Tibet Travel Regulation
There are some Tibet Travel regulations you will have to understand before making your plans to Travel to Tibet.
All International visitor visiting Tibet should have their tour arranged through a local Travel agency in Lhasa. All the tour arrangements have to be set in advance.
All foreign traveller is allowed to travel independently. They must have Tibet travel permits, a Private vehicle with a driver and tour guide arrange in advance.
The travel agency can only host regular travelers to Tibet. For the journalist, diplomats, and anyone who is working media. They will have to contact the nearest Chinese Embassy for a special permit issued by the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese Visa or Chinese Group Visa
You cannot obtain a Chinese Visa upon arrival. Therefore, you will have to apply to the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate unless you are a citizen of a Visa-free country for Visiting China.
You will have submitted your application to get it in at least a month before your scheduled arrival in China. We need a copy of your passport and the Visa to apply for your Tibet travel permit.
All the travel agency can help send you a Visa Invitation. But with this Visa invitation, you can only apply it in the embassy, not the consulate. You are most likely to get the Chinese Group Visa with such an invitation.
Chinese Group Visa is a Visa for the entire tour group. This Visa will be on a piece of A4 paper. There will be two copy of it, one for the entrance and another for the exit.
Here the drawback is you will have enter and exit China together from the same port. It is impossible to extend and make changes to the tour plan.
Hence, it is better to get a regular Chinese Visa on your passport if you travel to Tibet from other areas of China.
Chinese Group Visa from Nepal
For all the travelers visiting Tibet from Nepal, It is mandatory to get the Chinese Group Visa from Nepal’s Chinese embassy. Your pre-existing Visa will not help you to get into Tibet.
If you happen to have an existing Visa, it will get cancelled upon application of this China Group Visa. So if you don’t want to lose it, It is a better option to come to Tibet from Other parts of China.
We will send you a visa invitation for the Group Visa, But it has to apply via a licensed agent in Kathmandu. The embassy will not accept application directly from you.
It takes three business days to get this Visa. So you will have to wait three days in Nepal and can only travel to Tibet on the fourth day.
Tibet Travel Permit
Tibet travel permit or Tibet Visa is a special permit issued by the Tibet tourism bureau for international travelers. All the international visitor has to get this permit to visit Tibet.
Your travel agency based in Lhasa is the only one who can apply for it. Hence as mentioned above, You will have to arrange all the travel arrangements in advance.
Getting Tibet Travel Permit
Your Tibet travel permit will be check as your travel to Tibet from parts of China. So here is a way you will get the permit before you reach Tibet.
Flight from other cities in China to Tibet
If you fly to Tibet from other cities in China, you will have to have the permit in your hand. Without it, you will not be allowed to board a flight for Lhasa.
We will send the permit to your hotel in any cities in China If you plan to stay a night in other cities before flying to Lhasa.
We can send a person to deliver your permit at Chengdu airport for those planning to transit without staying in a hotel.
Train from other cities in China to Tibet
If you plan to take a train journey to Tibet, we will send you a scanned copy of your permit. You can make a printout to show at the checkpoints.
Yet for those traveling from Chongqing to Lhasa by train. You will need to get the original permit. So we will send it to your hotel in China.
Nepal to Tibet
For those traveling from Nepal to Tibet, you will meet the tour guide at the border. She will have the permit with her, will assist you at the checkpoint.
Getting to Tibet
Over times Traveling to Tibet has become easier and more convenient. Now there are three ways to get to Tibet. You will explain here in details.
Flight to Tibet
Flying to Tibet is perhaps the fastest and more comfortable option to visit Tibet.
There are multiple domestic flights to Lhasa every day, yet there is only one international flight from Kathmandu. Kathmandu is the only gateway to Tibet. But you can choose to fly to Tibet from major cities in China.
As mention above, flying from Nepal to Tibet requires a Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
You will need the original Tibet travel permit if you are flying from other cities in China. Please read the Tibet travel permit section.
Booking flight ticket to Lhasa
When you try to book a flight ticket to Lhasa from the Air Ticketing websites, most likely, you will be asked to submit the Tibet travel permit.
But the obstacle is that you will only get the Tibet travel permit on the eve of your travel date. By that time, the flight ticket price will be sky-high. Therefore, it is better to book that flight ticket with us as it doesn’t require us your travel permit to book a flight ticket locally.
Train to Tibet
Taking Train to Tibet takes you to the best landscape on the plateau, and it is the most economical way to get to Tibet. Every day, there is a train to Tibet from all the major cities in China.
For traveling on the train to Tibet, you will need to show the Tibet permit at the departure and upon Lhasa’s arrival. You might need to show it while getting your train ticket.
Beside Chongqing, you can only show them a printed copy of your permit in all the other train stations. Yet in Chongqing, you will have to show them the original permit, and we will have to send your permit to your hotel.
Booking Train ticket to Lhasa
The train is significant transportation connecting Tibet with other provinces of China. It is heavy use by locals.
During national and school holidays, it is tough to secure a train ticket during those busy seasons. Hence it is highly recommended to book the train ticket in advance.
There are many booking platforms on the internet, yet it is highly advised to book it with your Tibet’s local Travel agency.
Overland Journey to Tibet
You can travel overland to Tibet either from Nepal or any other parts of China.
h4 Nepal to Tibet Overland
If you are traveling overland from Nepal, You can hire a car from Kathmandu right up to Rasuwa Ghadhi at the border as you walk into China at the Chinese border port across the bridge. You will meet your tour guide, and She will help you check-in.
Overland journey from other parts of China
You can travel overland from and to Tibet from any other regions of China. Yet you will need to have a tour guide, permit and car arrange with a local travel agency in Tibet.
Your tour guide can meet you at the departing cities or the entry point, depending on your travel plan.
Self Driver or Motorcycle journey to Tibet
It is possible to visit Tibet by driving your car or motorbikes. The overland journey through Tibet in your vehicle can be one of our RV life’s most memorable parts.
Here, we will have to arrange a temporary drivers license and vehicle document. For it, you will have to send the corresponding documents. It takes an initial deposit for the car, which we usually pay as it will be reimbursed upon your departure from China.
When to visit Tibet
The best time to visit Tibet depends on your expectations of experiences in visiting Tibet.
Usually, the high season is from April to October for the warmer climate. It will more touristy and more expensive to visit in those months.
If you want to visit Mount Everest, The month of May, June, September, or early October, for instance, are good because it is less windy. 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 clouds do not hide the summit.
For those who visit Kailash, the best months are April, May, September and October.
We would advise you to try your best to avoid Chinese holidays as there will be a massive influx of domestic tourists, which will be very pricy.
High Altitude sickness and Acclimatization in Tibet
Altitude sickness is severe and could be dangerous and even deathly.
Tibet’s average elevation is 4500 meters and 14763.78 feet above sea level. Which very high. Most travel route starts in Lhasa, which is at 3600 meters (11811 feet).
Since most travelers do not use Tibet’s elevation, it is of utmost importance to acclimatize well before traveling to higher regions like Everest basecamp or mount Kailash.
It is highly urged to seeks advice from your doctor at home and plan accordingly.
Conclusion of Tibet travel guide
We hope the above post gives you a comprehensive understanding of how to plan your visit to Tibet. We try our best to include as much information as possible, yet it is not inclusive enough to squeeze all in one post.
Please read our specific post dedicated to the topic, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any question regarding your travel plan to Tibet.
You can reach us at [email protected].
Read more about Tibet Travel information and Tibet Tours packages. Please visit our blog: Nomadictibet.com.