For many people, the main reason that they go to Tibet is to see the amazing view of Everest’s famous North Face. The view of Everest from the Tibet side gives a clear, sweeping view of the mountain. I receive more emails about the Everest region that any other region of the Tibetan Plateau. I have been fortunate enough to go to the Tibet-side Everest Region more than a dozen times over the years. In this [...]
Many people ask if it is possible to cycle in Tibet. Not only is it possible to cycle in Tibet, it has become very popular over the past 10 years. The same travel regulations apply however, if you want to cycle. There is no independent travel and you still need to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver. There are NO exceptions to these regulations. [...]
The Sichuan Part of Kham is easily one of the most beautiful regions of the Tibetan Plateau. It has everything one could ask for: high snow-capped peaks, beautiful alpine grasslands filled with yaks and sheep, deep river valleys, stunning turquoise lakes and some of the best preserved Tibetan culture remaining. You can explore small farming villages as well as traditional nomad communities throughout the area. The [...]
UPDATED 13 April 2013 Each year I do my best to keep up-to-date on the various travel regulations and restrictions across the Tibetan Plateau. Tibet, including the regions of Amdo and Kham, can sometimes be politically unstable. When areas and regions are unstable, the government (not travel agencies) either closes specific areas or imposes travel regulations, such as group travel. It is important to remember [...]
One of my favorite websites on Tibetan culture is YoWangdu. The site is maintained by Lobsang Wangdu and his wife Yolanda. Along with great articles about Tibetan customs, religion and travel advice, they also have excellent recipes on how to cook amazing Tibetan food! From now until February 11th, YoWangdu Tibetan Culture are sharing a special Losar offer to the Land of Snows community: 30% off their Tibetan [...]
Lhasa ལྷ་ས་, meaning “place of the gods” in Tibetan, is the most important city in Tibet. Lying at an elevation of 3655 meters / 12,000 feet, Lhasa is the second largest city on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ཟི་ལིང་. Historically, Lhasa was the capital of the traditional Tibetan region of Ü དབུས་, though today it is the capital of all of the Tibet Autonomous [...]
Getting a Chinese tourist visa is a fairly simple process. For many nationalities, including North Americans, EU citizens, UK citizens. Australians and New Zealanders, you can apply for a Chinese tourist visa at the Chinese embassy/consulate in your home country and in most Chinese embassies/consulates around the world. On the Chinese visa application, it asks for you to list the places in China that you plan [...]
Every couple of weeks, I receive an email asking if it is possible to travel from Tibet to India (or vice-versa). If you are wanting to travel overland, the answer is no. There are no border crossings between Tibet and India that are open to foreigners. There are a handful of passes through the Himalaya’s that connect Tibet with India, but these are only for use by Indians, Tibetans and Chinese who hold [...]
The Potala Palace པོ་ཏ་ལ་ is the one building that most associate with Tibet. It rises over 300m (985 feet) above the valley below and has over 1000 rooms. It stretches 400m (1312 feet) long from east to west and the pilgrimage kora around the Potala is 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) in length. The massive building can be seen throughout Lhasa and the surrounding valley. Each day, thousands of [...]
As you are probably aware of by now, Lhasa and the rest of the Tibet Autonomous Region is closed indefinitely to foreign travelers (UPDATE: The region reopened in July 2012). There is no telling at this point when the area will reopen. Does that mean you need to cancel your upcoming trip to Tibet altogether? Not necessarily! It is important to remember that Tibet consists far more than just the Tibet Autonomous [...]