Lonely Planet Tibet

By Stephen Lioy, Megan Eaves and Bradley Mayhew

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet Tibet is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Hike around sacred Mt Kailash, join pilgrims at the Jokhang, Tibet's holiest sanctum, or view Mt Everest unobstructed from Rongphu Monastery -all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Tibet and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet's Tibet Travel Guide:

• Colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including customs, religion, history, art, architecture, literature, music, dance, landscapes
• Covers Lhasa, Tsang, Kham, Ngari, U, Rawok, Bayi, Tashigang, Gyantse, Shigatse, Lhatse, Tingri, Nyalam, Pomi, Ganzi, Kangding, Lithang, Bathang, Baber, Zhangmu, Gongkar, Kathmandu, Chengdu, and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Tibet, our most comprehensive guide to Tibet, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled.

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781788685832

Book preview

Tibet

Contents

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Preface

Welcome to Tibet

Tibet’s Top 20

Need to Know

If You Like…

Month by Month

Itineraries

Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway

Tours & Permits

Regions at a Glance

ON THE ROAD

LHASA

Around Lhasa

Drepung Monastery

Nechung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Pabonka Monastery

Ganden Monastery

Drak Yerpa

Drölma Lhakhang

Shuksip Nunnery

Ü

Northern Ü

Tsurphu Valley

Nam-tso

Reting Valley

Lhundrub County

Medro Gongkar County

Lhoka Prefecture

Samye

Tsetang

Yarlung Valley

Chongye Valley

Mindroling

Dratang

Gongkar

TSANG

Lhasa to Nangartse

Nangartse

Gyantse

Nyang-chu Valley

Shigatse

Around Shigatse

Sakya

Shegar

Everest Region

Tingri

Lhatse

Kyirong Valley

NGARI

Southern Ngari

Lhatse to Saga

Nepal Border to Saga

Saga

Saga to Drongba

Drongba

Drongba to Paryang

Paryang

Paryang to Hor Qu

Northern Ngari

Raka to Tsochen

Tsochen

Tsochen to Gertse

Gertse

Gertse to Gegye

Gegye

Gegye to Ali

Far West Ngari

Ali

Rutok

Guge Kingdom

Tirthapuri

Darchen & Mt Kailash

Lake Manasarovar

Purang

EASTERN TIBET

Nyingtri Prefecture

Draksum-tso

Bāyī

Bakha Island

Pomi

Chamdo Prefecture

Rawok

Pasho

Pomda

TIBETAN TREKS

Planning Your Trek

What to Bring

Maps

Trekking Agencies

Permits

On The Trek

Guides & Pack Animals

Food

Drink

Trekking Routes

Ganden to Samye

Tsurphu to Dorje Ling

Shalu to Ngor

Mt Kailash Kora

More Treks

Lake Manasarovar Kora

Everest Advance Base Camps

Everest East Face

GATEWAY CITIES

Kathmandu

Chéngdū

Xīníng

UNDERSTAND

Tibet Today

History

Tibetan Landscapes

The People of Tibet

Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Art

Food & Drink

The Future of Tibet

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A-Z

Accessible Travel

Accommodation

Activities

Children

Climate

Customs Regulations

Electricity

Embassies & Consulates

Insurance

Internet Access

Language Courses

Legal Matters

LGBT+ Travellers

Maps

Money

Opening Hours

Photography

Post

Public Holidays

Safe Travel

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Visas

Volunteering

Weights & Measures

Women Travellers

Transport

Getting There & Away

Getting Around

Health

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

Preface

The issue of Tibet is not nearly as simple and clear cut as the Chinese government often tries to make out. I believe that there are still widespread misunderstandings about Tibetan culture and misapprehensions about what is happening inside Tibet. Therefore, I welcome every opportunity for open-minded people to discover the reality of Tibet for themselves.

In the context of the growing tourist industry in Tibet, the Lonely Planet travel guide makes an invaluable contribution by providing reliable and authoritative information about places to visit, how to get there, where to stay, where to eat and so forth. Presenting basic facts and observations allows visitors to prepare themselves for what they will encounter and exercise their own choice.

There is a Tibetan saying: ‘The more you travel, the more you see and hear.’ At a time when many people are not clear about what is actually happening in Tibet, I am very keen to encourage whoever has the interest to go there and see for themselves. Their presence will not only instil a sense of reassurance in the Tibetan people, but will also exercise a restraining influence on the Chinese authorities. What’s more, I am confident that once they return home they will be able to report openly on what they have seen and heard.

Great changes have lately taken place in this part of the world. Recent events have made it very clear that all Tibetans harbour the same aspirations and hopes. I remain confident that eventually a mutually agreeable solution will be found to the Tibetan problem. I believe that our strictly non-violent approach, entailing constructive dialogue and negotiation, will ultimately attract effective support and sympathy from within the Chinese community. In the meantime, I am also convinced that as more people visit Tibet, the numbers of those who support the justice of a peaceful solution will grow.

I am grateful to everyone involved in the preparation of this 10th edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Tibet for the care and concern they have put into it. I trust that those who rely on it as a companion to their travels in Tibet will enjoy themselves in what, despite all that has happened, remains for me one of the most beautiful places on earth.

July 2018

Prayer flags at Yamdrok-tso | SARA SPADACCINI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Welcome to Tibet

Tibet offers fabulous monasteries, breathtaking high-altitude walks, stunning views of the world’s highest mountains and one of the most likeable cultures you will ever encounter.

A Higher Plain

For many visitors, the highlights of Tibet will be of a spiritual nature: magnificent monasteries, prayer halls of chanting monks, and remote cliffside meditation retreats. Tibet’s pilgrims – from local grandmothers murmuring mantras in temples heavy with the aromas of juniper incense and yak butter to hard-core professionals walking or prostrating themselves around Mt Kailash – are an essential part of this experience. Tibetans have a level of devotion and faith that seems to belong to an earlier, almost medieval age. It is fascinating, inspiring and endlessly photogenic.

The Roof of the World

Tibet’s other big draw is the elemental beauty of the highest plateau on earth. Geography here is on a humbling scale and every view is illuminated with spectacular mountain light. Your trip will take you past glittering turquoise lakes, across huge plains dotted with yaks and nomads’ tents, and over high passes draped with colourful prayer flags. Hike past the ruins of remote hermitages, stare open-mouthed at the north face of Everest or make an epic overland trip along some of the world’s wildest roads. The scope for adventure is limited only by your ability to get permits.

Politics & Permits

There’s no getting away from politics here. Whether you see Tibet as an oppressed, occupied nation or an underdeveloped province of China, the normal rules of Chinese travel simply don’t apply. Restrictions require foreign travellers to pre-arrange a tour with a guide and transport for their time in Tibet, making independent travel impossible. On the plus side, new airports, boutique hotels and paved roads offer a level of comfort unheard of just a few years ago, so if the rigours of Tibetan travel have deterred you in the past, now might be the time to reconsider.

The Tibetan People

Whatever your interests, your lasting memories of Tibet are likely to be of the bottle of Lhasa Beer you shared in a teahouse, the yak-butter tea offered by a monk in a remote monastery or the picnic enjoyed with a herding family on the shores of a remote lake. Always ready with a disarming smile, and with great tolerance and openness of heart despite decades of political turmoil and hardship, the people truly make travelling in Tibet a profound joy. Make sure you budget time away from your pre-planned tour itinerary to take advantage of these chance encounters.

Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse | RATNAKORN PIYASIRISOROST / GETTY IMAGES ©

Why I Love Tibet

By Bradley Mayhew, Writer

For me Tibet is a uniquely spiritual place. Those moments of peace, fleeting and precious, when everything seems to be in its proper place, just seem to come more frequently here. Despite the overpowering pace of change and a sobering political situation, underpinning everything for me are the Tibetan people, whose joy and devotion remain deeply inspiring. Tibet is a place that will likely change the way you see the world and remain with you for years to come. And that for me is the definition of the very best kind of travel.

For more, see Our Writers

Tibet’s Top 20

Mt Kailash, Ngari

Worshipped by more than a billion Buddhists and Hindus, Asia’s most sacred mountain rises from the Barkha plain like a giant four-sided 6714m chörten (Buddhist stupa). Throw in the stunning nearby Lake Manasarovar and a basin that forms the source of four of Asia’s greatest rivers, and who’s to say this place really isn’t the centre of the world? Travel here to one of the world’s most beautiful and remote corners brings an added bonus: the three-day pilgrim path around the mountain erases the sins of a lifetime.

Pilgrims completing the kora around the mountain. | YONGYUT KUMSRI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Barkhor Circuit, Lhasa

You never know quite what you’re going to find when you join the centrifugal tide of Tibetans circling the Jokhang Temple on the Barkhor Circuit. Pilgrims and prostrators from across Tibet, stalls selling prayer wheels and turquoise, Muslim traders, Khampa nomads in shaggy cloaks, women from Amdo sporting 108 braids, thangka (religious painting) artists and Chinese military patrols are all par for the course. It’s a fascinating microcosm of Tibet and a place you’ll come back to again and again.

DOMINIC BYRNE / AGE FOTOSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Potala Palace, Lhasa

There are moments in travel that will long stay with you, and your first view of Lhasa’s iconic Potala Palace is one such moment. A visit to the former home of the Dalai Lamas is a spiralling descent past gold-tombed chapels, opulent reception rooms and huge prayer halls into the bowels of a medieval castle. It’s nothing less than the concentrated spiritual and material wealth of a nation. Finish by joining the pilgrims on a walking kora (pilgrim circuit) of the entire grounds.

HUNG CHUNG CHIH / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

The atmosphere of hushed awe is what hits you first as you inch through the dark, medieval passageways of the Jokhang, Lhasa’s most sacred temple. Queues of wide-eyed pilgrims shuffle up and down the stairways, past medieval doorways and millennium-old murals, pausing briefly to stare in awe at golden buddhas or to top up the hundreds of butter lamps that flicker in the gloom. It’s the beating spiritual heart of Tibet, despite some damage caused by a fire in 2018. Welcome to the 14th century.

VLADIMIR ZHOGA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Views of Mt Everest

Don’t tell the Nepal Tourism Board, but Tibet has easily the best views of the world’s most famous mountain from its northern base camp. While two-week trekking routes on the Nepal side offer only fleeting glimpses of the peak, in Tibet you can drive on a paved road right up to unobstructed views of Mt Everest’s incredible north face framed in the prayer flags of Rongphu Monastery. Bring a sleeping bag, some headache tablets and a prayer for clear skies.

REGGIE LEE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Samye Monastery

Tibet’s first monastery is a heavily symbolic collection of chapels, chörtens and shrines arranged around a medieval Tibetan-, Chinese- and Indian-style temple. The 1200-year-old site is where Guru Rinpoche battled demons to introduce Buddhism to Tibet and where the future course of Tibetan Buddhism was sealed in a great debate. The dreamy location on the desert-like banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo is just superb and there are some fine hiking excursions nearby. It’s also the end point of Tibet’s most popular trekking route.

GALEN ROWELL / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Train Ride to Lhasa

For all its faults, China’s railway to Tibet (the world’s highest) is an engineering wonder and a delightful way to reach the holy city. Pull up a window seat to view huge salt lakes, plains dotted with yaks and herders’ tents, and hundreds of miles of desolate nothing, as you inch slowly up onto the high plateau. Peaking at 5072m may send you diving for the piped oxygen, but it’s still a classic rail trip. Train-travel addicts can now extend the journey by taking the side spur to Shigatse.

SERGIU TURCANU / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Top Experiences

Drepung & Sera Monasteries, Lhasa

Lhasa’s institutions of Sera and Drepung are more than monasteries – they are self-contained towns. A web of alleyways climbs past medieval kitchens, printing presses and colleges to reach giant prayer halls full of chanting, tea-sipping, red-robed monks. Don’t miss the afternoon debating, a sport of Buddhist dialectics and hand slapping. Best of all, both monasteries are encircled by pilgrim paths that offer fine views, Buddhist rock paintings and plenty of pilgrims.

STEVE ALLEN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Saga Dawa Festival

The line between tourist and pilgrim can be a fine one in Tibet, and never more so than during the Saga Dawa Festival, when thousands of pilgrims pour into Lhasa to visit the city and make a ritual procession around the 8km Lingkhor path. Load up on small bills and juniper incense before joining the pilgrims past chapels and prostration points, or travel west to Mt Kailash for the mountain’s biggest annual party. There are also monastery festivals around this time in Tsurphu and Gyantse.

BJORN SVENSSON / AGE FOTOSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Guge Kingdom, Ngari

The spectacular lost kingdom of Guge at Tsaparang is quite unlike anything you’ll see in central Tibet; it feels more like Ladakh than Lhasa. As you are lowering yourself down a hidden sandstone staircase or crawling through an interconnected cave complex, there’s a moment when you can’t help but stop and think: ‘This is incredible!’ What’s really amazing is that you’ll likely have the half-forgotten ruins to yourself. Rank this as one of Asia’s great travel secrets.

FENG WEI PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Ganden Monastery

A 90-minute drive from Lhasa takes you to the stunning location of Ganden, set in a natural bowl high above the braided Kyi-chu Valley. Brought back to life after nearly total destruction during the Cultural Revolution, the collection of restored chapels centres on the tomb of Tsongkhapa (the 14th-century founder of the important Gelugpa school), and boasts two delightful kora paths that offer fabulous views and will soon have you breathing hard from the altitude. If you only make one excursion from Lhasa, let it be to Ganden.

HAKAT / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Ganden–Samye Trek

Tibet is one of those places you really should experience away from the tour-group circuit, at the pace of one foot in front of the other. This classic four-day trek between two of Tibet’s most important monasteries takes you past herders’ camps, high alpine lakes and a Guru Rinpoche hermitage, as well as over two 5000m-plus passes. Hire a horse or yaks for a wonderful wilderness trek, with just the marmots for company. May to October are the best months.

STEFAN AUTH / IMAGEBROKER / REX / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Nam-tso

Just a few hours north of Lhasa, spectacular Nam-tso epitomises the dramatic but harsh scenery of northern Tibet. This deep blue salt lake is fringed by prayer-flag-draped hills, craggy cliffs and nesting migratory birds, all framed by a horizon of snow-capped 7000m peaks. Walking the kora path at dusk with a band of pilgrims is superb. It’s cold, increasingly developed and devastatingly beautiful. To see the lake at its best, try to minimise your time in the ugly and poorly planned accommodation centre.

VICHAI PHUBUBPHAPAN / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Gyantse Kumbum

The giant chörten at Gyantse ranks as one of Tibet’s great artistic treasures and is unique in the Himalayas. As you spiral around and up the snail-shell-shaped building, you pass dozens of dim alcoves full of serene painted buddhas and bloodthirsty Tantric demons. It’s an unrivalled collection of early Tibetan art. Finally, you pop out onto the golden eaves, underneath all-seeing eyes, for fabulous views of Gyantse fort and old town. An added bonus is the attached monastery complex.

AAABBBCCC / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Adding Your Prayer Flags to a High Pass

Crossing a pass to view a horizon of Himalayan peaks is an almost daily experience in Tibet. Join your driver in crying a breathless ‘so, so, so’ and throwing squares of paper into the air like good-luck confetti, as the prayer flags flap and crackle in the wind. Better still, add your own to a pass’s collection for some super-good karma. Our suggestions: try the Khamba-la overlooking Yamdrok-tso, or the Gyatso-la, near Lhatse and the highest pass on the Friendship Hwy.

LUIS DAFOS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Koras & Pilgrims

All over Tibet you’ll see wizened elderly pilgrims twirling prayer wheels, rubbing sacred rocks and walking around temples, monasteries and sometimes even entire mountains. It’s a fantastic fusion of the spiritual and the physical, and there are few better ways of spending an hour than joining a merry band of pilgrims on a monastery kora. En route you’ll pass rock paintings and sacred spots, and you’ll probably be invited to an impromptu picnic. Our favourite? Shigatse’s Tashilhunpo Kora.

LUIS DAFOS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Friendship Highway: Lhasa to Kathmandu

A 4WD trip across Tibet is the quintessential travel experience. You’ll have to overcome the permit system and brave terrible toilets, but the rewards are ample: stunning vistas such as those around Yamdrok-tso, little-visited monasteries, a sense of journey and a giant slice of adventure. At the end of the trip you drop off the plateau through alpine forests into the oxygen-rich and curry-scented valleys bordering Nepal. Figure on at least a week; the hard-core can cycle the route.

SAPHOTOG / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Sakya Monastery

A 25km detour off the main Friendship Hwy takes you to this brooding, massive, grey-walled fortress-like building. In a land of magnificent monasteries, Sakya’s main prayer halls are among the most impressive, lined with towering buddhas, tree-trunk-sized pillars, sacred relics, a three-storey library that ranks as Tibet’s finest, and a fine kora path. Pilgrims come here from across western Tibet, adding to the colour and charm. Give yourself most of the day to explore monastery complexes on both sides of the river.

ALMAZOFF / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Peiku-tso & Shishapangma

Tibet is not short on spectacular, remote, turquoise-blue lakes. Of these, none boasts a grander backdrop than little-visited Peiku-tso near Tibet’s southern border with Nepal. Rising south of the huge lake is a wall of glaciers and Himalayan peaks crowned by 8027m giant Shishapangma, the tallest mountain wholly inside Tibet. The lake makes a great picnic or camping spot en route to western Tibet or to the new border crossing with Nepal’s Langtang region at Kyirong. Tibet doesn’t get wilder or more scenic than this hidden corner.

V.APL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Rawok-tso Lakes

In a land of spectacularly remote, turquoise lakes, none surpasses the crystal-clear waters, sandy beaches and snowcapped peaks of Rawok-tso and nearby Ngan-tso, way out in eastern Tibet, and more reminiscent of the Canadian Rockies than anything on the high plateau. Stay overnight at a hotel on stilts above the lake and explore the nearby Mikdo Glacier during the day. Even better, continue east on the wild overland route from Tibet through the river gorges of Kham to northwestern Yúnnán. Welcome to a completely different kind of Tibet.

FENG WEI PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency

Rénmínbì, or yuán (¥)

Language

Tibetan, Mandarin Chinese

Visas

A valid Chinese visa is required. A Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit is also required to enter Tibet.

Money

ATMs are available in Lhasa, Shigatse and a couple of other towns. Credit cards can be used in Lhasa. Otherwise bring cash US dollars and euros.

Mobile Phones

Buy an inexpensive local pay-as-you-go SIM or data card for cheap local calls, but get it before arriving in Tibet. Buying a mobile phone in China is cheap and easy.

Time

China Time (GMT/UTC plus eight hours)

When to Go

High Season (May–mid-Oct)

A The warmest weather makes travel, trekking and transport easiest.

A Prices are at their highest, peaking in July and August.

A Book ahead during the 1 May and 1 October national holidays.

Shoulder (Apr & mid-Oct–Nov)

A The slightly colder weather means fewer travellers and a better range of vehicles.

A Prices are 20% cheaper than during high season.

Low Season (Dec–Feb)

A Very few people visit Tibet in winter, so you’ll have key attractions largely to yourself.

A Hotel prices and many entry tickets are discounted by up to 50%, but some restaurants close.

A Tibet is closed to foreign tourists in March.

Useful Websites

Land of Snows (www.thelandofsnows.com) Inspirational and practical travel advice, including on Tibetan areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

Phayul (www.phayul.com) Good for Tibet-related news.

Central Tibetan Administration (www.tibet.net) The view from Dharamsala.

China Tibet Information Center (http://eng.tibet.cn) News from the Chinese perspective.

Tibetpedia (www.tibetpedia.com) Travel inspiration on Tibet inside and outside the TAR.

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/tibet) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.

Important Numbers

Exchange Rates

For current exchange rates, see www.xe.com.

Daily Costs

Budget: Less than US$75

A One-way hard sleeper Xīníng–Lhasa train: US$75

A Room without bathroom: US$8–12

A Meal in local restaurant: US$5

Midrange: US$75–150

A One-way flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu: US$280–400

A One-way flight to Lhasa from Chéngdū: US$180–260

A Daily shared vehicle rental per person: US$50–60

A Double room with bathroom: US$30–60

A Potala Palace entry ticket: US$30

Top End: More than US$150

A Boutique or four-star hotel in Lhasa: US$90–150

A Main course in a top restaurant in Lhasa: US$8–10

Opening Hours

Opening hours listed are for summer; winter hours generally start half an hour later and finish half an hour earlier.

Government Offices & PSB 9.30am to 1pm and 3pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, sometimes 10am to 1pm Saturday

Banks 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday

Restaurants 10am to 10pm

Shops 10am to 9pm

Bars May close at 8pm or 2am, depending on their location and clientele

Arriving in Tibet

Gongkar Airport Your tour guide will meet you in your rented vehicle. Taxis are ¥300 to Lhasa.

Lhasa Train Station Your tour guide will pick you up in your rented vehicle. Taxis cost around ¥30 to Lhasa’s old town.

China-Nepal Border Kyirong/Rasuwagadhi Your tour guide and driver will meet you at the China customs post just across the border bridge.

Getting Around

Tibet’s transport infrastructure has developed rapidly in recent years. Most of the main highways are now paved. Airports are springing up across the plateau and the railway line is slowly extending beyond Lhasa. In 2011 Tibet’s Metok county was the very last of China’s 2100 counties to be connected by road.

Car The only way to travel around Tibet at the moment, since foreign travellers have to hire private transport as part of their obligatory tour.

Train Great for getting to and from Tibet but of limited use inside Tibet, unless you are just taking a short trip from Lhasa to Shigatse and back.

Bus Lots of services, but foreigners are currently not allowed to take buses or shared taxis in Tibet.

For much more, see Getting Around

If You Like…

Off-the-Beaten-Track Monasteries

Beyond Lhasa’s famous monastic cities there are hundreds of smaller, lesser-visited places, each holding their own treasures and with more local pilgrims than tour-group hordes.

Phuntsoling Monastery Remote, little visited and with a spectacular location.

Dorje Drak Monastery A dramatic location and great kora path surrounded by sand dunes and the braided Yarlung Tsangpo river.

Korjak Monastery Delightful and quirky monastery at the far western end of Tibet, near the border with Nepal.

Thöling Monastery The unique frescoes hidden in the remote western Guge Kingdom offer a sublime fusion of Kashmiri and Tibetan styles.

Reting Monastery Historically important monastery with a fine kora, a guesthouse and a charming nearby nunnery.

Thöling Monastery, Ngari | BRADLEY MAYHEW / GETTY IMAGES ©

Trekking & Hiking

Trekking ‘the roof of the world’ isn’t easy. The altitude, weather and rugged terrain present significant challenges, but the following trails take hardy walkers into some timeless corners of Tibet.

Ganden to Samye A classic four-day mountain walk between two of Tibet’s most important monasteries.

Dode Valley Hike It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend half a day in Lhasa, with the best views in the city.

Tsurphu to Dorje Ling Get a taste of the wild northern plateau on this high three-day trek past herding camps and nomads’ tents.

Samding Monastery The ridge behind Samding reveals 360-degree views of three lakes, and snow-capped Himalayan giants as far away as Bhutan.

Chiu Monastery Get a taste of the Manasarovar kora trek on half-day lakeshore walks to/from Gossul Monastery or Langbona Monastery.

Palaces, Forts & Temples

There’s more to Tibet than just monasteries. This mix of spectacular buildings represents a millennium of Tibetan history.

Potala Palace Towering home to the Dalai Lamas, full of priceless Tibetan art and jewel-studded tombs.

Gyantse Dzong Pack your pith helmet and grow your best Younghusband moustache for this ruined fort with views over Gyantse’s old town.

Tsaparang Your inner Indiana Jones will love the caves, tunnels and hidden stairways of this ruined cliff-side city.

Gyantse Kumbum One of the great repositories of Tibetan art and a masterpiece of Himalayan architecture.

Jampaling Kumbum The impressive ruins of Tibet’s largest stupa stand as a silent testament to the destruction of the Cultural Revolution.

Incredible Scenery

Whether it’s the rolling grasslands of the north, Mars-like deserts of the west, snow-capped Himalayan views to the south or the huge valleys and gigantic lakes of the centre, all of Tibet is blessed with amazing high-altitude colours.

Everest Base Camp Jaw-dropping views of the north face that are so much better than from the Nepal side.

Northern Route, Ngari Herds of antelope and wild ass graze by huge saltwater lakes in this empty end of the world.

Eastern Tibet Sublime Swiss-style pine forests, green valleys and jagged peaks reveal the other face of little-visited Kham (eastern Tibet).

Sutlej Valley Look out over weird eroded bluffs and former seabeds towards epic views of the Indian Himalaya.

Tsari Nam-tso Stunning salt lake lined by cliffs on the remote Changtang Plateau of northwestern Tibet.

Cultural Encounters

Simple daily pleasures abound in Tibet. Whether it’s spinning prayer wheels with a Tibetan granny, breathing in the heady fragrance of juniper incense or wondering at the devotion in a pilgrim’s prostrations, the following encounters will show you Tibet through Tibetan eyes.

Tibetan teahouses Kick back with a thermos of sweet, milky tea and the world is instantly a better place.

Koras Join a happy band of pilgrims for some prayer-wheel turning, prostrations and a sin test.

Nangma A Tibetan nightclub is a mix of karaoke, line dancing and American Idol, but it’s also very Tibetan.

Chang and butter tea Join the locals for a jerrycan of home-brewed barley beer or a never-ending cup of butter tea.

Festivals Tibetan cultural life finds its best expression through festivals, opera, horse racing and some epic picnics.

Pilgrim Paths

Tibet’s koras (pilgrim routes) are the keys to its soul. From 30m-long paths around an inner sanctum to month-long treks around a holy peak, koras are the ultimate fusion of mind and body, and the easiest way to meet Tibetans on their own terms.

Mt Kailash One of the world’s great pilgrimages – a three-day walk around Asia’s holiest mountain.

Ganden Monastery Choose between the high kora with awesome views and the lower route, lined with sacred rocks and shrines.

Sera Monastery A delightful walk past painted rock carvings with great views over monastery roofs.

Barkhor Lhasa’s most interesting stroll, endlessly fascinating every time.

Tashilhunpo Monastery A fine hike that connects Shigatse’s main monastery, old town and restored fort, revealing the town’s best views.

Overland Trips

From all four directions the overland routes to Lhasa deliver some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and one of the plateau’s quintessential travelling experiences.

Lhasa to Kathmandu The classic week-long road trip that delivers the highlights of the plateau.

Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway Ride the world’s highest railroad past rolling grasslands dotted with yaks.

Ngari The northern route to Kailash offers scenery, wildlife and isolation unparalleled even in Tibet.

Yarlung Valley Just an hour from Lhasa and yet totally off the beaten track, a trip here takes in sacred caves, Tibet’s first monastery and its oldest statues.

Kyirong Valley Tibet’s brand new Himalayan crossing starts with an epic switchbacking descent into Bhutan-like alpine scenery.

Lakes

There’s nothing quite so blue as the deep turquoise of a high-altitude Tibetan lake. Whether sacred or just plain scenic, the following beauties beg you to pitch a tent or unwrap a picnic.

Manasarovar Yin to nearby Kailash’s yang, sacred Mapham Yum-tso is utterly surreal in its beauty.

Nam-tso Huge tidal salt lake lined with caves and a kora route – a traveller favourite.

Rawok-tso A strong contender for Tibet’s prettiest lake, fringed by sandy beaches and snowy peaks, with glaciers around the corner.

Tagyel-tso Dramatic detour from the road to Kailash and a great place to spot wildlife.

Yamdrok-tso Central Tibet’s dramatic snaking-scorpion lake. Soak in the views on the short hike down from the Kamba-la.

Outdoor Activities

Current travel restrictions make DIY adventures difficult, but if you arrange things beforehand or join a specialised group, there are plenty of adventures to be had in Tibet.

Mountain biking Certainly a challenge, but ever-improving roads make the trips to Kathmandu or Mt Kailash once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

Horse riding Add on to an organised trip from Lhasa or hire a horse at Kailash or Manasarovar for a multiday adventure.

Rafting Day trip on the Kyi-chu or join a river expedition on the Reting Tsangpo.

Watching wildlife Pack the binoculars and you’ll likely spot black-necked cranes, wild asses, antelope and a rich selection of summer birdlife.

Horse-racing festival Tsara, near Lhasa | GUANG NIU / GETTY IMAGES ©

Month by Month

TOP EVENTS

Saga Dawa, May/June

Losar, February

Shötun, August

Tashilhunpo Festival, June

Gyantse’s Dhama Festival, July

February

The depths of winter are very cold but still sunny, and are not a bad time to visit Lhasa and central Tibet. Lhasa sees few tourists but lots of visiting nomads. Ensure your hotel has heating!

z Year End Festival

On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month monks perform spectacular cham dances at Tsurphu, Mindroling and Tashilhunpo monasteries to dispel the evil of the old year and auspiciously usher in the new one. A huge thangka is unveiled the following day at Tsurphu Monastery.

z Losar (New Year Festival)

The first week of the first lunar month is a particularly colourful time to be in Lhasa, if Tibet is open. During Losar, Tibetan opera is performed and the streets are thronged with Tibetans in their finest cloaks. Prayer ceremonies take place and new prayer flags are hung.

March

Political tensions mean that permits are generally not issued and historic celebrations such as the Yak Butter and Great Prayer festivals are no longer held. Stay at home.

April

Spring brings pleasant temperatures, few crowds, and discounted hotel and vehicle rates, making this a good month to visit. High-elevation destinations like Nam-tso will still be frozen.

May

The warmer weather of late April and early May ushers in the start of the trekking season. Views are clear across the Himalaya, especially over Everest. Both April and May are good months to visit eastern Tibet.

z May Day

The major three-day national holiday starting 1 May is a very popular time for Chinese travellers to come to Tibet, so expect flights and hotels to be booked solid and rates to be higher than usual, especially in Lhasa.

z Birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha

The eighth day of the fourth lunar month sees large numbers of pilgrims visiting Lhasa and other sacred areas in Tibet. Festivals are held around this time at Tsurphu, Ganden, Reting and Samye monasteries. Can be in June instead.

z Tsurphu Festival

Cham dancing (ritual dances performed by costumed monks), colourful processions and the unfurling of a great thangka are the highlights of this festival, held from the ninth to the 11th day of the fourth lunar month. Can be in June instead.

z Saga Dawa (Sakyamuni’s Enlightenment)

The full moon (15th day) of the fourth lunar month marks the date of Sakyamuni’s enlightenment and entry into nirvana. For Saga Dawa, huge numbers of pilgrims walk Lhasa’s Lingkhor circuit and visit Mt Kailash, where the Tarboche prayer pole is raised each year. Can be in June instead.

TIBETAN LUNAR CALENDAR

Most of Tibet’s religious and cultural festivals are fixed according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, which usually runs a month or two behind the Gregorian calendar (and differs slightly from the Chinese lunar calendar). Thus, religious festivals can fall in the next or even the previous month from the prior year. For the actual dates check travel-agency websites or download a Tibetan calendar (or app) at www.rabten.eu/iDevCalendar_en.htm.

June

Tibet’s high season starts in earnest in June. Lots of Indian pilgrims head to Kailash at this time and trekking is good. Even summer days can be chilly at higher elevations (above 4000m).

z Worship of the Buddha

During the second week of the fifth lunar month, the parks of Lhasa, in particular the Norbulingka, are crowded with picnickers for Worship of the Buddha.

z Tashilhunpo Festival

From the 14th to the 16th day of the fifth lunar month, Shigatse’s Tashilhunpo Monastery becomes the scene of three days of festivities. A huge thangka is unveiled at dawn and cham dances are performed.

z Samye Festival

Held over two or three days from the full moon (15th day) of the fifth lunar month, the elaborate ritual ceremonies and cham dancing in front of the Ütse are highlights. The monastery guesthouse is normally booked out, so bring a tent. Can be in July instead.

July

Monsoon-influenced rain and glacial melting from mid-July to September can bring flooding and temporary road blockages to eastern and western Tibet, as well as on the road to Nepal. Lowland Kathmandu and Chéngdū can be very hot.

z Chökor Düchen (Drukwa Tsezhi) Festival

The fourth day of the sixth lunar month celebrates Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi in India. During the festival, many pilgrims climb Gephel Ri (Gambo Ütse), the peak behind Drepung Monastery, and also the ridge from Pabonka to the Dode Valley, to burn juniper incense.

z Guru Rinpoche’s Birthday

Held on the 10th day of the sixth lunar month, this festival is particularly popular in Nyingmapa monasteries and is held across Tibet, with rituals and cham dancing.

z Ganden Festival

On the 15th day of the sixth lunar month, Ganden Monastery displays its 25 holiest relics, which are normally locked away. A large offering ceremony accompanies the unveiling.

z Drepung Festival

The 30th day of the sixth lunar month is celebrated with the hanging at dawn of a huge thangka at Drepung Monastery. Lamas and monks perform opera in the main courtyard.

3 Gyantse’s Dhama Festival

This largely secular festival comes to Gyantse in mid-July, featuring such fun and games as line dances, yak races, archery and equestrian events.

August

The warm weather, combined with some major festivals and horse racing on the northern plateau, makes this one of the most popular times to visit. Tibet sees half of its (minimal) rainfall in July and August.

z Shötun (Yogurt Festival)

This major festival in the first week of the seventh lunar month starts with the dramatic unveiling of a giant thangka at Drepung Monastery before moving to Sera and then down to the Norbulingka for performances of lhamo (Tibetan opera) and some epic picnics.

3 Horse-Racing Festival

Thousands of nomads head to summer pastures around Damxung and Nam-tso for a week of horse racing, archery and other traditional nomad sports. A similar and even larger event is held in Nagchu a few weeks earlier.

z Bathing Festival

The end of the seventh and the beginning of the eighth lunar months sees locals washing away the grime of the previous year in an act of purification that coincides with the week-long appearance of the constellation Pleiades in the night sky.

z Onkor

In the first week of the eighth lunar month, Tibetans in central Tibet get together and party in celebration of the upcoming harvest.

z Tashilhunpo

More cham dances, from the ninth to the 11th day of the eighth month, at Shigatse’s Tashilhunpo Monastery.

October

Clear Himalayan skies and good driving conditions in eastern and western Tibet make this a good off-peak time to visit before the winter cold arrives, as the trekking season comes to a close.

z 1 October

Many Chinese take an entire week off for National Day, so expect flights and hotels to be full and rates higher than normal.

November

Temperatures are still pleasant during the day in Lhasa and Shigatse but cold in the higher elevations of the north and west.

z Lhabab Düchen

Commemorating Buddha’s descent from heaven, the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month sees large numbers of pilgrims in Lhasa. Ladders are painted afresh on rocks around many monasteries to symbolise the event.

z Palden Lhamo

The 15th day of the 10th lunar month sees a procession in Lhasa around the Barkhor bearing Palden Lhamo (Shri Devi), the protective deity of the Jokhang.

December

By December temper-atures are starting to get seriously cold everywhere and some high passes start to close, but there’s still surprisingly little snow in the Land of Snows.

z Tsongkhapa Festival

The anniversary of the death of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa order, is on the 25th day of the 10th lunar month. Monasteries light fires and carry images of Tsongkhapa in procession. Check for cham dances at the monasteries at Ganden, Sera and Drepung.

Itineraries

Lhasa & Around

10 DAYS

Everyone coming to Tibet visits Lhasa and there’s enough to see in and around the city to occupy at least five days. This loop gives a great taste of Tibet without travelling thousands of kilometres.

If you are on a tight budget you can avoid pricey vehicle hire by staying in Lhasa, or maybe taking a side trip by train to Shigatse. Must-sees in Lhasa include the Potala Palace (a Unesco World Heritage site), the Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit. The huge monastic institutions of Drepung and Sera lie on the edge of town and both offer worthwhile pilgrim circuits.

Plenty of excursions can be made from Lhasa. An overnight return trip to the stunning salt lake of Nam-tso offers a break from peering at Buddhist deities, though allow a few days in Lhasa to acclimatise before heading out here.

If you add three days you can loop back to Lhasa from Nam-tso via the timeless and little-visited Reting Monastery, the amazing cliff-side Sili Götsang Hermitage and the atmospheric Drigung Til Monastery, visiting Ganden Monastery en route.

To get way off the beaten track, explore the monasteries between Reting and Drigung Til, or around Nyima Jiangre.

Drepung Monastery, near Lhasa | APEXPHOTOS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Itineraries

Lhasa to Kathmandu

9 DAYS

The 1300km Friendship Hwy between Lhasa and Kathmandu in Nepal is a classic overland journey and easily the most popular travellers’ route through Tibet. It allows excellent detours to central Tibet’s most important monasteries, plus views of the world’s highest peak.

From Lhasa you can head straight to the coiling-scorpion-shaped lake of Yamdrok-tso and take in the views from Samding Monastery before heading over the glacier-draped Karo-la pass to Gyantse. This town is well worth a full day: the kumbum (literally ‘100,000 images’) chörten is a must-see and the fort is a fun scramble. A 90-minute drive away is Shigatse, with its impressive Tashilhunpo Monastery. Shalu Monastery is a worthwhile short detour en route, especially if you have an interest in Tibetan art.

A popular side trip on the way to Kathmandu is to brooding Sakya, a small monastery town located just 25km off the Friendship Hwy. Overnight here and you’ll have time to investigate the northern ruins.

The most popular excursion from the highway is to Rongphu Monastery and Everest Base Camp, just a few hours from the main highway. An overnight stay at 5000m guarantees both clear views and a pounding headache – it’s not a good idea to stay here if you’ve come straight from Nepal because the altitude gain is simply too rapid to be considered safe.

After Everest most people take the opportunity to stay the night in old Tingri, with its wonderful views of Mt Cho Oyu and option to visit vertiginous Shegar Dzong. From here on your route is more uncertain. The old road via misty waterfalls and lush green gorges to Zhāngmù was closed at time of research. The new route via Kyirong branches off the Friendship Hwy and passes jaw-dropping views of Mt Shishapangma, the highest mountain inside Tibet, before skirting Peiku-tso, a stunning turquoise lake nestled at the base of the Langtang Himal range. From here on is terra incognita, as the road drops into the lovely forested Kyirong Valley and descends to the Nepal border at Rasuwagadhi in the Langtang region. Only a handful of foreigners have taken this road since it opened in 2017.

Itineraries

Yarlung Tsangpo Valley loop

8 DAYS

If your time is limited, you can’t get much more bang for your buck than a short trip along the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley. The valley is just an hour from Lhasa and yet there are loads of surprisingly off-the-beaten-track destinations here. In just three days you can see the main valley sights.

Spend the first few days in Lhasa acclimatising, and then head south to the airport and swing into the northern side of the valley, stopping first at charming Dorje Drak Monastery, with its demanding kora path and its dramatic views of sand dunes and the maze-like braids of the river. To get off the beaten track, make the overnight trip up the side Drak valley to the nunnery and caves of Drak Yangdzong, where you can join pilgrims as they squeeze themselves up wooden ladders and through narrow tunnels.

Next up is Samye Monastery, one of Tibet’s great highlights and a fine place to overnight. Take in the morning views from Hepo Ri and then continue to the modern city of Tsetang to pick up permits. Budget a full day to visit the Yarlung Valley via Trandruk Monastery, photogenic Yumbulagang and the ruins of Rechung-puk.

Headed back towards Lhasa, the first stop is Mindroling, one of Tibet’s most important Nyingmapa-school gompas and home to a simple monastery guesthouse where you can overnight. Nearby Dratang Monastery will appeal to art lovers with its important Pala-era wall murals. History buffs will want to make the short hike to the ruins of Jamapaling chörten, a sobering monument to the wanton destruction of the Cultural Revolution.

From here Lhasa’s Gongkar airport is less than an hour away. Alternatively, consider heading south to the Khamba-la for a short hike overlooking dramatic Yamdrok-tso and then an overnight stay at the guesthouse at Samding Monastery, with its fabulous views. The next day, drive over the high Karo-la pass to Gyantse. Continue the following day via the ruined Tsechen fort to Shigatse, spending a day at Tashilunpo Monastery and its kora, before returning to Lhasa or the airport via the unusual Bön monastery of Yungdrungling.

Itineraries

Mount Kailash pilgrimage

21 DAYS

Much talked about but little visited, Mt Kailash occupies one of the most remote and sacred corners of Asia. Once a rugged 4WD expedition, the ride is now much less of an ordeal thanks to a new paved road. The scenery remains just as spectacular.

If you just want to visit Mt Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, the most direct route is along the southern road (870km), a four-day drive from Lhasa along the spine of the Himalayas. Most people stop en route at Shigatse and Saga, but Drongba, Paryang and Lhatse are also possibilities. We’d recommend extra stops in Gyantse and Sakya, for a minimum 14-day return trip.

A kora (pilgrimage circuit) of the mountain will take three days and you should allow at least half a day afterwards to relax at Lake Manasarovar, probably at Chiu Monastery. It’s well worth budgeting a day to drive a circuit of the lake, one of the most spectacular in Tibet. After they complete the kora, pilgrims traditionally visit the sacred hot springs at Tirthapuri.

An ambitious but rewarding alternative is to travel to/from Lhasa along the longer (1700km) northern route to Ali, making a loop that will take three weeks. The six-day drive is astonishingly scenic, but the towns en route are pretty charmless, so consider camping somewhere beautiful such as Tagyel-tso or remote Tsari Nam-tso. From Ali you can make a good day trip to spectacular Pangong-tso bordering Ladakh, as well the petroglyphs and old town around Rutok Monastery.

You’ll need at least three extra days if you want to add the Guge Kingdom sites around Zanda: you need most of a day to explore the other-worldly ruins at Tsaparang, plus a few hours in Zanda at Thöling Monastery. Adventurers could add an extra day on the way to Kailash, to explore the Bön-school Gurugyam Monastery and the amazing ruins of the ancient Shangshung kingdom in the Khyunglung Valley.

Finally, if you are heading to Nepal from Mt Kailash, you can make the short detour to stunning Peiku-tso, with its views of Shishapangma, before descending into the Kyirong Valley.

Itineraries

Best of Eastern Tibet

10 DAYS

For a completely different view of Tibet, head out to the lush forested valleys, alpine scenery and wild gorges of the wild east. Unlike the overland route to Sìchuān province, the following route through Kongpo and southern Kham to Yúnnán is open. Check with agents to see if this has changed; if so you’ll have to return to Lhasa from Rawok-tso.

From Lhasa a logical first step is the detour to Drigung Til Monastery, where you can overnight before continuing east over a high pass to the beautiful but touristed lake of Draksum-tso at the entrance to the fascinating Kongpo region. The Swiss-style alpine scenery is like nothing you’ll see in central or western Tibet. The lovingly restored Lamaling Temple is worth a visit, and you could make an adventurous trip to sacred Bönri mountain, perhaps even trekking around it.

From here the road climbs to the Serkhym-la, for excellent views of 7755m Namche Barwa, before winding down switchbacks into lovely alpine villages and then the mist-drenched gorges north of the Yarlung Tsangpo. Road conditions are always dicey here but are generally best from late March to late April, and late September to early November.

The 800-year-old Bakha Gompa is well worth a stop for both its unusual island location and its historical connections to a scandalous 1400-year-old story about Chinese Princess Wencheng and Tibetan minister Gar Tongtsen. From here you reach the incredibly scenic twin lakes of Rawok. There’s some great accommodation right on scenic lake Ngan-tso, or camp by the shores of turquoise Rawok-tso, from where you can visit nearby glaciers.

Depending on the state of permits in eastern Tibet, you may have to return to Lhasa from Rawok, possibly detouring via the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley and Samye Monastery.

If permits are being issued for southern Chamdo prefecture (confirm with your agency), you can continue east out of the lush mountains of Nyingtri prefecture and into the harsh dry landscapes of the upper Mekong Valley, stopping at small but lively Pomda Monastery. Remote roads continue southeast along former salt-and tea-trade routes, over a series of roller-coaster passes and through gorges to the junction town of Markham. From here branch southeast to reach Déqīn in Yúnnán province, for an incredible overland adventure.

Pilgrim and prayer wheels near Potala Palace, Lhasa | HUNG CHUNG CHIH / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Plan Your Trip

Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway

The world’s highest railway links Lhasa with Xīníng up over the Tibetan plateau. Built at high altitudes on some of the harshest and trickiest terrain on earth, the Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway is considered an engineering marvel and is a swaying, dreamy trip up to the Roof of the World.

At a Glance

Stations Xīníng’s railway station was upgraded in 2015 and has shops selling basic snacks (instant noodles, crisps, drinks) and Chinese fast-food. Stops at through stations aren’t long enough to alight for a snack break, so bring everything you need.

Dining There is a restaurant carriage serving Chinese dishes (¥35 to ¥60). Beers are on sale, but be very careful drinking on board due to the altitude.

Toilets These are older train stock and the toilets can range from tolerable to truly grim. The majority are squatters, and there are sink basins at the ends of carriages for general washing up. Bring your own toilet paper.

Showers There are no showers on board.

Electricity There are very few outlets; bring external batteries to keep your devices charged overnight.

Security This is a safe railway journey, but it’s still a good idea to watch your bags. Soft sleeper berths have a lockable door, but hard sleepers are open, so keep any valuables close if you move around the train.

Arrive early You’ll need to pass a permit/passport/ticket check, and then a luggage scan before entering the station. It’s advisable to arrive 45 minutes to one hour before departure. Most trains only stop for a few minutes at Xīníng, so don’t dawdle.

Xīníng Railway Station | DINOZZZAVER / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

What to Bring

Currency Cash (Chinese rénmínbì) to buy meals and drinks on the train.

Food Stock up on fruit, nuts and instant noodles before you board, and bring plenty of bottled water, as the trains tend to be hot and dry. A dispenser at the end of each carriage provides constant boiling water.

Spare battery External batteries to keep your devices charged.

Other essential items Sandals or slippers, plenty of tissues/toilet paper, altitude sickness tablets, earphones, torch (flashlight), toiletries, a mug or thermos, hand lotion, chopsticks or travel cutlery, wet wipes, reading material, loose comfortable clothing, earplugs.

Baggage allowance Though in practice it seems little attention is paid to how much luggage you bring, the official stated limit is 20kg per adult passenger. If you happen to go over the limit, it should be a very negligible fee.

Classes

The Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway operates much like any other Chinese train: there are hard-seat carriages, as well as hard and soft sleeper berths. Smoking is not allowed. In sleeper berths and not travelling in a group, expect to share with strangers.

Seats

Hard seats (硬座; yìng zuò) are the least comfortable way to travel: 98 passengers packed into a single carriage in upright, stiff seats that do not adjust. What you sacrifice in comfort and sleep, you may receive back in unique experiences meeting local travellers.

Hard sleeper

Hard-sleeper (硬卧; yìng wò) carriages consist of doorless six-berth compartments with triple-tier bunks. Bedding is provided. Luggage is stored in a shared and not easy-to-reach console over the door and under bottom bunks. Hard sleepers have a nice community atmosphere – your berthmates will likely be friendly, curious and chatty.

Soft sleeper

Four-bed soft-sleeper (软卧; ruǎn wò) berths are roomier and come with individual TVs in each bed and a door that closes and locks. Bathrooms in soft-sleeper carriages have western-style (seated) toilets. Luggage is stored in a console over the door, and there is space under the bottom bunks.

Tickets

Book early Tickets can be purchased two months in advance and you should buy your ticket as early as possible, especially for summer travel. In the busiest months of July and August,