TIBET TRAVEL NOTES

a   Access Visa Permits Accomodation Transportation   Season   Clothings

ACCESS (GETTING IN & OUT)
By Air
The Capital city Lhasa, is connected with Kathmandu by China Southwest Airlines. There are flights on Tuesdays from April 1st week to November last week, the flight of Saturdays are in operation from April First week to the last one of October and the flight of Thursdays is in operation from the first week of August to the last one of October. (However this flight operation schedule might be changed, please contact us for further information) Besides these, there are daily flight to Chengdu from Lhasa and twice a week flights to Beijing and through Chengdu Lhasa is connected with other major cities in China and Hong Kong.

By Road
The Friendship high way connects Lhasa with Kathmandu, the only overland route now in operation as the route from Golmud or Chengdu is very often prohibited for travelers.

VISA & PROCESS
All foreigners are required to have a valid China Visa with the permit for Tibet to enter Tibet. However, it is not as easy as it seems to travel and get the visa to Tibet. Entry point must have been mentioned at the visa and clients are not allowed to enter Tibet from other than the point mentioned in visa. So we recommend you to leave all these visa tension to your travel agent as there are lots of process to do to get the visa.

If you are traveling through Nepal Visa must be obtained in Kathmandu or if any travel operator is organizing the tour the local operator (We) can send the visa authorization to Chinese Embassy/ Consulate in their respective country through our counterpart in Lhasa. The authorization is the paper issued by the TIBET TOURISM BUREAU addressing the concerned Embassy to issue visa for the clients mentioned in the list. But min. no of PAX must be 5 on the list. PLEASE NOTE it is not possible to get the visa without joining the trip and the trip must have been organized by the travel agency.
 

VISA FEE
Visa fee is changed every now and then by the authorities. Sometimes the fee is charged according to the Nationality of the clients and sometimes a flat rate is charged. However, expect to pay US$ 40-45 per person for the visa. Please contact us for further information, latest visa fee and regulation.

ENTRANCE & PERMITS
Entrance fees are charged in Each Monasteries in Tibet. Usually the fees is charged to your organizer and your organizer included this fee in their package cost. Normally travel agencies buy the entrance coupons from the monastery and distribute it to the clients return it back to the Monasteries while on sightseeing. The fee vary according to the monastery and the importance of the place (from US$ 4. (30 Yuan ) to US$ 8 (60 Yuan). Our prices include such fees.

There are entrance fees to Everest Areas and Kailash areas as well. Boating fee is charged while on a trip to Samye or road permit fee is charged for traveling outside Lhasa. You need to have Alien Travel Permit (ATP), Tibet permit and special permits to travel to Tibet except your visa. Tibet permit is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau and Alien Travel Permit (ATP) or road permit is issued by Public Security Bureau (PSB). We arrange all these permits by ourselves leaving you free to travel. Except these army and culture permit is required to travel to Mt. Kailash area.

CURRENCY
Chinese Yuan is used in Tibet. Big hotels accept major credit cards or you can exchange your money in any branch of Bank of China, located in Zhangmo, Shigatse, Lhasa and in Tsedang only. Currently the exchange rate is 01 US$ = 8 Yuan but the rate gates changed very often.

TIME
Chinese Standard Time (Beijing) is used in Tibet which is is 8 hours ahead (+) of GMT and 2 hours 15 minutes ahead of Nepal.

CLOTHING
Warm clothing are always a must for the trip. For regular tours, light warm traveling clothing are required from June to October. Warm clothing are required for other months (including dusk mask) April, May and November. If you are going for trekking all trekking gears such as, down jacket, sleeping bags,  shirts, comfortable walking shoes, long johns, trousers and skirts, sweaters, jackets, dust masks, shocks, sun hats, sun glasses, suntan lotion, utility knife, water bottles/ thermos, flashlights, water purifying tablets, first aid kit, toilet & tissue papers etc. are important through out the trip.  

HEALTH
Traveling in Tibet involves high altitude & can be strenuous. Person having blood, lungs & heart problems should consult their doctor before taking any decision regarding trip though very few cases of altitude sickness have been reported. Simple headache, fever, loss of appetite or stomach disorder can happen before acclimatization. For your safety there will be oxygen bottles in or each vehicle.  

SEASON
The best time to visit Tibet is from June to October. Even though monsoon touches some part of Tibet in July and August it is next to nothing if compared to Nepal. If you wish to skip this period then September, October, and the first half of the November is perfect time to visit. This does not mean that in other season you can or visit Tibet. In fact You can visit Tibet from March Last week to November last week. The flight connection to & from Lhasa is started from April the first week to the last one of November and it is closed from December to March due to extreme low temperature which goes below -13 degree centigrade. So plan your journey from April to November last to have the perfect view and sightseeing.    

ACCOMMODATION
In Lhasa various choices if hotels are available from 4 star Lhasa Hotel (Former Holiday Inn) to the local budget hotels But in other towns like Tsedang, Gyantse, Shigatse, Shegar, Zhangmo etc. there are 2-3 star hotel one at each towns charging US$ 45 to 65 per night for double room per night on room only basis. If you wish to skip these hotels there are no other choices but to stay in local BUDGET guest house, local lodges etc which you may not find as to your expectation. While traveling in Tibet please keep in mind that you are traveling in a very remote part of the world where you will have to cross more than 500mtr of passes on a dusty roads. So if possible it is suggested not to compromise on accommodation etc.

Following hotels are mostly used by tourist. In Lhasa there are quite a numbers of hotels guest house but outside Lhasa they only as mentioned that can be used. Guest house or Budget ys of hotels outside Lhasa are very common as they do not have facilities of Attached bathrooms and heating systems etc. But in Lhasa even those listed in Budget have deluxe rooms which are similar to the middle xclass hotels and even the standard rooms have facilities of Attached bathrooms etc. But as said before please do not expect too much from all type of hotels. If possibel it is better to avoid the budget hotel outside Lhasa.

While the hotels like Tibet Hotel & Lhasa Hotel charge US$ 80 & above, Middle class hotels charge from US$ 35 to 50. Budget hotels have room starting from 20 US$ to 35 US$ per night basis. These rates do not include any meals. Please note it is not possible reserve the hotel only in Tibet as you can do in Nepal or in India.   

TRANSPORTATION 
Different type of transportation in Tibet are provided for separate purpose. For instance for Government employee, local perople, domestic traveler (Chinese) and International travelers.
In normal condition foreign traveler must travel on the vehicles specified for them. Mustly for this purpose 90`s model of Landcruisers of Japan made and Jeeps of China Made are used and there are quite good Hino buses for group travel and Nissan/Toyata Coasters for smaller groups Places where the buses and coasters can not reach 4WD jeeps/Landcruisers are used.

While planning your trip you have to keep in mind that the infrastructure in Tibet is limited to some extent and during the month of July, August, September & October Tibet sees quite a big no of tourist and it seems difficult to handle all the people with the limited infrastructure. So if planning the trip for this period you may have to book the trip much more in advance to get the best you want. If the booking came late you may have to compromise with something you may not like to.

For further information please contact us : travel@mail.com.np

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