Shigatse-Qilin Gorge-Everest East Face-Rongbuk Monastery-Everest Base Camp
After breakfast, you will set off from Shigatse for Everest Base Camp. Along the way you will pass through the beautiful Kongma Grassland, then arrive at Gangba County, the land of sacred water, where you can gaze at China's most beautiful snow mountain, [Mother of Snow Mountains — Qomoyongqing]. Legend says it is the mother of the surrounding snow mountains, hence the name Mother of Snow Mountains. Afterwards, you will continue along Route 219, also known as the China-India-Nepal Border Highway, for 45 kilometers, then arrive at the magical Qilin Gorge. [Qilin Gorge] is a famous canyon geological landscape recessed hundreds of meters below the surface within a long, deep canyon. The earth forest rises like bamboo shoots, with giant rocks propping up the sky; they stretch on in vast, interlocking arrays or in small groups lined up in order, like stern, independent guards. At Qilin Gorge, you can personally feel the uncanny workmanship of nature and marvel at its geological wonders — "majestic, strange, precipitous, and extraordinary."
After lunch, you will continue along the China-India-Nepal Border Route 219 for about 30 kilometers. Along the way you can admire one of China's most beautiful snow mountains, [Rimara Snow Mountain], known locally as Renqing Snow Mountain, as well as China's largest wetland, [Dingjie Wetland]. Afterwards, you will follow the wetland to Dingjie County, the kingdom of wetlands. After a short rest here, you can gaze along the Yeru Tsangpo River valley at [the world's fourth-highest peak, Lhotse]. Then you will follow the beautiful border village road to the sacred mountain [Longren Mountain], where you can view up close the world's fifth-highest peak, Makalu, and the east face of Everest. Here it is a "grand platter of beautiful scenery": the golden sunrise on three 8,000-meter-class snow peaks — Everest (8,844 m), Lhotse (8,516 m, world's fourth), and Makalu (8,463 m, world's fifth) — as well as Chomolonzo (7,804 m), unfold before your eyes one after another.
Afterwards, you will head to the world's highest temple — Rongbuk Monastery. [Rongbuk Monastery] is universally recognized as the best place to look up at Everest. Then you will arrive at [Everest Base Camp], take a photo with the altitude stone marker at Everest Base Camp, and here you will dance with the world's highest peak, Mount Everest; if you are lucky, you may also see Everest's banner cloud drifting like a flame of life.
Tip: In winter, the Rongbuk Monastery camp tents are not open, so accommodation will be changed to a multi-person room in a Basong village guesthouse.
🍽️ Breakfast included, lunch included, dinner included
🏨 Campsite Tent