The great overland trip across Tibet – from Lhasa to the Nepali border via Gyantse, Shigatse and Mt Everest Base Camp – goes straight through Tsang, passing most of the highlights of the region along the Friendship Hwy. Along the way are fantastic day walks, several multiday treks, an adventurous detour to the base of Mt Everest and a scattering of ancient Tibetan monasteries and historic towns. Dozens of smaller monasteries away from the highway offer adventurers plenty of scope to go exploring off the beaten track. For most travellers, Tsang is either the first or last place they experience in Tibet, and the setting for two of Asia's great mountain drives: out to far Western Tibet and across the Himalayas to Nepal.