Is this trip for you?
Note: If you have any questions concerning the requirements or the unique demands for your particular tour package, please feel free to contact one of our helpful Travel Consultants for further information.
It's advisable to have a body check-up or have your doctor's advice before visiting Tibet. Visitors with a record of heart, lung, liver, or kidney problems must seek medical advice before making the decision to go to Tibet Also, people with any of the following problems should not go to Tibet.
High Altitude Sickness is one of the biggest challenges when travelling in Tibet. According to our experience, most people will be fine up to 3500m above sea level, as the altitude go higher up to 4500m, mild symptoms as shortness of breath, headache might occur. Adverse reactions may vary from person to person. In most cases, the symptoms are mild and will subside in several hours to several days as the body acclimatizes.
Mild Symptoms of AMS include:
Potala Palace, Drepung Monastery
Yamdrok Lake, Tashilhunpo Monastery
Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest
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Welcome to Tibet! Your local guide will meet you upon your arrival in Gonggar airport and will escort you to Lhasa. You'll enjoy the heart-stopping views along the road.
After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimatize yourself to the high altitude city at the top of the world.
The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street.
After breakfast, you are driven to visit theNorbulingka Park, the former summer palace of Dalai Lama, and then come to Drepung Monastery, once the largest Monastery housing 10,000 monks in its heyday.
Your tour ends at Sera Monastery, and the “Buddhism Scriptures Debating” in Sera is very famous. Enjoy the debate!
Today you will be transferred from Lhasa to Gyantse (5.5-hour drive).
En route, you’ll stop to see Yamdrok Lake, one of three most famous holy lakes in Tibet. For Tibetans, it is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and the home of the “wrathful deities”. The scenery of turquoise blue water in the lake with the reflection of surrounding snow-capped mountains is awesome. Then another stop takes you to a Tibetan family where you can chat with common Tibetans and try some their self-made food.
After arrival in Gyantse, you will tour Palcho Monastery to admire fancy frescoes, statues and sculptures.
After breakfast, you will be driven from Gyantse to Shigatse (1.5 hours). In Shigatse, you will visit Tashilumpo Monastery, the oldest and largest Gelugpa Monastery in Tibet. Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. Then proceed to a free market to experience the stylish local life.
En route, visit Shalu monastery, which the construction was started in 1027. Its architecture is of typical combination of the Tibetan and Chinese styles with archways, carved pillars, tilled roofs and the Song and Yuan style murals.
Today you’ll drive to Tingri with a visit to Sakya Monastery en route. Sakya Monastery is of typical Yuan Dynasty style of resembling castles, offering a lot of the historical articles, including imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, costumes bestowed by the Yuan Dynasty emperors. It has over 10,000 volumes of Tibetan books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history. After the sightseeing, you may understand why it enjoys the title of “the Second Dun Huang Cave”.
Accommodate at Tingri.
After breakfast, set out to chase the journey to the peak of the world - Mount Everest. Departing from Tingri, you will witness spectacular high plateau views that you can never see in other places - super blue sky, float light clouds, stretching snow mountains, endless grasslands... Finally you will reach the outstanding Everest. Stop and go to visit Rongbuk Monastery (altitude: 5,100m), the highest monastery in the world. Enjoy the intoxicating view of Mt. Everest.
If you visit Mount Everest during the off season (November to April), you will usually accommodate at Rongbuk Guest House near Rongbuk Monastery; if you visit Mount Everest during the peak season (May to October), you will usually accommodate at the Tibetan Tent Camp. Please note that the accommodation conditions at both places are very basic. Only dorm beds are available.
Tips of today: 1. Bring more food and drinks for long driving; 2. Bring a warm and thick coat for low temperature on Mount Everest; 3. Avoid strenuous activity on Mount Everest.
Wake up early to enjoy the marvelous sunrise on the peak of the world from Rongbuk Monastery. You will see the top part of Mount Everest is covered by snow and ice all the year round. When the sun shines on the mountain, the peak is like a giant golden pyramid. More often, the thick freely moves clouds and fogs, seems as if a flag with the mast of the peak was swinging, will shroud the peak. This peculiar phenomenon of Mt. Everest is known as “Flag Cloud”. An additional wonder generated here are the bright glaciers, where ices are formed into various shapes like bridges, pagodas and others.
Till now your Mount Everest adventure is about to end. The rest of today is to drive back to Shigatse City. You will get to Shigatse in the afternoon, then take a good rest.
Tips of today: 1) to protect the environment of Mount Everest, currently Everest Base Camp is not open for tourists – the Everest landscape can be enjoyed at Rongbuk Monastery and Tibetan Tent Camp as well. The base camp marker, a tablet reading “Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp” has been transferred to the Tibetan Tent Camp. You are suggested to take a photo at the marker to commemorate your wonderful adventure tour; 2) the sunrise usually starts around 6:30 am to 7am on Mount Everest; 3) keep warm all the time.
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Today you'll drive back to Lhasa (5 hours) along the legendary Yaluzangbu River, the mother river of Tibet. On the halfway, you will take a visit to Nyemo Tunba which was the home of Tunmi Sangbuzha who invented the Tibetan character as well as the famous Tibetan Tibetan Incense. Here in Tunba, you also have a chance to witness the process of making Tibetan Incense with water mill. At the same time, the scenery here is fabulous - ancient cypress trees, green willows, murmuring river...
Take a good rest in Lhasa.
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The day is free until you are escorted to the airport or train station.
Tips: Please pack your luggage carefully, especially for things like tooth brush, camera, mobile phone, phone charger, towel, wallet. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.
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click to enlarge the map
This tour will take you to the "Roof of the World", Mt. Everest, to discover the snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes, blue skies, sacred sites, and devoted pilgrims. It weaves together Tibet's most famous icons into a comfortably paced tour over the course of 10 days. This tour also provides an unforgettable camping experience near Mt. Everest, and opportunities to take pictures of Everest during sunrise and sunset.
This itinerary can be designed to give you a flavour of what is possible.
While the trip of a lifetime is priceless, we know value is a vital aspect for those deciding which tour to choose.
When comparing tour prices, be sure to compare like to like. Our tours are designed to ensure that our customers experience all the culture, history, and beauty that Tibet has to offer, and at a reasonable price.
A great way to enjoy the lowest possible price is to invite more people to join your trip to share the travel experience as well as the tour expense. The more people in a group, the lower the price per person. (We recommend you join our group tour if you are traveling alone. Please contact our travel consultant for more information)
Booking early is also an easy way to ensure the best rate! We highly recommend you contact us at least 1 month before your planned departure date.
Private Tibet Tour Package means you will have your own private local tour guide, private vehicle and private driver for your group. You don't have to share the vehicle with others. You tour guide will take care of only your group. With the help of your private tour guide, you will see more in Tibet, communicating with locals to learn about Tibetan lifestyle and culture.
You have the flexibility to arrange the group activities accorddingly, such as changing the visiting order of attractions or extending the visiting time of certain place. You can also stop on the road as you need.
If you are traveling with your family or a group of friends, a private tour for your group is ideal. As you have more people in the group, the price won't be much higher than a join-in group tour. It is a good way to save money and enjoy ultimate service.
In Tibet, the overall accommodation situation is not as good as many other parts of China. There are only a few star hotels available in Tibet. In remote areas like Mt. Everest base camp, Mt. Kailash, only guesthouse or tents are available for travelers.
We hand-picked the hotels in each city and areas for you to ensure you have reasonable places to stay while traveling in Tibet. They are in convenient locations and are as comfortable as the local can provide. We also tend to use hotels with unique Tibetan features.
In 3- or 4-star hotels in cities and towns like Lhasa, Tsetang, Shigatse and Gyangtse, you do not need to worry about sanitation. Though, it is a fact that traveling in Tibet is a bit hard. If you are going to remote areas like Mt. Everest or stay near the lakes, it is best to bring a sleeping bag to ensure that you have a nice sleep en route.
For trekking and cycling tours:
1, Stay in local hotel or guesthouse.
2, Stay in tent. (Camping facilities will be provided)
3, Stay in local Tibetan’s family
Breakfast: If you are staying in a star hotel, breakfast is usually included. If you are staying in a guesthouse or tent, breakfast is not included.
Lunch and Dinner:
We don’t usually include lunch and dinner in our tour itinerary. We do arrange lunch or dinner for you at your request though. However, we prefer to give you the freedom to choose the food you want and pay on the spot. From our previous customers' responses, we find that most of our clients prefer to leave the dinners open on their own so that they can enjoy some time to themselves. They can choose either to go to a local restaurant for a little adventure or to have a simple dinner in the hotel where they stay. They may also prefer to choose a restaurant which appeals to their own unique tastes.
We have created a list of our favorite restaurants in Tibet and hand-picked some local restaurants to recommend to our customers. In Lhasa, you can choose Chinese food, Western food, Tibetan food as well as Nepalese food and Indian food. In "off-the-beaten-road" destinations, choices are limited. Our tour guide will be more than happy to recommend good restaurants for you and take you to the restaurants available according to your tastes and preferred style of dishes. Soon you’ll develop your favorite Tibetan dishes!
Meals arrangement in trekking and cycling tours:
Service one: (recommended if you only have 1-2 people in your group and the trekking day is less than 3 days)
Our tour guide will take you to a local supermarket to buy the food you need for the trekking. You will need to bring some cash with you. We recommend energy bars, chocolate, water, fruit, and cookies. If the trekking length is less than 3 days, bringing food along can be a good way to lower the costs.
Service two:
Some of our tour guides are able to cook for customers for a little bit extra service charge. You can contact our travel consultants to see if it is possible to arrange this service for you. It can be difficult to arrange this service for you in peak season, so we can’t guarantee this service at the moment; however, we will try our best to provide this service for you.
Service three: (recommended if you have 5-6 people in your group)
We highly recommend you hire a cook for the trekking tour. As you will trek for average 5-6 hours per day which requires lots of energy, it is important to have proper meal during the trekking section. If you like, we will hire a chef to follow your tour and cook for you during the trekking. They can make sure you have hot food during trekking. They will carry all necessary cooking items and equipment including stove and utensils with them. Some cooks will teach you how to cook as well and make cakes with the group on the last day.
You can communicate with your cook and let them know what kind of meal you prefer. You may prescribe the menu for cooking and tell the cook whatever requirements you have.
Daily meal arrangement for your reference:
Breakfast: coffee, milk, eggs, bread
Lunch: rice and vegetables
Dinner: noodles or Spaghetti with vegetables
Local Tour Guides
Our tour guides are born and raised in the regions we visit so they know all the potential difficulties and how to avoid them. They are highly trained, speak excellent English and know the local myths, traditions and history which they will share with you. Wherever you travel, our guides are the key that unlocks each destination and make the trip memorable and unique.
Private Driver and Vehicles
Our drivers have many years of driving experience
in the areas and are very reliable. With Tibet Discovery, you can rest assured
that we only use the highest quality vehicles available. We use mainly private
vehicles, to ensure we get to our destinations as swiftly and smoothly as
possible, as well as allowing the freedom and flexibility to stop and look
around or stretch your legs.
If the tour is mainly around Lhasa, we usually choose to use a minivan as the road condition around Lhasa is pretty good, and the minivan costs less as well. If the tour is covering places with poor road conditions or the distances are quite far, we also offer 4WD off road vehicles.
Notes: Tipping is not traditional in China and was actually illegal until the 1980s. While Chinese do not expect tips from other Chinese, they have come to expect tips from Western travelers. Due to this, it is highly recommended that you tip your tour guides and drivers as they are aware that it is a “Western custom” and may worry that you were not happy with their service if they do not receive a tip.
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For clothing, we suggest casual style and layered clothing because temperatures in Tibet vary greatly during a day. Down coat is necessary if you go beyond Lhasa and Shigatse to remote areas, e.g. the Everest Camp or further to Mt.Kailash. Sun glasses, sun block,moisture cream are necessary too.
For food, 2L of water each day, and some snacks. We also find the energy drink Red Bull is a great energy boost while traveling in Tibet.
For medicines, we suggest that you take some pain-killer pills with you and enough medicine for colds, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Some nasal ointment andthroat-moistening pills will be of great help for those who are sensitive tochilly weather conditions. Please consult your doctor prior to your travel toTibet. Medicine is a must for travelers to Tibet.
Note: You don't have to worry about your luggage in trekking tours as we could hire abelly boy and Yak and Yak man to carry your luggage for you during the trekking section of the tour. It is an optional service.
Anxiety is the common cause of mountain sickness. Our customers age range from 20 years old to 70 years old, there is no evidence that suggests that age has anything to do with the occurrence of mountain sickness.
Taking a Tibet tour with Tibet Discovery, our tour guide will take care of you and give advice on how to avoid high altitude sickness on arrival. A bottle of oxygen will be prepared for each person for emergency use when the tour includes visiting places like Mt. Everest, Lake Namtso, Mt. Kailash and activities like trekking and biking. Always remember that if you have any problems or feel uncomfortable, please tell your guide immediately or contact our travel consultant.
All foreign tourists and Taiwan tourists must apply for a Tibet Entry Permit issued by the TTB (Tibet Tourism Bureau) for entry to Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
We will take care of all necessary Tibet permits in all of our Tibet tours. It is included in the price quotation and it is part of our tour services. It's advisable to apply for your travel permits at least 20 days prior to your entry date. The earlier, the easier for us to get a permit for you.
Please tell us your real occupation when applying a tibet travel permit. Journalists and people involved with political matters (such asdiplomats and government officials) require more complicated procedures to beissued a permit.
A valid passport and a valid China visa is needed when applying a Tibet travel permit. The cost of a Chinese Visa is not included in our tour, so you have to apply for your China Visa in your country by yourself. If you have any question in terms of applying a China visa and filling out the application form, feel free to contact our Travel Consultant.
Acclimatize: We suggest that you take it easy for your first few days in Tibet. Don't push yourself physically since your body will require some time to get used to the high altitude.
Photography: When photographing Tibetans, please be sure to get their permission first. Also, when inside the religious sites, please be aware that if photography is permitted. It is not allowed to take pictures while inside the halls of Potala Palace and JokhangTemple. Make sure you bring a flashlight if you want to see the inside of the monastery, though please ask for permission when taking pictures in the monastery. Some Monastery might charge visitors a 10-30RMB fee for taking pictures. Please ask your tour guide if you are not sure.
Free time: During the free time of your trip, like the rest of the first day and the last day before departure, you can walk around on your own and do some shopping if you wish.
Best time to go:
Peak Season: June, July,
August, September (June to October 15th )
In July and August, the crowds will be considerably larger and the costs for
vehicle, food, accommodation, and tour guides are higher. June-August generally
has great weather, though during July and August, Tibet tends to be extremely
crowded as many Chinese travel there for their summer vacation. As July and
August is the peak season to travel to Tibet. We highly recommend you avoid
those two months to reduce the costs.
Best Value: April, May,
and Late October to November (April 16th to May 31st)
Late April to Early June, late October to November is the best value time to
go, as the weather still nice and the cost is considerably less. The tour costs
between this time is usually a few hundred dollars cheaper than peak season.
Shoulder Season: Late November
December, January, February, early April (Nov 16th to April 15th)
December-February tends to be a slow period for travel to Tibet. The weather is
generally quite cold, though there will be no crowds like there are during the
peak season. Another benefit to traveling during the shoulder season is that
prices are considerably lower. The view might not be as vivid but you can enjoy
another side of Tibet.
Note: Above information applies to most Tibet tours. For specific best travel time, please contact our travel consultant.
謝謝你給我們安排的行程,最好的車和最好的响導。希望將來可以再到成都.
Belinda
this boat is really fantastic especially in off peak season when the boat is not fully loaded. Highly recommended
Lian
First of all, I wish to apologise on my late reply. We just returned from Guiyang last evening after extending our stay on our own in Chongging and Guizhou after our cruise ended. Here's my reply to your survey.
1. How do you comment your tour arrangements? (We did not take any tour arrangement but the group enjoyed the cruise booked through you)
2. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China? (For the cruise - Yes)
3. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services? (None)
4. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail? (Yes. Below is a photo taken during our cruise.)
I wish to thank you for your patience when booking the cruise for us, especially when arranging for payments, which did not go through smoothly due to typo error first on our part and then the bank's part.
Kind regards
Guat
Guat enjoyed the scenery of Shennv Stream during their Yangtze Cruise trip in October 2024, Tour Customized by Rita
Guat enjoyed the scenery of Wu Gorge during their Yangtze Cruise trip in October 2024, Tour Customized by Rita
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