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►A Mysterious Place
Compared to most of places in China, there are only a few tourists travel to Tibet, for its special geographical conditions, the high altitude and transportation, even Chinese people. This mysterious and holy place has its particular colorful culture and religious believes and traditional customs that differ from any other places in China. But you don’t need to worry too much, local people in Tibet are warm-hearted and very welcoming to tourists.
►Extraordinary Sceneries
Tibet is regarded as roof of the world due to its high altitude, with an average elevation of more than 4000 meters above the sea level, which is famous for its majestic natural sceneries. Those snow-capped mountains and glaciers, transparent blue alpine lakes, endless green grasslands with varieties of wild animals and clean air without pollution, form such a peaceful and tranquil wonderland for you to explore all its original beauty.
Yangpachen
►A Spiritual Trip for Your Soul
Tibet is so called a holy land of kinds of religions, including Tibetan Buddhism and Bon. Because of the strong religious atmosphere and historical culture and customs, Tibet is said to be the best place to seek your soul and refresh your spirit.
►Specific Tibetan Food
Tibetan food is really different from any other traditional Chinese cuisines, for its distinctive highland characteristics. With all those representative food like mutton, beef, Zanba, buttered tea, Tibetan barley wine and so on, you may definitely have a wonderful memory of the food in Tibet.
►The Highest Peak Mt. Everest
Mt. Everest, the main peak of the Himalayas, is the highest mountain in the world. If you really love snow mountains, here in Tibet, it’s a great chance for you to appreciate the highest peak of the world and enjoy the generosity from the nature. Or you can challenge yourself once in your lifetime.
More information about Tibet facts.
For all non-Chinese-passport holders who travel to any cities in Tibet are required for the Tibet Entry Permit (TTB Permit). You may also need it when you take trains and planes. You can only travel to Tibet in groups organized by a travel agency or by the offices of the Tibet Tourism Bureau. You’d better apply for it at least 15 days ahead of your departure day.
Tibet is closed to all foreign visitors in every March according to Tibet government regulations. Please avoid traveling to Tibet in March. It is better to visit Tibet from the middle of April so that you could get more time for Tibet permit application.
More details about Tibet Entry Permit.
Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region, also the political, economic, cultural and religious center of Tibet, is named as “the city of sunlight”, due to the abundant sunshine of more than 3,000 hours annually. As a holy place for Tibetan Buddhism, there are plenty of temples in Lhasa. The Potala Palace, a symbol of Lhasa, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, are all good for experiencing Tibetan Buddhism. Here you can not only enjoy yourself in the beautiful natural sceneries, but also experience the historical culture around the city.
Potala Palace
Recommended Tour: 4 Days Best Lhasa Tour
Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet, has once been the political, religious and cultural center of Tibet, with a profound history. It is also the gateway to Mt. Everest Base Camp, an ideal place to visit Mt. Everest. The best time to visit Mt. Everest is from May to June, very suitable for mountaineering. And if you also want to experience the Buddhism culture in Shigatse, Sakya Monastery and Tashilhunpo Monastery may be good choices. Furthermore, you could also get close to Nepal in Zhangmu Town where Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge located.
Mt. Everest Base Camp
Recommended Tour: 6 Days Mystical Tibet Exploring Tour
Shannan is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Tibetan civilization with a rich culture and long history. The representative attractions in Shannan are famous among tourists, such as Samye Monastery which is the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, and Yamdrok Lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains which is also one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet, you may have a leisure time in Shannan.
Yamdrok Lake
Recommended Tour: 5 Days Cultural Tibet Tour
Nyingchi, a perfect combination of snow-capped mountains and peach blossoms, holds the reputation of Jiangnan Area in Tibet along the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon which is the deepest, narrowest and longest canyon in the world. Don’t miss the beautiful peach blossom during March and April while the Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival is on April.
Chamdo, as other places in Tibet, has splendid natural views and glorious culture. You may have a chance to enjoy the rare view of Danxia landform, decorated by the particular Tibetan houses. The most symbolic tourists destination is no doubt to be the Ranwu Lake, whose beauty combines characteristics from both Swiss Alps snow peaks, glaciers and the streams in Jiuzhaigou Valley.
Ranwu Lake
Nagqu, located between the Tanggula Mountains and Nyainqentanglha Mountain Range, is highlighted by alpine grassland and towering mountains. Go to the North Tibet Grassland if you like a wide grassland view, which is one of the five biggest pastures in China, and you can also visit the Nagqu Firigid Grassland. You’d better not miss the Namtso Lake, the second largest saltwater lake in China, where the crystal blue water joins together with the azure sky, creates a marvelous picture for tourists.
Nagqu Firigid Grassland
Recommended Tour: 6 Days Lhasa to Namtso Lake Tour
Ngari is one of the lowest population densities in the world. It is said that the west part of Tibet shows how the real Tibet should be, that’s where Ngari is located, and it’s also known as “the roof of the roof of the world” due to the high average altitude in Tibet, a more mysterious land in the mysterious Tibet. People believe that Ngari is a more than holy place which is so far away from the chaotic world, with an extreme beauty and storied culture.
Lake Manasarovar, the most transparent freshwater lake in China and a holy center for pilgrimage, and The Ruins of Guge Kingdom with ancient civilization, Ngari is a perfect destination for you to explore the ancient Tibetan culture and unbelievable landscape. Main travel routes in Ngari can be divided into South Line and North Line, the South Line is a common route for travelers while the North Line is more adventurous for explorers.
Ruins of Guge Kingdom
Read more about Tibet Attractions.
Tibet offers plenty of views for tourists no matter which season you choose. You can choose spring to appreciate the peach blossoms in Nyingchi, summer to get rid of the hot weather, autumn to have a great view of Ngari area, winter to enjoy the magnificent snow sceneries. Generally speaking, the best time to visit Tibet is considered to be May to October, and the most beautiful time is from June to September. Meanwhile, July and August are high seasons for travelling to Tibet, you’d better book hotels ahead of time.
| Place | Best Time to Visit | Rainy Season |
| Lhasa | May to October | July to September |
| Shigatse | May to October | July to September |
| Shannan | June to August | June to September |
| Nyingchi | March to April | June to September |
| Chamdo | May, June and September | June to August |
| Nagqu | May to September | May to September |
| Ngari | July to September | June to September |
Notice:
Better to avoid these periods since the price for hotel and transportation may be higher and it will be crowded everywhere.
Spring of Nyingchi
Read more about Tibet Climate & Weather.
►By Plane
It’s convenient to take airplanes to Tibet, since you have more choices for the tickets, and it’s a fast way to get to Tibet. There are airports in main cities in Tibet, such as Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, Chamdo Bangda Airport, Nyingchi Mainling Airport, Nagri Gunsa Airport, Shigatse Heping Airport. The best way to Tibet is by plane.
►By Train
Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world’s highest and longest high plateau railway, is reputed as the "Road to Heaven” which starts from Xining City in Qinghai and ends at Lhasa in Tibet, extending 1956 km. It’s a great experience to take trains to Tibet for the beautiful sceneries along the way, however, it’s more difficult to book a train tickets than flight tickets due to the limitation of the tickets, and the long trip on the train may give you more possibilities to get altitude sickness.
Know about Tibet Train Tours.
►From Tibet to Nepal
Good news is that it’s available to have a road trip from Tibet to Nepal. Take bus to Gyirong Border, go through the formalities of China Customs and apply for your Nepal visa before you land Nepal. There are buses to Kathmandu.
Recommended Tour: 10 Days Travel through Tibet to Nepal
More about transportation in Tibet.
The vast land in Tibet has so many amazing places and charming attractions for tourists, as a result, it’s impossible to travel around the whole plateau within a single trip. Determine places you want to visit the most first, you may need about 3 days for each city. And choose the theme of your Tibet tour, no matter photography tour, train tour or hiking tour so that you could add your favorite attractions on your tour list, also check the date of traditional festivals in Tibet if you want to experience the local culture. Topchinatravel would be happy to help with your Tibet travel plan.
Namtso Lake
Recommended Tibet Tours：
►8 Days Tibet Everest Base Camp Tour
►15 Days Expedition to Mt. Everest Base Camp
Tailor-made your personal Tibet Tour: Free Online Tailor-made Tour
Read more details about Tibet tours.
The taste of Tibetan food is palatable and unique, with a featured plateau style. Try the Zanba, the staple food for Tibetans every day, which is made of barley flour. And don’t miss the yak beef, grilled mutton chops, as well as Tibetan Yogurt. For the drinks, the most representative one is the Tibetan Barley Wine which has a long drinking history among Tibetan people, meanwhile, the Tibetan Buttered Tea is also a kind of common drink in Tibet.
Yogurt
Read more about Tibetan Food.
►In Lhasa, you have a lot of choices for a comfortable place to stay. You could choose one around Potala Palace, convenient for both sightseeing and shopping, or in Barkhor Street & Jokhang Temple area which is located in the Lhasa old town with more characteristic restaurants and bars, and if you want a quieter place, choose one near Norbulingka which is around the most beautiful artificial garden in Tibet.
►In Shigatse, there are plenty of hotels with good conditions. Choose your hotel according to attractions you’re planning to visit, you can either stay in the downtown or near Tashilhunpo Monastery.
►In Shannan, you may not have as much choices as in Lhasa, but you can still find a comfortable one for your trip. You can choose your hotel in Naidong county.
►In Nyingchi, you’d better stay in different hotels according to the attractions you want to visit, since each attraction is far from the other. You can make a choice among those areas, Bayi Town, Suosong Village and Zhibai Village.
►In Chamdo, it’s convenient to stay near the bus station, Karuo Area or Basu County, according to places you want to visit.
►In Nagqu, there are many choices in Seni Area and Anduo.
►In Ngari, you can consider Shiquanhe or Zhada areas. And there are guesthouses in some counties and villages, but it’s not so convenient for the transportation.
How to avoid altitude sickness?
What to Prepare
What to Know
Read more about Tibet Travel Tips.
►Tibetan New Year
Date: 1st, Jan in Tibetan Calendar
Place: Tibetan area
Activities: Tibetan Opera; Tug-of-war Competition; Horse Racing; Insert new prayer flags
►Butter Lamp Festival / Choe-nga Choepa
Date: 15th, Jan in Tibetan Calendar
Place: Jokhang Monastery, Lhasa
Activities: Worship Buddha; Display colorful lamps on the shelves at Jokhang Monastery; Tibetan singing and dancing show
►Shoton Festival
Date: 30th, Jun in Tibetan Calendar
Place: Lhasa; Shigatse
Activities: Eat Yogurt; Show Buddha’s paintings (Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery); Tibetan singing and dancing performances; Tibetan Opera
►Ongkor Festival
Date: June to August in Tibetan Calendar
Place: Tibetan area
Activities: Celebration of harvest; Offer sacrifices to the Tibetan god; Tibetan singing and dancing performances; Tibetan Opera; Horse Racing
Read more about Tibet Festivals.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 你好 | Nǐhǎo | Hello/Hi |
| 再见 | Zàijiàn | Bye/See you |
| 谢谢 | Xièxie | Thank you. |
| 不客气 | Búkèqi | You’re welcome. |
| 对不起 | Duìbùqǐ | Sorry |
| 请问卫生间在哪里？ | Qǐngwènwèishēngjiānzàinǎlǐ? | Excuse me, where is the restroom? |
| 多少钱？ | Duōshǎoqián? | How much? |
Learn more about Survival Chinese Phrases.
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