Visa and permit
The first step is to apply for a Chinese visa at a Chinese consulate or embassy unless you are a citizen of a country benefitting from a visa exemption. In which case you only have to send us a scanned copy of your passport and we will apply for a Tibet permit on your behalf.
However, in most cases, a Chinese tourist visa is required and, because this presently cannot be obtained upon arrival, you will need to submit your application a few weeks in advance of your scheduled arrival in China. While application procedures may vary depending on the country. Generally speaking, you will be expected to submit a number of documents, including copies of round-trip flight tickets, hotel reservations, and tour information.
Invitation from Tibet Tourism Bureau for visa purposes
When applying for a Chinese visa, you may be asked to provide an invitation from the Tibet Tourism Bureau. We can obtain such an invitation and send it to you. Should you face problems or find the procedure confusing, do not hesitate to contact us: we will gladly help you sort things out.
Tibet Travel Permit
Once the Chinese tourist visa has been affixed to your passport. You can apply for the Tibet permit through our agency. This cannot be done independently abroad or even in other parts of China. Only a local travel agency can apply on your behalf, at the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa – the only government department in China that issues such a permit.
After agreeing with you on a suitable itinerary and programme, we will approach the Bureau and submit an application. To this effect, we will require a scanned copy of your passport including the affixed Chinese visa.
Although processing usually takes two to three weeks. We would recommend you submit the relevant documents at least four weeks before your estimated date of arrival in Lhasa. As a safety net against possible delays due to administrative complications or slower treatment of applications during public holidays.
Hotel delivery of the Tibet Permit before entering Tibet
The following information is of vital importance.
Once we receive the original signed and stamped Tibet permit from the Bureau, we will mail it to your address in mainland China.
For this purpose, you will have to inform us of the name of the city from which you plan to travel to Tibet, bearing in mind no changes are allowed as this is the name that will appear on your permit and the only place from which you may access Tibet. Changes would delay the issuance of the permit and involve extra costs.
Typically, it takes up to three days for the original Tibet permit to be delivered by post. However, should you be in a rush, it can be sent by express delivery in 24 hours, at an extra cost of USD 50.
Airport delivery of the Tibet Permit
If you do not intend to stop over in mainland China, airport delivery can be arranged, whereby one of our representatives will meet you at the airport to hand out the permit to you while you wait for your connecting flight to Tibet.
You will be requested to show the permit at check-in before being issued a boarding pass. Then you will have to show it again when going through airport security, on your way to the departure gate. It is therefore advisable not to put it away but hold on to it until you are literally boarding the plane.
Airport delivery costs an additional USD 58.
Chinese Group Visa
Another option to get to Tibet is by applying for what is known as a Chinese Group Visa. This option is available only if you are travelling from Kathmandu to Lhasa. In such a case, instead of requesting in advance a Chinese visa in your country of origin, you will apply for one at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
To qualify for a group visa, participants must number four at least. The Tibet travel permit and the relevant invitation will be issued for four persons travelling together.
If you are travelling solo, you can submit copies of the passports of four of your friends or relatives. We shall then establish the required documents for all of the people nominally concerned. However, when applying for the Visa, we would only submit your passport and inform the Embassy the other participants have cancel their tour.
Here again, such an application can only be done through a registered agent. To facilitate the process, we can recommend a trusted partner in Nepal with whom we have collaborated for years. Under that option, we will have to provide the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu with a Visa invitation from the Lhasa Bureau; a copy thereof will be sent to you through our partner in Nepal.
Getting to Tibet
There are three main ways of getting to Tibet: by air, by rail, and by road.
1) By air
Flying is the easiest and probably the fastest option. While there are multiple domestic flights every day from mainland China, there is only one international daily flight, from Kathmandu to Lhasa. As there are no other direct flights from abroad, the only other way to fly to Tibet is from mainland China.
If you fly from Nepal, you can apply for the Chinese group visa outlined above. Solo travellers can also avail themselves of such an option.
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Whenever possible, you should set aside a few days to rest and relax before flying to Tibet: Lhasa lies at nearly 12000 feet (over 3600 m.) and the altitude difference may affect your body. (More on altitude sickness in the relevant section below)
Flights to Tibet cannot be booked through the airline website without a Tibet permit. The alternative is either to wait until you receive your permit, or ask a travel agent to do the booking on your behalf – usually, travel agents are in a partnership with airlines and can purchase tickets against reimbursement.
2) By rail
The train journey is usually the longest option, time-wise, but also the most scenic. Do note that train tickets can only be bought by a Chinese citizen, which means we will be taking care of the booking for you.
When travelling by train, you won’t be asked to produce the original of your Tibet permit; the procedure is different: you will only have to show a printed copy of the document we will email you in due time. On the other hand, if you are taking the train from Chongqing, control procedures are the same as when flying.
Be aware that travelling by train is a time-consuming experience – often exceeding forty hours! – and possibly a more expensive option. When planning, bear also in mind that train tickets are likely to be sold out during the Chinese national holidays.
3) By road
It is possible to enter Tibet by road, whether driving a car or riding a motorcycle. However, you will need to be accompanied by a guide. The paperwork to obtain the Tibet permit is, broadly speaking, the same as for other means of transportation, except that you will be required to provide additional information, such as the car registration number, and to apply for a temporary driver’s license. Give yourself enough time – 30 days or so – to complete the procedure.
Where to stay
There are three kinds of accommodation in Tibet: hotels, guesthouses, and tented hostels.
Hotels
Cities like Lhasa, Shigatse, Shanan or Nyintri offer a wide range of hotels, from five-star hotels – e.g., St Regis or the Shangrila – to Tibetan-owned four-star hotels, such as the Shambhala in Lhasa, or three-star hotels, including the famous Yak Hotel in Lhasa.
You can also choose to stay at a boutique hotel: Shambhala Hotel and Shambhala Palace Hotel in Lhasa; Sakya Palace Hotel in Shigatse; etc. Most boutique hotels are furnished with authentic Tibetan furniture and housed in old Tibetan buildings.
Guesthouses and tented hostels
In remote places toward western Tibet, travellers will be accommodated in guesthouses. In some cases, the only guest houses available are quite basic.
At Mount Everest base camp, accommodation is provided either at the Rongbuk monastery guesthouse, which offers simple but decent rooms or in tented hostels made of yak wool. Each tent sleeps five to six persons in bunk beds; at the centre of the tent, a Tibetan style stove burning yak dung keeps travellers warm during the night.
Accommodation facilities
In all hotels, rooms have an en-suite bathroom; in guesthouses and tented hostels, public toilets have to be used.
Hot running water is available throughout the year in most hotels. Since all hotels in Tibet use solar water heaters, the supply of hot water is conditioned by sunshine and will be less abundant on cloudy days. However, even in worst-case scenarios, there will always be some hot running water in the early evening.
Selection of accommodation depends on your budget and the place you visit. As a rule, our groups are put up hotels, it being understood that special requests are taken into account and we can make reservations for you. The main reason why you are better off booking through us is because we work in association with all hotel chains in Tibet and the deals we get are often better than those you would obtain online.
Getting around
Because independent travel is not allowed in Tibet, you will be touring as a group led by one of our friendly and experienced guides. Transportation will be by bus or van depending on the size of the group
When in Lhasa, the guide does not have to be with you at all times and you are allowed to roam around the city on your own. Similarly, you may travel by public transportation.
When to visit
The best time of the year to visit Tibet depends on your intended itinerary and your expectations. Generally speaking, the high season is from April to October because of the warmer climate then. During those months, tourists will be in far greater numbers and prices will be much higher. From November to February – the winter months -the climate is colder, there are less tourists, and tours are cheaper.
For a visit to the Everest base camp (EBC), you may want to look at the different tour options and discuss with us when is the best time to go. May, June, September, or early October, for instance, are good because it is less windy and chances are higher that you will have a clear blue sky: it makes sense to go when you can fully enjoy the stunning scenery, when the summit is not hidden by clouds.
To make a decision as to when to visit Tibet, you should also consider the dates of the Chinese holidays. For instance, you would be ill-advised to travel in the first week of May, the first week of April, late January, early February, and the first week of October, because those are major holiday periods in China during which there is a massive influx of local tourists and prices tend to increase substantially.
It is also worth noting that, in March, Tibet is closed to visitors.
Booking a tour
Tibet can be visited as part of either a group tour or a private tour.
Group tours, with departures guaranteed every week, are cheaper and a good opportunity to meet other travellers
Private tours allow you to customise your program and itinerary. You may, for example, wish to learn more about local customs, visiting a Tibetan family home or a handicraft center, or having dinner with a Tibetan expert.
If you have no specific plan nor itinerary in mind, we can be of assistance, putting something together with you and for you, then giving you a quote.
Food
Generally, when on tour, your guide will help you decide what you want to eat and suggest, accordingly, a list of possible restaurants, offering a choice of local and western food. Restaurants can also be pre-booked when you customarise your trip.
If you are looking for cheap food, you can visit Tibetan restaurants where locals eat every day. In bigger cities, expect to pay USD 7-14 for lunch and dinner; in remote towns and villages, prices will be in the USD 4-9 range.
Good news for vegetarians: because we are devout Buddhists, we prefer a vegetarian diet. Even in remote towns and villages, there will always be a wide variety of vegetarian dishes to choose from.
As for vegans, finding adequate food during the tour might prove more of a challenge and we would recommend you buy stock up from supermarkets and malls in Lhasa and other big cities, where imported goods can be found.
Not all travellers have no problem with water coming directly from the tap in Tibet. In case of doubt, you should refrain from drinking it, especially since we will provide you with plenty of bottled water throughout the tour. As water comes usually in big 5-liter bottles, you will have to bring your own reusable water bottle.
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness is an extremely serious issue to be discussed, as many tourists suffer from it and it can be very dangerous if not handled properly.
What is altitude sickness?
In a nutshell, the blood isn’t getting enough oxygen, which results in fatigue, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, fever, accelerated pulse, loss of appetite, even spitting out blood in most severe cases.
While we don’t want any of this happening to you, for obvious reasons, it is quite likely somebody in your group, if not you, will suffer from altitude sickness or, at least, feel physical changes.
At EBC or near Mount Kailash, everyone will feel the altitude, although reactions will vary from one person to the next.
Acclimatisation to high altitude
As an experienced travel agency, we know how to deal with such a situation and our guides are trained to help you get over it. Additionally, the itineraries we propose take into account the need to avoid that sort of risks and to ensure proper acclimatisation. The vehicles we use carry enough oxygen in refillable bottles to respond to any emergency.
We recommend all travellers consult their physician before embarking upon their tour. In Tibet, hospital facilities are available 24/7. If required, we can arrange medevac out of Tibet at an extra cost.
Do’s and dont’s to avoid altitude sickness
1) Avoid strenuous work
During the last few days prior to departure from home and the first few days after arrival in Lhasa, refrain from doing anything strenuous so as not to stress your body, which, because of the altitude, will tend to be more easily exhausted. For example, something as unspectacular as climbing stairs requires a lot more efforts than at a lower altitude.
2) In case of need, use the oxygen provided by the agency
As mentioned earlier, flying to Lhasa, at 12000 feet, can be extremely taxing and some people may need to be administered oxygen as a result of maladjustment to the higher altitude. Should it be your case, we will leave an oxygen tank in your hotel room for use when needed. Do not feel bad or embarrassed or overly weak if this does happen to you: using extra oxygen is perfectly normal in Tibet.
3) Take medication against altitude sickness
We recommend you consult your physician about what kind of medicine you can take against altitude sickness. Because the prescribed medicine may not be available on the local market in China, you should make sure you bring them with you in adequate quantities.
4) Prepare your body for high altitude
People who are in a good physical condition and have a healthy diet will usually respond better to altitude changes. For those who are less fit, our advice is that they prepare themselves by doing a few shorter hikes or cardio activities so that their body adjust to lesser oxygen intake.
5) Be cautious and listen to your body
Paradoxically, fitter people may also sometimes suffer from the difference in altitude because they ignore the changes affecting their body and keep acting as they would at a lower elevation. Be aware that such changes, due to the high altitude, are signals that your body is trying to adjust to the new environment.
6) Drink plenty of water
The importance of drinking plenty of water is never stressed enough. You should drink three to four times more than you do normally – preferably 4 to 6 litres a day – and have a high-calorie diet. With that much water, you will, indeed, be urinating every five minutes, however, this is a far better alternative than getting altitude sickness!
7) Do not shower on your first day in Lhasa
We urge you to refrain from taking a shower or a bath on your first day in Lhasa as this dehydrates your body and experience shows you are more likely to be sick.
8) Wear multilayered clothing
Make sure you stay warm by wearing multilayered clothing.
The weather is constantly changing and, in a matter of seconds, you may be feeling too hot or freezing, depending on whether you are standing in the sun or in the shade. Try not to catch a cold or fever, for this will increase the risk of you getting altitude sickness during the trip.
9) Do not drink alcohol
For the first few days after arriving in Tibet, refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as alcohol, when present in the blood, interferes with hemoglobin’s absorption of oxygen. On the other hand, we found it is good to drink ginger tea with lemon and honey.
What to bring
After you book with us, we will send you a list of items to bring to Tibet, depending on the tour, the type of planned activities, the weather, the sites visited, etc.
As a rule, even when the weather is warm, you should be bringing warm clothes: it may be sunny and hot during the day and freezing at night. Wearing multilayered clothing is therefore recommended.
Bring good walking shoes or hiking boots.
The high altitude and the extreme sunshine are quite aggressive for your skin: sunscreen is indispensable, as well as chapstick or lip balm. Bring also sunglasses and a hat.
Because the air is dry, many travellers get a dry nose, with possible bleeding and protracted cold as a consequence: bring some lotion to help keep your nasal area moist.
Be warned that batteries tend to discharge rapidly at high altitudes: you may want to come with a few extra plus a power bank. On private tours, the vehicle’s charging outlet can be used; on group tours, it is less likely there will be an outlet sufficient for accommodating the devices of all participants.
Money
In Tibet, we use the Chinese yuan (RMB). US dollars or traveller cheques, as well as Euros, can easily be exchanged at the Bank of China.
Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs, widely available in big cities but less common in smaller towns and villages.
Online payments such as WeChat Pay or Alipay can be used everywhere in Tibet.
Regarding pocket money for your personal expenses (drinks, souvenirs, etc.), the amount depends, of course, on your spending habits – on average, USD 7-14 per day appears to be sufficient.
Tipping
Generally speaking, tipping is not a common practice in Tibet. However, like in most western countries, it is customary – but not compulsory – to tip the guide and the driver at the end of the tour. The amount will depend on how satisfied you are with the services provided.
Internet and telephone
Wifi
Throughout your tour, you should face no major problems connecting to the Internet. Most hotels, restaurants and coffee shops have an internet connection. You may even have better and faster access to the Internet from the Rongbuk monastery restaurant, at the EBC, than elsewhere! Note, however, that the further you travel towards western Tibet and Mount Kailash, the more problematic Internet connection becomes.
Telephone
When travelling with us, you will be offered free use of cell phone with free SIM card, which you can use both to access the Internet or to receive international calls.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to phone services from mainland China before coming to Tibet or register for similar services in Lhasa with the help of your tour guide.
Another option for accessing the Internet in the car is to ask your guide to create a Hotspot on her/his phone and pay her/him later for the data usage.
If you were not able to purchase a SIM card, remember there is always free internet at the hotel, at the end of the day.
Blocked sites
Please note that most international sites are not accessible in China. You can get around this firewall by setting up a VPN. Read more about this on the Internet.
Travel insurance
All local Tibetan travel agencies are required to have a basic business liability insurance. However, it doesn’t cover much and, before coming to Tibet, you may consider purchasing a travel insurance that covers medical expenses as well as additional risks such as loss of or damage to property.
In view of Tibet’s remoteness and the hardship conditions prevailing in the region, including the risk of getting altitude sickness, you would be ill-advised not to subscribe to such an insurance.
World Nomads is a reliable insurance company we can recommend.
Is it safe to travel to Tibet, especially as a female traveller?
Yes, travelling to Tibet is very safe, including for female travelers, because you will never be left on your own. You will always be with either your guide or both your guide and your driver. We, as your tour agency, are liable for you and it is our responsibility to look after you while you are in Tibet.
Places like Lhasa and other major tourist destinations, where you will have the option to take a stroll on your own after the guided tours, are generally safe to discover individually.
Language barrier
Communication is unlikely to be a problem as you will be with your guide most of the of the time and she/he will serve as an interpreter. On the other hand, when exploring a market on your own in the evening, for instance, you can always use relevant apps to help you translate from your mother tongue to Mandarin, the vehicular language of most people in Tibet.
Drones
Provided they are registered in China, under your Chinese phone number, drones can be used in Tibet. However, there are a few restricted areas where their use is prohibited, especially in cities like Lhasa or around military installations Your guide who is familiar with the places where you can or cannot fly a drone, will inform you accordingly.
Etiquette and taboos
Knowing local etiquette and taboos is essential if you wish to avoid being disrespectful to the culture of the people you are visiting.
1) Clothing
From a western perspective, Tibetans appear pretty conservative when it comes to proper attire. Basically, you should not wear anything other than long pant and full shirt, especially when you are visiting monasteries or temples.
2) Taking photographs
You have to pay close attention as to where taking pictures is OK or not. In particular, you are not allowed to photograph sensitive elements, such as security personnel, checkpoints, military installations or the like.
Similarly, you should always ask people permission to take their picture. In exchange, you may sometimes even have to offer them money for tea. In any case, always ask first!
Do not take photos or videos inside monasteries. Your guide will remind you beforehand. In some monastery, pictures can be taken against payment. Be aware that if you take a photo without prior permission, your device might be confiscated.
Shopping in Tibet
Due to its unique culture, Tibet is a great place for buying souvenirs for your loved ones, back home. The choice is wide, from a simple rosary to more impressive items, such as carpets or thangkas.
Haggling over price is common in Tibet – and almost expected! Do not just pay the asking price; try to bargain down to 50% of said price. For more expensive items (carpet, thangkas., etc.), try first with the guide, then try again later on your own:
usually, when you purchase valuable items, the shop pays the guide a commission that is – unsurprisingly – added to the price you are expected to pay!
Some responsible shops give away a portion of their annual income to help poor people in remote regions. Should you be interested in buying from such outlets, your guide will gladly take you there.
Conclusion
We hope the above information will give you a comprehensive view of how to travel in Tibet and what to expect, including from our agency. It is based on our personal knowledge as a tour operator, complemented by our guides’ experience, travellers feedback, and other elements drawn from various travelogues.
Should you have any further questions about travelling to Tibet, please do not hesitate to contact us and request a free consultation on travel to Tibet.
You can reach us at info@lamamanitours.com.
Read more about Tibet Travel information and Tibet Tours packages. Please visit our blog: Nomadictibet.com