Visa and Travel Information

General Information:

Tibet, standing at an average elevation of 16,000ft above sea level, till today, still remains one of the most interesting, mysterious, enchanting, remote and in many of the areas still underdeveloped. Besides being the highest plateau in the world; its transformation from a warring and aggressive to a peaceful, pious and gentle people by the influence of Buddhism, is very amazing. Its isolation nearly till the second half of the twentieth century; its diverse climatic and geographical conditions strongly attract people of all types from historians, adventurers, pilgrims and so on.

A trip to Tibet is more of an adventurous and spiritual for those who believe Tibet as a Power Place. Due to its high altitude, those travelers with a history of heart, lung or anemic problems should consult their doctor before considering a visit.

Overland travel between Kathmandu and Tibet is an incredible journey where you get to see the world’s highest plateau and the Himalayan Ranges in all its glory before you. The trip becomes more wonderful and amazing as you pass through high winding roads and passes.

It’s most important that visitors should understand that Tibet was only opened to tourism since the mid eighties and you should be ready for a bit of adventure regarding hotel accommodation and other services especially en-route.

Hotels En-Route:

Budget hotels en-route are very basic provide dormitories accommodation and common toilets. Most of the hotel staff do not speak English. However, many popular deluxe category hotel of international standard have employed English speaking staffs, many of them are from Nepal. There are several continental restaurant are available in Lhasa.

Accommodations

Major cities like Lhasa, Xigatse, and Tsetang have a choice of hotels and guesthouses ranging for elegant four-star hotels to budget guesthouses. Other cities and small towns have local guesthouses. You might also consider living in Tibetan tents called Dram or Zhangmu. Tibetan food consists of noodles, sticky rice, and a variety of non-vegetarian foods. They are eaten on low tables sitting on the floor with chopsticks. However, there are modern restaurants and hotels that serve a wide variety of international dishes in western style. In rural areas, a pressure cooker is not very common and so the food is often not well cooked because of the low pressure at the high altitude. Therefore, the tour is not recommended for people with digestive problems. Similarly, because of pressure-related reasons, people with heart problems or past injuries should also take some precautions before the tour.

Transportation:

Overland Transport: We use Land Cruiser 4500 (New Model), van, mini bus, coaster and deluxe coaches as necessary. All vehicles have air-conditioned.

Flight: Air China, Nepal Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Himalaya airlines are operating between Lhasa – Kathmandu, these are the only airlines in the world fly over Everest, make sure you take a left hand seat while flying to Lhasa and vice versa to view the majestic Himalayas including Everest.

Lhasa Airport:

Kathmandu:
Kathmandu airport

Photographs:

Taking photographs is prohibited in sensitive areas like in Check Posts/Army Areas. There is extra charge if you wish to take photographs inside Monasteries, sometimes Monasteries charge extra for each different section of the same Monastery. If you want to take a photograph of an individual please ask him or her first, Carry plenty of rolls of films and batteries.

Road Condition:
The road from Kathmandu to Kyirong (Nepal-China newly opened Border) is about 140km in which almost of half road are good pitched and some places have quite narrow, graveled and under construction. From Kyirong to Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet and Lhasa the capital city of Tibet is well maintained and in blacktop road. The driving in central Tibet is much more comfortable since roads are fully pitched.

Toilet En-Route:

Toilet en-route Kyirong to Lhasa during drive is a problem for ladies, you will require going to toilet often due to required consumption of water, it is best not to use common toilet, we advise using open air toilet which is available. One can go behind the rock or off the road. We suggest asking driver to stop the vehicle for toilet in less populated areas before stopping for a meal in town where clean toilets are not available.

Languages:

Tibetan and Chinese are highly spoken in Tibet Autonomous region, remote area more majority speaks Tibetan Language however, there are different Tibetan dialoged used.

Exchange Rate, ATM and Credit Card:

The exchange rate of - approx. US$1 = Yuan 8. Banks in Tibet/China are closed on Saturday and Sunday. Regarding the budget for your tour, it is entirely up to you how much you want to spend with shopping etc, however we advice you to carry at least US$150 per person for a week. Major currencies such as US Dollar, Euro, UK sterling can be exchanged at the Bank of China branches in Zhangmu, Shigatse and Lhasa. There are ATM Machines in Lhasa and Shigatse. Big stores, restaurants and hotels accept major credit cards.

While entering Tibet by overland through Nepal border, you can change with local moneychanger in Kyirong but consult with your guide for reliability of the money changer in order to avoid any counterfeit notes.

Communication from Tibet:

There are internet centers and private phone booths in Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse, it is best to ask your tour guide, it is usually written INTERNET CENTER on their signboards.

Local Transport:

Taxi is available, charges Yuan 10 within the city center. There are three wheeler pushbikes as well for short distances. You will have to make sure you have someone with you who speaks Chinese while taking taxi or any local transport or you must know the Chinese and Tibetan name of your destination.

Electricity: 220 volt.

Passport Size Photographs:

Please make sure that you carry enough passport size photographs; some extras would help in case it is needed.

Passport and Visa:

You should have a passport with validity of at least six months from the date of arriving Tibet. You should be very careful of your documents in Tibet because if you lose a passport you need to go to Beijing to get a new one, which is very far away.

People traveling to Tibet from Nepal must be in a group-visa that is issued to organized tour groups irrespective of the number of participants in a paper format, i.e. the visa will be on a separate sheet of paper and not on your passport.

For the Visa Booking process, we need your passport details, with the details of your residence and profession along with the trip confirmation at least two weeks in advance of your trip. For smooth processing, you should be in Kathmandu with the passport at least 4 days before departure to Tibet, after which you will need to pay an emergency charge. The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu accepts visa applications on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 0930 hrs to 1100 hrs only.

If you are entering Tibet from Mainland China you can get an individual visa on your passport but you must also obtain a separate travel permit to Tibet. With prior arrangements, we can send you the scan copy of the travel permit to your address or you can collect it from our branch offices at Chengdu, Xiang or Beijing.

Visa formalities:

While entering Tibet via China:

Chinese visa must be obtained in their home country. We will issue Tibet permit and deliver in any Gateway cities of China. We must require color scan copy of passport and copy of Chinese visa at least 20 days prior to arrival in gateway cities in China.

For Kailash:

We need copy of passport at least 30 days prior to arrival in gateway cities in China.
You must apply Chinese visa at least a month before your departure.
We need copy of Chinese visa to issue Tibet permit.

Entering Tibet via Kathmandu:

You can also apply same same process as above just like when you enter via China however, you must mention embassy that you are entering from Kathmandu.
We can supply visa approval letter which can help you apply Chinese visa in your home country.

Entering Tibet via Kathmandu and apply visa in Kathmandu

Clear, color scan copy of passport must be provided to us at least 20 days prior to the arrival.
For Kailash at least 30 days prior to the arrival.
1 Color MRP size photo (once clients arrive in Kathmandu)
Original passport (once clients arrive in Kathmandu.)
Guest must visit embassy for biometric information
Visa process takes minimum 5 full days Monday to Friday, visa will be issue on Day 5th.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

You must travel in same passport that you gave copy for permit formalities in advance. Passport must be valid more than 6 months and it must be ordinary passport.
You do not need to bring Chinese visa if you are entering Tibet via gateway city of Kathmandu. Likewise, Tibet visa will also be valid for China mainland. If you are traveling to China, please let us know your program in China and length of stay in order to apply visa as your length of stay in China. Please avoid splitting or extending Tibet visa for your further journey to China in Tibet or in China which is extremely complicated and authority may refuse to do so in China, so please carefully plan and organize before booking the trip to avoid problem in future time.
Chinese Embassy is closed during festivals; however Embassy accommodate by accepting visa application in advance and issue visa upon the verification of the original passport. You are required to pay urgent visa fee and all necessary documents.
In Tibet, briefing is a must in order to provide any latest information and make aware of any sensitive issues.
Yatri Trekking provides in-depth trip briefing by Tibet expert and entertain any last minute questions. Tibet is comparatively new destination. We highly recommend to ensure every guest receive the last minute briefing for the better understanding various aspects special local culture, people, climatic condition. Please also note that visa requirements and regulations can change frequently. We suggest you make sure with Yatri Trekking before you book the Tibet tour.

Itinerary:

The agency reserves the right to amend the itinerary at the last minute without prior notice as per the local conditions.

Acclimatization and Altitude Sickness:

Due to the very high altitude - over 12,000 ft, acclimatization is very important. You may be likely to experience some of the minor symptoms and discomfort of altitude sickness (headaches, mild nausea, loss of appetite) until your body adjusts to the elevation. This can take from a few hours to a couple of days depending on the individual. Do not exert yourself and drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. It is very important to drink at least 4-5 liters of liquids daily to avoid any altitude sickness; this is probably the best remedy for AMS.

Some useful tips on Do’s and Don'ts

Wear proper dress code during visit holy area, remove your hat, do not interrupt prayer
Do not point with your finger to any holy object, No antique are allowed to take from Tibet
China time is 8 hours ahead of GMT, Always keep copy of your visa or permit with yourself.
Do not take photograph without asking, Do not talk about any sensitive issues
Important Tibetan words are Tashi Delek which means “greetings”, Thucheche means “thank you”, Use always both hand whenever you give or take.
Do not touch, walk over, or sit on any religious texts, sacred objects or prayer flags.
Tibetan people do not eat horse, dog, or donkey, as well as fish (in some areas). While in Tibet, you should follow local dietary restrictions.
It is not polite to clap your palms and spit behind the Tibetan people.
Tibetan people stretch out their tongue to say hello to you. Also it is a courtesy to put their hands palm in front of breast.
Do not smoke in monasteries. Also it is not permitted to touch or photograph Buddha statues and religious articles.
In addition, when walking around the monastery, you should always walk in a clockwise direction (with the exception of Bon temples).
When walking around dagobas, monasteries or Mani piles, please go around them in a clockwise direction (with the exception of Bon sites), without crossing them.
Eagles are sacred birds in the eyes of the Tibetan people. Do not disturb them, drive them away or injure them.
You should also not disturb sheep or cows decorated with red, green or yellow cloth.
It is advisable to offer Khada ( silk scarf to anyone you meet for the first time)
It is advisable to offer Prayer flag or Lungta sacred script (string of prayer flag) in high passes, temple for good fortune or long life.

Furthermore information contact via email or via WhatsApp (Iman Gurung, the manager of the program developer) for tailor-made program