Planning Your Tibet Trip (2023)

If you’ve been dreaming for years of taking a once-in-a-lifetime Tibet trip — to have an amazing, authentic experience in the Land of Snows, support the Tibetan people, and get home safe — you’re in the right place.

Potala

2023 Travel Advisory: Great news! Permits for travel to Tibet for foreign nationals currently living and working inside China have begun to be accepted for travel after April 1, 2023. For international inbound travelers, we are hoping for permits as of May 1, 2023, but not word yet. We will always update you as restrictions lift. To learn more, ask us for an introduction to a reliable Tibetan travel agency here.

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We’re Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon, a Tibetan-American couple, and your Tibet travel experts. We’ll show you exactly how to plan for your Tibet trip — get your visa and permits, find a reliable agency, choose either the “sky” train or a flight, and avoid getting altitude sickness in the breathtaking heart of the Himalayas. Equally important, we offer you practical guidance about Tibetan food and Buddhism, to help you travel with respect and a deeper understanding.

Explore the page below for all your Tibet travel basics. And if you want to shortcut the process, and get step-by-step Tibet travel planning help, you can sign up now for instant access to our free online Tibet Travel Planner.

Top Tibet Tours

Tibet at a Glance

  • Lhasa: The fabled “place of the gods” holds many of the cultural and spiritual treasures of Tibet, including the twin hearts of the Tibetan world, the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace.
  • Mt. Kailash: Joining Tibetan pilgrims on the three-day route around this most sacred of Asia’s mountains is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
  • Everest Base Camp: The best views of breathtaking Mt. Everest are from the Tibet side, and you don’t need to trek to get there.
  • Shigatse: Walking the scenic kora path above the great Tashilumpo Monastery is a quintessentially Tibetan experience.
  • Kham/Amdo: Outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) are some of the most beautiful, culturally preserved areas of Tibet, in the Kham and Amdo regions. No special permit is needed for travel in these areas.

Planning Your Tibet Trip

  • Best 100 Tibet Travel Tips An easy-to-use collection of all the very best tips we’ve gathered over the years.
  • Where is Tibet? To put it simply, Tibet sits in the heart of Asia, right between India and China. A geographically spectacular area, the Tibetan Plateau is surrounded by range upon range of extreme high-altitude mountains which provide the sources for many of Asia’s great rivers.
  • What is the Tibetan Autonomous Region? (TAR) You may wonder why sometimes “Tibet” is referred to as the “Tibetan Autonomous Region (T.A.R.).” Actually, they are quite different things. In this post we will explain the difference, and at the end of the post let you know the main points you need to grasp for travel purposes.

The easiest way to learn the critical elements you need for a simple and safe trip to Tibet is to sign up for our free Tibet Trip Planning Guide. You can also explore our Tibet travel pages for a wealth of tips and tools that will help make your trip a million times easier.


More Tips and Tools for Your Tibet Trip

Want to be ready to travel to Tibet?

Tibet Travel Plan

Sign up to get instant access to our FREE Tibet Travel Planning Guide that shows you exactly how to:

  • Get your visa and Tibet permits
  • Avoid altitude sickness
  • Choose a reliable, Tibetan-owned agent
  • And much more…so you can feel peace of mind about your trip, and have a great, safe journey!
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Updated on January 5, 2023. First published on February 7, 2019.

Your Tibet travel advisors, Lobsang and Yolanda

Most people who want to go to Tibet don't know how to get there or who to trust for help. We’re Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon, and we help make Tibet travel more simple, safe and ethical so you can feel peace of mind about your trip. Learn more about us and YoWangdu here.