Rongbuk Monastery is 8 kilometers/5 miles north of Everest Base Camp in Tibet. It is regarded as the highest monastery in the world. More info on Rongbuk at: info@thelandofsnows.com
For information on a tour to visit Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp, go to the following link: Overland Journey from Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp, or send us an email at: info@thelandofsnows.com
Rongbuk: Highest Monastery in the World
Rongbuk Monastery (རོང་ཕུ་དགོན་པ།), also spelled Rongphu, is regarded as the highest monastery in the world at an elevation of 5000 meters/16,420 feet. The Dira Puk Monastery on the north side of Mt Kailash in western Tibet is technically higher than Rongbuk at 5080 meters/16,670 feet. Still, most sources list Rongbuk as the highest, including Wikipedia.
The monastery is just a few kilometers north of the infamous “tent hotels,” the closest accommodation option to Everest Base Camp for non-climbers, and just north of the Tibet-side base camp. Rongbuk Monastery was founded in 1902 and is part of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Before the monastery was built, monks and nuns used the area around the monastery to meditate. Numerous meditation caves can be found along the mountainsides in the Rongbuk Valley.
Before the 1960s, several hundred monks and nuns lived at Rongbuk. Currently, only around 35 monks and nuns live here. The monastery has a large stupa lined with prayer wheels and a pilgrimage circuit all around the complex. Above the monastery is an excellent viewpoint that offers a panoramic vista of the monastery along with a clear, unobstructed view of Everest’s North Face. For obvious reasons, Rongbuk Monastery is regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The view of Everest from this area is far superior to that of Everest from the Nepal Everest Base Camp.
Mt Everest viewed from Rongbuk Monastery.
Overlooking Rongbuk Monastery with Everest rising above the clouds in the background
How to get to Rongbuk Monastery
All foreign travelers to Tibet MUST be on an organized tour that includes travel permits, a private vehicle, a driver, a tour guide, and an official travel itinerary. There are no exceptions to these travel regulations. So that you know, only a travel agency in Tibet can help you arrange the required organized tour. Contrary to popular belief, a group tour is NOT require to visit Tibet. Solo travelers can easily visit Tibet if they are on an organized tour. You’ll need to travel to Tibet to organize well in advance. I recommend contacting a travel agency in Tibet at least 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to arrive.
Unlike the Nepal-side Everest Base Camp, which can only be reach by trekking, Rongbuk Monastery and the Tibet-side base camp can be reach by road. A paved road leads from Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery. The travel agency you use will arrange a vehicle to take you to the Tibet Everest Region.
Getting to Tibet
Getting to Tibet is not tricky, despite what you may have read or heard. Visiting Tibet is very easy, as the travel agency you use will take care of nearly all your travel plans. Almost all travelers to Tibet start by flying or taking the train to Lhasa, the capital city. Lhasa is located some 800 kilometers east of Rongbuk Monastery. A journey from Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp will take between 8 and 12 days to complete, depending on your travel itinerary.
Location of the Ronbuk Monastery
As Rongbuk lies at an altitude of 5000 meters/16,400 feet, proper altitude acclimatization at a slow pace is crucial. We recommend taking at least 10 days from Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery and back to Lhasa (or on to Nepal). This amount of time will allow you to acclimate much better to Tibet’s high altitude and experience Tibet at a much slower pace.
An example of a travel itinerary is from Lhasa to Rongbuk and Mt Everest. Again, this entire route will be done by vehicle, as a road leads all the way to Rongbuk. You don’t need to trek.
Lhasa to Everest Basecamp Trekking Tour Itinerary
1st Day: Arrive in Lhasa
2nd Day: Lhasa—Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Barkhor Square
3rd Day: Lhasa—Potala Palace, Drepung Monastery
4th Day: Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Karo La Glacier—Gyantse
5th Day: Gyantse—Shigatse—Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
6th Day: Shigatse—Shelkar
7th Day: Shelkar—Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp
8th Day: Everest Base Camp—Shigatse
9th Day: Shigatse—Lhasa
10th Day: Depart Lhasa
NOTE: An alternative is to go from Everest Base Camp to Old Tingri on Day 8, to the Tibet—Nepal border at the town of Kyirong on Day 9, and then continue to Kathmandu on Day 10.
For more information on our tour to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp, please email us at: info@thelandofsnows.com 
Mt Everest viewed from the prayer wheels at Rongbuk Monastery.
The sun rising on Mt Everest. The picture was from above Rongbuk Monastery.
Best time to visit Rongbuk Monastery
Rongbuk Monastery and Mt Everest in Tibet can be visit anytime of year, except from mid-February until very early April. Tibet is close to all foreign travelers annually for those 5 or 6 weeks. The best months to visit Rongbuk Monastery are April, May, October, November, and December. These months generally have clear skies, allowing excellent views of Mount Everest. January is also okay, though temperatures can be pretty cold then. The winter months typically bring little snow to the north side of Mount Everest in Tibet. I have been to Everest Base Camp numerous times in the winter and rarely seen any measurable snow.
From mid-June through mid- to late September, heavy clouds from the monsoon season in South Asia can obscure the view of Mt Everest, hiding it behind clouds. July and August are usually not the best months to visit the Mt Everest Region because there can be considerable cloud coverage then.
Rongbuk Monastery is located 8 kilometers north of Everest base camp in Tibet.
Tibetan road workers near the Dza Rongbuk retreat
Summary of Rongbuk Monastery
- Rongbuk Monastery is often list as the highest in the world at an altitude of 5000 meters. But Dira Puk Monastery near Mt Kailash is slightly higher.
- When the weather is clear, Rongbuk offers a clear, unobstructed view of Mt Everest.
- The view of Mt Everest from the Tibet-side base camp is much better than that of the Nepal-side base camp.
- Rongbuk Monastery is just a few kilometers north of Everest Base Camp in Tibet.
- All foreign travelers to Tibet must be on an organized tour that can only be arranged through a travel agency. There are no exceptions.
- The best months to visit Rongbuk Monastery are April, May, October, November, and December.
- Getting to Tibet is NOT difficult. Contact us for info on visiting Rongbuk Monastery, Everest Base Camp, or other areas of Tibet: contact us or info@thelandofsnows.com
More info on visiting Tibet at: info@thelandofsnows.com