Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

POST-MTP CHENGDU: China-Tibet-Kathmandu-Everest Overland Group Tour

So you’ve made it all the way to Chengdu for the MTP Summit. You’re already in China, surrounded by some of the most travelled people on the planet, so what do you do when the conference finishes? Fly home?! Absolutely not. We’re going to take the long way home instead.

As a GrandMaster myself, a friend of Charle’s and Luis and a sponsor of the Chengdu MTP conference (October 21-24, 2027), I’m running a series of WILD, EPIC group tours before and after the conference itself. We have 2 jaw-dropping journeys BEFORE the MTP conference kicks off. Overland from Pakistan into China, via the Karakoram Highway (insane, check that out HERE), and a beauty in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Then we have a few trips AFTER the summit. I’ll be the guide on this overland odyssey through China, Tibet, Everest Base Camp and finally into Kathmandu, Nepal. See you there I hope! So let’s have a look at the trip:

Overland from Chongqing/Chengdu, China to Kathmandu, Nepal. I don’t know where to start with the highlights of our group tour. Let’s try:

• Travel with a group of fellow MTP travellers immediately after MTP Chengdu 2027
• Everest Base Camp (Tibet side, no hiking!)
• Chongqing, China’s viral cyberpunk city
• Ride the legendary Qinghai–Tibet Railway towards Lhasa
• Lhasa, the ancient Tibetan capital
• Overlanding from Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal

Wow. And all just 11 days. This is a SERIOUS trip! Normally when I plan the trip, there is 1, maybe 2, MAIN events. But this thing has about 7! But I know 11 days is long, and not everyone has enough holiday days to make it. So if you would prefer to just do Chengdu (and the lovely Pandas) and Chongqing, and cut the Tibet and Everest and Nepal section, we can do that too. More on that info below.

TLDR? JUST WANNA BOOK??

If you don’t want to read my usual 3,000 words of travel waffle, here’s the deal. Finish the MTP Summit in Chengdu, pack your bags and come with me for 11 more days through China, Tibet and Nepal.

We leave Chengdu on 25 October, spend our first night exploring Chongqing, take the famous train all the way onto the Tibetan Plateau, spend two days in Lhasa, road-trip across Tibet to Everest Base Camp and then continue overland across the Nepalese border to Kathmandu. No serious hiking, no technical climbing and no expedition experience required. This one is about ridiculous scenery, remote roads, culture, altitude and one hell of an adventure.

CHONGQING: CHINA’S INSANE VERTICAL CITY

First up, Chongqing. And if you haven’t been before, prepare yourself because this place barely makes sense.

We’ll leave Chengdu after MTP and take the high-speed train to Chongqing. It’s one of those cities that the internet has suddenly discovered over the last few years, with trains disappearing through apartment blocks, roads stacked on top of other roads, skyscrapers seemingly beginning halfway up cliffs and streets where you can somehow be on the ground floor and the 20th floor at the same time.

The city really comes alive after dark, so that first evening we’ll head towards Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave, take in the skyline and get our first proper taste of Chongqing. And because we’re in Sichuan, we’ll also get stuck into a hotpot dinner. I’ll make sure there are options for those of us who don’t want our mouths medically reconstructed afterwards.

We then have most of the following day to keep exploring before heading to the railway station that evening. This is where the trip changes completely. Neon skyscrapers disappear behind us and one of Asia’s great railway journeys begins.

THE QINGHAI–TIBET RAILWAY: CHINA TO LHASA BY TRAIN

Flying to Lhasa would obviously be quicker. But where’s the fun in that?

Instead, we’ll take the train towards Tibet and spend the following day crossing the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The railway reaches more than 5,000 metres above sea level at its highest point, with enormous empty plains, frozen lakes, mountains, tiny settlements and yaks appearing outside the windows as we climb towards Lhasa.

There are journeys where transport is simply how you get from A to B. This isn’t one of them. The train is part of the trip, and I’d choose this over flying every single time.

It also gives us a much more gradual introduction to the altitude than simply landing in Lhasa from sea level. We’ll spend two nights aboard before eventually rolling into Tibet’s capital on 28 October.

LHASA & TIBET

Arriving in Lhasa is when the trip moves into another gear. We’ll suddenly be at roughly 3,650 metres above sea level, surrounded by mountains, prayer flags, Buddhist monasteries and pilgrims who have travelled enormous distances to worship here.

Our first day is deliberately easy. Altitude deserves respect, and nobody wins any prizes for charging around Lhasa five minutes after arriving. We’ll transfer to the hotel, settle in, get some food and gently explore the city while everyone acclimatises.

The following day we properly discover Lhasa, including its most famous sight, the Potala Palace, along with the old Tibetan quarter and some of the city’s most important religious sites. Tibet isn’t somewhere I want us to race through simply to say we’ve been there. Having a couple of days in Lhasa gives us time to actually experience the place before we begin driving west towards Everest.

Foreign travel to Tibet involves additional permit and organised-tour requirements, which is exactly why we arrange this section through our local partners rather than leaving everyone to figure it out individually. We’ve got you covered!

EVEREST BASE CAMP: THE TIBET SIDE

Then comes the big one. I was lucky enough to summit Everest in 2023 (be ready for me to BORE you with details about that!), and I can tell you that no matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing really prepares you for the scale of the mountain when you’re standing underneath it. On this trip, thankfully, nobody needs to spend two months climbing the thing. We’re driving there.

From Lhasa we travel west through Gyantse and onwards to Shigatse, with huge Tibetan landscapes unfolding around us as we move deeper into the plateau. From Shigatse we continue towards Everest Base Camp on the north side of Everest, where the mountain rises directly in front of you.

The Tibetan side gives you an extraordinary view of Everest’s North Face. Weather always has the final say in the mountains, of course, but if we get a clear day this will almost certainly be one of those travel moments that sticks with you forever.

And yes, we are actually sleeping up there in the Everest region. No day trip. No photograph and turn around. We’ve come all this way, so we’re doing it properly.

OVERLAND FROM TIBET TO KATHMANDU

Most people who visit Tibet eventually fly back out. We’re not doing that either.

After Everest we continue west and then south towards Gyirong, watching the landscape gradually change as we descend from the high, barren Tibetan Plateau towards the greener Himalayan valleys close to Nepal. We spend our final night in Tibet near the border and then continue overland the following morning.

Crossing a border on foot or by road has always felt infinitely more adventurous to me than walking through another airport immigration queue. One side is Tibet. Then you cross the border and suddenly everything changes: the language, food, people, roads, architecture and general chaos of life.

From the border we’ll drive through the Nepalese Himalayas until we finally arrive in Kathmandu. After travelling from Chengdu through Chongqing, across the Tibetan Plateau and past Everest, rolling into Nepal’s capital by road is a pretty spectacular way to finish the journey.

THE FULL 11-DAY ITINERARY

DAY 1 – 25 OCTOBER: CHENGDU → CHONGQING

MTP Chengdu is finished, but we’re definitely not going home yet. We’ll leave Chengdu and jump on the high-speed train to Chongqing, swapping the conference for one of the strangest and most spectacular cities in China.

After checking into the hotel, we’ll head into the madness around Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave. Chongqing is at its best after dark, when seemingly the entire city lights up around the rivers, so tonight is all about skyline views, exploring the vertical city and getting stuck into a proper Sichuan hotpot dinner together.

OVERNIGHT: Chongqing

DAY 2 – 26 OCTOBER: CHONGQING & THE TRAIN TO TIBET

We have another day to explore Chongqing properly. Expect giant skyscrapers, strange multi-level streets, trains running through buildings, viewpoints over the Yangtze and Jialing rivers and plenty of opportunities to wonder who on Earth designed this place.

Later in the day we head to the station and board our train towards Lhasa. Get comfortable because this is home for the next couple of nights. The city disappears behind us and our journey onto the Tibetan Plateau begins.

OVERNIGHT: Qinghai–Tibet Railway

DAY 3 – 27 OCTOBER: ACROSS THE QINGHAI–TIBET PLATEAU

Today is one of those rare travel days when sitting on a train is actually the main event. As we gain altitude, the landscapes become increasingly remote, with huge open plains, snow-covered mountains, lakes and settlements scattered across the Tibetan Plateau.

There’s nothing particularly complicated to do today. Read a book, chat rubbish with the rest of the MTP crew, drink tea, look out the window and watch one of the most dramatic landscapes in Asia roll past. Sometimes travel is better when you slow everything down.

OVERNIGHT: Qinghai–Tibet Railway

DAY 4 – 28 OCTOBER: ARRIVE IN LHASA

We arrive in Lhasa and transfer to our hotel. At approximately 3,650 metres above sea level, today is deliberately designed to be gentle so our bodies have time to adjust to the altitude before we start heading even higher.

Once everyone is settled, we’ll take an easy wander around the old city and begin getting our first taste of Tibetan culture. No heroics today. Eat, hydrate, walk slowly and enjoy finally being in one of the most fascinating destinations on Earth.

OVERNIGHT: Lhasa

DAY 5 – 29 OCTOBER: LHASA

Today we properly explore the Tibetan capital. The centrepiece is the Potala Palace, one of the most instantly recognisable buildings anywhere in Asia, but Lhasa is much more than a single landmark.

We’ll spend the day experiencing the old quarter, Tibetan Buddhist sites and the atmosphere around the city while continuing to acclimatise. By now we’ve already travelled from Chengdu to futuristic Chongqing, crossed much of western China by rail and reached Tibet, and somehow Everest is still ahead of us.

OVERNIGHT: Lhasa

DAY 6 – 30 OCTOBER: LHASA → GYANTSE → SHIGATSE

Road-trip time. We leave Lhasa and begin travelling overland across Tibet, heading via Gyantse towards Shigatse.

This is exactly why I love overland travel. The gaps between the famous destinations become part of the experience, with high mountain passes, enormous valleys, Tibetan villages and Himalayan scenery appearing around practically every corner. By evening we reach Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city and our final major stop before turning towards Everest.

OVERNIGHT: Shigatse

DAY 7 – 31 OCTOBER: SHIGATSE → EVEREST BASE CAMP

This is the day everyone has been waiting for. We leave Shigatse and continue deeper into the Himalayas towards Mount Everest.

Eventually the highest mountain on Earth appears ahead of us and we reach the Everest Base Camp region on the Tibetan side. Assuming the mountain gods behave themselves and give us clear weather, we’ll have time to take in the North Face of Everest, get the obligatory photos and simply appreciate where the hell we are.

I climbed Everest back in 2023, so returning here and drinking beers rather than needing to carry an ice axe, oxygen cylinders and two months of expedition gear sounds pretty appealing to me.

OVERNIGHT: Everest Base Camp area

DAY 8 – 1 NOVEMBER: EVEREST BASE CAMP → GYIRONG

We wake up in the Everest region and, weather permitting, get another chance to see the mountain before beginning our journey towards Nepal.

The landscape gradually changes as we leave Everest behind and descend towards Gyirong. Tonight is our final night in Tibet, close to the Nepalese border, after what has already been an absolutely ridiculous week of travel.
OVERNIGHT: Gyirong

DAY 9 – 2 NOVEMBER: GYIRONG → KATHMANDU

Two countries in one day. We leave Gyirong, head to the border and cross from Tibet into Nepal before continuing by road towards Kathmandu.

Today we cross one of the world’s most iconic land borders, leaving Tibet behind and entering Nepal. Almost immediately everything changes. The roads become busier, the villages livelier and the atmosphere wonderfully chaotic.

From the border we’ll continue through the Himalayan foothills to Kathmandu, Nepal’s colourful capital. After checking into our hotel we’ll head out together to soak up our new surroundings before enjoying another fantastic group dinner. We’ve travelled by bullet train, sleeper train and crossed the Himalayas by road, and somehow the adventure still isn’t over.

OVERNIGHT: Kathmandu

DAY 10 – 3 NOVEMBER: KATHMANDU

Our final full day is spent exploring one of Asia’s great capitals. We’ll visit Kathmandu’s incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple, learning about Nepal’s fascinating history and culture along the way. There’ll also be free time to wander the lively streets of Thamel, grab a coffee, hunt for souvenirs or simply enjoy the atmosphere. Tonight we’ll celebrate an extraordinary journey together over one final dinner, sharing stories from 11 days that packed in more adventure than many people experience in a lifetime.

Overnight: Kathmandu

DAY 11 – 4 NOVEMBER. We’re outta here

Sadly, every adventure has to end.

Ten days earlier we were leaving the MTP Summit in Chengdu. After breakfast it’s time to say goodbye and head home. Over the last 11 days we’ve explored China’s most futuristic city, travelled across the highest railway in the world, wandered ancient Lhasa, stood beneath Mount Everest and crossed the Himalayas into Nepal. Safe travels, and hopefully this won’t be the last ridiculous adventure we share together.

What’s Included?

• 10 nights’ accommodation (plus the iconic Tibet sleeper train)
• 35-hour Qinghai-Tibet Railway sleeper ticket
• All transport throughout the itinerary
• Tibet Travel Permit all organised on our side
• All sightseeing and entrance fees listed
• English-speaking local guides
• Breakfasts and selected additional meals
• Western guide for the whole trip

What’s Not Included?

• International flights
• Chinese visa (if required, but we help with paperwork)
• Nepal visa on arrival
• Travel insurance (mandatory)
• Lunches and dinners unless stated
• Personal expenses
• Tips for local guides and drivers

China Tibet Nepal Overland tour Dates and Prices

October 25-November 4th, 2027.

$3950*

*Based on twin sharing. Single supplement available.

How Do I Join This Trip!?

HOW THIS TRIP CONNECTS WITH MTP CHENGDU 2027

This trip has been deliberately designed as a post-trip for the MTP Chengdu 2027 Summit. There’s no awkward flight somewhere else in Asia to begin another tour and no wasted day sitting around waiting. We simply finish MTP, meet the group and continue travelling.

That means anyone attending MTP can build one seriously epic China trip around the conference. Come to Chengdu for the summit, meet a bunch of the world’s most travelled people and then continue with some of them all the way across Tibet to Nepal.

And because we finish in Kathmandu rather than backtracking to China, you can simply fly home from Nepal or, knowing the MTP crowd, probably continue on to another country and make the whole thing even more ridiculous.

Other MTP Chengdu Trips with us?

• Pre-conference trip 1: Pakistan to China overland via the Karakoram Highway (EPIC!)
• Pre-conference trip 2: If the Karakoram isn’t for you, we’re also running a 8D/7N pre-trip adventure to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. CHECK THAT OUT HERE.
• Post-conference trip 4. If you don’t want to overland through Tibet, you can fly to Ulaanbaatar and go and see the remote Reindeer Herders in the Northern Mongolian Territories with us. CHECK THAT OUT HERE.
• Mini Pre-conference trip 5: If you’re stuck for time, or don’t want to spend too much, we have a GORGEOUS shorter trip to Guilin + Yangshuo, bringing you back in time for the conference perfectly.
• Mini Post-conference trip 6: Bangladesh. We have a side quest in Dhaka! Then overland deep into the Sundarbans. 5 days, great price, real travel.
• Mini Post-conference trip 7: If you want to hang out with the overlanders to Tibet and Nepal, you can join a short version of that trip to just Chengdu and then onto the now famous ‘Cyberpunk City of China’, Chongqing for just a few days. A great cheap and fun extension to the conference.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT KIND OF TRIP IS THIS?

This is an adventure trip, but it isn’t an endurance trip. There’s no major trekking and no climbing required. You don’t need expedition experience and you don’t need to be super fit.

The main physical consideration is altitude. Lhasa is already around 3,650 metres and Everest Base Camp is roughly 5,200 metres, so everybody needs to take acclimatisation seriously. Our route gives us time in Lhasa before we travel higher, but altitude affects different people in different ways and nobody can guarantee how an individual will react.

Apart from that, expect long drives, two nights on a sleeper train, early starts, changing road conditions and some fairly basic accommodation once we get into the more remote parts of Tibet. If your idea of a holiday is seven days beside a swimming pool, this probably isn’t it. If you like proper travel, border crossings, ridiculous landscapes and getting somewhere the interesting way rather than the easiest way, you’ll fit right in.

What about Chinese Visas and Permits for Tibet?

Getting into Tibet sounds complicated. BUT that’s exactly why you should travel with us.

Most nationalities can now apply for a Chinese eVisa quickly and easily, and we’ll guide you through that process.

Once that’s sorted, we handle all of the Tibet permit paperwork through our long-standing local partners. We’ve been working with the same trusted team in Tibet for over a decade, so you don’t need to worry about navigating the bureaucracy. We know the process, we know the people, and we’ll make getting to Tibet as straightforward and stress-free as possible.

Do I need to be fit?

No. There are no difficult hikes or climbs on this trip. The biggest challenge is the altitude, but our itinerary is specifically designed to acclimatise gradually before reaching Everest.

How high do we go?

Everest Base Camp sits at around 5,200 metres (17,060 ft). We’ll spend several days acclimatising throughout the trip before travelling there.

Is Tibet difficult to visit?

Yes. And that’s exactly why this trip exists. Tibet requires permits, registered guides and carefully organised logistics. We handle all of that for you.

Will we really visit Everest Base Camp?

Absolutely. We’ll visit the Tibetan (north) side of Everest, which many people consider the most spectacular viewpoint of the mountain.

IS THE TRAIN COMFORTABLE?

It’s a long-distance sleeper train rather than a luxury hotel on rails, but you’ll have a proper berth and it’s absolutely part of the adventure. Bring snacks, headphones, a book and whatever else you need to settle in because we’re spending two nights aboard.

The reward is getting to watch the landscape slowly transform as we climb onto the Tibetan Plateau rather than appearing in Lhasa instantly after a flight.