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How to Plan a Tibet Tour

27 November 2021 last updated at 21:48 0 Comments

When planning a tour to Tibet, several questions come into our mind, such as which kind of visa to apply, when is the best time to visit Tibet, how should I get to Tibet, what to pick and so on.

Follow the following questions and find their answers gradually, and plan a wonderful Tibet tour.

1. Which Visa or Permit to Apply for Tibet Tour?

According to relevant agreements and regulations, foreign citizens need a visa to visit China. Before arriving in China, you need have a passport with at least 6 months’ validity remaining and must obtain a China visa, unless you can enjoy the China visa-free policy on the last part of this article. There are several types of China Visa, such as L visa for tour, M visa for trade, Q visa for vising Chinese family and X visa or study. To get more China visa information, please read Chinese Visa and Visa-Free Policy.

According to the regulation from National Tourism Administration, foreign travelers, Taiwan tourists ad overseas Chinese (who has no Chinese passport or ID card) need apply for Tibet Travel Permit via Tibet travel agency (Tibet Tourism) from Tibet Tourism Bureau, and then travel to Tibet by group. To get a Tibet Travel Permit, please read How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit Successfully? The Application Steps and Tips.

2. When to Travel to Tibet?

In terms of temperature, weather an scenery in Tibet, the best months to travel to Tibet are the months of April, May, June, September and October.

But Tibet offers plenty of views for tourists no matter which month you choose. Every month has its own unique beauty.You can choose late March or early April to appreciate the peach blossoms in Nyingchi, June or September to have a great view of Mount Everest and Mount Kailash, or November and December to enjoy the magnificent snow sceneries.

3. Which Tourist Attractions in Tibet to Visit?

As a land of natural and man-made wonders, Tibet is one of the best offbeat destinations to visit. From the monasteries in Lhasa to natural scenic landscapes in Nagri area, Tibet offers a large number of tourist attractions. Choose which attractions depends entirely on your travel dates and interests.

Top recommended common attractions:

Lhasa: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery, Drak Yerpa Monastery, Grigung Til Monastery, Norbulingka, Ramoche Monastery, Tsurphu Monastery, Tibet Museum.
Shigatse: Mount Everest Base Camp, Rongbuk Monastery, Tashilunpo Monastery, Pelkor Chode Monastery, Shalu Monastery, Natang Monastery, Sakya Monastery.
Ngari: Mount Kailash, Lake Manasaovar, Guge Kingdom, Zanda Earth Forest, Pangong Lake, Tholing Monastery.
Shannan: Yamdrok Lake, Samding Monastery, Samye Monastery, Yumbulakang, Toms of the Tibetan Kings, Yarlung Tsangpo River, Yalong River, Trandruk Monastery, Mindroling Monastery.
Nyingchi: Basumtso Lake, Lulang Forest, Mount Namjagbarwa, World King Cypress, Midui Glacier, Ranwo Lake.
Ngachu: Changtang Plateau, Nyenchen Tangula Mountain, Silingtso Lake.

4. How to get to Tibet?

With the development of economy, science and technology, Tibet is no longer isolated from the outside world. Nowadays, tourists can travel to Tibet by flight, train and overland.

Flying to Lhasa is the fastest way to get to Tibet. It only takes about 2-3 hours to fly from one city to Lhasa. Each day, there are numerous flights from all major China cities and there are one or two international flights to Lhasa from Kathmandu, Nepal.

Riding a train to Lhasa need 21 - 53 hours. This is the cheapest option for travellers to Lhasa and passengers will enjoy the best stunning scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Nowadays, tourists can take the direct trains from Xining, Lanzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou.

Driving a car to Tibet on the overland roads become more and more popular. Tourists can get to Tibet from Kathmandu on Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, from Sichuan on the National G318 Highway, from Qinghai to on the G109 Highway, from Yunnan on the G214 Highway, or from Xinjiang on the G219 Highway.

5. What to Pack and Preparefor Tibet Tour?

Before travelling to Tibet, tourists need to make some preparations and bring: documents, money, clothes, shoes, bags or trunk, medicines and so on.

Read more about Tibet Tour Packing List.

6. What to Know about Tibet?

6.1 Eat:

Tibetan people have unique food and drink due to special geographic condition of high altitude and harsh climate. Daily diet mainly consists of meat, milk and other high protein food to help the fight the cold. Tibetans often eat a lot of yak meat and mutton but don’t eat horse horse, dog, donkey or even fish. Tourists coming to Tibet are recommended to taste Tsampa, Beef and Mutton, Tibetan Noodle, Milk Curd and Yogurt, Tibetan Sausages, Momo, etc. Of course, it is also available to find western style food, Nepal style food, Indian dishes, Sichuan cuisine and other Chinese food.

6.2 Hotel:

In recent years, as economy develops in Tibet, we can offer modern and comfort deluxe hotels in Lhasa, Nyingchi and Shigatse; other stars in Tingri, Bomi, Ngari and other places.

6.3 Vehicle:

To ensure a safe and comfortable trip for tourists to Tibet, we apply strict standards to our drivers and the vehicles we use during the trip. 5 or 7 seats car for 1-4 clients; 9 seats car for 4-6 clients; 14 seats van for 6-8 clients; 17-23 seats bus for 8-13 clients; 29 seats bus for more than 13 clients.

6.4 Shopping:

In Tibet, there are many special and precious items that are worthy buying, such as Tibetan Jewelry, Tibetan Carpet, Tibetan Mask, Tibetan Incense, Tibetan Medicine and Thangka.

6.5 Festival:

Tibetan festivals are the foundation of Tibetan folk culture, a witness of the splendid history of Tibet and the creativity of Tibetan people. The most famous Tibet festivals have Tibetan New Year, Lhasa Shoton Festival, Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival, etc.

Tibet Festival Celebration

7. Which Kind of Tibet Tour to Choose?

After understanding the above questions, now let us recommend the hot sample tours covering the major tourist attraction.

1) 4 Days Lhasa City Small Group Tour - Explore the architecture & landscape of Lhasa.
2) 5 Days Lhasa and Yamdrok Lake Small Group Tour - Marvel at the Heavenly Lake - Yamdrok Lake.
3) 7 Days Lhasa Everest Base Camp and Gyirong to Kathmandu Join-in Small Group Tour - Classic overland route of traveling from Lhasa to Kathmandu via Gyirong Port.
4) 8 Days Lhasa Shigatse Everest Base Camp Small Group Tour - Once-in-a-lifetime chance to face the tallest mountain in the world.
5) 15 Days Western Tibet Mount Kailash and Lake Manasaover Small Group Tour from Lhasa - Western Tibet Pilgrimage tour to kora around Mount Kailash.

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