Fly In and Fly Out Tibet Tour – 8 Days

Day 1: Fly to Ghongar Airport and drive to Tsedang.

Our representative (Guide) will be on standby to receive you from Airport. You will receive a warm welcome with a Khaada (White Scarf). The Khaada is a Tibetan traditional welcoming and blessing with a scarf which means good luck too. You will then be driven to Tsedang via Samye Monastery. Overnight at your hotel

Day 2: Sightseeing at Tadruk Monastery and Yambulakhang. On the way to Lhasa, we visit Samye Monastery.

Yumbulakhang Palace: Yumbulakhang is the oldest palace in Tibet. It is also the oldest monumental structure in Tsedang. Mythological beliefs say that King Nyatri Tsenpo descended from heaven to build this palace in the 2nd century BC. Myths say it is the founding of Tibetan civilization.

Yumbulakhang is constructed at the perfect crest of the hill and divided into three different components; the tower, the chapel, and the monks' quarters.
Tandruk Monastery: Not very far from Yumbulakhang, Tandruk Monastery is situated at the roadside. Tan means ‘rock’ and druk means ‘dragon’ in Tibetan. The monastery got its name from the legend that it could only be built after Songtsan Gampo had turned into a rock and conquered an evil dragon. It’s said that renowned figures in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, such as Padmasambhava and Milarippa, had practiced Buddhism nearby after it was built and the remaining relics are Sacred to the devotees.

On our way to Lhasa, we visit the Samye Monastery: Samye Monastery was founded in the 8th century during the reign of King Trisong Detsen with the help of the Indian Buddhist masters Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita, whom the king had invited to Tibet to help spread Buddhism. Padmasambhava is credited with subduing the local spirits and winning them over to Buddhism. The first Tibetan monks were ordained here after examination, and are referred to as the Seven Examined Men. Over the centuries Samye has been associated with various schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Padmasambhava’s involvement makes Samye important in the Nyingma School, but it was later taken over by the Sakya and Gelugpa schools. Today, Tibetans of all traditions come to worship here.

Day 3 - 4: In Lasha

Two full days sightseeing of Lhasa; this includes JOKHANG TEMPLE, BARKHOR BAZAAR, POTALA PALACE, DREYPUNG, AND SERA MONASTERIES. Drepung Monastery was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge Tashi Palden (1397-1449), one of Tsongkhapa’s main disciples, and it was named after the sacred abode in South India of Shridhanyakataka. Drepung was the principal seat of the Gelugpa School until the Great Fifth Dalai Lama constructed the Potala and it retained the premier place amongst the four great Gelugpa monasteries. Drepung was known for the high standards of its academic study and was called the Nalanda of Tibet, a reference to the great Buddhist monastic university of India. We next stroll down Barkhor Street, which has a history of over 1,000 years, & surrounds the Jokhang Temple. It was originally an important route for Tibetan Buddhists to walk clockwise around to show their devotion. This religious deed is called ‘Barkhor’ in the Tibetan Language. As one of the most bustling sections in Lhasa nowadays, Barkhor Street features the sale of various kinds of handicrafts and living necessities from local areas, & also includes wares from neighboring India and Nepal. Overnight in Hotel Shambala

Day 5: Lhasa – Gyantse

Today we enjoy a full-day picturesque drive along the turquoise lake of Yamdrok, crossing over Kampa-la Pass (4794M) and the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo). After breakfast, you will leave for Gyantse. En route, you will enjoy the beautiful Scorpion-shaped Yamdrok Lake. Before that, you will visit the Drolma Lhakang Temple. You will also get some good pictures of Yamdrok Lake at the highest elevation & the route to Gyantse, Kampa La above or below 4800 meters.
Drolma Lhakang Temple has situated west of Lhasa about 25km. It is also on the way to Gonggar Airport. This temple might seem small and ignored by tourists but this temple is where the greatest Bon-Po master Atisha spent the last years of his life. This temple is of Drolma or Tara, a famous female bodhisattva.
Yamdrok Lake: After an hour or so of driving from Lhasa, you will reach the foothills of Kampa la. From the vantage point of Kampa La, you will have your best views of Yamdrok Lake. You may not get to see the scorpion-shaped lake but you will see the sky-blue water & also the snowcapped mountains on a sunny winter morning. You will drive along Yamdrok Lake for about an hour to Gyantse. On arrival at Gyantse, you may be pretty tired. You will be driven to an already booked hotel, refresh & take a rest and have dinner. Overnight at a hotel in Gyantse

Day 6: Gyantse (3950m) - Shigatse/ 90KM, approx 2 hours drive

After breakfast, our driver will first drop you and the guide at the Khumbum and Pelku Chode. These are very important sightseeing spots when touring Gyantse.
Khumbum: The first Khumbum was founded in the year 1427 by a Gyantse prince. It has nine Lhakangs or levels, & is 35 meters (115 ft) high surmounted by a golden dome, and contains 77 chapels that line its walls. Many statues were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and have been replaced by clay images. But it lacks the artistic merits of the original images which is a sad incident.
Pelku Chode: Pelku Chode is the Monastery inside the same compound of Khumbum. After concluding our sightseeing of Khumbum and Pelku Chode, you will drive to Shigatse. It’s about 95 km from Gyantse. On arrival at Shigatse, you will be driven to your Hotel for rest & supper. Overnight in Shigatse
In the morning after b/fast, we go sightseeing at the Khumbum Stupa & Palkor Monastery and drive through Tibet’s biggest Agricultural fields to Shigatse for sightseeing at Panchen Lama’s Tashilunpu Monastery. Overnight in Hotel Shigatse

Day 7: Shigatse – Lhasa

Drive back from Shigatse to Lhasa through the Brahmaputra River stream and spend the last night in Lhasa at our hotel.

Day 8: Lhasa – Kathmandu

Early morning after b/fast, we drive down to Gongaar airport for our departure flight to Katmandu or an onward destination of your choice; & this concludes our dream jet tour of a great civilization that we all know as ‘Tibet’.

Visa Information

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign travelers traveling to Tibet from the territory of China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months' valid passport.

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa — entry from Nepal to Tibet after the Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with a valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be canceled when we apply for group visa (if a visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to move to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

Weather Information

The weather in Tibet is similar to that of Mainland China, though with lower temperatures due to higher altitudes. Summers have warm days with strong sunshine and cool nights, but summer days can even be chilly at higher elevations. Winters are cold but there isn't all that much snow. Lhasa enjoys a lot of sunshine even in winter. Most Tibet experiences frost at least 6 months of the year. Some high lakes are frozen from October to March. The weather varies a lot from region to region. Lhasa is an ideal destination because it is in a valley area of lower elevation.

Safety Guidelines

We recommend you go through our following safety guidelines and stay tuned with the latest happening.

• Have at least 2 copies of the Tibet Permit.

• Keep your belongings properly.

• When you feel uncomfortable due to altitude change or have any troubles, report to your guide promptly.

• Never rush to visit attractions shortly after you arrive in Lhasa.

• Shop around but avoid undue bargaining with street vendors and never buy wildlife and unknown Tibetan herbal medicine and fake products.

• Take your money and important belongings with you all the time.

• Spend a few days in Lhasa for acclimation and always follow a gradual ascent when traveling to higher places to avoid altitude sickness.

• Refrain from heavy drinking and smoking.

• Respect the religion, and customs and avoid taboos in Tibet.

• Pay special attention to the unique alpine climates (such as sunburn, dramatic temperature change, etc.)

• Keep necessary medicines at the consult of your doctor.

• Never travel alone at night or venture into unknown places without informing your guide.

• In most places, cash is only accepted. Do prepare enough and small changes.

• If an emergency arises, report it to your guide promptly.

• Don’t carry any documents or papers related to Dalai Lama or free Tibet.

• We also recommend not carrying any guidebook to Tibet.

1. Where is Tibet?

Tibet is situated toward the southwest of China, likewise bordering India, Nepal, Burma, and Bhutan. Tibet's three original provinces are U-Tsang, Kham, and Amdo. The general population in these locales all thinks about themselves as Tibetan, although everyone has a solid identity and diverse tongues of Tibetan is used.

Under China's occupation, Tibet has been partitioned up, renamed, and joined into Chinese territories, with little reference to the original borders between Tibet's areas. At the point when China refers to Tibet, it implies the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR, which incorporates just U-Tsang and part of Kham. The rest of Kham was isolated amongst Sichuan and Yunnan Chinese areas. Amdo was partitioned between Gansu, Sichuan, and Qinghai territories. The region covers a region of around 1.22 million km2, which represents 12.8% of the aggregate of China. The pristine snow-capped view and inescapable Tibetan Buddhism environment and simple access to its neighboring nation Nepal make Tibet rank high on the movement travel bucket list. Its unmistakable geography and land area enable it to share the world's most amazing mountaineering and trekking asset with its neighbor nation Nepal.

2. What is the time difference in Tibet?

Tibet  Standard Time ( IST ) is 0800 hours (6 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).

3. How can I obtain a Visa?

Flying out to Tibet requires a Chinese visa and a Tibet Travel Permit which can both be acquired in Kathmandu with the help of a travel company (Tibet via Nepal). A valid visa for China isn't the same as a Tibet Travel Permit. Those with a Chinese traveler visa will at present need to apply for a Tibet travel permit. The permit is still required for remote foreign travelers traveling to Tibet from the territory of China. To obtain the permit you have to book a guide for your whole trip and pre-organize private transport for trips outside Lhasa. The trip outside Lhasa likewise requires extra permits which are arranged by the travel agent you are going with.

 Passport

All who intend to enter Tibet must hold at least 6 months' valid passport.

China Visa or Tibet Group Visa

To enter Tibet using Mainland China, right off the bat, you have to apply China visa for entry to China. Tibet is a part of China, under the Chinese Central Government's Sovereignty. Therefore to travel from China to Tibet, you need to acquire a China Visa at the first stage before all are followed up. Visas for individual travel in China are very easy to get from most Chinese embassies. Most Chinese embassies and consulates will issue a standard 30-day, single-passage visitor visa in three to five working days (an 'L' Visa means to travel). If you are lucky, some embassies abroad may give you 60 or even 90 days. However, in Hong Kong it is very easy to get a 90-day visa; most agencies can organize it in one day. If you need greater adaptability to enter and leave China a few times, most Chinese embassies will issue a double-entry visa. Indeed, for individuals who are to work, study or live temporarily in China, you may require other related China Visa, for example, an "F" Visa, "X" Visa, or "Z" Visa, and so on. All these sorts of visa holders can go to Tibet with Tibet entry permits and other travel permits which can be obtained by neighborhood travel agencies in Tibet with strict and serious procedures.

4. How to enter Tibet?

By Road: There are five main highways in Tibet, to be specific:

Sichuan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and Lhasa.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – it runs between Xining, the capital city of Qinghai, to Lhasa.

Yunnan-Tibet Highway – it runs between Yunnan territory and Tibet.

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway – it runs crosswise over boundless deserts and lofty and steep peaks.

The China-Nepal Highway – it is the main international highway in Tibet

By Air: Flying to Lhasa dependably requires a stopover in either China or Nepal. Lhasa Gonggar Airport is situated around 98 kilometers (around 61 miles) toward the south of Lhasa City. The main international trip to and from Tibet is between Lhasa and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

By Rail: The Gormo to Lhasa railway extends for 1,142 kilometers (710 miles) and serves as a connection between the territory of China and Tibet.

5. How is the weather in Tibet?

Since the country expands at high elevations, usually difficult to predict the climate. It is cold for the most part. Lhasa and around it is a cool, and bright day during the day time however evening, night, and morning will be cold. Need to bring sufficiently warm clothes.

6. When is the best time to visit Tibet?

The Tibetan atmosphere isn't as harsh as we imagine it to be. Tibet's climate is ideal to travel from April to the start of November, and most perfect in August and September. In any case, Lhasa's climate is more clement than the rest of Tibet and is suitable to travel year-round. The sun radiation in Tibet is extremely strong. It's not for nothing that Lhasa is known as the Sunlight City. The months of May, June, and September are the primary tourist season in eastern Tibet.

7. What are the documents necessary for visiting Tibet?

Passport - valid for 6 months

Chinese Visa — you can apply for one from a Chinese Embassy or through China Highlights (who entry from China)

Group Visa —entry from Nepal to Tibet after the Tibet tour traveler can visit China mainland with a valid group visa.

Individual Visa will be canceled when we apply for group visa (if a visa is in the passport)

Tibet Entry Permit — it is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is an absolute necessity for outsiders entering Tibet.

A few people who wish to travel to specific areas in Tibet must also obtain:

Travel Permit — it is required when you are planning to move to closed areas in Tibet. These are issued after you land in Tibet.

Military Permit — it is acquired to travel to some militarily sensitive regions.

8. Can I organize a Tibet visa myself? Can I travel alone in Tibet?

Sadly, because of China's extremely strict tourism policy for Tibet, you can't get a visa independent from anyone else and it isn't conceivable to not possible to travel Tibet on your own. As an authorized travel company we can organize everything; visa, allow to permit, and all other paperwork.

9. Is altitude sickness a problem?

As Tibet is known as the Roof of the World it is one of the highest places on the earth. Due to this many visitors from lower altitude areas may suffer from altitude sickness. Most people endure minor effects of altitude sickness only including loss of appetite, headache, and a propensity to have no vitality until the point when their bodies conform to the high landscape. This adjustment can take place for a few hours and in rare cases for a few days. If visitors do some simple preparations before going to Tibet, most of the symptoms of altitude sickness can be avoided. We recommend you talk to your local physician about AMS pills to help combat altitude sickness. Your guide will be there to assist you and help you throughout the trip.

10. Are there ATM counters in Tibet?

There are ATM facilities easily available in Lhasa and Shigatse; however, it might be difficult to find one in other small towns.

11. What currency do I have to use in Tibet?

The unit of currency is the Chinese Yuan. The Bank of China can exchange all foreign currencies. The bank in Tibet /China is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Traveler’s cheques and credit cards are very difficult to be cashed outside the banks, especially outside Lhasa.

12. Is politics a problem? 

Most tourists, who stay with their tour and avoid getting engaged in the politics of the country, will not encounter issues.

13. What vaccination is recommended for Tibet travelers?

The suggested vaccination you should consider for this trip includes the following:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria & Tetanus Vaccinations
• Hepatitis A The vaccine for Hepatitis A (eg Avaxim, Havrix 1440, or VAQTA)
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza The flu vaccine
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Pneumonia A vaccine
• Polio
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

14.  Will the language barrier be there are problem?

Visitors to Tibet don't have to worry about the language barrier at all. Every visitor will have an English-talking visit guide, and most of the front work area staff in the big hotels can communicate in English. The main languages used in a part of Tibet are Chinese, Tibetan, English, and Nepali.

15. Is there internet access in Tibet for foreign travelers?

Certainly, there is web access for foreign travelers in Tibet yet just in limited areas like Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, and Tsedang where some bistro gives web offices. Moreover, hotels in some cities like Lhasa and Shigatse also provide internet facilities to their customers.