13 Shigatse - North EBC

6th November 2025 Shigatse to North-EBC at Rongbuk in Tibet

Today we left our Shigatse Hotel at around 9 am and drove along drive G-318 Highway towards North -EBC. For me seeing Everest from N-EBC was the main highlight of this whole Tibet trip. The weather had cleared up to sunny weather since Lhasa and I was hoping we would get good views there. Indeed, that is what happened, we got spectacular sunset views on reaching there.

We stopped at 2-3 Viewpoints on the way. First, we stopped at the Qumolangma National Reserve Entry-gate, where we got some great view of snow-peaks. On the drive from there onwards, we kept seeing lots of snow peaks on the horizon including Mt. Everest and the peaks near there. The views were spectacular as you will see in some of the YouTube videos I have shared below.    

We reached the Tourist Center at the Quomolongma Biologocal Protection Zone at 2:15pm; where we had to change to an Eco-Bus with a minimum  back-pack for 1 night stay at EBC, leaving behind our main suitcases in our Van. Our turn to board the Eco-Bus was at 3:15pm and the ride was for about 40 minutes to reach the Rongbuk Monastery. The drive on this Bus was very scenic with various snow-covered peaks and glaciers visible at every turn and twist of the road. I would compare this Eco-Bus drive equivalent to Nepal's S-EBC trek from Lukla onwards to EBC.

At "Ronbuk Hotel - Oxygen" where we stayed one night all of us got Rooms in Block-A, with bedroom windows facing the Mt. Everest directly! All rooms were Heated (centrally, I think) and they had Oxygen pipe-supplied in the rooms; with add on feature to put on a Nose mask. None in our group needed the oxygen masks. But some in our group tried it, for the fun of it! The rooms were luxury rooms; might have been 5-Star! Imagine, such an accommodation being available at the Base Camp! I think there were other such Hotels in that area. The Rongbuk Monastery was just opposite our Hotel  across the road. The Monastery inside we could not enter as some renovation work was going on; though we could take pictures from its front courtyard. There was a large Dining Hall attached (inside) our Hotel. We had our breakfast next morning there before our departure to the Transit Center in the Eco-Bus.