Tour Guide, Lhasa, China
| 12 mins read
With 20 years of experience in the Tibet tourism industry and directly dealing with clients over the years, I know what our clients need to consider before planning the tour. So, here I would like to offer this simply accumulated Tibet tour information.
⑴ When is the best time to travel Tibet?
The April-June and Sept-Nov are generally the best time and most popular months; during these months can bring reliable weather. From July through to the end of September is the rainy season and can bring flash floods and high river, which breaks up the poor road surface. But during July and August especially, Tibet can be very wet; it is a very good time of year to visit the festival site. After October, the temperature goes down; the weather is cold for your pleasant travel. If you had planned to travel above the 4500m sea level area as Everest base camp, and Mt.Kailash the temperature too cold. If you just trip around Lhasa city, then the weather is also suited to travel.
⑵ What documents are required before travelling to Tibet?
For all foreign travellers who have planned to travel Tibet, firstly you will prepare a valid passport and a valid Chinese Visa which are essential. Then you go through a local travel agency to make arrangements for the Tibet tour permit before your entry into Tibet. To obtain the Tibet tour permit for your trip to Tibet, you will have to join a tour group organized by a travel agency. Only the local travel agency can be able to obtain the Tibet tour permit from the Tibet Tourist Bureau. Obtaining the Tibet tour permit is a very important travel procedure before you begin the tour to Tibet, so for the Tibet tour permit please contact us for your Tibet tour permit.
⑶ How to get to Tibet?
When you plan to travel Tibet, you must consider which gateway city for you is easy to access. There are two ways leading to Tibet. One is from Kathmandu of Nepal and the other is from China. If you are planning to enter Tibet from Kathmandu, you have the option of an airplane with a direct flight to Lhasa Airport and by land cruiser on overland from Kathmandu-Lhasa along the Friendship Highway. If you planning to enter Tibet from China, you have the option by an airplane, by Qinghai-Tibet railways and by bus or land cruiser on overland tour. The flights at present have a connection with several Chinese cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Shangri-La, Xining, etc. The train runs between China's cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xining, etc. The overland tour by jeep or bus starts from Golmod along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, from Chengdu, along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and from Zhongdian, along the Kunming-Tibet Highway. Other is from Kashgar along the Kashigar-Tibet Highway; all of these ways are available for traveler access to Tibet. For further detailed information, please contact us for air flight information and train information.
⑷ How to book tours with us?
When you decide to book the Tibet tour with Tibetans Travel tour operator team, you must provide us with detailed information at least 21 days prior to your departure with a valid passport and a valid Chinese visa. With this, you need to pay a non-refundable deposit of USA$ 200 per person before your departure as we will let you know our bank account number and address. When we got your money order, the tour operator will start to make arrangements for you. For further detailed information, please ask us about the tour booking conditions.
⑸ Hotel Accommodation:
In Tibet, hotel accommodation is available for all level for you from 5 stars standard hotel to budget guest house. All of these hotels will be according to your request for booking by our tour operator for you. Only the 5 star hotel is available in Lhasa city. When you travel outside of Lhasa city as Tsetang, Shigatse, Nyingtri, Nagchu, then from 3 star standard hotel to budget guesthouses will be available. Other small towns have available under 2 star hotel or guest houses; the room may be a double room with private shower and toilet in the room. When travelling to remote areas as Mt.Everest, far west Tibet as Mt.Kailash and Guge and far southeast Kham area, the only choice is the local guesthouse basic with only multi-share rooms, common pit-toilet, no shower and hot water. If your tour program is trekking, we arrange the accommodation for you when you arrive in the major town; during the trekking, it will be camping in tents. There no choice to get a room for you. For further detail information, please ask about hotel information.
⑹ Food:
During you travel in Tibet like Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang, Nyingtri, and Nagqu towns, there are numerous restaurants available for you to choose from every style and budget. If you travel to remote areas like Mt.Everest and far-west Tibet like Kailash area, you only can choose from Tibetan and Chinese restaurants. If you not used to Tibetan and Chinese food, you may bring your own rank and file for travel outside of these towns, especially in Lhasa city there are a few Nepalese restaurants which will be available for you. These restaurants offer western, Nepalese, Indian, and South Korea food so for our client, we can arrangements of these meals for their interest. Meanwhile, we will make special arrangement one meal in Tibetan style restaurant for our client to taste the local Tibetan food.
⑺ Transportation:
In recent years, the Tibet road conditions improved than the past years. Leading to every major town and tourist attractions, road conditions have changed to a paved road from a dirt road. During your travel in Tibet by any vehicle to go there you may feel safe. Due to the Tibet plateau's unique climate and complicate, we use the vehicle like the group van or minibus and coach in Lhasa city and Gyantse, Shigatse, Tsetang Nyingtri towns and as well as airport transfer. If the group will go outside of these towns, there will be an arrangement of 4 wheel land cruiser. And each car seats 5 including one driver, one guide seat with 3 guest seats. And for this case, we will arrange the vehicle according to our group size. All our drivers are fully trained in safety and are well experienced in driving in Tibet. You will find that you are more comfortable and safe with them, and the driver will be friends with you during your travel in Tibet.
⑻ Road condition in Tibet:
The Tibet road infrastructure is much improved in recent years from the government, leading to a major prefecture town and the highlights attractions spot is changed from an unpaved road to a comfortable paved road. In addition, some remote and rural areas still have a dirt road. Other highways like Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Friendship Highway and Sichuan-Tibet Highway can be available to all kind of vehicles. Especially the Friendship Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway can do tour all year round from last year. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway is also a paved road but when you travel this road on overland, you must avoid the rainfalls as they begin from July to mid-September. The Tibet-Kashgar highway also changed in paved road nowadays, but due to climate limit, only the summer season can do overland tours for this route.
⑼ Guide and Driver:
If you travel in Tibet, you must understand that Tibet is the most politic sensitive area. The government has prohibited foreign travellers on independent tours without a tour guide. For this fact, we have arranged a tour guide for our group and our every tour group must have arrangements with a local Tibetan English speaking guide. The guide's culture level must be the richest experience and knowledgeable. Though, this way lets you know more about Tibet's unique culture and local custom which is our final goal. All our vehicle drivers are fully trained in safety and well experienced in Tibet. They live locally and know this land. During you travel in Tibet with them, you felt more comfortable and safe with their service.
⑽ Tibet Climate:
The Tibetan climate is not as harsh as many people imagine. The best time of year to be in Tibet is from April to the beginning of November, after which temperatures start to plummet. Central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November; though July and August can be rainy since these two months usually see around half of Tibet 's annual rainfall. October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet's lower altitude. The coldest months are from December to February. But in the daytime, it is also not as cold as the people have considered. Therefore for further knowledge about Tibet weather information, please ask about Tibet Elevation and Temperature before you travel to Tibet.
⑾ Health:
Tibet's elevation is over of the 3600 m. Most areas are in a low oxygen zone, also the climate is unique and different from other areas. Travellers, before travelling to Tibet, must first consider whether their health permits them to travel to this high altitude region. So before planning for this trip the traveller should go to their doctor to check whether it medically it is advisable for them to travel and whether any immunization is needed for the travel to Tibet. Persons with any serious heart disease, lung disease, hypertension and diabetes should not travel to high altitude region, People with normal health can travel to the Tibet plateau. On reaching the high altitude region the traveller may experience mild altitude sickness and experience different degrees of headache, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, insomnia and other symptoms. The most important treatment for altitude sickness is acclimatization, which is essentially the process of giving your body time to adjust to the high altitudes, getting enough rest, eating properly and staying well hydrated are also important. A bit of very important advice to be kept in mind is that on arrival in Tibet on the first night don’t bathe and prevent getting cold, so wear warm clothes before you get adjusted to the high altitude, and ask your guide or hotel reception to help you to buy some bottles of oxygen for preventing altitude sickness. Meanwhile, before your departure, you can bring some medicine like aspirin tablets, sedative and altitude sickness medicine just in case. Therefore, it is important to take precautions when you arrive in Lhasa and on the rest of the trip. Tell your guide if you do not feel well. Walk with moderation for the first day or two. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids. You may lose your appetite, but force yourself to eat as much as you can. You may experience a headache that should go away in a day or two. All symptoms should disappear within a couple of days. If they get worse quickly, or do not go away, notify your guide. If necessary, you can receive treatment in Lhasa where they have a good altitude sickness hospital, but this is rarely needed.
⑿ Tibet Attractions:
For travellers, Tibet is without a doubt one of the most remarkable places to visit in Asia. It offers fabulous monastery sights and breathtaking high-altitude treks. Stunning views of the world’s highest mountains and one of the most likeable peoples you will ever meet. For this, our tour operator will according to each client's specific needs and interests design the tour itinerary. For further detail information about Tibet landscapes, please ask about Tibet's main scenic spots.
⒀ Tibet Treks:
The Tibet plateau is a vast and mountainous place offering almost unlimited potential for trekkers. From the frigid high northwest plain to the stream jungles of the southeast,Tibet is a land of rich cultural and ecological contrasts. The remoteness of Tibet combined with climatic extremes poses a special challenge for the trekker and unique rewards. Some remoter areas are even now only accessible on foot or horseback, and the trekking conditions are special than other areas. In general, travelling to Tibet represents sightseeing tours but even the land lies on average above 12000 feet. This inaccessible land have many possibilities of trekking routes for the adventure seeker. Whether it is a pilgrimage trek or a mountain expedition, Tibet offers trekking trips from short one day to month-long as per one's requirement. But the treks are not feasible in the wintertime as the temperature goes very low (-30 to -40°F) and also the days are much shorter. We offer many different types of treks to Tibet, with a range of hotels to suit every pocket. What's more, as we understand that a visit to this special country is a highly personal experience, so for those, we tailor-make trek itineraries according to every clients' specific needs and interest. For further information please contact us about Tibet trekking.
⒁ What You Need to Bring for Your Trip to Tibet:
Here are the items suggested to bring and you may of course add what you bring for you regular trip
Down jacket or warm fleece top
Thermal underwear (top and bottom)
Cotton shirts (short and long sleeved)
Warm cotton trouser
Sunglasses
Warm woollen hat and gloves
Sandals (flip-flops)
Towel
Sleeping bag (for camping/trekking)
Rain jacket
Strong sun cream and protector
Moisturize
Water bottle
Camera