Friendship Highway to Nepal, G318 from Chengdu, Ngari western circuit to Kailash
Overland in Tibet means a 4WD drive across the plateau, usually on the Friendship Highway (G318 from Lhasa to the Gyirong border) or its eastern continuation through Sichuan from Chengdu. Routes range from 7-day Lhasa–EBC–Gyirong runs to 22-day Sichuan–Tibet–Nepal traverses through Mount Kailash and Ngari.
The product exists because Tibet’s most photogenic stretches — the Yamdrok–Karola road, the Gyatso La descent into Tingri, the Saga–Manasarovar leg toward Kailash — are best experienced from a vehicle window, not from a hotel base. Most overland itineraries cross 5–10 mountain passes above 4,500 m, sleeping at altitude every night between Lhasa and the border.
Cover all highlights of Tibet, start in Lhasa and exit from Gyirong Border. Take our 13-day Tibet overland group tour to Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, EBC, Mount Kailash, exit at Gyirong Border at cheap price. Small group, stable departure, 4-star hotels.
View ItineraryWant in-depth discovery of Tibet with unhurried pace? Take 12-day Tibet group tour for Tibet’s four pillars/highlights: Lhasa, Everest, Nyingchi & Sacred Lakes. Also visit Yamdrok Lake, Shigatse, Karola Glacier. Best local price guaranteed!
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Tibet Group ToursPrefer cheap Tibet tour with Mount Kailash and Mount Everest in one trip? Take 16-day Tibet Group Tour to Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, Shigatse, EBC, Mount Kailash (3-day Trekking) at best price in small group. 2-16 travelers, 4-star hotel, stable departure.
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Tibet Nepal Toursthis 14-day Tibet Nepal overland tour is an exceptional opportunity to immerse yourself in the natural and cultural treasures of the Himalayas
View ItineraryA Tibet overland tour is a vehicle-based itinerary that connects two distant points (typically Lhasa to Kathmandu, or Chengdu to Lhasa) by 4WD, with overnight stops at intermediate towns rather than a single base. The defining route is the Friendship Highway G318 from Lhasa to the Gyirong border (820 km), almost always paired with EBC as a side spur. The eastern alternative — the Sichuan–Tibet Highway from Chengdu — runs 2,140 km of paved switchbacks across 14 mountain passes, and is the spectacle ride that draws photographers and serious road-trippers.
Compared with a city-base Tibet tour, the overland format trades hotel comfort for landscape density. Compared with a flight-in/fly-out Tibet trip, the overland gives the body more time to acclimatise and the eye more time to register the plateau’s scale.
| Route | Distance | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lhasa – EBC – Gyirong (Nepal) | 820 km | 7–8 days | Friendship Highway |
| Chengdu – Lhasa (G318) | 2,140 km | 10–13 days | Sichuan–Tibet Highway |
| Lhasa – Kailash – Gyirong | 1,800 km | 13–16 days | Add Kailash + Guge |
| Lhasa – Ngari – Northern loop | 3,400 km | 14–18 days | Far western circuit |
| Beijing/Shanghai – Tibet – Kathmandu | 5,000+ km | 17–22 days | China + Tibet + Nepal |
Standard overland season is late April to early June and September to early November. The Sichuan–Tibet Highway has a wider window (mid-March to late November) because the eastern slopes thaw earlier. Mount Kailash overland is mid-May to early October only. The China–Tibet–Nepal corridor is bookable year-round, but mid-July to mid-August carries landslide risk on both the Sichuan side and the Gyirong descent.
Plan 10–14 days for Lhasa–EBC–Kathmandu. Plan 14–16 days for adding Kailash. Plan 18–22 days for full China–Tibet–Nepal corridor. Permit lead time is 15 working days for the Friendship Highway, 25 days for Kailash and Ngari. The Nepali border crossing requires either a pre-issued e-visa or visa-on-arrival at Rasuwagadhi.
Vehicles are Toyota Land Cruiser Prado for groups of 2–6, multi-vehicle convoys for larger parties (we cap at 4 pax per Land Cruiser to keep duffles outside the cabin). Drivers are Tibetan and have personally driven the route within the past 12 months. We carry oxygen cylinders, a Gamow bag for Kailash routes, satellite GPS for Ngari, and emergency contacts at every Tibet-side hospital up to Saga.
What we don’t do: we don’t run overland convoys faster than 80 km/h on the G318 (the road is capable but the elevation makes brake-cool intervals essential); we don’t switch hotels mid-itinerary without warning to chase a cheaper bed; and we don’t sell budget overland tours that drop the support vehicle — the second vehicle is the safety margin on Kailash and the western circuit.
The 7-day Lhasa to Kathmandu overland group tour starts from USD 999 per person. The 13-day Lhasa–EBC–Kailash–Gyirong overland is USD 2,029 per person. The 15-day Sichuan–Tibet overland from Chengdu is USD 2,754. Multi-week China–Tibet–Nepal corridor itineraries (17–22 days) start from USD 3,800 per person. Includes the Tibet Travel Permit, all China-side accommodation, Tibetan guide and 4WD with driver, entry tickets and breakfast.
Yes. The G318 from Lhasa to the Gyirong border (820 km) is fully paved, well-maintained and open year-round except during occasional landslide closures in the monsoon (mid-July to mid-August). The road climbs from 3,656 m at Lhasa to 5,220 m at Gyatso La pass, then descends to 1,800 m at the border. Five mountain passes above 4,800 m punctuate the route.
Yes. The Gyirong (Kyirong) Port has been the only operational China–Nepal land border for foreign tourists since the Zhangmu border was closed by the 2015 earthquake. Procedure: exit China at Gyirong Port, walk or drive 700 m across no-man’s-land, enter Nepal at Rasuwagadhi with a pre-issued e-visa or visa-on-arrival (USD 30 for 15 days). A Nepali driver picks up at Rasuwagadhi for the 7-hour drive to Kathmandu.
The southern Sichuan–Tibet Highway (G318) from Chengdu to Lhasa is 2,140 km and 10–13 driving days, crossing 14 mountain passes — most notably the 5,130 m Mila Pass east of Lhasa. The northern variant via the G317 (Sichuan–Tibet North Route) is 2,400 km and adds Yading Nature Reserve and the Daocheng grasslands; we run this as a 15-day product.
Yes for altitude. The Sichuan–Tibet Highway from Chengdu (500 m) climbs over 8 days to Lhasa (3,656 m), giving the body a graduated exposure that no flight can match. The Friendship Highway from Kathmandu (1,400 m) does the opposite — climbs from low altitude into the Tibetan Plateau over 7 days. Both are dramatically gentler on the body than a direct Beijing–Lhasa flight.
On standard overland itineraries, the longest single day is Saga to Darchen on the Kailash westbound leg — 530 km in 9–10 hours, with two stops at Manasarovar viewpoints. On the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, the longest day is Litang to Batang at 290 km but 8 hours of switchbacks. We schedule the longest days mid-route, never on day one or arrival day.
Yes, of varying quality. Lhasa, Shigatse, Linzhi (Bayi) and Chengdu have 4-star hotels. Saga, Darchen and Tingri have 3-star or basic guesthouses (no en-suite hot water at Darchen on most properties). Rongbuk at EBC is a monastery guesthouse — basic stone rooms, electric blankets, shared toilets. We pre-book every night and confirm 48 hours ahead.
Pick the start city, end city and total length. Send passport and Chinese visa scans (both required even for Hong Kong residents on non-PRC passports). We confirm the routing within 48 hours and start permits the day deposit clears. Total booking-to-departure window: 6–8 weeks for Friendship Highway, 8–12 weeks for Kailash overland.