On January 7, 2025, the peaceful Shigatse in Tibet was suddenly hit by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake. In an instant, the ground shook violently, causing heavy casualties and the collapse of numerous houses. On-site rescue work is now underway.
Currently, our staff and families in Lhasa are safe and sound. During this period, we’ve received many warm concerns from our customers, and we thank you all very much. We are constantly paying attention to the situation in the affected areas and doing our best to provide assistance to support the earthquake epicenter. At the same time, we will quickly help our customers adjust their affected itineraries to ensure everyone’s safety. The following is some information on the earthquake and Tibet tourism.
Latest News on Shigatse Earthquake: Hope Is Born out of Grief
So far, the Shigatse Tingri earthquake has caused 126 deaths, 188 injuries, and 3,612 house collapses. Every life lost and every family destroyed has caused us immense pain. However, the continuous assistance from all over the world has given us the strength to rebuild our homes and hope for the future.

As a crucial member specializing in processing travel documents at Tibet Horizon, Ms. Kalsang Dolma was affected by the earthquake. When learning that her home in Tingri had collapsed under the ravages of the earthquake, everyone’s eyes turned red. However, enduring the surging grief in her heart, she chose to stay with the rescue team at the front line to help other people. The carefulness and professionalism she showed when processing complicated travel permits now all turned into care and help for the affected people.
After learning about her difficult situation, Mr. Lobsang Tenzin, the CEO of Tibet Horizon quickly approved to provide her with sufficient financial subsidies for housing reconstruction, daily life guarantees and so on. We hope to let her know that we will always be her strongest support. No matter how fierce the storm ahead is, we will stand hand in hand and get through it together.
Currently, 2,308 people have been evacuated from Tingri County, 187 resettlement sites have been set up, and 46,500 people have been resettled. All 484 tourists in Tingri County have returned safely to the urban area of Shigatse. More and more rescue forces are gathering in Tingri, and we will continue to pay close attention to the latest updates.
Impact of the Earthquake on Tibet Tourism: Where Can I Visit and Where Cannot?
Located in Tingri, Shigatse, Tibet, Everest Base Camp has been temporarily closed. And the overland trip between Lhasa and Kathmandu, Nepal is not possible now. The epicenter of the Shigatse Tingri earthquake is about 65 km from Mount Everest, 164 km from Shigatse, 379 km from Lhasa, 350 km from Gyirong, and 590 km from Kathmandu.
Recently, in order to ensure the safety of tourists and leave a passage for rescue teams, the Everest Base Camp is not open for tourists, and the road to Mount Everest is only for rescue. It is expected that the road to Mount Everest could be reopened on January 23, that is, in two weeks. Before then, the Everest Base Camp tour and Lhasa Kathmandu overland tour are not possible.
However, other parts of Tibet has not been affected by the Shigatse earthquake. You can still go to the holy city of Lhasa to explore the iconic attractions like Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, or enjoy the beautiful scenery of Yamdrok Lake and Namtso Lake. Nyingchi, as the lowest-altitude region in Tibet, is also a good place to visit, where you can enjoy the natural beauty of glaciers and forests. Visiting most of the scenic spots in Tibet is no problem.

Tibet Tour Now: Can I Still Book a Tibet Tour? Do I Need to Postpone My Trip?
If you were planning to travel to Everest Base Camp in Tibet in January 2025, or take an overland trip between Lhasa and Kathmandu, please postpone your trip or change your itinerary. However, other parts of Tibet such as Lhasa and Nyingchi are not affected by the Shigatse earthquake, and you can still visit most of the attractions in Tibet in January this year.
If you are planning to travel to Tibet after February 2025, then feel free to book your trip. The road to Everest will definitely be reopened by then, and you can visit Everest Base Camp as usual, or take an overland trip from Tibet to Nepal. If your Everest tour is scheduled on Janurary and are unable to travel due to the closure, we at Tibet Horizon will give you a partial refund (not including the deposit because it has been used to apply for Tibet Travel Permit.) And if you want to change your itinerary, we’ll help to customize your trip again free of charge. Please let us know if you have any questions.
What’s more, as Shigatse is far away from Mount Kailash, the road to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is not affected by the recent earthquake. Therefore, you can book your Mount Kailash tour in 2025 without worry.

Tibet Horizon’s Action: Support the Epicenter Area at Once
The moment the news of the earthquake came, Mr. Tenzin Sherab and Mr. Karma, two tour guide from Tibet Horizon, immediately rode their motorbikes for more than 470 kilometers in 6 hours to the epicenter–Cuoguo Town, Tingri County, Shigatse. They worked hard to move the heavy slates on the ruins and clean up the disaster-stricken sites. They also helped transport the injured people and comforted everyone’s uneasy emotions.

Learning that there was a shortage of supplies in the epicenter area, on January 8th, Tibet Horizon team donated the emergency supplies, ranging from professional medical kits to urgently needed food and clean drinking water. The vehicles were loaded up and then sped towards the disaster area without delay.
Our tour guides on site shuttled among temporary resettlement sites to distribute the supplies to the affected compatriots, trying their best to ensure that people could have basic living guarantees in the difficult situation.
At the same time, the rest of us in Lhasa are communicating and coordinating with clients who have already entered or are about to enter Tibet to ensure a safe trip during this period. Although we cannot directly participate in the rescue work in the epicenter area, all our tour guides, drivers, and staff in Lhasa are sticking to their posts, contributing to the reconstruction and recovery of local tourism. We will do our best to make your trip to Tibet safe and rewarding.
Uniting for Tibet’s Future: Building a Better Tomorrow
This earthquake has made us see the cold and ruthless side of nature. But at the same time, we also truly witnessed the brilliant light of humanity. We sincerely thank you again for your concerns and support during this tough time. Your kindness is truly appreciated.
In the days to come, we will continuously pay attention to the reconstruction work in the disaster area and operate Tibet tours with even more dedication. We believe that next time when you set foot on this sacred land, you will surely feel the unique vitality and charm of Tibet.