Updated April 2025: More and more Malaysian travelers are going to Tibet. Read this post to learn how to easily travel to Tibet from Malaysia. For info on tours send an email : info@thelandofsnows.com
For information on a reputable and affordable travel agency to use in Tibet, send an email to: Contact Page, or info@thelandofsnows.com or go to this page and send us your info: Tibet Trip Planner
Going from Malaysia to Tibet
All foreign travelers going to Tibet must be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a private vehicle, a driver and a tour guide. There are no exceptions to these travel regulations. Only a travel agency can arrange a journey to Tibet for you. Group Tours to Tibet are not required, but they are an economical way to travel to Tibet.
Solo travelers are permitted to go to Tibet, but still must be part of an organized tour as explained above. You will not be permitted to board any flight or train to Tibet without showing your travel permits, which prove that you have an organized tour arranged. To go to Tibet, all you need to do is contact a reputable, local-owned travel agency in Tibet and they will take care of ALL arrangements for you inside Tibet. Don’t worry! Going from Malaysia to Tibet is very easy! info@thelandofsnows.com
Visa Free in China and Tibet Travel Permit
All citizen of malaysia has 30 days free visa policy in China. You can come to Tibet with without getting the Chinese Visa. When making the Tibet travel permit, you will only have to submit the copy of your passport.
It takes at least 2 weeks for travel permits for Tibet to be processed. You should contact a travel agency in Tibet at least 6 weeks before you plan to arrive in Tibet. If you plan to go to Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar or other areas of far Western Tibet, contact a travel agency at least 8 weeks before you plan to arrive.
Tibet travel permit is required and you will have to show it when you are traveling to Tibet. We will explain in detail in folowing travel route.
Malaysia to Tibet via Chengdu, China
The first way to get to Tibet is by flying from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, China as there are no direct flights from Malaysia to Tibet. There are daily flights between KL and Chengdu year-round on Air Asia. Before you fly to Chengdu, you will need to get the Tibet travel permit. Please book the tour with a local Tibetan Travel agency in advance and send them passport to have enough room to make the permit and send the permit to you in chengdu.
Chengdu to Lhasa flights
From Chengdu, China, there are 8 to 12 direct daily flights to Lhasa, Tibet. The flight takes about 2 hours and offers spectacular mountain views. In addition to the daily flights to Lhasa, you can also take the train from Chengdu to Lhasa.
If you are taking flight to Lhasa, you will need the original Tibet travel permit in hands to board the flight bound. China National Avaition Regulation doest not allow any foreeginer to take flight to Tibet with Original permit in hand. There are two ways to get the permit to you
Hotel Booking
If you book a hotel for a night in chengdu, travel agency can send the permit to your hotel address. Your hotel will keep the permit and give it to you upon checking in. Please make sure you get the right permit by opening the envelop and checking your name on the second page of the permit.
Permit Delivery at the Airport
Our recommend travel agency in Lhasa can arrange some to come to the airport in Chengdu to deliver the permit to you hand while you are transisting at the airport. But please make sure, you have enough time between two flights. and for the better communication between the permit delivier person and you, make sure you have Wechat installed and signed in before beguning your trip.
Chengdu to Lhasa Train
Please note that there is only one train in two days from Chengdu city to Lhasa. The train journey takes just short of 2 full days to reach the Tibetan capital of Lhasa city. It is often difficult to secure the train ticket during high season like national holidays in China. Most travel agency in Tibet will help booking the train ticket for clients.
For more information on how get to Tibet or for Tibet tour information, send an email to: info@thelandofsnows.com
Tibet via Kathmandu, Nepal
Another option of getting from Malaysia to Tibet is via Kathmandu, Nepal. From Kuala Lumpur, there are daily direct flights to Kathmandu on Air Asia. From Kathmandu, you can either fly to Lhasa or go overland. The flight takes about 75 minutes, while the overland journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes 3 or 4 days. As written above, all foreign travelers to Tibet must be on an organized tour, regardless if they enter Tibet from Mainland China or Nepal. info@thelandofsnows.com
Visa and permit
As mention above citizen of malaysia has 30 days free visa policy in China. But some not well informed travel agency could ask you to get the Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Which is not neccessary. You can easily enter into Tibet either on Kathmandu to Lhasa flight or Overland journey to tibet with visa.
Your permit waits for you in Tibet. When you are entering into Tibet, you tour guide will wait for you at port of entrance. She will have the permit with her and she will help you in checking in at China custom.
Acclimatization in Tibet
If you go overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa, it is extremely important that your travel route allows for proper acclimatization. Many budget tour agencies in Nepal and Tibet offer itineraries that do not allow for acclimatization and actually put travelers at severe risk of altitude sickness. Kathmandu only sits at 1350 meters and is not high enough to help with the acclimatization process.
Some travel agencies have routes that take customers from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp, elevation 5200 meters, in only 3 days. This is extremely foolish and unsafe. Going that high so quickly can cause serious altitude sickness or even high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE).
My recommendation is to actually fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu, stay in Lhasa for at least 3 nights and then travel slowly overland back to Nepal via the main sites in Central Tibet, including Everest Base Camp.
It is best to take it easy in Lhasa the first day or two as your body adjusts to the high elevation. Avoid strenuous hiking, climbing the stairs of the Potala Palace and drinking alcohol the first 2 days in Lhasa. info@thelandofsnows.com
Summary
Here is a quick summary of how to go from Malaysia to Tibet:
- Traveling from Malaysia Tibet is not difficult
- All travelers going to Tibet MUST be on an organized tour
- Only a travel agency can arrange travel permits and organized tour for you in Tibet
- The 2 main ways to get from Malaysia to Tibet are via Chengdu, China or Kathmandu, Nepal
- You have free Visa policy in China for up to 30 Days
- No need to get group visa if coming from Nepal to Tibet
- Group travel to Tibet is not required, but is an economical way to travel Tibet.
- Contact a travel agency at least 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to go to Tibet
- If you go overland from Nepal to Tibet, make sure your travel route allows for proper acclimatization to high altitude
For more information about traveling to Tibet or for information on Group and Private Tours to Tibet, send an email to: info@thelandofsnows.com
