This classic route connecting the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa to the North Face Everest Base Camp Region is one of the most amazing overland journeys on the planet. It goes through the best regions that Tibet has to offer and will take you up close to the world’s highest peak!
Tibet is acknowledged as one of the most mysterious and beautiful places in the world. Our exclusive motorcycle tour offers you the opportunity to ride through stunning Tibetan landscapes while enjoying views of iconic landmarks such as Lakes Yamdrok Namtso as well as Mt. Everest. This journey is further enhanced by visits to some of Tibet’s most revered Buddhist locations including Jokhang Temple Sera Monastery in Lhasa. Your Tibetan adventure is sure to be a remarkable experience that will stay with you for years to come.
Traveling up in these beautiful mountains by motorcycle brings you close to the environment and its inhabitants; close to the nature of this huge place. For most riders, a trip like this will be the experience of a lifetime.
Tour Highlights: Potala Palace; Jokhang Temple; Barkhor Street; Yamdrok Lake; Karola Glacier; Tashilhunpo Monastery; Gyawu-La pass; Rongbuk Monastery; Namtso Lake; North Face Everest Base Camp
| TOUR OPERATOR | Big Bike Tours / Tibet Easyrider | ||||||||||||||
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Shangbala Hotel, Lhasa (Tibet/China) | ||||||||||||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | The tour will start at 8.30 am the day after the arrival day. | ||||||||||||||
| RETURN TIME | The tour will finish after breakfast at the hotel on departure day. | ||||||||||||||
| GEAR | We recommend bringing your gear to be the most comfortable. BUT we also offer helmets, jackets, gloves, and knee guards (European high-quality brands in many different sizes). Please be informed, that we do not offer boots and trousers due to hygienic reasons. |
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Please be informed, that our tours are fully inclusive. So you can completely focus on your holiday, the adventure, the riding, and the incredible Tibet. There are no hidden costs or other surprises – our tour prices are final. All is paid. Come ride with us – the real deal!
Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Gyantse – Shigatse -Tashilhunpo Monastery – Lhaze – Tingri – Rongbu Monastery – Tingri – Lhaze – Shigatse – Yangpachen – Damxung – Namtso Lake – Lhasa
(Distance: 1,665 km / 1.035 miles)
Day 1. Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m)
Welcome to Tibet, the Roof of the World! Our trip begins from Lhasa where you will be met at the airport and escorted to the hotel by your tour guide. You will have the rest of the day to explore the city on your own and adapt to the mountain altitude. Overnight in Lhasa.
Tips:
– We suggest you avoid any strenuous exercise, even bathing. It is best to take it easy, drink plenty of water, and rest as much as possible
Day 2. Rest Day in Lhasa (3,650m)
On this day, our guide will assist you with the paperwork to obtain your local motorcycle driver’s license. The rest of the day is set aside for you to acclimatize and explore the city on your own. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 3. Potala Palace - Jokhang Temple - Barkhor Street - Sera Monastery (3,650m)
Start today’s Lhasa exploration with an exciting visit to the iconic Potala Palace, which is known as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Besides, we will also visit Jokhang Temple which is regarded as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Our visit will not be completed without walking along Barkhor Street, the ancient route to circumambulate Jokhang Temple. The last site of the day will be the famous Sear Monastery, where you will have the opportunity to observe monks debating in a courtyard as they have been doing for hundreds of years. Overnight in Lhasa.
Tips:
– There are 1080 steps up to the top of Potala Palace. We recommend that you take it easy due to the high altitude;
– Taking photos is not allowed inside the palace
– Today you will be mostly outdoors, please bring some water, a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
Day 4. Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Karola Glacier - Shigatse (3,800m, 365km)
A thrilling motorcycle ride is about to begin today!
We will leave Lhasa and ride to Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The first site you will reach is Yamdrok Lake (altitude: 4,400m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. As we continue our ride through the Tibetan plateau, prayer flags announce your arrival at Karola Glacier (5,045m), where you can see the white snow from a couple of hundred meters away beside your road. From there you will ride to the historic city of Gyantse before arriving at our hotel in Shigatse.
Day 5. Shigatse - Lhaze - Tingri (4,300m, 240km)
Our day begins with a visit to the official location of the Panchen Lama: Tashilhunpo Monastery， the most influential Gelug monastery in Shigatse. We will have the opportunity to walk along the cobblestone alleys and visit halls and chapels in this culturally important site. Later in the day, we will head to Tingri. Overnight in Tingri.
Day 6. Tingri - Gyawu-La Pass - Rongbuk Monastery - Tingri (4,300m, 170km)
This morning we start riding for Gyawu-La pass (5,198m) as the altitude gets higher. From here we can admire magnificent views of 4 famous peaks namely Mt. Makalu (8,463m), Mt. Lhotse (8,561m), Mt. Everest (8,844m), and Mt. Cho Oyu (8,201m). Our ride continues to Rongbuk Monastery, which is the highest monastery in the world as well as the best viewpoint for Mt. Everest. After that, we will go back in the same way to Tingri. Overnight in Tingri.
Day 7. Tingri - Lhaze - Shigatse (3,800m, 240km)
We will leave Tingri to retrace our previous route to Shigatse. Stunning views of primitive landscapes will accompany us throughout the day. Overnight in Shigatse.
Day 8. Shigatse - Yangpachen - Damxung (4,200m, 350km)
This morning we will start riding through the rural scenery to Damxung via Yangpachen on our way. The grassland scenery stretches to dozens of kilometers away on both sides of the road, sometimes you will probably see the prairie-like scene with the sheep and yaks eating grass on the meadow. Later in the day, you will arrive in Damxung and overnight in a local hostel.
Day 9. Damxung - Namtso Lake - Yangpachen - Lhasa (3,650m, 300km)
This morning we will ride to Namtso Lake. We will firstly arrive at a land full of colorful prayer flags—Tanggula View Point. Then we will pass the Nagen-La Pass (5,190m). Our next destination is Namtso Lake, one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. It looks like the waters are melting into the sky with the same color. After that, we will go back to Lhasa for returning our motorcycles. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 10. Lhasa, Departure (3,650m)
This morning we will transfer to Lhasa airport where you will say goodbye to your guide, your driver, and to Tibet.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- Participants must be over 18 years of age, in good health and a motorcycle driving license is required to rent and ride motorcycles in Tibet.
- Please wear riding equipment as well as safety protectors meeting DOT international standards. The helmet, riding clothes, riding pants, riding gloves, riding boots, etc. are all required.
- Changing the assigned driver of any motorcycle is strictly prohibited. He (she) who violates this will be responsible for it if any accidents or damages are caused.
Please contact us if you need to book other itineraries or any other personal customized ones.
IMPORTANT HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
The participant with any of the following conditions should not travel to a high altitude area of more than 3,000 meters:
- Heart disease, arrhythmia, stage II hypertension, blood disease, cerebrovascular disease, or if the resting heart rate is significantly above 110 beats per minute.
- Chronic respiratory disease, moderate or severe obstructive pulmonary disease such as bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, emphysema, active tuberculosis, or pneumoconiosis.
- Uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, or schizophrenia.
- Severe cold and upper respiratory tract infection, body temperature above 38 degrees Celsius, or below 35 degrees Celsius.
Patients who have been diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema, high altitude cerebral edema, high altitude hypertension, high altitude heart disease, and high altitude polycythemia.
VISA FOR TIBET (CHINA)
First of all, please note that today it is irrelevant whether you refer to China.
To facilitate the issuance of visas through a Chinese Embassy or Permanent Mission, it is best if persons with pre-booked travel arrangements submit along with their visa application a so-called “Visa Confirmation Letter” from the tour operator in Bejing responsible for the tour arrangements. We shall obtain the visa confirmation letter and forward it to you. The confirmation letter implies that the tour operator is responsible for you during your entire stay in China and eliminates further questioning by the Chinese Embassy.
Please note that Chinese Embassies generally do not consider the exact travel dates but simply stamp visas valid for 3 months and entitling the holder to one single entry into China within these 3 months. Therefore, we will forward to you the visa confirmation letter approximately 1 ½ months before the start of the tour to ensure that the validity of your visa will extend beyond the length of your stay in China. Once you have received your visa confirmation letter, you should contact the nearest Chinese Embassy or Permanent Mission to obtain visas application forms, fill in the visa application forms in triplicate, attach one passport photo to each copy of the application form and enclose a printout copy of the visa confirmation letter with the application. Please refer to the list of diplomatic missions of China for a list of all Chinese Embassies, Permanent Missions, and Consulate Generals.
REGISTRATION / DEPOSIT
Due to the cumbersome logistics involved with obtaining all necessary permits and border formalities, we must impose the following conditions for registration of your participation in the tour:
• The deadline for the latest registrations is two months before the tour start
• Confirmation of your participation in the tour will only be confirmed against the payment of a 10% deposit (down payment) of the total tour price
• First come – first served: the date of receipt of your deposit (down payment) will determine whose participation will be confirmed first. We will not confirm participation in the tour before receipt of your deposit.
We shall guarantee the departure of the tour with a minimum of 6 bikers and shall limit the maximum size of the group to no more than 15 bikes.
With your registration for the tour, we also need the following personal data from you:
Family Name(s) – as per passport:
First Name(s) – as per passport:
Passport Number:
Nationality:
Date of Birth:
Passport Issue Date:
Passport Issue Place:
Passport Expiry Date:
Please note that to participate in this tour, you must have a valid international driver’s license for motorcycles over 500cc.
For inquiries or in case of any uncertainties, please contact us at info@bigbiketours.com
FULL PREPAYMENT
Because we shall have to fully prepay all suppliers far in advance, we require your full prepayment of the tour (minus the deposit) by the latest two months before the tour start.
CANCELLATION FEES
Please note that the following cancellation fees apply in the case that you are obliged to cancel the reservations for the tour at the last minute:
If cancellation is received: Fee (in % of the total tour price)
60 Days to 15 Days 30% of Tour cost
30 Days to 8 Days 50% of Tour cost
14 Days or less 100% of Tour cost
We strongly recommend that you purchase individualized travel and/or medical insurance from any insurance company in your home market to prevent having to incur any unexpected medical or travel expenses.
INSURANCE – CHINA
The participant carries full risk in case of an accident, regardless of whether the accident is caused by the tour participant or by a third party. Please bear also in mind that in the case of an accident, the adversary will most likely not be carrying any insurance coverage at all. Hence, the tour participant carries the maximum risk of 6,000 US$ in case of total damage to his/her motorcycle.
OPTIONAL
Against the surcharge of 300 US$, we offer limited comprehensive insurance cover with a maximum liability/participation of 1.000 US$ (instead of 6,000 US$) for the participant in case of damage sustained to his/her motorcycle. For minor damage, we will collect the costs for repair at the end of the tour as it is easier to handle such minor cases on the spot. Tour participants who opt for a fully comprehensive insurance cover will also have to deposit 1.500 US$ in cash or credit card at the beginning of the tour.
It is also important to know that the participant is liable for damage caused to his/her motorcycle in the case of an accident caused by a third person. Third-party insurance in China generally only covers bodily harm caused to the third party and does not cover damage caused to the vehicle of a third party.
CHINA CURRENCY / CREDIT CARDS
ATMs are not yet widespread in China, and only major hotels and sometimes upcountry accept the most common credit cards such as American Express and Visa. In many places, however, credit cards will not be accepted at all. Hence, it is useful to bring cash US Dollars, preferably also in small denominations as many shops upcountry cannot easily provide change for a 100-Dollar bill. You may also want to change some foreign currency into Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) as the Chinese only trade in their currency. When paying for something small with US Dollars, the change will most likely be rendered in the Chinese Renminbi (Yuan). This change, in turn, can be used again for buying a drink or for small tips, etc. Bringing traveler cheques is useless as only the Chinese Investment, and Commercial Bank (CICB) or the Chinese Foreign Trade Bank (CFTB) in Bejing would trade in these through cumbersome and time-consuming procedures. However, it is now possible to change US Dollars and even Euro into local currency at most airports and many other places. We recommend changing some Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) already in your home country.
Tour Highlights: Potala Palace; Jokhang Temple; Barkhor Street; Yamdrok Lake; Karola Glacier; Tashilhunpo Monastery; Gyawu-La pass; Rongbuk Monastery; Namtso Lake; North Face Everest Base Camp
Day 1. Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m)
Day 2. Rest Day in Lhasa (3,650m)
Day 3. Potala Palace – Jokhang Temple – Barkhor Street – Sera Monastery (3,650m)
Day 4. Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse (3,800m, 365km)
Day 5. Shigatse – Lhaze – Tingri (4,300m, 240km)
Day 6. Tingri – Gyawu-La Pass – Rongbuk Monastery – Tingri (4,300m, 170km)
Day 7. Tingri – Lhaze – Shigatse (3,800m, 240km)
Day 8. Shigatse – Yangpachen – Damxung (4,200m, 350km)
Day 9. Damxung – Namtso Lake – Yangpachen – Lhasa (3,650m, 300km)
Day 10. Lhasa, Departure (3,650m)
2024 Tour Starts
| 07. April | 05. May | 02. June | 07. July | 04. August | 01. September | 06. October |
