Gyirong Port Transportation - Get to Gyirong from Nepal or Tibet

As the only available border crossing between Tibet and Nepal for international travelers, Gyirong Port now - a national first class land port adds more choices to visit Nepal and Tibet together except the existed international flight between Lhasa and Kathmandu. Located at the border areas of Himalaya Mountains, the port is in southwest Tibet and North Nepal, a well link point of overland tour for tourists.

Kathmandu to Gyirong Port – Travel from Nepal to Tibet

Distance: about 160km

Time: at least 6 hours, normally 7~8 hours

Nepal tour must bring you lots of fun and distinctive experience. International tourism in Nepal develops maturity, so you don’t need to worry about transportation to Tibet through Gyirong Port. Kathmandu is the capital and traffic center in Nepal where you will depart from for next tourist stop in Tibet. Option for independent travelers is to contact an expert driver or seek assistance from a Nepal travel agency to take you to Gyirong port. Considering the inconvenience from unknown arrangements, TibetDiscovery would like to make our Nepal travel partner to operate the traffic vehicle, a 4WD or a bus to Gyirong Port for you. You can take a stopover to have a simple meal on the way. After you pass through Rasuwa Bridge in Gyirong Port and enter the Tibet side, our Tibet tour guide will pick you up and escort you all the way during you Tibet journey. You can contact us to book Nepal Tibet tour and check transportation expense if you need.

The road from Gyirong to Kathmandu in Nepal is mostly unpaved with 50km long macadam and miles of narrow twisting mountain road. Some segments are cramped only for one car. Most tourist are likely to encounter two kinds of situations, including traffic jam caused by landslide (when frequent rainfall happens during May to October)or over crowed vehicles in high season, or road closure due to bad weather, such as heavy rain and snow in winter months (December to February). Both of them may turn your long driving to Gyirong Port from Kathmandu into over 10hrs suffering. Therefore, we strongly suggest you to pay close attention to the weather in Kathmandu before leaving.

Road from Kathmandu to Gyirong in May

Nepal Bus from Kathmandu to Gyirong Port

Tibet to Gyirong Port – Travel from Tibet to Nepal

Tibet has too much to offer that tourists can’t visit them all in a short period of time. Travelling to Nepal from Tibet via Gyirong Port means tourists can extend Tibet land tour southwestward, where worth visiting attractions like Mt. Kailash and the highest mount in the world – Mt. Everest, also the natural boundary between Tibet and Nepal are just nearby.

1. Lhasa to Gyirong

Distance: about 820km

Time: about 20 hours

Route: Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Tingri – Gyirong County – Gyirong Town – Gyirong Port

Lhasa is the capital and gateway city in Tibet, and thanks to its convenient transportation with China's other regions, Lhasa is often chosen as the first destination of Tibet tour. If your Tibet itinerary just covers the Lhasa and surrounding visits, then you will head for Gyirong Port, Gyirong Town in Shigatse Prefecture. During the long westward drive from Lhasa to Shigatse through Gyantse, tourists can visit famous sightseeings like Yamdrok Lake, Tashilumpo Monastery and Palcho Monastery,etc. You will have some stopover and rest during this long-distance ride. In Tibet, all the roads from Lhasa to Gyirong Port are nicely paved, because you are moving along the Sino-Nepalese Highway, west line to Gyirong Portand, east to Zhangmu Port, which consist of large part of National Highway G318 from Lhasa.

In future, the completion of Lhasa Kathmandu Railway via Gyirong Port will cut down lots of time spent on traffic and provide you more comforts when going to Nepal. Now the Qinghai Tibet Railway and Lhasa Shigatse Railway are running, the rest sections between Shigatse to Gyirong and Gyirong to Kathmandu is under planning and the new connection believed to be constructed several years later.

2. Mount Everest to Gyirong Port

Distance: about 350 km

Time: about 10 hours

Route: Mt.Everest /EBC – Gangga Town (Tingri County) - Gyirong Town – Gyirong Port

Mount Everest (Tibet Side) is located southeast of Gyirong Port. Once ends your Everest expedition of Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Monastery, continue a prolonged ride to Gyirong Port, another border between Tibet and Nepal in Gyirong County of Shigatse Prefecture.

Firstly, you will drive about 100km to Gangga Town of Tingri County, which is one of the best places to watch Mt. Everest from a distance. The road condition is good, but elevation decrease greatly from EBC (5200m) to Gangga Town (about 4000m). Later you get on the G318 National Highway from Gongga Town to west Nyalam County, where the Zhangmu Port is located. When passing by some mountain slopes, you can see the Pelkutso Lake and Mt.Shishapangma at the roadside. Keep driving on tens of km dirt roads for some hours after passing the fork in the 318 National Rd in Nyalam County, finally you will arrive in Gyirong Town, about 70km far to Gyirong County for accommodation. You will stay overnight in Gyirong Town and get to the 25 km away Gyirong Port to exit Tibet and enter Nepal. Sometimes segments between Gyirong County and Gyirong Town are having road works, and a few roads to Nitsun Village from Gyirong Town are lacet roads, these parts will drive cautiously for security.

3. Mt. Kailash to Gyirong Port

Distance: about 680 km

Time: about 15hours

Route：Mt.Kailash /Darchen - Sagar County- Gyirong County – Gyirong Town – Gyirong Port

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra definitely leaves you an unforgettable life memory. Next thing is to start your long journey to Gyirong Port from Darchen all the way on 219 National Highway. You will drive to Sagar County which is about 500km away from Mt.Kailash for about 8~ 9 hours the first day and stay one night in Sagar. During the first part of journey along asphalt pavements, tourists will enjoy much natural scenery along the highway, such as splendid snow mountains, verdurous lakes, vast grassland, downsands and sheep flocks.

Next, you are going to drive southward on the Xifeng Sideway, ending sightseeing trip on 219 National Rd. The entire sideway is well-paved asphalt road. Gyirong Town is about 100km from north Sagar County, and it takes nearly 5 hours to get a short stopover in Gyirong Town and go on the last journey to Gyirong Port for a 25kms’ driving. Pristine Tibet beauty is the whole landscape you will see on the second day, including beautiful Pelkutso Lake, snowy peak – Mt.Shishapangma and thickly forested Gyirong Valley. Dress warm and take care of yourself when passing some high altitude mountain pass.

Zhangmu Port in Nyalam County of Shigatse Prefecture, about 300km away from Gyirong Port, was the biggest and busiest border crossing to Tibet from Nepal. Though it remains closed now, China is doing the utmost to replan and reconstruct this frontier port. TibetDiscovery will keep an eye on news about it and update for your conference.

Night View of Lhasa Potala Palace

Palcho Monastery in Gyantse

Lhasa to Gyirong via Beautiful Yamdrok Lake

Everest View from Rongbuk Monastery

Southern Face of Mt. Kailash

Sheep by Darchen Sagar Roadside

Pelkutso Lake on Way to Gyirong from Sagar

Travel Tips:

1. Road Condition. In Tibet, popular highways like 328 National Highway, or Sino-Nepalese Highway and 219 National Rd are newly asphalt concrete pavement roads that are good for driving. Only few paths to small remote villages and towns are puddly or gravel roads, jolty a little sometimes. However, the long road between Kathmandu to Gyirong Port is not ideal for it’s a one-way rubble mountain way, where traffic jam happens a lot.

2. Weather Information. Selecting a good time to visit Lhasa, Mt. Everest or Mt.Kailash and etc. is important. When weather permits, you are likely to endure a shorter riding time and enjoy more beautiful scenery along the way. More attention to the Kathmandu – Gyirong Road whether it rains or not.

3. Accommodation Arrangement. TibetDiscovery will take care of all your Tibet travel services, including transportation, where to live and eat. Some snacks and food should be prepared for the lengthy driving. Normally we arrange you good places to stay overnight during the long journey, but lodging in remote and less-developed tourist areas will be a little bit simple and basic.

4. Dressing and Altitude Sickness. Never forget to keep warm in Tibet wherever you go, especially to peaks like Mt. Everest or Mt. Kailash. You will probably have some mild effect of altitude while climbing up high mountain passes. Ask for help from tour guide when you need.

Cycling on the 318 National Highway

Wear Warm Clothes to Trek around EBC

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Tibet Discovery Tours is specialized in finding unique experience of Tibet, and leading you to explore what interests you most. Our Private Tibet Nepal Tours will take you to explore deep into the Holy Land, with loads of options, freedom & flexibility. You can choose from the following hand-picked tour packages which have been successfully operated for many years and created loads of amazing experiences for our customers, or check more Nepal Tibet Tours >>

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