Tibet FAQs

Climate and Weather

The climate in highland Tibet belongs to the typical downy special climate. Climates are much different in different areas in Tibet and temperatures vary greatly within a single day. Climate in southeastern Tibet (e.g. Nyingchi) is gentle and temperate with the average temperature of eight degrees; In western Tibet (e.g. Nakqu), the average temperature is below zero degree; While in Lhasa and the central part of Tibet, the climate is normal and nice for traveling. Visitors would not feel cold in winter nor hot in summer, especially from March to October, the best seasons for traveling. Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season that starts from May to September, when the precipitation covers 90 percent of the whole year. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo area. The precipitations gradually decrease from 5000 millimeters in the lower part of southeast to just 50 in the northwest. Facts for the traveller

To visit Tibet, the legendary, forbidden land on the roof of the world, has been the dream of many Westerners. Getting There

By Air
Kathmandu - gonggar : a twice-weekly flight operates between Kathmandu and Lhasa from the beginning of April through October and sometimes till November depending upon the weather conditions. The 55 minute flight offers spectacular views of the Himalayas and the southern Tibetan plateau.

By Road
An approach that has great appeal for hardy and adventurous travellers is to enter or leave Tibet by road, following the footsteps of explorers who for more than a century tried (and usually failed) to reach Lhasa overland.

Visa
The Chinese governments prohibits individual traveller to visit Tibet. The Chinese embassy will only issue visas to travellers on group tours i.e if there is a single tourist or a tourist group of less then 05 pax then they will have to join a group in order to get a visa.

In addition to the visa, it is necessary to obtain an aliens' travel permit for travel in Tibet. Please carry 04 passport size photographs + smaller us dollars denominations for faster completions of visa formalities.

Customs Regulations
art objects and antiques in Tibet fall under special restrictions forbidding their export. Anything made before 1959 is considered an antique. Rugs may be bought and exported, so may the small religious objects that are sold in open markets, providing only one or two are taken as souvenirs. Customs officials have been known to confiscate jewellery or other objects if they consider that a tourist has purchased 'too much'.

Visa
The Government of India has withdrawn the temporary landing permit facility till further notice. Hence it is compulsory that all foreign tourists must be in possession of a valid Indian Visa. Tourists also visiting Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other neighboring countries must possess multiple entry Visa.

Documentation & Visa
You must be in possession of a valid passport. We will obtain your visa for Tibet, and the following information when making your reservation:
- Full Name(as it appears in the passport)
- Passport Number
- Date Of Issue
- Place Of Issue
- Date Of Expiry
- Nationality
- Date Of Birth
- Occupation
- Two Passport Size Photographs

Trekking in Tibet
Tibet is a most unusual and beautiful land. The majority of this land rests above 4000 meters (13,000 feet) and is partially surrounded by mountain ranges. The awe-inspiring Himalayas are the highest in the world, as is the never-ending Tibetan plateau. Tibet is a place for the rugged adventurer as well as the spiritual wanderer. A land that is held back in time and houses many secrets. Nomads remain much the same as they did one hundred years ago. Then, there are the monasteries which are striving to find a place in a country that's crashing into the twentieth century.The Tibetan people and their religion have been inseparable. Even in their earliest myths, one finds references to the Tibetan's religious beliefs. Originally, the Bon religion dominated Tibet. After the introduction of Buddhist statues and later sanskrit documents from India, Buddhism crept increasingly into the Tibetan culture. Tibetan Buddhism is the culmination of some early Bon beliefs, Indian Buddhist texts and several great lamas. Buddhism and politics had been interwoven since King Songsten Gampo married a Chinese and a Nepali princess, who were both intergral in the emergence of Buddhism. It was the Fifth Dalai Lama who actually built the Potala Palace as the government seat and a religious center. A theocracy had prevailed until 1951.