Traveling to Tibet

Tibet is an attractive place for those who love pure natural sceneries, ancient cultures and monuments, and religious cultures. Also known as the Roof of the World, Tibet hosts the Potala Palace, an iconic white and red building that hosts Tibetan history, religion, culture, and art. It has a background of grey or Green Mountain and attractive blue sky. It houses Buddha statutes, religious jewelry, antiques and other precious sculptures.

For those who love shopping, the Barkhor Street is a good place to visit in Tibet where you can shop souvenirs even from Nepal. The street, which is visited by pilgrims, circles the Jokhang Temple and people go there to roll prayer wheels. Many people join the cheaper Tibet group tours.

For the religious, Jokhang Temple is the most religious in Tibet and pilgrims prostrate themselves in front of it and circle around it clockwise. Other places of interest in Tibet include Yamdrok Lake, attractive Mount Everest which is envied by many travelers, Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Beijing and Chengdu to Tibet

First, Chengdu hosts the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CDIA) which has several international flights from and to London, New York, Melbourne, Tokyo and over 75 other cities around the world. Chengdu is an important travel destination in China because all flights from Beijing to Tibet or those from Shanghai, Guangzhou and Lhasa, go through Chengdu.

Chengdu to Tibet or Beijing to Tibet flight is the better option for those who want to save time. There are about ten flights from Chengdu to Tibet, most of which connect Chengdu Shuangliu Airport with Lhasa Gonggar Airport. Other flights connect Chengdu with Nyingchi Milin Airport, Shigatse Peace Airport, Chamdo Bangda Airport and Ngari Kunsha Airport.

Instead of using the flight, you can take a Tibet train tour from the Chengdu Train Station to Lhasa and head to Tibet. Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the world’s highest railway.

Many tourists on a Tibet group tour actually use this route because it is cheaper and you can see beautiful sceneries such as Kunlun, Tanggula and Nyainqentanglha mountains on your way to Tibet. It is advisable to purchase a sleeper berth if you want to avoid the crowds and have a rest on the way.

Other options of traveling to Tibet include using the overland route - the Sichuan-Tibet Highway Overland Route. It is known as the most dangerous but beautiful - you will see beautiful snow mountain peaks and gorges. This takes you about 10 days. It is not popular because of government restrictions to issue travel permits to foreigners.

You can also choose to cover the over 2000 kilometers from Chengdu by bike and pass through rugged landscapes, archaeological sites and other sceneries that suit photographic moments, sightseeing and camping.

Nepal to Tibet

Unlike traveling from mainland China to Tibet where you need a Chinese Tourist Visa, here you need a Group Chinese Tourist Visa obtainable from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. There are many tour agencies in mainland China which can help you to get a Tibet visa very quickly.

Second, traveling from Nepal to Tibet requires that travelers be on an organized Tibet group tour made possible through a travel agency. In addition, foreigners are required to have a travel permit, a tour guide, a private vehicle and driver.

The road route to Tibet from Nepal is the Kathmandu to Kodari and then to Tibet, which is about 115 kilometers long. An alternative is to use flights: use the weekly (daily during May to October summer time) direct flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa, which takes only one hour. You also must be part of an organized tour even if you are going for a private tour - you must prove this before boarding a flight in Kathmandu. Your private vehicle, guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa airport.

Trekking in Tibet

There are many Tibet trekking routes to consider and the best way is exploring them with the help of an experienced tour company. Tsurphu to Yangpachen trek begins from Tsurphu Monastery. It takes you to hot springs, nomad regions and monasteries. The Nyenchen Tanglha Traverse trek starts from Damxung Valley and takes you to gorges, forest slopes, and alpine meadows. Another route preferred by tourists is the Everest base camp to Tingri trek in the shadows of Mt. Everest.

Myself Micheal, and I am here to write in the context of different tour facilities given by a professional agency name: Travelchinatibet.