Explore Rongbuk Monastery at the Base of Mt. Everest

Rongbuk is the highest monastery in the world. It has quite a beautiful backdrop featuring Mount Everest. I did not have time to go inside. The cost to enter was 40rmb but you are permitted to wander around outside or do the Kora at no cost. The Kora is lined with Mani stones and stupas.  Several prayer wheels are near the entrance but not many more past that. The monastery sits at 16,300 feet so walking around after the drive from Tingri is not easy.  Looking back, I wish I spent two days at Everest Base Camp so I can explore Rongbuk more.  

This, of course, is not the focus of most people when they travel to this area. Guides will stop by for a short time on the way to Mount Everest camp . There is a guest house directly across the dirt road.  You can get a meal and sleep here.  It is a rather new structure put up by the Chinese for tourist. My guide suggested that we travel to the tents city further up the road and sleep there.  I also recommend that experience as well.

It is not easy to get here.  There is no independent travel permitted in Tibet at this time.  To get to this area, your guide will take you to Shigatse where additional permits for the Everest region are issued.  The next day, you will travel to Tingri to sleep the night.  This will help adjust to the altitude gain, even though you probably have been in Tibet (Lhasa is 12,000) for 3 or 4 days.  So on the third day, your guide takes you to another checkpoint and then it is a long dusty drive to Rongpuk.  Totally worth the effort!