodation in the Everest Region.

OCTOBER 24
Day 11: Shelkar to Shigatse (via Phuntsoling Monastery)
From Shelkar, we will begin making the journey back to Lhasa. We will drive through the rugged, but beautiful wilderness of western Tibet to Phuntsoling. The monastery at Phuntsoling is one of Tibet’s true secrets. This remote monastery offers both a “newer” functioning monastery as well as the ancient ruined monastery that lies above the current one. We will have lunch at a basic restaurant in the area before exploring the spectacular Phuntsoling Monastery. From there, we will return to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. We will stay at the 4 Star Tashi Choten Hotel. The distance from Shelkar to Shigatse is 265 kilometers (165 miles).

OCTOBER 25
Day 12: Shigatse to Lhasa
Our last full day in Tibet will take us from Shigatse back to the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. We will drive along the scenic Yarlung River Valley and will be stopping several times to photograph the stunning natural scenery along the way. In Lhasa, we will stay at the Kyichu Hotel, located within a short walk of the Lhasa Old Town. The distance from Shigatse to Lhasa is 270 kilometers (170 miles).

OCTOBER 26
Day 13: Depart Lhasa
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Lhasa Airport where you will depart Tibet. All participants will be required to depart from Tibet on this day.

FAQs


Lhasa, Jokhang monastery

The cost per person is $4500 USD. Participants are responsible for their own international airfare to Chengdu, China but we will take care of just about everything else after that!

WHAT’S INCLUDED
  • All accommodations (based on double occupancy)
  • All meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 13
  • All ground transportation in Tibet
  • All entrance fees for the itinerary listed
  • Bottled drinking water
  • All Tibet travel permits
  • Local Tibetan guide fees
  • All Everest permits
  • All meals and accommodations for your driver and guide
  • Flights from Chengdu to Lhasa
  • Lhasa Airport or train station pick up and transfer
  • Professional photography instructor from Canada
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
  • Passport and Chinese Visa fees
  • Airfare from Lhasa to Chengdu
  • Travel vaccinations
  • Insurance (travel, medical, etc)
  • Souvenirs or personal items such as laundry, snacks, alcohol drinks, etc
  • Photography fees inside temples and monasteries
  • Gratuities to the Tibetan guide and driver

This photography workshop to is open to ANY level of photographer from beginner to expert and is limited to 10 participants. No specific type of camera is required. We will be traveling this entire route by vehicle, though we will be doing day hikes around temples, villages and at natural sites each day. No trekking or climbing is required for this journey. Each participant will be sent a list of required and recommended gear for the tour that they will be responsible for. A suggested packing list will be sent to participants upon registration and acceptance.

CHINA VISA
Upon booking, information on how to obtain a Chinese Tourist Visa will be sent to you. Chinese Tourist Visa must be arranged at least 8 weeks before the journey begins if you plan to enter from Mainland China. If you plan to enter from Nepal, we will need to assist you in getting your visa from the China Embassy in Kathmandu. Go to the following links for further assistance on China visas:

High quality, professionally guided photography workshop: This journey is for clients who want to get the most out of their time in Tibet while improving their skills as a photographer. This journey price includes MANY extras, such as a 5 Star hotel in Chengdu, flight from Chengdu to Lhasa, upgraded hotels in Tibet, all meals at quality restaurants, all bottled drinking water, fresh fruit each day, expert English speaking Tibetan guide, expert foreign guide who is certified as a Wilderness First Responder as well as a professional photography instructor! Each day, clients will learn from our expert guides more about different aspects of Tibetan religion, culture and history so they can fully understand the places and people they are seeing and photographing. Our photography instructor will be there with you each day teaching you the skills take your photography to the next level.

Accommodations: In Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse, you will be staying in comfortable and pleasant locally-rated 4 Star Tibetan-owned hotels. Hotels in other areas of Tibet will be the best available. At Everest, accommodation will be a simple guesthouse without showers and with shared bathrooms. All hotels, except for those in the Everest Region, should have internet access.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is included in the price for each morning you are in Tibet. Vegetarian dishes are available and we believe food is a big part of the experience

Eligibility: Participants must be in good health and be able to spend each day walking around towns, villages and monasteries. Though you will be doing a lot of walking each day, no trekking is required. Most of this tour will take place in mountainous terrain between 3600 meters and 5200 meters (11,800 feet to 17,000 feet) above sea level. You will spend 3 nights in Lhasa for altitude acclimatization before going above 3600 meters. Ascent will be slow and gradual along the way from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Region.

Photos