Before You Go

Before You Go

How to get to Tibet from Nepal or mainland China ? By flight or train or by overland?

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Travel to Tibet: How to Get to Tibet from Nepal or Mainland China?

How to get to Tibet from Nepal or mainland China ? By flight or train or by overland?
There are two main ways to get to Tibet, one is the international get way to Tibet which is either fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa or overland from Kyirong border to Lhasa. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet and it has over 1300 years history with a great historical cites of the Potala Palace, the most sacred Jokang temple etc. Another way to get to Tibet is by train or flight from different cities in mainland China such as Peking, Xian, Xining, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu etc.
How to get to Tibet from Kathmandu In the high tourist season? There is a daily flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa by Air China and Sichuan Airline. The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa is one hour distance and you can enjoy an extremely beautiful view of the great Himalayan Mountain range including Mount Everest. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and it is the birth place of Lord Buddha and there are many historical sites to visit such as Patan, Durbar Square, Bodhanath, Swayambunath etc.
How to get to Tibet from Beijing? There are two direct flights from Beijing to Lhasa run by Air China and Tibet Airlines and there are a couple of stop over flights. There is one daily train from Beijing to Lhasa which takes 41 hours but we don’t recommend to take this train as it is a very long train ride journey and at the same time, it is very difficult to guarantee the soft sleeper.
The flight from Beijing to Lhasa is 5 hours distance. You can enjoy a beautiful view of Minyak Gangkar snow mountain and the Barhmaputra river. Beijing not only is the capital city of China but also a historical cite of China where it has the most famous great wall of China, Summer Palace, the forbidden city, Lama temple etc. Now, It is the cultural, political, financial and head quarter of the Chinese government.
How to get to Tibet from Shanghai? There is one direct flight and several stop over flights and one daily train. Shanghai city is located on the bank of Yangtse river which follows it’s source from the north eastern Tibet. Shanghai is the largest city in China and it serves as the most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial and communications center of China and Shanghai also recognizes as the international standard city of China where there are many westerners who are working, doing business and studying in shanghai.
How get to Tibet from Guangzhou? There are a couple stop over flights from Guangzhou to Lhasa which takes around 6 hours including stop over in Kunming or Chengdu. There is also a daily train to Lhasa from Guangzhou. Guangzhou or Canton is the largest city in south China and it is one of the most important trading center in China and it also has lots of Cargos which go to different countries in the world.
How to get to Tibet from Kunming? There is one direct flight from Kunming to Lhasa which takes you two hours and thirty five minutes and there are several stop over flights from Kunming to Lhasa via Dali, Shangrila or Lijiang. You will enjoy a beautiful view of Kawa karpo snow mountain and Erhai lake from the plane. Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan province in the western China and Yunnan is the biggest ethnic province in China.
How to get to Tibet from Xian? There are a few direct flights from Xian to Lhasa which takes you three hours and thirty five minutes and there is a daily train comes to Lhasa from Xian which takes 31.19 hours. Actually, this train is the same train which comes from Beijing to Lhasa via Xian. Xian was the capital city of China during the period of Tang dynasty and it has some historical scenic sites including Terracotta Warriors and the white stupa etc and nowadays, it is one of the most famous travel destination in China.
How to get to Tibet from Xining? There is one direct flight from Xining to Lhasa and a few stop over flights from Xining to Lhasa and several trains from Xining to Lhasa which takes 21.28 hours duration. The direct flight takes two hours and twenty five minutes duration and you will enjoy a beautiful view of the Tibetan high plateau and many beautiful lakes from the plane. Xining is the capital city of Qinghai province in the western China and it is located on the Yellow River. Xining is one of the main gateways to Tibet, especially by train to Tibet. The train from Xining to Tibet is the most beautiful part of Qinghai Tibet railway. You will enjoy viewing a fantastic scenery of the Qinghai lake, Tibetan high plateau, Kunlun mountain range, Keke Xili no man land, beautiful Tibetan grassland and nomad camps and many beautiful lakes.
How to get to Tibet from Lanzhou? There are a couple of stop over flights to Tibet from Lanzhou but it takes you between 7-8 hours so we don’t recommend to take flight from Lanzhou to Tibet. You can take train to Tibet from Lanzhou which takes you around 25 hours to reach Lhasa. Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu province and it is one of the largest Tibetan grassland plateau in the north eastern Tibet. It is the hometown of the Tibetan Amdo region and they are all both farmers and nomads.
How to get to Tibet from Chengdu? Chengdu is the most popular gateways city to Tibet as there are over 20 direct flights to Lhasa during the peak season and over ten daily flight to Nyingtri, the eastern forest region of Tibet, daily flight to Chamdo, the further eastern region of Tibet, daily flights to Shigatse and Ngari via Lhasa. The flight from Chengdu to Lhasa takes 2 hours duration and you will enjoy a beautiful view of Minyak Gangkar snow mountain and many beautiful snowcapped mountains and Brahmaputra river. There is a train running from Chengdu to Lhasa every other day but we don’t recommend to take this train because in the one hand, it is a very long train journey and in the other hand, the train ticket is very difficult to get.
Chengdu is the capital city of Sichuan province and it is the largest city in the western China. Chengdu is the home of the most famous Panda and it is the most important commercial city of western China.
Chengdu nowadays can access very easily from different cities in Europe such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt and New York to Chengdu. All those are direct flights to Chengdu.

Five reasons why you are recommended to take Tibet Winter Tour?

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Tibet Winter Tour and Travels with Tibet Shambala Adventure

Five reasons why you are recommend to take Tibet winter tour?

1) Cultivating an in-depth understanding of Tibet and Tibet’s authentic experience if you take Tibet winter tour.

Entire Tibet, for Tibetans, winter is well-known for a pilgrimage tour to central Tibet and the highlight of the Tibetan pilgrimage tour is in Lhasa , the ancient holy city of Tibet which has more than one thousand and three hundred years history. Tibetans all over Tibet come to Lhasa, no matter whether it is thousands of Km driving distance or hundreds of km walking distance, for them visiting the ancient holy city of Tibet and the sacred statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, enshrined inside the Jokang temple  is a once in a life time pilgrimage tour. Why Tibetans very deeply believe that the statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni, located inside the Jokang is so sacred is because the statue is believed to be built when the Lord Buddha was alive by one of his devoted students according to when Buddha was 12 years old. The Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni is also believed to be blessed and given initiation by Buddha himself so Tibetans believe that the statue is very sacred and the .most revered.

Bharkor Bazzar and Jokang temple are located in the center of the old section of the Lhasa city and during winter time, there are thousands of pilgrims walking around the Jokang temple and hundreds of Tibetans are prostrating to the holy statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in front of the Jokang temple. You will see Tibetans in the Bharkor street, wearing different styles of Tibetan Chupa ( a traditional gown ) which can be recognized the different prefectures or cities where they come from. There are also quite a lot of traditional festivals are going on during winter such as Gamden Ngamchoe, the death anniversary of the Tsongkapa, the founder of the Yellow Hat School. Your tour programs during winter can be more flexible since there are very few tourists and you can spend more time inside the Potala Palace where the tourist can spend one hour time visit only during summer so you will be able to encounter with locals and get more authentic experience from your Tibet winter Tour.

2) The price of the trip is 30-40% is cheaper if you take Tibet winter tour.

All the flights from mainland China to Lhasa or Nyingtri, the eastern forest region of Tibet gives almost 50% discount on the flight ticket to Tibet and there are still many flights are flying between mainland China and Tibet such as Chengdu to Lhasa, Chengdu to Nyingtri, Beijing to Lhasa, Shanghai to lhasa, Kunming to Lhasa, Chongqing to Lhasa, Xining to Lhasa etc. Besides those of domestic flights, there are also flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Eventhough the flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa did not give any discount before, from this year, two big airline companies, Air China and Sichuan Airlines, are flying from Kathmandu to Lhasa and they are also giving 20-30% discount on the flight ticket cost. Another very big advantage if you take a flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu in the winter time is that you will get an extraordinary and beautiful view of the great Himalayan Mountain range including Mount Everest where you are flying right next to it.

All the hotels in Tibet give 20-30% discount during winter and some of the big scenic spots such as Potala Palace and some other scenic sites give 20-50% discount. The most important thing is that you can spend your time inside the temples, monasteries or Palaces with very much less crowd and enjoy being with locals, traveling with locals and talking with locals will give more authentic experience and at the same time, you will  save a big amount of money if you take Tibet winter tour.

3) It’s always the best view to see the great Himalayan Mountain range if you take Tibet winter tour. Many people think that Tibet is very cold in winter and it might snow a lot. Actually, it is not a right thinking. 99% of weather forecast can guarantee that the sun shines very brightly and warmly so as long as there is a strong sunlight, Tibet’s winter, especially the city like Lhasa, Nyingtri,, Tsetang, Gyantse and Shigatse are not cold at all when you are under the strong and warm sun light.

Another important thing is that Tibet does not snow much until mid January especially in central Tibet so you can travel closer to the great Himalayan mountain ranges including Mount Everest during your Tibet winter tour. The road condition is very good and until it does not snow heavily, you can easily access to Tibet Everest base camp too. You will enjoy the most beautiful view of Mount Everest, Jo Oyu, Shisha Bangma, Lhotse, Makalu and many other Himalayan peaks. The scenery on the way is extremely beautiful under the beautiful sun shine without a single cloud. The lakes and snow mountains are more beautiful where it is always clear blue and crystal white.

4) Tibet travel permits are always easier if you take Tibet winter tour.

There are usually two different kinds of Tibet travel permits. One is non restricted Tibet travel permits and another one is restricted Tibet travel permits. In the summer time, non restricted Tibet travel permits takes 15-20 days to complete all the process where it only takes 7 to 15 days in the winter time. If there is an urgent group booking, we can also complete all the necessary permit process within 5 working days if you take Tibet winter tour.

In the summer time, restricted Tibet travel permits takes 20-25 days where it takes 10-15 days only if you take Tibet winter tour. Another good thing is that the Tibet travel permits are more flexible and we can also change or add other destinations in your permits easily if you like to change your mind after your arrival in Tibet so this makes your travel much easier, flexible and less time consuming.

5) If you take Tibet Winter Tour, you will witness more events and religious festivals such as the festival of the Buddha’s descent from heaven after his teachings to his mother in the heaven, the death anniversary of Tsongkapa, the founder of Gelukpa school, death anniversary of Jamchen Choejee, the founder of Sera monastery, many new year festivals such as Gongpo new year in October, Shigatse new year in January, Tibetan Gyalpo Losar and Chinese new year in February and the western new year as well. We celebrate all those new years so You will get to experience the diverse and distinctive nature of Tibetan people’s costumes, dialect, culture etc on geographical basis if you take Tibet winter tour.

 

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Get to know Tibet within 3 minutes

Tibet Tours: Get to Know Tibet Within 3 Minutes

Why visiting Tibet?

TIBET, known as the Roof of The World, is a dream destination to its exotic culture, scenic highland landscapes and friendly people.

Take time to admire its rich natural attractions of the world’s highest snow capped mountains, including Mt. Everest, Joyu, Shisha Bangma, holy Mt. Kailash, Mount Everest, and many beautiful holy lakes, including Namtso Lake, Yamdrok turqoise lake, Mansarovar lake, Kokonor lake etc. Besides, lots of cultural scenic sights including the Potala Palace, Jokang temple which are listed into the world’s heritage sites, many big monasteries including Drepung, Sera, Ganden, Tashi Lhunpo etc.

Eventhough Tibet is huge and wide plateau land, you can make a visit of 10 days and include the most must visit places, flying to Lhasa from either Kathmandu Nepal or mainland China cities such as Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xian etc or taking train from Beijing, Xining, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai etc to Lhasa, visit holy Lhasa including the Potala Palace, Jokang temple which are listed in the world’ sheritage sites, Drepung and Sera monasteries, the world’s biggest monastic shools, yamdrok lake, Gyantse, the old trade town of Tibet, Shigatse, Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the seat of the Penchen Lama who is the second highest leveled Lama of Tibet, Mt. Everest, the world’s most famous highest snow mountain.

If you would like to know Tibet more details, then even if you come to Tibet more than 20 times, you will not finish discovering the whole Tibet as Tibet is bigger than Europe and dividied as below.

TIBETUTSANG: UTSANG is the cultural heart of Tibet which occupies the upper reaches of the Bharmaputra valley, It has some of Tibet’s biggest farminglands and agricultural communities, as well as monasteries and temples of historic importance.

Lhasa , the capital city of Tibet lies on the Kyichu river. Gyangtse and Shigatse are on the Nyangchu river, Tsetang on the Yarlung river and Kongpo on the Gyamda Nyangchu river. The high land of Utsang is bordered by the great Himalayan range including Mt Everest, to the south, all the way to Nyingtri, in the forested eastern region of Tibet.

TIBET NGARI: The far west of Tibet is called Ngari and is the least populated part of Tibet. It comprises the great Changthang plateau as well as sacred Mount Kailash,(6714Meters) Rakas and Mansarovar lakes, Tholing monastery, and the ruins of the Guge Kingdom, Dungkar Peyang etc.

TIBET KHAM: KHAM, the easternmost region of Tibet is more densely populated than the central plateau. The inhabitants are different from other Tibetans, not onlyin their colorful attire and striking physiques, but also in dialect and custom. The Kham region is rugged and densely forested in places with many gorges, snowcapped mountains, numerous lakes as well as vast grasslands. Sights include Keldan Jampaling monastery in Chamdo, Derge Printing house, Ganze monastery etc.

TIBET AMDO: AMDO, the northeast of Tibet is the lowest region of Tibet in elevation, yet it is mostly plateau with huge, spacious grasslands, nomads, lakes,and snow capped mountains. The inhabitants of the Amdo region closely resemble the Khampa. Amdo is the birthplace of many famous Tibetan scholars such as Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa yellow hat sect, Gedun Choepal, a famous writer and scholar, the fourteenth Dalai lama, (Nobel peace prize winner in 1989),the late 10th Panchen Lama etc. The monasteries of Labrang Tashi Kyil, Kubum monastery etc. lie in Amdo.

General things must know before you travel to Tibet:

Since Tibet is a special autonomous region of China, it is not easy as othe provinces in mainland China to travel. Example, in other provinces of China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu etc, you can just apply your China visa to the Chinese embassy in your own country in Europe or America and then book your flight and fly directly to the cities. You don’t need any other documents to travel there.

But please note that to travel to Tibet, ofcourse you must get your China visa and then you must go through an experienced, reliable travel agency based in Lhasa and need to book your trip with the travel agency. Then the travel agency will help to arrange your Tibet entry and road permits. Without Tibet entry and road permits, you can not board the flight or train so it means, you can not travel to Tibet without Tibet entry and road permits.

Why you must look for a reliable travel agent is because you can not travel in Tibet without Tibet entry and road permits. The Tibet entry and road permits will be applied by the travel agent to Tibet Tourism Bureau but the travel agent can not only sell the Tibet permits only without arranging a package trip so it means you can not also travel your own like other countries so you must book a guide and driver as well as hotels which have permission that the foreign tourists can stay.

To travel to Tibet, you must be in good shape phisically and if you are older ages and taking a trip to Mt. Everest or Mt. Kailash area, it is always recommended to see your doctor before you visit Tibet and make sure that your body fits to the high altitude.

When your body is in good shape, it is not a proble to visit Tibet and usually some of the people who might get some head ache, dizzy, even vomiting sometimes, but please do not feel nervous or worried as these are the normal symptoms of the high altitude sickness so to avoide these small usual symptoms, it is very important to drink a lot of water during the Tibet trip so you won’t get these kind of symptoms.

Since the sun light is also very strong, we recommend to bring sun glass, a hat, sun cream, a warmer jacket, warter proof shoes, extra warm pair socks, rain coat etc during the night and morning time if you travel in Kailash or Mt. Everest area or if you go for the trekking. If you just do a cultural tour of Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Tsetang, then just a hat, sun glass, sun cream are important to bring.

It is also recommended to bring some altitude medince if your country has a better one otherwise you can also get it from Tibet.

Facility of Tibet Trip:

Tibet has also been developed very much and many hotels even including ST Regis and Shangrila are operated in Lhasa, there are many 4*, 3*, Boutique hotels in Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Tsetang, Nyingtri and many pretty good guest houses on the way to Mt. Everest, and guest houses through out route to Mt. Kailash, many good English speaking guides, and good French speaking guides with Happy Tibet Tours only, a couple of German, Spanish, Japenese speaking guides, ofcourse, lots of Chinese speaking guides. The tourist transportation has also been improved a lot that nowadays, there are many new buses including coasters, Yutong buses, Toyota landcruirses, Mitsubishi 4*4 jeaps, Hyundai Mini vans, Transit vans etc.

The road condition to all over tourist destination has also improved a lot and most part of the road has been paved nowadays including the road to Mt. kailash and Mt. Everest.

There are many restaurants in the cities like Lhasa, Gyantse, Tsetang, Shigatse etc who serve continental food and ofcourse there are many restaurants who serve local Tibetan food. You can also get fresh coffeee nowadays in Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Tsetang etc.

There are many Suverniours shops in Lhasa, especially around the Bharkor streat so you can get different kinds of gifts for your freinds, or families.

What is the best time to travel to Tibet?

Best Time to Travel to Tibet

» What is the best time to travel to Tibet?

Seasonal Guide to Tibetan Trekking

As thrill seeking adventures become more popular, people are turning more towards activities that are both physical and rewarding. There is something especially beautiful about traversing through lands and trails that pioneers and explorers once used. Carrying nothing but the pack on your back and your sense of adventure, trekking through Tibet allows you the opportunity to physically become one with nature.  Tibet travel is best in late autumn (from late September to late November) but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of Tibet’s trekking trails all year long depending on your route.

Fall/Spring

September-October/March-May: As Tibetan tourism is opening back up during this time of year; fall and spring are two of the busier seasons for Tibet traveling. Ideally, these two seasons work best for trekking through the Tibetan mountainside. The weather is warm and the skies are considerably clear. You can expect some wind and little amounts of rain as the ice from the winter has melted, therefore unblocking routes that were once impassible weeks before during the winter months.

Winter

November-February: During these months, you can expect cooler temperatures, cool winds, and definitely snow. Even though the sun is still shining, it is still considerably cold during these months. During the winter, Tibet experiences 5-6 months of frost, creating less than ideal conditions for trekking. Visiting lower elevations like Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Nyingtri may be your best bet during these months as fewer tourists will be around and the temperature is more moderate there during this time.

 Summer

June-August: Due to the fact that Tibet is a high altitude plateau, you can still expect some snow to fall only in the mountains at high altitude. However, summer is the best time for trekking in some places as the weather is generally warm to cool and the oxygen content in the air is higher during the summer than most other seasons.  Light rain and cool conditions make for a beautiful green landscape ideal for trekking.

Since trekking involves climbing, going off roads, and venturing down various paths not often traveled, weather plays a vital role in the route you choose to take. For more information and to plan your trekking adventure contact .

The best time for trekking in Tibet is from May till mid-October. If you like to trek in Kangshung valley which is in the south east of Mt. Everest, borderd to Nepal, we do not recommend to trek in Aug as Aug is the biggest monsoon period of time in Tibet so in this valley, it rains quite much as it is bordered to Nepal and it is green.

The monsoon season from mid July to end- Aug is not the best time to be guaranteed a view of Mt Everest if you just have one night at Rongbuk monastery, but even then the weather is often clear around sunrise and sunset.

Although the monsoon rains can at times cause minor landslides at the bordered area between Nepal and Tibet or from Yunnan to Nyingtri by overlanding,  it is still a good time to visit Tibet because of the lush green grasslands,  vivid wild flowers, and agricultural crops that  flourish at this time of year.

Besides, the monsoon in Tibet is not as heavy as Nepal or other lower altitude places. Since Tibet is already a dried high altitude place, it does not rain much during the monsoon coparing to the lower places like Nepal, mainland China etc.

The average temprature from May till Mid Oct is 10-20 degrees during the day time in the cities like Lhasa, Nyingtri, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang and around Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash during the day time and it will be around 5-15 degrees during the night time.

Since the fascility of the accommodation, roads, vehicles, restaurants, have been improved a lot during the last five years, we also recommend to make a trip in the central Tibet during the winter time from November till end of Febuary to those of the places, Nyingtri, Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Samye and Tsetang. The temprature from November till end of February in those places will be 3-8 degrees during the day time and it will be below 3-12. But you always have heater in the hotel during the night time.

The good thing to travel in the winter is that there are very less tourists, 30% discount with Tibet Shambhala Adventure, very clear weather, blue sky all the time, more Tibetan pilgrims, day time is not cold at all. It is always sunny.

Do I have to rent a 4WD vehicle for my trip to Tibet?

Rent a 4wd Vehicle for My Trip to Tibet?

» Do I have to have a 4WD vehicle for my trip to Tibet?

4 WD vehicle is not necessary nowadays in Tibet. It was just 6-7 years before when many parts of the road was not paved such as the road to Mt. Kailash, the road to Mt. Everest, the road to Namtso lake, the road to Lhamo Lhatso but today, the road to all those places are paved and the road condition is very good so it is not necessary to have 4 WD Land cruisers. You can easily take mini van, van or bus for your trip. All those new mini van, van or buses have air condition and heater.

It is also good to share the vehicle cost with only one van if it is a small group tour instead of sending two or three 4WD. If you like to see the pictures of the vehicles sytles or design, you can go to our company vehicle. You can see the vehicle types that you like for your Tibet trip.

I am non English speaker , can I get a tour guide of that language?

Expert Tour Guides for Non-English Speakers: Your Top Tibet Travel Agency

»  I am non English speaker , can I get a tour guide of that language?

We have our own excellent  English,  French, German, Russian speaking guides but apart from French speaking groups, most of our tour groups request us for English speaking guides because if you take other language speaking guides, the trip price goes higher as the other language speaking tour guides are very very few which makes the guide’s  salary is double high than the English speaking guides but you can always talk with our trip consultant for the needs of the guides for your Tibet tour so that we will try our best to fulfill your request.

Am I physically qualified to take a trip to Tibet?

Can a Physically Qualified Person Take a Tour to Tibet?

» Am I physically qualified to take a trip to Tibet?

A lot of people ask many questions whether he or she can go to Tibet because of his or her age, his or her stomachache, high blood pressure, etc.  In general, everybody who are below 80 years old are definitely qualified to travel to Tibet and you can choose all the trips in our website according to your age. It is always very important to give the right information of your age when you inquire your Tibet trip to our travel expert. However, we always recommend you to check with your doctor before you decide to travel to Tibet or it is also important to tell our trip consultant the fact of your health condition so that our trip consultant will advice you what kind of trip you can take according to your health condition. Some of the examples that the following persons cannot go to Tibet, or should be very careful if insist on going to Tibet.

  1. Have already caught a very bad cold and severe fever
  2. Have pneumonia or tuberculosis or have the history of these kinds of diseases
  3. Have severe heart-attack risk or high blood pressure
  4. Those who are above 80 years old

 

Documents to Have Before You Travel to Tibet

Documents to Have Before You Travel to Tibet

As usual, you need a valid passport which means your passport needs 180 days validity when you are traveling to Tibet. Besides, you need China visa and Tibet (entry) and road permits for traveling to Tibet. There are two ways to get Tibet visa which depends on from where you are entering Tibet. There are only two ways to get into Tibet sofar and if you fly from your home country to one of the cities in mainland China, then you should apply your visa to the Chinese embassy in your own country and get the visa 20 days before your departure and send both the passport and China visa copies to your Tibet travel agent.

If you are entering Tibet from Kathmandu Nepal, you need to send valid passport copy only to your local Tibetan travel agent and your agent will get your visa from the Chinese embassy.

Tibet travel permits and it’s different ways of getting

It is not easy for a tourist from outside the world to know all details about the Tibet Trip, what you need, whom you contact, which program needs more special permits etc.

The rule and regulation is changing quite often here regarding the permits matter. The most recent information about Tibet entry and road permits is that we can get your usual Tibet entry and road permits within a week as earliest and two weeks for special permits like Mt. Kailash, Guge Kingdom , Lhamo Lhatso , Nyingtri region permits. Why these permits are called special permits is because those places are considered as trans-Tibet travel and restricted area so we will have to get many different kinds of permits for those places, not only the permits from Tibet Tourism Bureau but also from many other departments so it takes much longer and called special permits.

When you visit Tibet, it is very important to tell our trip consultant from the very beginning where you would like to travel and which monuments, monasteries, scenic spots you would like to visit because we will have to include all those things in our permits and all the names of the visiting sites should be written in the permits to make sure that you can travel as you planed otherwise if you don’t tell our consultant all the places names that you like to visit when you book your trip and miss some places names in your permits, then you won’t be able to visit so it is very important to confirm everything from the beginning.

Of course we always try to be as flexible as possible but if you want to add some places or monasteries in the permits when you are already in Tibet, then even if we try our best, it will take a couple of days or even a week so it will waste your time and you can not continue your Tibet trip as it is planed.

 

Can I travel to Tibet with travel agent with any kinds of passports?

Passport Required for Tibet Travel

Can I travel to Tibet with travel agent with any kinds of passports?

Anybody who holds common passports can go to Tibet for a visit through any of the local authorized  travel agencies, except the tourists who are holding three different kind of passports which are as below:

1. Those who holds the passports relating to embassy or ambassador or working in there
2. Diplomatic
3. Journalists
Those three kinds of persons can take a trip to Tibet via government office, Foreign Affairs Office, Economic Development Committe, etc. but not through the travel agency.

Can I join a small group tour?

Tibet Trip: Mount Everest Group Tour

» May I join a small group tour?

In the one hand, it is not very easy to arrange a Tibet trip but if you book your trip with a professional company Tibet Shambhala Adventure, you can join many group tours no matter whether you fly from Europe to Lhasa via Nepal or fly from Europe to Lhasa via any kinds of mainland China cities, Tibet Shambhala Adventure will arrange your Tibet entry permits separately and send it to you in your first night hotel or even to the airport i n mainland China by our representative.

Why we made this joint group tour is because, in the one hand,  we receive quite many feeds back from our clients that the Tibet trip is quite expensive and in the other hand, after the world financial crisis including in US and Europe, many of our clients are eagerly willing to travel to Tibet but sometimes their Tibet trip budget becomes quite high for them when they take a private trip so we arrange Tibet Group Tour in order not only to save the money within the same quality of the trip, but also to have more fun and find new friends during your trip. At the same time, they can visit the most famous places within the limited period of time. Most of our Tibet Group Tour programs are just between one or two weeks in Tibet. You can see some of the programs of our Group Tours below.