The Most Detailed Tibet Travel Guide - China Adventure

Tibet is a vast and sparsely populated region, and its high altitude has created a natural environment that is off the beaten path, making it a land of wildlife and plants. Tibet has both majestic and magnificent natural scenery as well as mind-blowing cultural appreciation. Therefore, Tibet is definitely a tourist destination worth visiting.

Tibet is a sacred place in everyone's heart, not only a place that Chinese people should visit once in their lifetime, but also a place comparable to Jerusalem in the eyes of foreigners. The mysterious Tibetan Buddhism and the millennium-old faith will make everyone think of the believers who "bow down three times and worship nine times" and the hands shaking the scriptures, where the sky is always very high and blue. The real Tibet is really like this?  What do you need to pay attention to when travel to Tibet for the first time? What are the places that must be visited? Follow the Chinese adventure and hit the road together.

Tibet Travel Ways

The first thing you need to know is that travel to Tibet is not suitable for self-driving free travel, and even less suitable for "just say go travel". Because the scenic spots in Tibet are very scattered, and the cell phone may not have signal at any time, no matter driving yourself or taking a car, if you don't have a local guide to lead you, not only is it more dangerous, but it will waste all your time on the road.

Therefore, we recommend you to find a local guide and choose the free-range touring method. This way you have both the freedom of free travel and the benefits of touring with a group.

Here Are 6 Ways To Travel Into Tibet

1. Trains to Lhasa: It has the advantages of safety, punctuality and cheap price. At present, there are 7 cities in China that can reach Lhasa directly from the starting station: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, Xining and Guangzhou. But many donkey friends say that both the Yunnan-Tibet Route and the Sichuan-Tibet Route are galleries with excellent scenery, and it would be a pity if they are not chosen for entering Tibet. Moreover, after walking through the Yunnan-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet north-south line and Qinghai-Tibet line, only then can we appreciate the whole Qinghai-Tibet plateau. But the humanistic landscape on the way into Tibet is not something that can be felt by train, and must be integrated to be experienced.

2. Airplane: This is the quickest way of transportation travel to Tibet, but taking an airplane is like taking a high ropeway when climbing a mountain, you can never experience the majesty and beauty of the mountains and rivers. At present, there are several cities in China where planes enter Tibet: Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an and Chongqing.

3. Hitchhiking: Donkey friends call it the "wandering style". This way is economical, but you have to have enough time and enough patience, and also prepare enough dry food and water, because some areas may not see the car for a long time, and there is no place to eat and sleep.

4. Self-driving: Unless you already have a very rich off-road and highland driving record, it is not recommended. Because first of all, you can't guarantee that you don't have plateau reaction. Secondly, some sections of the Sichuan-Tibet and Yunnan-Tibet routes are quite dangerous, such as falling rocks and mudslides, which also require experienced drivers. The superiority of self-driving is obvious, you can go when you want to go, stop when you want to stop, and you can even go to some secret places that others don't want to go and can't go.

5. Chartered car: There is no direct shuttle bus to many routes in Tibet, and it is necessary to charter a bus for some sections. However, the chartered car must find the regular travel service company's car, Tibet has a special tourist license plate, starting with L, such as Tibet A.L82**, Tibet C.L05**, according to the license plate number can identify whether the vehicle is a regular tourist vehicle, so the rental car must understand clearly, so as to avoid unnecessary disputes later. But the disadvantage of chartered cars, is that many scenery along the road bumpy, and encounter heartwarming scenery can not be at your own pace.

6. Cycling: cycling,or hiking to Tibet, the premise is that you have enough cycling experience. Bicycle travel in the plateau is a challenging thing, not only physical strength, more importantly, perseverance and endurance, over the mountains, gale, rain, snow, hail, wilderness survival ability, camping ability, drinking water, food, heating and other practical problems that have to deal with. Before riding a bike into Tibet, you must do a comprehensive check on your body and car, and all kinds of repair tools should be prepared, once in the unpopulated places, the car is broken but lack of tools to repair the car, that will make you feel desperate.

The Main Tourist Attractions In Tibet Are Introduced

Lhasa: Potala Palace, Da Zhao Temple, Bajiao Street, Lop Noringa, Tibet Museum, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Tianzang Terrace, Canggu Monastery, Xia Mi Monastery, Kema Wang Gong, Namucuo.

Linzhi: Bassong Tso, Giant Berlin, Lulang Forest Sea, Mount Birei, Sera Mountain, Kadinggou, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Namcha Barwa Peak, Nanyi, Garong La Snow Mountain.

Linzhi

Shigatse: Zashilhunpo Monastery, Mt. Everest, Shishapangma Peak, Baiju Monastery, Dzongsan Ruins, Pala Manor, Gedeng Chokoling Monastery, Gadong Monastery, Jinga Caves.

 Tibet Shigatse

Shannan: yongbrakang, yangzhuoyongcuo, sangye monastery, ramlacuo, changzhu monastery, tomb of the Tibetan king, qingpu practice place, minzhu forest monastery, watchtower ruins, knot lola snow mountain.

Changdu: Ranwu Lake, the ruins of Karo, Baju Gar learning petroglyphs, Dingqing Zizhu Monastery, Karma Monastery, Qiangbalin Monastery, Sangchen Langzha Mountain, Gu Bu Shenshan, Dora Shenshan.

Naqu: the ruins of the kingdom of elephant xiong, double lake no man's land, such as the skeleton wall, coco chile, plum wood cave, double lake, dangjayong wrong, shenza nature reserve.

Ali: Guge Kingdom Ruins, Torin Monastery, Koga Monastery, Gang Rinpoche, Mabunyongzuo, Zada Tulin, Namunani Peak, McLong Gulch Ruins.

Into Tibet Route Introduction

1. Sichuan-Tibet Highway: The Most Beautiful Highway

First, don't be afraid of plateau reaction when you take the Sichuan-Tibet route. Sichuan-Tibet route from the Sichuan basin of Chengdu, all the way westbound elevation slowly rise, although there are many elevations of more than 4,000 meters above sea level mountains, but only a very short time through, and most areas of the Sichuan-Tibet line is rich in vegetation and dense forests, so do not have to worry too much about the lack of oxygen and brought about by high mountain reaction.

Second, take the Sichuan-Tibet route without worrying about food and drink, the Sichuan-Tibet route is the route with the most counties and towns along the way into Tibet. In addition to a variety of home-cooked food, along the way there are a lot of mountainous delicacies, you can feast on all the way. But because the Sichuan-Tibet route is often broken, you should buy some compressed cookies in Chengdu before you leave to prepare for the urgent need.

Thirdly, you must pay attention to the equipment to prevent rain. The camera, equipment, clothes, tent, sleeping bag, etc. you bring must have strong water resistance, otherwise the loss is huge.

Fourth, take the Sichuan-Tibet Road, self-drive the best, because so far the Sichuan-Tibet Line is not fully opened coach, most places segmented with cars, but after the Bangda almost no car.

Fifth, take the Sichuan-Tibet line mudslide landslide sections, general mudslide and landslide are occurring in several sections, like Bangda to Baju, Bomi to the town of Bayi and several other fixed sections. Once the road is broken is blocked for a few days is a common thing, so these dangerous sections should be passed in good weather in time to avoid being trapped on the road. So take the Sichuan-Tibet route to prepare yourself enough time, generally about 7 days, the season should be between May-June or September-October, to July, August rainy season is very difficult to go.

2. Yunnan-Tibet Highway: a Journey Of Great Style

The Yunnan-Tibet route starts from Dali in Yunnan in the south and ends at Mankang in Tibet in the north, which is one of the most colorful routes into Tibet.

First, take the Yunnan-Tibet route into Tibet along the way through the most minority areas, starting from Dali, you will enter a colorful world of minorities.

In Dali there are Tibetan, Miao, Naxi and many other ethnic groups, and the famous "foreigner street"; to Lijiang after continuing north, you will enter the Tibetan region of Yunnan, but this area is economically developed, Zhongdian and Deqin has become a tourist city, every holiday, overcrowded, each attraction has to sell you cheap souvenirs of the vendors.

Second, take the Yunnan-Tibet route does not keep through. Yunnan-Tibet highway Deqin to South Road are very good, but after Deqin into the Lancang River gorge after the highway with the Sichuan-Tibet line, often occur mudslides and landslides.

Because this highway and economic and military role is not very strong, there is no strong road maintenance force, so often break the road, blocking half a month on the road is common, in some sections I feel than the Sichuan-Tibet line is also dangerous some, if not well-prepared best not to take this road.

3. Qinghai-Tibet Road: The Most Decent Route Into Tibet

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is tarmac, open to traffic all year round, is the busiest road in the four Tibetan lines, many I said into Tibet is difficult, in fact, take the Qinghai-Tibet line to drive a Xiali can play a trip to Lhasa.

First, take the Qinghai-Tibet line will have high mountain reaction. More than a hundred kilometers from Golmud to more than 4,000 meters above sea level Kunlun Pass, many of me to here will have some plateau reaction, but as long as more water, a good rest on no big problem.

Second, the Qinghai-Tibet route is good car, but because of the fast speed, driver fatigue, traffic accidents are also the most, so take the Qinghai-Tibet route should be more careful to be.

Third, there are many wild animals along the Qinghai-Tibet route, including Tibetan antelopes and Tibetan wild asses, but it is difficult to take good photos because the distance is too far, and our commonly used camera lens is too short.

Fourth, the Qinghai-Tibet route is very convenient for eating and refueling. Along the road there are a lot of food and lodging points, most of the restaurants are Hui friends open noodle store.

Fifth, don't listen to people say Kunlun Pass, Tanggula Pass how high and dangerous, in fact, the pass is not a monument, the car drove there you don't know that this is the pass. Qinghai-Tibet line is on the plateau platform, the mountains are slower, there is no Sichuan-Tibet line as high mountain valley, but the average elevation are above 4000 meters, this road is known as the road to the sky.

4. The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway: The National Road Laid In The Sky

The new Tibetan road and the other three lines into Tibet than the most difficult.

First, the new Tibetan highway and many sections are not repaired roadbed and wasteland, the average elevation of the whole line than the Qinghai-Tibet line is also high, the road condition is very poor, restaurants and accommodation points more less, the conditions are also poor, but the sacred mountains of Ali sacred lake attracted countless people to step on this difficult road.

Second, the new Tibetan road is best to have a guide. Because many off-ramps are in the middle of nowhere, take the wrong often will delay a long time, the most critical is a waste of precious gasoline.

Thirdly, the most challenging section of the New Tibet Route is from Shizhuanhe to Yecheng. 1060 kilometers will take you through hundreds of kilometers of uninhabited areas, over 7 great bases, and the majestic Karakorum Mountains will make you feel small.

Fourthly, Yecheng is a pure small county in southern Xinjiang, with wide streets, lively bazaars (bazaars) and beautiful Uyghur girls, everything is just like going to another world. The new Tibetan route is the most challenging route into Tibet, with the other three routes than it does not have beautiful scenery, nor charming style, not to mention the flat road, but there is the beauty of the sacred mountains and lakes, the mystery of the Guge Kingdom, and the magnificence of the Karakorum. A walk on the Xinjiang-Tibet route will bring people a lifetime of memories.

Tibet Travel Guide

Before Entering Tibet

Special Note: The biggest factor of plateau reaction is the heart factor! The panic and pressure in the heart is the main reason for the high altitude reaction! Therefore, we should relax our mind to travel.

1. Severe hypertension, asthma, heart disease these three types of patients are not recommended to enter Tibet, general travel agencies are not received. Individuals with mild symptoms can first consult a doctor for advice.

2. Healthy people can go into Tibet without doing any exercise in advance. On the contrary, it is easy for athletes to have plateau reactions in Tibet. Therefore, rest more and forbid strenuous exercise before entering Tibet.

3. you can prepare some common medicines, including stomach relief, cold medicine, dizziness medicine, etc. in your luggage. Do not go to Tibet with serious cold.

4. Tibet is a minority region, so it is recommended to consult the local travel agency in Tibet before entering Tibet to take a tour with a group.

5. The local banks in Tibet are mainly four state-owned banks, Bank of China, Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank and ICBC. The coverage of Agricultural Bank is the most extensive. In addition, ATM machines for withdrawing money are available in Lhasa city and less in the following areas. Therefore, it is recommended to pay the group expenses in cash and withdraw money from the local ATMs in Lhasa for the consumption during the period in Tibet.

6. Avoid eating a lot before entering Tibet and reduce smoking and drinking.

After Entering Tibet.

1. the first time into Tibet, general tourists may produce slight dizziness, brain rise, dry mouth, which is a normal phenomenon, do not immediately inhale oxygen, Lhasa is only 3650 meters, there are more than this high altitude scenic spots how to bear? If it produces serious vomiting and breathing misery, as well as heavy cold, be sure to go to the local hospital for medical treatment.

2. The number of star-rated hotels in Tibet is relatively small, and there are many hotels that have failed to get a nationally recognized star-rated license because they are newly renovated and newly opened, or because they have an ethnic style. The star rating standard of Tibetan hotels is also lower than that of the mainland, and all hotel facilities software and hardware cannot be measured in the eyes of the mainland, hot water and service, or dining may not be satisfactory, so please accommodate this special. When you go to a place, you have to adapt to the local environment!

3. into the Tibetan tourists have a strong interest in the Potala Palace, the state regulations every day the Potala Palace is limited to 2300 people to visit, and limit the time to visit. Therefore, some travel agencies consider the Potala Palace for special reasons, will do adjustments to the order of browsing the scenic spots on that day, hope that tourists understand.

4. Do not pick plants and kill animals during the Tibetan period, which is a trampling on the holy land.

5. Tibet is a plateau climate, some places may have clear sky, some places have heavy snow or heavy rain. Therefore, tourists should be prepared for the possible impact on the tour route.

About The Accommodation In Lhasa

As more and more tourists travel to Tibet, the accommodation conditions in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, are changing day by day, and all kinds of accommodation environments can be divided into three big categories in general.

1.Hotel

Features: High-quality hotels, relatively complete room facilities and good services.

Overview: In the city of Lhasa, large and small hotels of different levels can be found everywhere. The advantage of choosing a hotel is that the room facilities are more complete, but the price is more expensive compared to the two categories described below. The price of a standard room in a three-star hotel in the low season is about 150 yuan, and the price in the high season will rise slightly, about 300 yuan.

2. Youth Hotel

Features: The price is moderate and the quality of the hotel is very good, gathering a lot of tourists from all over the world.

Overview: Youth hostels are also a relatively popular category of accommodation. The price is relatively moderate, and the rooms are relatively well-equipped. The reason why these youth hotels are so popular is that they have a lot of tourists from all over the world, where they can directly learn the latest and most comprehensive information about Tibetan tourism and meet the most compatible travel enthusiasts.

3. Family Inn

Features: cheap price, good service, warm and homely feeling, more feel the most local culture of Tibet.

Overview: Family hotels are the cheapest compared to the two categories of accommodation mentioned above. In addition to the affordable price, the owner of the family hotel is very enthusiastic and the service is also very thoughtful, in fact, it is here that you can feel the most local culture of Tibet, so it is also worth your choice.

The Following Are Some Of The Things You Should Know About Accommodation

1. Hotel check-in, must be the second generation of ID cards, old ID cards, temporary ID cards, etc. can not be registered.

2. All foreign guests (including Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese) need to apply for the "Letter of Confirmation of Entry to Tibet" at the office of Tibet Tourism Bureau or entrusted travel agency to check in.

Lhasa Food and Beverage Tips

Lhasa is the best place for food and accommodation in the whole Tibet. Among the restaurants, Tibetan and Sichuan cuisine are the main ones, and the restaurants in several hostels also serve Nepalese and Indian food.

Western-style restaurants are mostly concentrated in Beijing Road, where there are more tourists, and almost every hostel restaurant serves Western food.

The streets of Lhasa are dotted with many large and small Tibetan restaurants and sweet tea houses. It is highly recommended that you try to find a roadside sweet tea house, sit down and chat with three or five friends, and feel the purest Tibetan culture!

Tibetan dishes in Tibet include dried meat, milk cake, ginseng fruit cake, fried beef, spicy tripe, gunk, lung, lamb stew, lamb head stew, etc. The staple food includes ghee tsampa, milk dregs buns, Tibetan-style buns, Tibetan-style dumplings, noodles, fried noodles and fruits, etc. Snack food has its own unique flavor, which is very different from that of the mainland, and it feels good if you try it.

Tourism Products Shopping Problems

Special tip: Don't buy anything you don't know! Really want to buy let friends who know how to do reference!

1. almost all the items in the octagonal street can be vigorously cut to less than half price.

2. Tibetan herbs are best purchased in state-run pharmacies.

3. Buddhist beads, dzi, turquoise and other ornaments may be fakes, so be careful when buying them.

4. Tibetan knives must be mailed and cannot be checked in by air.

5. shopping in Tibet, whenever and wherever you can press the price, as long as you are polite, you usually have a higher success rate.

6. travelers who first arrive in Tibet are eager to buy tourist souvenirs, and it is recommended to buy tourist souvenirs in a few days near the end of the tour; if you go on a shopping spree just after arriving in Tibet, large and small items will cause a lot of trouble for the subsequent days of the trip.

Tibetan Equipment

The less luggage you carry on a trip to Tibet, the better, but it must be enough. Carrying a heavy backpack on the plateau is a big burden. The principle of carrying items is to be light and practical. If possible, don't carry things you don't need on your back to the plateau and make full use of the facilities and services provided locally. Also, do not carry more than two pieces of luggage in consideration of frequent movement.

Regarding Backpacks

The difficulty of the place you intend to visit determines the size of your backpack. If you are going to a remote location or are involved in some wilderness activities, a large or small backpack should be a more reasonable choice. If it is not a long trip, you do not need a backpack of more than 45 liters.

The overall temperature in Tibet is much lower than in the mainland at the same latitude, especially in mountain passes and high altitude areas, and the wind is strong and the rain and snow come suddenly, which brings a lot of trouble to travel clothing. So a rash jacket (down jacket) is a must, unless you only plan to go to Lhasa and Shigatse in July and August for a group tour. Even the hottest summer, in the Himalayas and places such as Ali, the general night is around 0 ℃, the mountain pass area is even colder. At the same time, the plateau area has a big temperature difference between day and night, even in the warmest season of the year, the weather is still relatively cold in the morning and evening.

If you go hiking or climbing in Tibet, you should also prepare a set of sweat wicking underwear. In the wild, having sweat sticking to your body is very troublesome, and it will quickly take away the heat from your body, which is very dangerous. Also, a warm fleece jacket is indispensable.

The whole body equipment, including tops, pants, shoes should have a waterproof nature. In July and August in Tibet, it rains almost every day, and it is unimaginable that the waterproofness of the clothing is not good. In the rainy season, the Lhasa area more rapid rain at night, while the rainfall in areas such as Linzhi is much more often.

About Sleeping Bags

July and August with a 1 kg of duck down sleeping bag is warm enough. To buy more than 80% down, compressed volume than a large bottle of Coke is not much, very convenient to carry. If it is still too big, you can use a set of compression tape compression, but also to reduce the volume of another 1/3.

Eight.

About Shoes

You need a good pair of shoes to travel, especially in Tibet. In the rainy season in Tibet, water resistance is extra important.

The best choice is hard-soled, high-top hiking shoes. Especially when hiking, the road surface is often not very good, high-top hard-soled shoes are not easy to enter the sand and gravel, which avoids choking or bumping, and is not easy to fall off when crossing the muddy ground. And hiking shoes are also better for water insulation and warmth. If you really need higher waterproofness, you can match with waterproof footwear, which can protect your pant legs from getting wet by rain.

Cotton socks with hiking shoes are good, so that the feet and shoes are more tightly fit. If you take a long walk then you need to wear an extra pair of socks. If the shoes are new, it is best to wear them for some days in advance to break them in. It is also recommended that you bring a pair of slippers so that you do not shower in the bathroom with bare feet.