Hosted adventure · 1 to 10 September 2027
Tibet: Lhasa to Everest by Motorcycle
Ride to the foot of Everest with Ryan. Ten days on the Tibetan Plateau, from the Potala Palace in Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery beneath the north face of Mount Everest.
Ryan rode through Tibet to Everest Base Camp while filming Tough Rides: China, the journey on which he and his brother Colin became the first to ride the entire way around China, setting a Guinness World Record. In September 2027 he goes back, and this time he is taking a small group with him. You ride about 1,400 km on some of the highest roads on earth, over passes above 5,000 m, past sacred lakes, glaciers and monasteries, with Ryan as host and lead rider and a local team handling everything on the ground.
The tour is run by Tibet EasyRider, a Lhasa motorcycle tour company: the bikes, guide, support vehicle, hotels, permits and bookings are theirs. Ryan rides with the group the whole way.
The route
- Day1
Arrive in Lhasa
Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m), meet the team and settle in. Welcome dinner with the group.
- Day2
Lhasa
Acclimatisation and the city: the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. Permits and paperwork handled by the team.
- Day3
Lhasa and test ride
Collect the motorcycles and a test ride of about 150 km once driving permits are issued.
- Day4
Lhasa to Shigatse
Over the 4,990 m pass to Yamdrok Lake, past the Karola Glacier and through Gyantse to Shigatse.
- Day5
Shigatse to Tingri
Morning visit to Tashilhunpo Monastery, then west through Lhatse to Tingri, on the edge of the Everest nature reserve.
- Day6
Tingri to Everest and back
Over the Gyawu La (5,218 m), where on a clear day five 8,000 m peaks are in view, then the switchbacks to Rongbuk Monastery and the north face of Everest. Back to Tingri for the night.
- Day7
Tingri to Shigatse
The return ride east across the plateau, with time to stop for photographs.
- Day8
Shigatse to Lhasa
Through the Yarlung Tsangpo valley and back to Lhasa.
- Day9
Lhasa
A day to rest and look back on the ride, and a farewell dinner.
- Day10
Depart
Transfer to the airport or station and home.
Itinerary as set out by Tibet EasyRider. Routes in Tibet can change with permits, weather and road conditions.
The plateau
Photographs: Ryan Pyle, from The Middle Kingdom Ride
What's included
Included
- Nine nights in twin-share rooms in hotels rated four stars or above
- A BMW R1200GS for all six riding days
- Meals on the itinerary
- Support vehicle, with a driver who also provides mechanical support
- A qualified English-speaking guide
- Admission to the sites on the itinerary
- Tibet and route permits, the Chinese motorcycle driving permit and licence translation
- Travel accident insurance arranged by the operator
Not included
- International flights
- Motorcycle fuel
- Personal expenses
- Your own travel, medical and evacuation insurance, which we ask every rider to arrange
Who can ride
Riders must be aged 18 to 69 and hold a full, valid motorcycle licence from their home country covering a large motorcycle. This is a high-altitude ride on big adventure bikes, so experience on large motorcycles is expected. You will need a valid passport and the right to enter China; the team will send the document checklist and deadlines when you book.
Riding with Ryan
Ryan rode around China, India and Brazil for his television series Tough Rides. His ride around China set a Guinness World Record for the longest motorcycle journey in a single country, and took him across Tibet to Everest Base Camp.
How to join
To register your interest, email [email protected] with your name and a few lines about your riding experience, and we will send you the full details.
The tour is operated in Tibet by Tibet EasyRider (Tibet Motorcycle Travel Culture Co., Ltd., Lhasa), which takes all bookings and payments under its own terms. The departure is confirmed once six riders have booked; if fewer than six have booked and paid their deposits by 4 May 2027, the tour is cancelled and every payment is refunded in full. Prices are set by Tibet EasyRider and shown in US dollars.