Tibet Travel Guide

About Tibet

Situated in East Asia, Tibet covers about 2.5 million square kilometers of the total land on earth. Comprising of undulating rivers, numerous sky soaring the Himalayas and wide arid land, Tibet has been able to become one of the most favored tourist sites around the world. Tibet is also known as "Roof of the world" as its average altitude from sea level is 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Lasha is the capital city of Tibet. The pristine vicinity of Tibet bestows awe-inspiring views of stunning snow-covered mountains, medieval sanctuaries, and eye-catching ancient architecture. The best season to explore Tibet is the "rainy season" as the rain comes usually at nights and days are sunny with clear skies.

Visa Information

The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu issue group visas only to those booked on a tour. The embassy issues group visa for the duration of your tour. The embassy needs a passport and invitation letter from your Tibetan agency. Moreover, you ought to have one entire clear page in your international ID for the visa and the legitimacy of your passport must be at least for half a year. Supplementary travel permits are required in the event that you desire to explore the unopened zones. Please follow the link for further information.

How to reach Tibet?

There are three ways to enter Tibet; either by airways, by roadways or by trains. The easiest way to reach Tibet is by flying to Lhasa either from Tribhuwan International Airport in Nepal or from Chengdu and Xining in China as well as all tourists entering Tibet must acquire Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) and official Tibetan guide to board flight to Tibet. Likewise, you can also enter Tibet from Beijing within 48 hours by train; Qinghai-Tibet Railway, also known as China Tibet Railway; first railway of Tibet established in July 2006 and also the highest railway on earth. Traveling to Tibet via train helps you adapt high altitude slowly reducing the risk of altitude sickness. You can also enter Tibet by roads and the most convenient way to enter by road is from Golmud (east); the legal route to Tibet or book a tour with the legitimate travel agency from Nepal. 

Popular Destination to visit

Tibet is admired for its natural and cultural allurement. Its picturesque Tibetan settlement, stunning mountains, and clear blue sky captivate hundreds of travelers worldwide. Tibet is famous for sightseeing and some of the popular destinations to visit in Nepal are:

• Potala Palace
• Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon
• Sakya Monastery
• Tashilhunpo Monastery
• Samye Monastery
• Sera Monastery
• Jokhang Temple
• Norbulingka
• Yangbajing Hot Spring
• Namtso Lake
• Lake Yamdrok
• Barkhor street

Things to do in Tibet

Tibet, being one of the most admired touristic destinations in the world, you can find assortments of things to do while you are in Tibet. You can visit Potala Palace and Jokhang temple which are the iconic destinations of Tibet. You can also engage yourself with locals, try local cuisines, and walk around Barkhor where you can shop unique memento of Tibet. Exploration of Namtso Lake accompanied by stunning views of Tibetan Plateau alongside the visit to smaller towns of Tibet could be worthwhile. You can also visit Everest Base Camp that lies on the Tibetan side and delves yourself into overwhelming nature.

People/Food/Culture

You ought to pay attention to the culture and traditions of Tibet as there are wide exclusive courtesy and taboos. You should take off your hat before entering a religious sanctuary and should not take photographs inside without the permission. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol in Tibet is prohibited and regarded as a taboo.  People of Tibet follow Buddhism as their major religion. Tibetan cuisines are as unique as their culture and tradition. Tibetan foods not only help them satisfy hunger but also aids in coping with harsh climates. Buttered tea, beef and mutton products, Tibetan noodles, Momos and Tsampa are the staple food of Tibet.

Banking, ATM, and Money in Tibet

Chinese Renminbi (RMB), also known as Yuan, is the official currency used in Tibet. Tibet legally accepts Chinese currency i.e. CNY or RMB ¥ for buying and selling purpose. If you are from China, it would be easy for you to cash your cheque from banks in Lhasa or you can also use your card to withdraw money from the ATMs. There are only 4-5 banks in Tibet providing foreign currency/ cheque exchange services. Bank of China; the biggest bank of Tibet, accepts visa card and master card. Thus, exchanging your currency prior to your visit to Tibet is advised.

Internet & Communication in Tibet

Despite being located at an elevation of 4,900 meters above sea level, most of the hotels, restaurants, and lodgings at Tibet provide internet and communication services. You can easily trace numbers of internet cafes in almost every city in Tibet. Tibet also provides efficient communication services to its tourists. You can make IDD call and get fax services from various hotels in Lhasa. Tibet possesses remarkable networking system thus; cell phones work well in Tibet expect in a few remote parts. The post offices at Tibet also provide international mail services.

Traveling Alone in Tibet

You can travel alone in Tibet and it is not necessary to join a group, but all that you need to do is organize your Tibet tour from a Tibet tour agency to get the permit because you can't get the permit without booking the tour from a tour agency. As you should have the tour guide with you during your stay in Tibet obviously, the Tibet tour cost is higher than other cities in China but to reduce the tour cost you can join a small group tour and share the major cost like transportation with other like-minded travelers. There are some Tibetan tours agencies which offer small group tours that you can contact to ensure that your trip is more comfortable.

Safety and security

Tibet is one of the safest places to travel around the globe. The news of hazardous burglary and betting haven’t been heard. But, you must exercise caution when necessary. The people of Tibet are very generous as most Tibetan devout Buddhists and believe that merit can only be accumulated with good deeds. So you are bound to experience great hospitality here.