7 Days in Shigatse

In by train from Lhasa (about 253 km, 2.5-3 hours) or at Peace Airport, 43 km out at about 3,782 m. A gentle afternoon at 3,836 m with the monastery founded in 1447 — halls usually open 9:00-17:00 — then an easy walk on the Nyang Chu.

1. shigatse tashilhunpo monastery
2. shigatse nyang riverfront

An acclimatization day before the westward leg. Clockwise kora under the monastery wall (about an hour), about 20 minutes of steps to the dzong ruins laid out around 1360, and no tight scheduling — sleep early at 3,836 m.

1. shigatse tashilhunpo kora
2. shigatse dzong ruins

90 km south to Gyantse at about 4,040 m — the fort damaged in the 1904 fighting, the old-town streets, and the Kumbum begun in 1418 and finished in 1436 with its nine storeys, 108 doors and 76 chapels. Back to Shigatse for the night.

1. shigatse gyantse dzong
2. shigatse palcho kumbum

About 150 km west and three hours, at about 4,280 m. Founded in 1073, with the south monastery's great hall from 1268 and a scripture wall about 10 metres high. An unhurried day that also works as extra acclimatization before Tingri.

1. shigatse sakya monastery

About 235 km on the G318. Near Lhatse the newer G219 forks off toward Saga and Ngari while the G318 continues toward Tingri and the Nepal border at Zhangmu. Tingri county town (about 4,300 m) is the overnight. It is a border-administration area — domestic visitors need a border pass, obtainable at a household-registration public-security office or in Lhasa or Shigatse; foreign visitors travel with permits arranged through licensed agencies. Checkpoints ask for originals.

1. shigatse lhatse road junction
2. shigatse tingri gateway

About 100 km of mountain road from the county town. On a clear morning the Gyawu La (about 5,200 m) lines up Makalu, Lhotse, Everest (8,848.86 m) and Cho Oyu; the tent camp below sits at about 5,200 m, with Rongbuk Monastery at about 4,980 m just before it. Tents go up roughly April to October; entry runs on real-name tickets with park shuttle buses, and rubbish goes back down with you — since 2019 the visitor area ends at the camp in front of Rongbuk. Move slowly, drink often, and sleep back in Tingri at about 4,300 m.

1. shigatse gyawu la pass
2. shigatse everest base camp
3. shigatse rongbuk monastery

The 235 km return to Shigatse fills the morning; keep the afternoon for the riverfront or whatever the weather skipped. Trains run to Lhasa (about 253 km, 2.5-3 hours) and Peace Airport flies mainly toward Chengdu. Continuing east, Lhasa has its own itinerary pages on this site — about 270 km away via the G318 and expressway.

1. shigatse nyang riverfront