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DAY 01 – 03. Our representatives greet your arrival at the airport/train station and it is a short drive to the holy Lhasa city along the Lhasa river within a valley enclosed by barren mountains. Far before reaching to the city you will have the first glimpse of tremendous Potala Palace appearing out from the rest of the city by perching on the red hill. Then check in the hotel which is located in the old part of the town and which is also known as Tibetan area that centered by mystical Jokhang temple and the bustling Bakhor street. In the following couple of days we have thoughtfully arranged few but worthy visit to some world heritages and sites of breathing Tibetan Buddhists along acclimation and alleviating Jet-lag. You have plenty of time to walk shoulder to shoulder with devoted local pilgrims in the bustling Bakhor street, it is also a real pleasure to explore the busy cobbled lanes twisting around the aged buildings in the supernatural Drepung and Sera monastery, and our knowledgeable guides enhance your experiences with a thorough historical and cultural explanation. These days are flexible and easy to do on your own exploration around the town and hang around the Bakhor street during your leisure. In addition we do arrange special experiences of short visit to typical Tibetan village family or receive rare scared blessings from high lamas with local pilgrims per client’s interest.

DAY 04 – 05. After couple of days acclimation, you are dare to drive over the Gampa la pass and Karo la pass to Gyantse and Shigatse in the western Tibetan plateau. Along the upstream of the Brahmaputra river we climb up the Gampa la(4900m) through numbers of switch-backs, from the pass you will amaze by the breathtaking view of the holy Lake Yamdrok and snow capped Mt.Nyenchen Kangsar in the background, then further to Gyantse and Shigatse via bloomy glaciers and scattered villages. Both Gyantse and Shigatse are well known for its historical and religious value since from ancient time, Gyantse is known as hero’s town as the British troops defeated by Gyantse guerrilla in 1904, more over, these regions has slightly different culture and tradition than in Lhasa, there we will visit Gyantse Kubhum stupa and Tashi Lhunpo monastery. Before we head into the long journey to the far-west plateau we visit the famous Sakya monastery and pause a night at Lhatse.

 

DAY 12 – 13. Drive further south-west towards Ali, then turn off to Zanda at Moincer, through a long zigzag road down and up incredibly eroded gorges and gullies, sooner the capital of the ancient kingdom of Guge can be seen down below in the valley floor. From various vantage points on the descent into Toling town, there are some of the spectacular views of canyons and sand dunes in the upper Sutlej valley. The vast sweep of the Himalayans is dicernible, as the range turns north west from Nepal and along the Indian border as far as Ladakh and Kashmir spanning several hundred kilometers. Moreover, ruins of temples and caves of ancient Guge kingdom still breathing with exquisite murals and decorative motifs that dating back more than 1000 years.

 

DAY 14 – 16. Retrace the road back to Lhasa and replenishing the remarkable plateau sceneries that you missed on the way up. Through the northern friendship highway you will following the Brahmaputra river to Lhasa, in the afternoon you have plenty of the time to continues explore the hustling Bakhor street and you may need to buy some souvenirs for your family and friends at home.

DAY 17. Today it is your last day on the Tibet plateau. Before your departure, we will appreciate if you can spent few minutes to evaluate our services for future improvement and you can either leave the feedback form to your guide or just write us a email, at your departure, your guide and driver meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer you to the airport/train station per your schedule. The trip officially ends.

Tibet is a country, which is totally different from any other places around the world, just because of its political sensitivity, rich culture diversity and peculiar geographical formation. Although this means it is not the easiest place to travel, which is also what makes it so special.
In order to make your trip worry free and indisputable, here we have carefully collected all the essential information that will give you a clear image of the trip as well as logistics during your stay in Tibet, this also will be helpful for your trip preparation before you leave, so please go through it and make sure you are well prepare for the trip, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our tour consultant or write us on sales@exploretibet.com

Legitimate Claim;
As we mentioned above, Tibet is politically very sensitive and any political activities are restrictedly prohibited, so we always advising our clients to keep away from any political conversations or activities that bound against the policy of People’s republic of China. Your involvement in such activities would influence the whole group as well as future of all your guides, driver and the company. If any one does, then we have the full right to cancel the trip and we are not responsible for so caused hassle and costs.
 
Emergency contacts:
Being a responsible company, we are always available for 24 hours a day, in case if you need any emergency help. It is best to first call your designated travel coordinator or sales person (whose contact numbers are will be listed on your tour agreement), for any reason if you are not able to reach to him/her then please ring us on the below numbers;
Lhasa Head Office: (0891)-6329441 (the area code 0891 is not necessary if you are calling from Lhasa)
Chengdu Office: (028)-86262365
Note: office working time is 9am – 7pm from Monday to Friday.
Sonam Jamphel (Sales Manager) 0158890904080 or 013398000993 (Available for 24 hours a day)
 
Chinese Visa
Every one should have the valid passport (with minimum 6 months validity) and Chinese visa to travel into China and the Chinese visa is also valid in Tibet, generally the Chinese visa is can be applied either by your self or use a visa service agency in your home country, but the visa application and requirements are little vary in different countries, so please check with your regional Chinese Embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements.
NOTE; It is your responsibility to obtain the Chinese visa, so just for your information it is better not to list Tibet as your travel destination on your visa application form, just list Chengdu or Beijing, whichever your in-bound city is as your travel destination. If you enter Tibet from Nepal then you don’t need the Chinese individual visa and please check the next line for what you need.
 
If You Enter Tibet From Nepal
If you enter Tibet from Nepal, then the permit and Chinese visa formalities are slightly different, to enter from Nepal, you don't need the Chinese individual visa and instead you should obtain the Tibet group visa from Chinese Embassy in Nepal, you can’t apply it directly and you should have a local Nepalese agency to apply for it, so our Nepalese partner agency will assist you for that application, normally the application takes 2 to 5 working days for different cost and it only can be applied when you arrive in Nepal, because your original passport is needed along the application. More about the Tibet Group Visa and cost please check here
 
Tibet Travel Permit and Its Process
Tibet travel permit is compulsory for all the travelers to visit Tibet and it can be obtained within 15 days prior to the trip starting dates, once you have booked the tour with us, we will obtain it for you which is included in the tour package. We need clear scan copies of your Chinese visa and passports to apply for the permit.
For more detail and latest permit updates, please check here
 
Etiquettes and Taboos:
Cultural Considerations: Be aware that your cultural values may differ from those of locals. These may include different concepts of time, personal space, communication, etc., which are not wrong or inferior, just different. Making the extra effort to respect local customs and cultural differences will enhance your interactions with locals during your time in Tibet and contribute to building mutual respect between locals and tourists.
Appropriate attire: Most Tibetans are pretty conservative from our western perspective so it is always polite to wear long pants at all times (guys and girls). If you wear shorts in rural villages or in the Bakhor district in Lhasa you will definitely get stranger looks than normal! Women should wear long pants or skirts. Shirts should not be revealing and bras should be worn. Unfortunately, many tourists ignore these cultural norms and can be seen in towns and villages wearing shorts and revealing summer attire; while it may be comfortable, it is not appropriate, especially when visiting monasteries. Don’t be shy to inform other tourists of the proper dress for monasteries; perhaps they are not aware of the cultural considerations and etiquette.

Itinerary Disclaimer
Generally we adhere to the original itinerary that we described but sometimes little alterations can be born due to the situations that are beyond our control. On the other hand, in order to make our trip for your personal experiences and flexible, we allowed our clients to make minor changes by discussing with us (office staff) and guide (field staff). The trip detail itinerary is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destination or activities is by no means of guarantee that they will be encountered or carried due to the local circumstances and climate.
 
Keeping in touch with folks at home
If your family members or colleagues or friends want to connect with you during the tour, then you can either provide your guide mobile number to reach you during the trip or if you don’t know your guide number at the time, please don’t feel hesitate to provide our company contact numbers listed in the Emergency Contact section and we can find a way to reach you through guide mobile.
 
Meals
In order to provide you the maximum flexibility of what, where and when to eat, we generally doesn’t include meals in the tour cost except breakfast included at the hotels, but our local guide will suggest you good local restaurant per your requirements. In the cities like Lhasa, Tsedang, Gyantse, Shigatse and Zhangmu you can find good restaurants serve wide range of Tibetan food, continental food, Nepalese food, Indian food and Chinese cuisine, but in Tingri, EBC and in remote places, there is a limited choice for noodles and pan cakes. Approximate cost of a meal in Tibet is USD3 – USD10 per person/meal depending on your individual requirement.
 
Destination Guide & Recommended Reading List:
Tibet is a unique travel destination with some special considerations. It is highly recommended that you undertake some background reading before travel to Tibet. The more you learn about your destination, the more rewarding your travel experience will be. While we include a recommended reading list, which you can refer to for in-depth information, the following is a recommended reading list that might be helpful for you.
| Tibetan History | Tibetan Culture & Arts | Tibetan Religion |
 
Lhasa and the TAR:

• Tibet: The Lonely Planet Country Guide
• Trekking in Tibet: A Traveler's Guide by Gary McCue
• Tibet Handbook: Moon Travel Guide
• Fodor's Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan: Expert Advice and Smart Choices: Where to Stay, Eat, and 
Explore On and Off the Beaten Path
• To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron
• The Mount Kailash Trek by Constance Roos/Sian Pritchard-Jones
• Trekking Tibet by Gary McCue/George Schaller
• The Heart of the World, A Journey to the Tibet's Lost Paradise by Ian Baker
• My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel 


 
Kham and Amdo regions:

• Footprints Tibet Handbook by Gyurme Dorje
• Lonely Planet China (See Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu Provinces)
• Bradt Guide Tibet by Michael Buckley

 
Domestic Flights and Trains to Tibet
There is only one international flight to Tibet, which is from Kathmandu (Nepal), and then there are lots of flights from different cities in Mainland China like Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai and so on. Please Check Flight Schedule and Cost Here
There is no international train to Tibet and all the trains are from Mainland China like Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xining and so on. Please Check Train Schedule and Cost Here
 
Responsible Tourism Initiative: 
Tourism has the potential to have positive and negative effects on the local environment and peoples. Making a conscious decision about how you travel can make a difference. Whether you are traveling to the Amazon rainforest or to Mt. Everest Base Camp, taking the initiative to reduce negative impacts and help sustain local communities is the responsible thing to do. Read more how we practice Responsible Travel
 
How & What To Pack
It is important to pack light and effectively, specially when you travelling to a new place, you need to know some necessary items should be carry with, depending on the length of your trip and where you go, you can get away with a minimal amount of clothing. One medium-large backpack or rolling duffle and a day pack should be just right for a 2-4 week trip. We suggest you to check our packing guideline here

Complaint & Feedback
We are always trying to provide the best service that can achieve a memorable Tibet tour for you, but sometimes you might be dissatisfied with some arrangement as different people has various aspirations and requirement, so please let us know instantly and we will try to solve everything right away to avoid repeating mistakes unknowingly. As we are looking for every single opportunity to improve our services, so your valuable suggestions and constructive complaints are very much appreciated.