The road from Kathmandu to Gyirong Port, and from Gyirong Port to Lhasa, connects the two neighboring regions in Nepal and China. Many overseas tourists choose to travel both of them by taking the overland road trip, crossing the natural border, the west-to-east mountain range, the Himalayas, and enjoying the sightseeing and cultural attractions along the route. Below is some info on the distance and accommodation of Nepal to Tibet Road.
Gyirong Port
The road trip is comprised of three sections: the Nepali part, the border area, and the Tibetan part. To ensure that you have a reasonable length of time to drive per day, several intervals for taking breaks and comfortable overnight stay is very important for both your safety and trip satisfaction.
1. In Nepali Part: It takes a good seven-hour drive from Kathmandu to Rasuwa Gadhi and Gyirong Port, the bilateral border between Nepal and Tibet. We recommend that you start the day trip from Kathmandu in the early morning so that you can arrive at the border and finish the immigration formalities before the closing time (business time: 10:00-17:30). You can stay overnight in family-run guesthouses in Rasuwa Gadhi, such as the well-reputed “Paldor Peak Guesthouse.”
Paldor Peak Guest House in Rasuwa near Gyirong border
2. At Gyirong Port: You’ll need a valid Group Chinese Visa to enter the territory of China into Tibet. And your guide will pick you up at Chinese Custom with the original Tibet permit issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau. And then you can officially enter Tibet. It is 23 kilometers from Gyirong port to Gyirong Town, where you can find clean and cozy commercial hotels and hostels in Gyirong Town, though none of them are luxurious or ranked with stars, you can have a good sleep here.
3. In Tibetan Part: Once leaving Gyirong, you can choose to head for Lhasa directly, via Gyirong county, Lhatse, Shigatse; or take detours to the Everest Base Camp to witness the mighty roof of the earth, by taking the route with Gyirong, Old Tingri, E.B.C, Shigatse, Gyantse, Yamdrok Lake and then finally get to Lhasa. Either option could be done in seven days. The lodging stops in the Tibetan part, and the recommended accommodations are as follows;
1. Gyirong County: You can find well-conditioned hostels as cheap as 50RMB per night for a bed, or cozy hotels with standard rooms at the price of 100RMB to 239RMB in Gyirong County. Accommodations in Gyirong County can be reserved online either through Ctrip.com, Booking.com, or Qunar.com.
Gyirong Hotel
2. Old Tingri (Gangga Town): You may find it tricky to book hotels online by searching Old Tingri or Gangga Town because you’ll end up with the information on the accommodation of Shekhar, which is also called New Tingri. You can ask help from your trip advisor or guide for making hotel reservations.
3. Everest Base Camp: There are only tent guesthouses at the base camp, where a big tent accommodates around 10 people; or there are limited standard rooms in the Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse.
Tent Guesthouse at Everest Base Camp
4. Lhatse: It is an important transport hub, but the power shortage may occasionally happen. It’s better to ask your trip advisor to book the hotel for you because most lodging options are not listed online.
5. Shigatse: This is the second-largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region. There are plenty of options now for overnight stay, meeting the needs of various budgets and travel types. As the tour package for foreign tourists normally includes accommodation of 3* hotels in Shigatse and Lhasa, you may now have a comfy stay here.
6. Lhasa: From luxurious hotels to comfortable class, or budget-friendly backpacker hostels, you can easily book the accommodation by yourself through booking.com, ctrip.com, or the websites of the hotels. You can also choose the tour package inclusive of the accommodation.
