Tibet Travel Guide

Positioned in the southwest corner of China and covering over 470,920 square miles, Tibet is a spectacular land that has breathtaking scenery, mysterious and exotic religious culture and warm and friendly people.

Tibet is known as the roof of the world because of its extreme altitude and home to the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest at 29,029 feet. The region has had travelers and adventurers mesmerized since the beginning of the 20th century when it was discovered by the rest of the world. Extreme mountain climbing and treks are popular with adventurers enjoying the challenging and rewarding terrain.

The vast land has a plethora of spectacularly beautiful natural wonders including several large rivers, massive lakes and impressive mountain valleys. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers pass through much of the land as well as neighboring countries and provide great opportunities for water activities. Lake Nam-tso is the world’s highest saltwater lake and offers truly breathtaking scenery and religious attractions.

The people of Tibet are warm and friendly offering fantastic hospitality to all visitors. In every town and city throughout the region you will be greeted with smiles. Shopping in Tibet is a great experience with an abundance of interesting and unique items and souvenirs to buy. The famous Barkhor Street in Lhasa is renowned for its authentic vendors selling traditional wares such as hand woven blankets and beaded jewelry.

Tibet has an array of festivals and events held throughout the year, which can be fantastic to experience. The Tibetan New Year is the most significant festival and is an occasion where friends, family and neighbors unite to wish for a more prosperous year than the one passing. Every town and city will have some sort of celebration that lasts for three days.

Tibet has a host of guided tours available, which take you across the spectacular land, stopping off at all the main attractions and sights. You can take buses, although the newly finished Tibet Railway Line is a memorable experience which travels through picturesque landscape and terrain.

Getting There#

Tibet is reached via road, railway or air. Lhasa Gonga Airport, which is located 40 miles out of Lhasa city, receives daily flights from most major cities in the region including Shanghai, Katmandu and Beijing. Flying from Beijing to Lhasa takes around 4 hours. There are five main highways connecting Tibet to surrounding countries and provinces and a host of bus services are available. A railway runs through Tibet connecting several attractions and linking with China proper. By rail Beijing is a 48-hour journey from Lhasa.

Onward Travel#

Lying in China’s deep southwest, Tibet sits on the highest plateau in the world beside the huge Himalayan range to the southwest. With the construction of the Tibetan railway connecting the capital Lhasa to the rest of China, this previously under-visited part of the world looks set to open up. The main activities on offer here are obviously trekking and climbing, but Tibet also has some marvelous Buddhist structures to visit, many of which are sat among some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the world.

Unlike the rest of China, a trip to Tibet requires a good deal of planning given the high altitudes and obvious challenges posed by the terrain. Most visitors arrive in the capital Lhasa, a small city 3,700 meters above sea level featuring the iconic Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. Around the latter is the bustling Barkhor pilgrim circuit, a must-see during any visit to the Tibetan capital for its stalls and cafés.

For trips outside the capital, the authorities usually require travelers to be part of a tour with a guide, which can be arranged in Lhasa or elsewhere in China beforehand. A popular trip is to head west taking in Shigatse, Tibet’s second city featuring a breathtaking 500-year-old monastery with its 27-meter high Buddha along with the remains of an old fort. Continuing west, Tingri is the nearest town to the Mount Everest Base Camp at Rongphu Monastery, where climbers set off to tackle the highest mountain in the world.

Highlights

Potala Palace: former winter residence of the Dalai Lama and the most famous attraction in Tibet.

Jokhang Temple: one of the most revered shrines in the province, this 1,300-year-old structure features shrines and Tibetan art.

Barkhor: a hive of Tibetan activity just outside the Jokhang Temple with street vendors, tea shops and all manner of knick-knacks.

Tashilhunpo Monastery: Shigatse’s foremost attraction featuring a 27-meter tall Buddha and a tomb dripping with precious stones.

Nam Tso Lake: nearly 5,000 meters up, this clear blue lake is simply divine, although it is a fair distance north of Lhasa at nearly 130 miles.

Rongphu Monastery: close to where expeditions head up the highest peak on the planet, Mount Everest.

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