Glimpse of Tibet Tour

Climate of Lhasa

Tibet is placed on a vast plateau rising to the minimum height of 3500 m above sea level, so it has a varying climate. But our glimpse of Tibet tour mainly focuses on Lhasa town where the summers are long, pleasant, and mostly cloudy while the winters are short, very cold, dry, and clear.

The heat often varies between -8°C to 22°C and is rarely below -11°C or above 26°C. The hot period lasts for four months in Lhasa generally from May to August when the average daily heat can reach above 19°C.

July and August are the cloudiest times when the Lhasa sky hides behind the clouds 68 % of the time.

The cold season spans for three months, from December to February with an approximate daily maximum heat below 9 °C.

In Lhasa, the driest and least cloudy period of the year is November, during which, the sky remains clear 84% of the time.

Best Time for Glimpse of Tibet Tour

Depending on the climate variation of Lhasa, the most beautiful times for our Glimpse of Tibet Tour are April – May – June and September – October when the weather is pleasant. The days are always almost dry and the wonders of the Lhasa shine in their complete glory.

The summer period from the last days of May to August bring lots of precipitation. However, Lhasa is not much affected by the high precipitation so these days are very suitable for cultural trips like our glimpse of Tibet tour.

November is colder but can be perfect for a trip if you prefer less touristy periods. January and February are cold months but with the best visibility during the daytime. Previously, Tibet used to be closed in March but it is open to visit now although most significant places will remain closed due to the celebration of Tibetan New Year.

Difficulty Level of Glimpse of Tibet Tour

Our Glimpse of Tibet tour will take you to altitudes between 3,700 and 4,300 meters above sea level. The journey includes several hours of transfers and visits to high-altitude monasteries. Therefore, this tour is considered moderately challenging, as the varying altitudes may present a specific challenge.

For those sensitive to altitude changes, we recommend you to seek advice from the healthcare provider before taking on this trip.

However, for your comfort, all visits to monasteries and sightseeing will be conducted using private transfers, and you will enjoy accommodations in three-star tourist-standard hotels.

We will also manage all necessary formalities for your entry into Lhasa. In short, we have made every effort to ensure this trip is as convenient as possible, so everyone without any age restriction can participate in this tour.

Who is this trip for?

The itinerary we have designed for our Glimpse of Tibet tour is for anyone who would like to get to know the most important places in Lhasa. The tour emphasizes moving quickly and efficiently using comfortable means of transport while also taking a relaxed visit to more remote sites, such as Ganden Monastery.

This trip is also for those who like intensive and rich sightseeing and evening attractions of Lhasa. This trip is also made for those who feel they are stuck and want to unlock relational, self-love, and experiences within themselves. It is for those who want to get out of the rabbit hole and find the initiative path to move forward.

On the other hand, those in search of cultural adventures will also find this trip perfectly suited to their interests. Within just three days, you will experience and gain insights into the rich heritage that Tibet has kept hidden for centuries.

We have also ensured comfort and health for each of our guests so this journey is also appropriate for families, children, young and older adults.

Altitude Sickness

Although deciding to join our Glimpse of Tibet Tour can be a wonderful travel decision, but it also needs some health precautions mainly to avoid altitude sickness.

The altitude sickness is just your body’s random reaction to the changing heights and people who are very physically fit have much worse side effects than those who are sedentary.

So, even with all the precautions, your body may suffer a little which can manifest as nausea, dizziness, headache, and extreme fatigue. To protect your body from these onsets, you should give your body time to adapt to the new reality which is 1 day minimum.

That’s why, we suggest all our participants to rest in their hotel rooms in Lhasa. Please take this acclimatization period seriously and don’t drink anything alcoholic, do as little physical exertion as possible, stay in bed as much as possible, and drink lots and lots of water.

Many often neglect the importance of hydration but it is essential during all the time you are in high altitude.  And yes, the minimum 3 liters/day is still required.

The other vital measure we have taken for our guests is we have planned itineraries with not so many activities on the same day so a moderate physical effort is all that it takes.

You can also consume Ginkgo biloba three or four days before starting your Glimpse of Tibet Tour. It is the natural remedy to stop the occurrence of altitude sickness.

Even after all these precautions, if you have one or two symptoms, then you can take Diamox. Oxygen is rarely needed though.

Accommodation, Meal, and Drinks

As part of our Glimpse of Tibet Tour, we will provide you with four nights of accommodation, with breakfast arrangements, in a three-star hotel located in the serene part of Lhasa town. You can expect to see Jokhang, Potala, and Bakhor Street from your window and balcony.

The room has its own private bathroom and hot water. The hotel also has good air conditioning and heating systems with oxygen supplies.

For your lunch and dinner, we encourage you to try some traditional Tibetan cuisine such as momos, yak meat, lamb and chicken sausages, Tsampa, Sichuan noodles, and Thukpa.

And, for drinks, you can try the Lhasa Beer, traditionally produced in Lhasa. You can also find a selection of Western beverages at places like Ganglamedo Cafe, Makye Ame, Dunya Restaurant Bar, and Nepali Low House Music Bar.

Kindly note that our service doesn’t include the expenses for your meals (Lunch and Dinner) and beverages. Fortunately, the overall cost of dining and drinking in Lhasa is quite reasonable- $25 to $30 per person per day.

Transportation

During our 5 days Glimpse of Tibet Tour, you will have private transport at your disposal for all the local exploration. Our Tibetan guide with driver and vehicle will be present at the Airport/Train Station to receive you and see you off on your arrival and departure day respectively.

Every excursion to the enchanting monasteries and markets of Lhasa will be facilitated through private transport.

How to reach Lhasa?

The journey to Lhasa, in the heart of Tibet, can be made by train – a 2 to 3-day journey, by car, bus, bike, or plane from Kathmandu, or by plane from major air hubs in China.

• By Plane

Very few cities operate a direct and easy flight to Lhasa. The five most easiest places from where you can fly to Lhasa are Shangri-La, Chengdu, Xi’an, Chongqing, and Kathmandu.

The flight duration from any of these cities to Lhasa is approximately 2 to 3 hours, with ticket prices ranging from 270 to 350 USD.

When you are flying from abroad, you must make a 5-hour or a night stopover at one of these Chinese cities so your designated travel agency can send you the original TTP (Tibet Travel Permit) mandatory to board your Lhasa flight.

Therefore, the cheapest way to arrive in Lhasa will be flying form TIA in Kathmandu. It is the only city outside China which operates the international direct flight to Lhasa.

As of now, three flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) every week by Himalayan Air are operated. The flight on the other days is also possible with a brief transit to Chengdu.

• By Train

If you want to get to Lhasa by train from any part of China, then the Tibet Railway (Qinghai-Tibet Railway) will be the ideal choice. It begins from Xining on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and runs through Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou.

However, the travel time can be quite long from 21 hours to two days, depending on where you start your journey.

• By Land from Nepal

To reach Lhasa from Kathmandu by land, you will need to take a bus, jeep, car, or bike to the Gyriong or Kerung border via Rasuwagadhi in Nepal. From there, the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway will lead you onward to Shigatse and Gyantse, ultimately taking you to Lhasa.

Visa and Permit Information

Like Bhutan, Tibet cannot be visited on its own. A Glimpse of Tibet Tour must be organized through a Chinese or Nepalese travel agency like ours.

It is also essential to have a Tibetan guide approved by the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB), a driver, and a private vehicle accompanying you throughout your journey.

Now, let’s dive into the details to start your Glimpse of Tibet tour trip. To enter Tibet, you need three key pieces:

• Mode of entry either through Nepal or China
• A Chinese visa
• An entry permit to Tibet

If you decide to go to Lhasa from Nepal, then a Tibet Visa along with a Chinese Group Visa are essential. We will handle the Tibet entry permit and Chinese Group Visa formalities.

It takes 3 – 4 days to obtain the Visa, which time can be used to explore the beautiful Kathmandu Valley. For the Tibet permit, 15 office days are needed for which you must contact us and book the tour a month before the start of the trip.

But first, let’s talk about your important documents:

• Passport

Remember that, your passport must have at least 2 blank pages along with the validity time of 6 months or more from the date of the trip. Only if you have a Chinese, Taiwanese, or Hong Kong passport can you enter Tibet without restrictions.

If you decide to have us assist you in obtaining the Chinese Visa, please ensure that you send us a scanned color copy of your passport.

• Photos

You are required to present a passport photo that is 51 mm by 51 mm in size. The background should be white, and you must not wear any makeup or glasses.

• TTP (Tibet Travel Permit)

The TTP or the Tibet Visa is an obligatory permit for any non-Chinese traveler to step in any region of Tibet. This permit can only be secured through the Tibetan Tourism Office via an authorized travel agency.

Once you finalize your booking of our Glimpse of Tibet tour and send us your documents, we will forward them to our partner (licensed Tibetan Travel Agency) who in turn will take care of the permit application.

Our assigned Tibetan guide will get these permits and show it to officials once we land at the Lhasa Airport or train station.

Meanwhile, we will receive the invitation letter from our partner which will be necessary for obtaining the Chinese Group Visa.

Please understand that once the itinerary of our Glimpse of Tibet tour is confirmed, and TTP is applied, you won’t be able to modify them. All this information will already be mentioned in our application which in turn will be recorded in TTP.

Note

If you are in China, you must apply for the permit at least one month before your trip, since the paperwork that Tibetans do takes quite a long time (two to three weeks). The good thing is that all of this can be done online.

• Chinese Group Visa from Nepal

When flying from Kathmandu, a Chinese Group Visa is an obligatory document that will be issued as one to all the group members. For the Visa, all the participants must be present physically at the Embassy of China to submit their original passports and fingerprints. The Embassy will give back your Passport with the Visa after three office days.

Kindly note that the cost for the Chinese visa is separate from our overall Glimpse of Tibet Tour costs. The fee for American travelers is USD 175, whereas for other nationalities, it amounts to USD 85.

• Chinese Visa

When you decide to enter Lhasa via the other region, then Chinese tourist Visa is a must. Specific information regarding the Chinese visa will depend greatly on your nationality, but in general terms, you can obtain a tourist Visa with the possibility of entering the country within 30 to 60 days.

Plan your days in China well, knowing that Tibetan territory counts as days towards your visa limit.

When applying for your visa, plan your stay in any Chinese city depending on how you plan to get to Tibet. Please note that you will not be able to enter Tibet if you enter through Hong Kong or Macau, as these are entities that do not count as entry into China.

What language is spoken in Lhasa?

The main language of course in whole Tibet is Tibetan, one of the Tibeto-Burman languages of the Asian continent. In addition to Tibetan, other languages like English are spoken mainly by those engaged in the tourism sector. Hindi and Nepali are also spoken by some, especially by the Indian and Nepali traders.

Currency and means of payment

The official currency of Tibet is the Chinese renminbi yuan. Since our travel program during our Glimpse of Tibet Tour is mainly concentrated in Lhasa, you can also use credit cards to make payments.

If you don’t have cash in Chinese currency yet, make the exchange and don’t carry dollars (or your local currency). we recommend exchanging bills at a trusted ATM that you will find at the airport or any main square within the city.

It is the best way since the currency exchange is respected by each bank, the only thing they charge is a fee for cash withdrawal which is generally very low.

Additionally, you can also make use of e-wallets like WeChat, Alipay and Apple Pay for your payments.

Electricity, Communication, and network

The current in all Tibet is 220 Volts so yes, you can easily charge and use your electric gadgets with no problem. But the sockets in the hotel room can be a bit different so it will be excellent option if you bring the adapter suitable for your devices.

The mobile network in Tibet has been greatly expanded in recent years upgrading to 5G networks that are available even in Everest and Kailash. In Lhasa, you can make connections with your home with local operators like China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile.

Instead of activating the roaming services in your SIM, it is best that you use these local SIMs as they are a cheap alternative.

Lhasa offers excellent WiFi connectivity in various venues such as bars, pubs, lounges, restaurants, and hotels. However, you may find that you cannot access Western sites like Gmail, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Google, and WhatsApp. To resolve this issue, a VPN can be used to quickly modify your server location.

Physical fitness and health

Participants in our Glimpse of Tibet Tour should ensure they do not have any significant health issues, especially related to the heart and lungs. The changing altitudes during our travels could potentially aggravate these conditions. We advise seeking medical guidance from your doctor before the trip.

On the other hand, if you are in excellent health and engage in regular physical activities, such as gym sessions or daily exercises like walking, running, or climbing stairs, you should be able to effectively handle any challenges that the journey may present.