Tibet is situated in the South-West of China, also bordering Nepal, India, Burma, and Bhutan. The historical territory of Tibet would make it the world’s tenth-largest nation. Tibet is under China’s occupation and has been divided, renamed, and incorporated into Chinese Provinces. If China refers to Tibet, It means only part of historical Tibet, which it names China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
You will be required to apply for Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) to enter Tibet, and the Permit is issued by Tibet Travel Bureau (TTB). Your travel agent applies for the Permit, which takes about two weeks complete. Without the necessary permits, we cannot imagine traveling to Tibet.
After the necessary permit arrangements, you will be entering via these ports.
There are FIVE significant highways to enter Tibet [it is quite difficult to enter Tibet via roads for foreigners.]
Flying to Lhasa, Tibet must stop in Mainland China or Nepal. Lhasa Gonggar Airport is situated about 97 Km south of Lhasa city, and it is the only international airport in Tibet that connects to Kathmandu and the cities of China.
The Train facilities for Lhasa have been expanded; you can travel by train from different cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Kunming, Xining, Xian, etc.
No, it is impossible to travel to Tibet without an organized tour. A tour guide and permits are required to travel to Tibet from Nepal and Mainland China ports. You must process the Permit and book a tour guide through the tour operator.
Your travel agent applies for the necessary permits to TTB. The authority starts to issue permits 2-3 weeks before your departure. The travel agent uses the Permit 2-3 weeks in advance, which means you are requested to confirm your trip at least four weeks to avoid any risk.
Your Permit will be sent to your given address in China but not other countries; you will be required to send your proper address in China (Either apartment or hotel) with a telephone number; the postman will send your original Permit before your flight or train to China. On the other hand, if you are traveling from Kathmandu, there is a different procedure as you will need to prepare the paper issued from the Embassy of China in Kathmandu. Please consult with your travel agent about it. Please check out Tibet Travel Procedure for more details.
HimalayanWindows can organize your visa, Permit to enter Tibet. Sadly, it is impossible to prepare the ticket and permit yourself because of the strict tourism policy of the government. You can travel alone/solo but must be accompanied by a guide as every tour has to be organized.
The weather in Tibet is good from April to Mid November and better from August to October as the climate in Tibet is not as unkind as people think it to be. The environment of Lhasa is much more favorable than other places in Tibet, so Lhasa is suitable to travel all year round.
We suggest tourists pack casual and layered clothing; during the daytime, you may need a T-shirt or cotton shorts, either long or short-sleeved. The jacket is also recommended, but light but warmer. If you are traveling further than Lhasa to Sighatse, Rongbuk, Mt. Kailash, Everest Base Camp, Sun Blocking cream, Sun Glasses, lip protector, warm cotton trousers, thermal underwear, woolen clothes, hats, gloves, sandals, towel, sleeping bag, rain jacket will be very helpful in you keep them on your packing list.
The currency used in Tibet is the Chinese Yuan. You can exchange your dollars, Euros, and Pounds into Chinese currencies from any bank or ATM in China. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays in Tibet. So, it is advised to bring some cash before you start your day or trip. ATMs are available in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Gyantse; however, it may be challenging to get one in other small towns in remote areas.
Winters (November to March) are cold, but not that much snow. Summers (May to September) have warm days with strong sunshine and cool nights. Even summer days can be chilly at higher elevations (i.e., above 4000m). In spring and autumn, you will need to be prepared for four seasons in one day, plus the possibility of snowfall.
The average, highest, and lowest annual temperature, along with the maximum elevation of the major cities/towns in Tibet (in Celsius), is provided below:
|
Lhasa |
Shigatse |
Tsedang |
Nyingchi |
Mt.Everest |
||||||
| Height |
3658m(12001 ft) |
3836m(12585 ft) |
3500m(11483 ft) |
3000m(9843 ft) |
5200m(17061 ft) |
|||||
|
Temperature |
Temperature |
Temperature |
Temperature |
Temperature |
||||||
| Month |
highest |
lowest |
highest |
lowest |
highest |
lowest |
highest |
-5.3 |
highest |
highest |
| Jan |
6.8 |
-10.2 |
5.7 |
-13.1 |
7.6 |
-9 |
7.9 |
-5.3 |
4 |
-17 |
| Feb |
9.2 |
-3.9 |
8 |
-9.5 |
9.9 |
-5.9 |
9.8 |
-2.7 |
-4 |
-15 |
| Mar |
12 |
-3.2 |
11 |
-5.4 |
12.9 |
-2.4 |
13 |
-0.1 |
7 |
-12 |
| Apr |
15.7 |
0.9 |
15.5 |
-0.7 |
16.9 |
1.3 |
16.5 |
3.2 |
10 |
-5 |
| May |
19.7 |
5.1 |
19.5 |
3.4 |
20.4 |
5.2 |
18.8 |
6.8 |
15 |
0 |
| Jun |
22.5 |
9.2 |
22.1 |
7.6 |
22.9 |
8.9 |
20.9 |
10 |
17 |
5 |
| July |
21.7 |
9.9 |
21 |
8.7 |
22.5 |
10.1 |
22.1 |
11.2 |
16 |
8 |
| Aug |
20.7 |
9.4 |
19.6 |
8.1 |
21.5 |
9.5 |
22.1 |
10.7 |
16 |
6 |
| Sep |
19.6 |
7.6 |
18.7 |
5.8 |
20.5 |
7.6 |
20.3 |
9.2 |
17 |
2 |
| Oct |
16.4 |
1.4 |
15.2 |
-1.2 |
17.1 |
1.8 |
17.2 |
4.9 |
12 |
-7 |
| Nov |
11.6 |
-5 |
10.7 |
-8 |
12.4 |
-4.1 |
12.9 |
-0.7 |
7 |
-12 |
| Dec |
7.7 |
-9.1 |
7 |
-12.3 |
8.7 |
-7.9 |
9.6 |
-4.5 |
4 |
-15 |
| Average Temp. |
15.3 |
0.8 |
14.5 |
-1.4 |
15.5 |
1.3 |
15.9 |
3.6 |
10 |
-5 |
Tibet is known as the Roof of the World and the highest place on earth. Due to this, many travelers may suffer from high altitude sickness in Tibet, especially people from low-altitude areas. Most travelers feel minor effects such as headache, loss of appetite, dizziness, etc.; in this case, you should not exhaust yourself and should take complete rest and drink as much water as possible. However, it is recommended that you consult with your local physician about AMS and medicines to help discourage altitude sickness.
Some vaccines are advised for all travelers traveling to Tibet, such as Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, etc. The best way is to consult your physician before planning your trip to Tibet. Or you can visit the link to have more info at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/ or http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/vaccinations.htm.
The electricity supply in Tibet is 220V or 50HZ. The hotel bathrooms have access to 220V and 110V electrical devices power. However, the guest room has only 220 electrical sockets. For charging your electrical devices, you’d better bring master plug-ins or ask reception to solve the problem.
We believe the above information is good enough before planning to visit Tibet.
