Tour Type
Explorer
Riding Level
Active
Location
Tibet
Duration
12 days | 11 nights
Length
76-130km per day (7 days riding)
Climb
7.700 m total
Ride to Everest Base Camp in Tibet, the new frontier of road cycling. Can it get more epic than that?
Following on from the great success of our trips, we’re joining forces again with our local partner, Serk, to offer you this unique challenge: a chance to surround ride through the stunning Tibetan landscapes all the way to the iconic Everest Base Camp. An unforgettable, authentic experience!
Serk have been running trips with passion in Tibet since 2014; they have meticulously crafted this tour which will regularly stop you in your tracks and leave you feeling privileged to have explored this unique region before it falls completely into the clutches of modernisation.
Push yourself to ride up some of the highest sealed roads in the world, then grin from ear-to-ear as you fly down the other side of a 5,000m pass. Plus, we’ll take you to some of the Tibetan Plateau’s most revered spiritual and ancient locations.
You’ll leave with not only an amazing 7-days of high-altitude cycling in your legs (and lungs!), but a new appreciation for one of the most enduring cultures in the world.
Watch this video to get a taste of the Journey to Everest:
Photo credit: Tim Bardsley-Smith
Arrive Chengdu Sichuan China late afternoon. Tonight we stay in the 5 star Airport Hotel 5 mins from the arrivals lounge. Group dinner and briefing for the trip before an early night to recover from a long trip!
Up early for flight to Linzhi—our first foray into Tibet. Linzhi is the eastern-most city of Tibet and one of its lowest at just over 3000m altitude. As part of our acclimatisation we take it super easy today. Unpack and check the bikes followed by an early dinner in town. Slow walk back to hotel and a few snaps with the locals, who are mostly wondering what we are going to do with our sleek road bikes. In bed as early as possible to maximise rest.
We leave Milin early morning and ride along the spectacular Yarlong River all the way to Langxian.
The Yarlong river is the upper stream of the Brahmaptura River (the fifth strongest in the world in terms of flow rate, supplying 30% of India’s total water resources). Today we follow the raging river as it carves its way across the plateau, enjoying the breathtaking sights and perfect cycling road it leaves in its wake. There is hardly a vehicle or village in sight, so it’s just you, the road and the river.
One final day beside the mighty Yarlong river. You’ll notice the vegetation gradually change from lush pine forests to dry rocky cliff faces, and even some sand dunes. After lunch we ride on a brand new road probably up there with the best you’ve ever ridden on. Its twists and turns urge you to get out of the saddle and accelerate and the snowy peaks in the distance remind you you’re riding in one of the highest places on earth.
Today we take a chill day and ride to Samye Monastery – the first monastery in Tibet.
We arrive in Lhasa late afternoon at our 5 star hotel and explore the old town of Lhasa on foot. The sights and sounds are guaranteed to inspire, and don’t forget to say a silent prayer for good legs and favourable winds as you spin the prayer wheels!
A day off the bike visiting the cultural icons of Lhasa. The visit to the Potala Palace (spiritual home of the Dalai Lama) will be the cultural highlight of the trip. Afterwards we’ll wander down to a hip coffee shop popular with young Tibetans.
Rise early and leave for Yamdrok-tso lake where you’ll be greeted by dramatic views of the turquoise waters. We ride along the shore of the lake to Nagartse before conquering the Kalurong Pass (4950m).
The road travels by the Karola Glacier before dipping down into a majestic valley. It’s one of the most scenic days of riding on the trip. Our destination hotel in Gyantze is oozing with so much old world charm you won’t want to leave.
Rise early and visit the local Palchoi monastery and authentic old quarters. Then it’s 98km along the mostly flat road to Shigatse. We will pass through rolling farmlands and villages and stop mid-way for some snacks and a visit to the local barley mill. The last climb over the bridge into town is a hotly contested KOM. We are riding at 4000m today–the air is thin which means fast speeds on the flat.
We should arrive at Shigatse for a late lunch by about 2-3pm. Rest & relax in your hotel or visit the peaceful Tashilungpo monastery, seat of the Panchen lama (optional).
We drive out of Shigatze to our lunch stop at Lhatse. From here we start riding. Today is one of the hardest days of the trip—we ride to the highest pass on the trip at 5181m. After a brief stop at the top to catch our breath and grab some supplies its downhill all the way to Tingri. We ride beside a picturesque river most of the way to our destination and if the sky is clear you’ll get your first glimpse of Everest.
After passing through a strict military checkpoint outside of Tingri we will start riding the huge pass that takes us into Everest Base Camp in the dark. The road is new and affords magnificent views of Everest at the top. After another long descent and climb you’ll reach Everest Base Camp for lunch.
The whole day we ride above 4200m and twice climb up above 5000m. Only a total of 1640m of climbing but at this altitude it really takes a toll. Expect to be exhausted and exhilarated by the time you reach Everest Base Camp
You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent views on the world’s highest mountain. After lunch we drive back down the road to Lhatse.
A transit day travelling back to Shigatze. We stop by a delicious dumpling restaurant for breakfast and arrive in Shigatze for our final group meal. After dinner its time to hit the Tibetan clubs and sink a few hard earned beers with the local Tibetan cowboys and cowgirls.
Time to say good-bye! We fly out of Tibet and back to Chengdu China today.
What sort of support do you provide ?
We provide a vehicle with bike racks for transporting riders and bikes. The vehicle will follow the riders and provide support during the ride. The van is equipped with tools, spare parts, snack foods and drinks to keep you on the road.
Can distances be altered ?
Yes – we have full support on this trip and you can decide to ride a shorter distance each day.
What is the weather like ?
We’ve picked the best months to ride in Tibet.
May is mid spring with sunny clear days (and great views of Everest) but chilly at the top of passes.
July is the warmest month but some days Everest is obscured by clouds and it can rain heavily.
September is mid autumn with sunny clear days (and great views of Everest) bit chilly at the top of passes.
Expect temps ranging from -2 (tops of pass)- 25 degrees. Possible rain at anytime in the mountains.
What are the roads like ?
Simply awesome. Many have been newly constructed in the past 5 years.
How will altitude affect me ? How can I prepare for it?
We are traveling to some of the highest roads in the world so the potential for altitude sickness is a concern for many riders. Our trip is designed to allow you to slowly acclimatize over the 13 days and give your system the best opportunity to adapt. We start at the lowest point in Tibet (2949m) and take it easy for the first few days. At altitude this high it’s important not to push your limits till you have acclimatized – this can take anything from 2 days to 10 and its different for each rider.
On our past trips we have had beginner level riders through to highest level amateur racers. Fitness level nor aptitude for cycling are indicators of how well you will go at altitude – everyone is different and science does still not understand exactly why. None of our guests in 4 years of running trips to Tibet have developed serious altitude problems. There have however been some riders that needed to take a day off the bike or get into our support vehicle for some time as they were exhibiting the tell tale signs. We carry oxygen in our support vehicles and always have a vehicle on standby to take a rider to lower altitude if major issues arise.
The best thing you can do to prepare for altitude riding is to ensure that you arrive in Tibet well rested and without a cold. Doing as much training as you can before you come should help you get more out of riding at altitude and you can also do a session in a local altitude training chamber to test the oxygen saturation levels in your blood at a simulation of 5,000m. This can be a good indicator of how well you’ll perform in Tibet. Talk to our team if you have further concerns or questions.
Not included :
Rider speeds
We do our best to group riders of similar abilities together so we suggest selecting a trip which fits your level of experience, fitness and speed.
A level – Experienced rider with annual mileage somewhere in the 5000 – 10,000 km range. Able to hold an average of 35+ km/h on solo rides and riding a few times a week.
B level – Experienced weekend rider with 5000km of annual mileage. Able to hold an average of 30 km/h on solo rides.
C level – Beginner rider with experience climbing / descending and riding in groups. Prepared to train extensively before the trip.
The trips are optimized for:
13 – 24 May: A + B
In the past riders from A to C level have joined the trips without issues. The route for each trip is the same. The A/B trips are focussed on pushing the limits in terms of both distance and climbing in Tibet where as the B/C trips are more focussed on enjoying the culture and landscape at a moderate pace.
The route for each of our trips is the same. The A/B trips spend more time on the bike and the B/C trips ride reduced distances and less metres of ascent (by being transported some of the journey by Serk vehicles)
You are welcome to join any trip you wish regardless of your level. However be aware that trip will be optimised for the Rider Speed level indicated. Therefore if you are too fast you may have to wait at certain points of the day or if too slow you may need to get into our vehicles to catch up with rest of group.
If unsure please contact us for advice.
Travelling to Tibet is not easy for foreigners on top of that we are travelling by bike so its even harder. There are strict rules and regulations we need to abide by. Unfortunately not everyone is eligible to get a Tibet Travel Permit so please check the conditions below. If you have any questions / doubts let us know.
1. Travel on the same plane into Lhasa
The permit conditions are that we must all travel into Tibet on the same plane. This means if you are travelling from Australia or the UK you will need to arrive in China first and catch a connecting flight to Tibet. We will all meet in Chengdu and fly together into Tibet. So when checking flight details you’ll need to fly into Chengdu China.
2. Chinese visa
For those living outside of China
Everyone requires a valid Chinese visa to travel to Tibet. This is on top of the Tibet Permit. The visa needs to be issued BEFORE Serk apply for the Tibet permit and must be valid for the period of travel to China and Tibet. We need a copy of your Chinese visa 6 weeks before the start date of the trip so you’ll need to process it as early as possible. Serk will provide support to obtain your visa.
For those living inside China
If you are living in China currently and your Visa is due to expire before the end of the trip you may need to renew it early. Serk need at least 6 weeks before the trip at a minimum to process the permit. If you have issues with these dates let us know and we can attempt to accomodate your individual visa situation. If you have a working visa you also leave approval letter from your employer before applying for the Tibet permit. Consult us if you are confused !
3. Passport expiry date
You need to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from date you intend to travel to Tibet. Once the permit documents have been submitted you can not change passport numbers – we’ve tried this before and it does not work !
4. No diplomats
If you have a diplomatic passport you are unable to travel to Tibet as tourist. Sorry.
There is a risk that the Government changes policy and cancels all foreign access to Tibet. This may happen if there is a political uprising or a foreign group does something to annoy the government on Tibet. In the case of this occurrence there is only partial refund. As we need to pay all Permit and travel fees up front to the approved tourism agency, and some booking fee we can’t guarantee how much. It’s up to the tourism agency and depends on the situation. We will do our best to get max refunds. Cancellation policy is written below.
Cancellation Policy
There is a lot of logistics organisation and admin work that goes into organising a Tibet trip. This takes a lot of resources early on and therefore we have a cancellation policy to reflect this. We understand that sometimes shit happens and you can’t make it on the trip. We do our best to facilitate as much refund as possible and help you to find a replacement rider to minimise your losses.
Cancellation at least 3 months before trip starts
80% refund of deposit
Cancellation at least 2 months before trip starts
25% refund of the full amount
We will however endeavour to try to find another rider to fill your spot if you need to cancel at the last minute. This happened to 2 riders last year and we successfully found replacements to minimise the loss to the riders that cancelled.
Cancellation 2 months or less before trip starts
No refund.
We will however endeavour to try to find another rider to fill your spot if you need to cancel at the last minute. This happened to 2 riders last year and we successfully found replacements to minimise the loss to the riders that cancelled.
Shannon has been riding road bikes since his early teens. Growing up on a farm in Australia the bike was the perfect vehicle for him to explore new frontiers. He has raced on four continents and has even made the podium of a World Tour race (inside a Panda suit !) .
For the past 10 years he has been based in Beijing and has helped promote a modern cycling culture through the cycling think tank he founded Smarter Than Car and his cycling business Serk Cycling. Serk is cycle shop in Beijing, a cycling club and cycling trip organizer. Serk is proud to be exploring new cycling destinations across Central Asia and making those rides more accessible for the adventurous cyclist.
