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Welcome to TIBET - a land so rich in culture, tradition and religion. Let the age old Tibetan myths and mysteries cast an enchanting spell that holds a visitor in thrill and excitement.
Tibet takes you back in time offering a treasure of many myths and mysteries. A considerable number of Tibetan people are still in a nomadic stage despite of the 21st century in the rest of the world. Nomads wander in search of pasture land from place to place with their typical tents surrounded by their animal herds of yaks and sheep.
Tibet is a destination, the most unusual and extraordinary, also known as ‘the Roof of the World.’ It is the highest plateau with the average height of 4,000 m surrounded by the Kunlun mountains in the north and the high Himalaya in the south. Tibet covers a total area of 1.2 million sq. km with a population of just 2.3 million.
For the Tibetan people, their religion is so inseparable like the life and soul. Although, originally, the Bon-po religion dominted over Tibet, Guru Rimpoche Padmasambhava introduced Buddhism here since the 8th century. In fact, Tibetan Buddhism is a marvelous blend of Bon-po beliefs and Buddhism. It is the Dalai Lama with his 14 incarnations ruled over Tibet until 1951 both as a religious and political leader.
After the virtual isolation for centuries, Tibet presently under China got open for the visitors only since 1985. Since then, Tibet is not only picking up as a popular tourist destination with thousands of visitors every year, but also as the holiest and most challenging pilgrimage especially for the Hindus, Buddhists, Bon-pos and so on particularly to the pilgrimage destination of Mt Kailash and Manasarovar.
A visit to Tibet is a dream for all. It takes you to the land of Shangri-la where one feels as being a part of a unique culture with a rich tapestry woven with legends, myths, rituals, festivals, monks and monasteries. Also, an hour long trans-Himalayan flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu or vice versa offers an opportunity to fulfill your long cherished wish to have a breathtaking view of the mighty Himalayan range including the world’s highest mountain Mt Everest (8,848 m). Isn’t it exciting?
So, just choose one of our beautifully designed tours and discover Tibet with us. Your memories of holiday in Tibet is enriched by the lingering impression of the most lavishly decorated huge monasteries & temple, saffron colored monks, ever-smiling people and their typical lifestyle and above all the challenging Himalaya.
However, it is the destination for the adventure lovers. As there is a probability of catching altitude sickness because of its height, it is always recommendable to consult your doctor before you undertake a tour to Tibet.
Any time this year is the right time to visit Tibet, later could be too late as Tibet is also not free from the invasion of modernization. So, don’t miss a holiday in Tibet – a voyage of adventure and discovery with us. You will be fascinated!
Before you book your tour to Tibet with us, please read the following information so as to ensure a smooth tour to Tibet.
Means of Access to Tibet
Access to Tibet is possible both by overland and flights. The shortest and scenic route is from Kathmandu, Nepal. It is almost 980 km from Kathmandu to Lhasa. The drive takes 5 days to reach Lhasa with hotels and sightseeing en route. The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa or vice versa is of just an hour and well known as one of the scenic in the world. Air China operates (Boeing 757) 4 flights a week Kathmandu-Lhasa & vice versa from April to June (every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday ad Sunday), daily flight from July to October, and 2 flights (every Tuesday and Saturday) from November to March.
For those willing to undertake overland trip, the 5 day drive begins from Kathmandu through the valleys and hills of central Nepal and along the snow fed Himalayan rivers. Early part in Tibet is highly scenic with hundreds of water falls, spectacular Bhote Koshi gorges, panoramic views of mighty Himalaya including Mt Shishapgma, Mt Cho Oyu, Mt Makalu, etc. (all above 8000m).
Passport
As usual, a traveler should carry with him/her a passport with a validity of six months in minimum.
Visa
There are mainly 2 types of Chinese visa. They are individual and group visa.
Individual Visa: (visa in passport)
This type of visa is mainly meant for the visitors traveling to the mainland China. However, it can also be used for Tibet only when the clients are entering Tibet through the mainland China on a condition that the visitor should carry Tibet Travel Permit (Please see below the section of Tibet Travel Permit for more information). You can obtain this visa from all the Chinese Embassies/Consulates in your home countries or also in Nepal. While applying for this visa with an intention of visiting Tibet, one should not mention the intention of visiting Tibet, but China in the visa application. However, this visa is not enough for entering into Tibet. You need to have a Tibet Travel Permit as said above on top of the visa, which will arranged by your travel agent only upon purchase of a package tour to Tibet.
Group Visa: (a separate sheet of paper document)
As a rule, visitors to Tibet are required to travel in group visa. For group visa, even one person group is also valid. This visa is not a visa stamp in your passport, rather a pair of separate sheets of paper with a list of participants’ passport details. One copy is for entry and the other for exit. If you are intending to visit to Tibet for a short and fixed period of days, the group visa is most advised and it is cheaper as well.
Tibet Travel Permit:
On top of the individual or group visa, Tibet Travel Permit is required for the entry into Tibet. In order to obtain it, you do not need to apply anywhere. It is obtained by the travel agent in Nepal which you buy the tour package from. Once you buy the package, it is the headache of the travel agent. This is the reason why, it is said that without buying the tour package of few days to Tibet, entry into Tibet is not possible even if you have the individual Chinese visa in your passport.
Booking Procedures
Minimum of 2 weeks in advance, a firm booking with full payment either by bank transfer or credit cards (Master or Visa) along with full passport details (Please mention: Full name, Sex, Nationality, Passport Number, Date of Birth and Profession or please fill up booking form at the end of this column) should reach us. We will process your visa in Kathmandu. However, 5 full working days are required with a condition that client should be available in Kathmandu, otherwise an urgent charge of USD 17 will have to be borne by the clients.
Altitude Sickness & Health Tips
Travelling in Tibet is entirely an adventure from every point of view such as altitude, roads, hotels, vehicles, climate, visa, rules and regulations and it could be strenuous especially because of the high altitude. However, there is no need to be over worried about it. Almost all visitors have been found free from health troubles, except minors effects like headache, loss of appetite which also improves in a couple of days during their journey. Nevertheless, we advise the visitors with known heart or lungs or blood related diseases to consult their doctor before undertaking the trip. So, with a view to enabling all visitors to enjoy the smooth trip, we organize a special briefing programme for all clients before they start their tour to Tibet. Please join it and familiarize yourself with all travel information on Tibet including altitude sickness: its causes, prevention and remedies.
Accommodtion
Most importantly, all travellers traveling in Tibet are kindly requested to bear in mind that Tibet, being extremely remote and isolated by the most formidable Himalayan ranges, still remains one of the most captivating but least developed part in the world. So, the visitors are requested not to have high expectation in terms of facilities, luxury, more choices and options. Main urban centers like Lhasa, Xigatse, Tsedang & Gyantse do have comparatively better hotels. Lhasa, particularly, does have good 5 star hotels these days. However, in rest of the places, hotels could be below standard even requiring you to share dormitory with a rows of beds and common toilets outside the rooms. So, to be prepared for this kind of adventure by sacrificing comforts beforehand will not disappoint you from your Tibet tour.
Food in Tibet
Eating facilities are increasing day by day in almost all the urban centers like Lhasa, Xigatse, Tsedang & Gyantse. However, in most of the hotels/guest houses outside Lhasa, breakfast & main meals are mostly in mixed Chinese-Tibetan style. In Lhasa, you have a plenty of choices of hotels where food ranging from continental to Chinese are easily available. You can explore Lhasa down town any time and enjoy your meal everyday.
List Of Belongings To Be Brought With
For the culture tours, please bring the following.
01. SUN HAT
02. SUNTAN LOTION
03. SUN GLASSES
04. CHAPSTICKS
06. SMALL RUCKSACK
07. MEDICAL KIT
08. SWISS KNIFE
09. WINDSHEETER
10. T-SHIRTS/SHIRTS
11. SHORTS
12. SWIM SUIT
13. WOOLLEN SWEATER/JUMPER
14. WOOLLEN SOCKS
15. COTTON SOCKS
16. RAIN COAT/UMBRELLA
If you are trekking, please add the following in your packing.
17. DOWN JACKET
18. TREKKING BOOTS
19. SLEEPING BAG (IF PERSONAL, BETTER)
20. UNBREAKABLE WATER BOTTLE
21. FLASH LIGHT
22. GLOVES
23. WOOLLEN CAP
Time Difference
As China has only one time zone from the mainland China to the Tibetan plateau, Tibetan time is 2 hours 15 minutes ahead of Nepali time (8 hours ahead of GMT).
Some Restrictions
Photos of Dalai Lama, Free Tibet T-shirts or posters, Tibetan flags or any political magazine or books are restricted in Tibet.
Immunisation
Formally, no vaccinations are currently required for entry into Nepal, China or Tibet. However, for your safety, you are advised to consult your doctor before you undertake the tour.
Insurance
Full travel insurance coverage from your home country including trip cancellation and interruption is strongly advised.
Photography
Normal still cameras and family video cameras are permitted. For the professional cameras and filming, special permits with extra fee have to be prepared well in advance.
Electricity
In most of the major cities, electricity is available. It is 220 volt. Multi-plug converter is advised to be carried with you.
Booking and Reservation
Minimum of 2-3 weeks in advance, a firm booking with full payment either by bank transfer/credit cards along with full passport details (Full Name, Sex, Nationality, Passport Number, Date of Birth and Profession) should reach us. We arrange Tibet/China visa along with the Tibet Travel Permit. However, 5 full working days are required for visa processing with a condition that client should be available in Kathmandu, otherwise an urgent charge (express visa fee) will have to be borne by the client.
Cancellation
50% of the tour cost will be charged as cancellation fee if you cancel the tour within 7 days prior to the start of the tour. No refund thereafter, also for no show, delayed arrivals or whatsoever reason. Cancellation charge on flight tickets KTM/LXA/KTM will as per cancellation regulation of Air China.
Risk & Liability
Ibet Kailash Treks always puts its all efforts in making your journey smooth and pleasant. However, as all Tibet tour are strictly run under Tibet Tourism Bureau, Ying Yang Holidays or its agents shall not be responsible for any change or cancellation of programmes due to any unavoidable circumstances such as road blockade, flood, snow, unrest, cancellation of flight, delated arrival of clients, sickness or accidents, breakdown of vehicles, etc. Any extra cost incurring thereof shall be borne by the clients on the spot. So, it is most advised that the clients should bring full insurance against personal health or accident risk. A cancellation insurance is also most recommended.
