Many books and websites are documenting the tips before you travel to Tibet. However, as an experienced Tibetan travel agency, here we collect some of the most important tips from our clients and guides as below.
In our Tibet travel tips regarding clothes, we advise people to travel light. Choose clothes that are easy to wash out and dry overnight. Light, versatile garments that can wear as layers are ideal. A light folding sun hat is valuable and essential. Something light with a wide brim is best.
Comfortable walking shoes are needed. The temperature in April will be in the high 16 C’s to low 10 C’s for most of the trip, with evening temperatures in the low 3 C’s.
Despite the amount of sunlight in Tibet, the daily difference in temperature is still enormous. It is chilly at night, even if the day in Tibet is sunny. Bringing some winter clothes and heat tech inner layers is, therefore, a wise choice.
Generally, a T-shirt, overcoat and jeans are also indispensable. In addition, Sunhat’s, sunglass, and sunscreen lotion are necessary. Avoiding burnt by the ultraviolet lights in this high-altitude area, we suggest you take sunscreens and sunglasses.
What’s more, for it is usually windy and dry here, lipsticks are also necessary.
The secret to successful travel is to travel light. Therefore, we recommend that you prepare your baggage down to the absolute minimum. Choose sturdy soft-skinned travel luggage with strong closure or robust zips if you have a choice. Otherwise, hard suitcase-type luggage is OK but not the Jumbo versions.
Try to keep your luggage weight under 20kgs per person. We should aim to have just two luggage items per person, a day bag/pack and your main travel bag or pack.
Personal medicine: Prescribed daily medicines, individual first-aid kits for common colds, sore feet, upset tummies, insect bites, motion sickness, moisturisers, sunscreens, chapsticks and others.
Altitude Sickness: Travelers should consult their doctors before departure and bring along the prescribed altitude sickness medicines such as Diamox and Dexamethasone.
Clothing: should include warm and light clothing, hats, small fruit knives and other items which will be helpful for personal comfort. Carrying a spare set of clothing during the trip is advisable.
Good and comfortable shoes for walking and climbing are essential. Don’t wear shoes you have not worn but kept for years, and expect them to last the complete journey! Ensure you check in all items prohibited by airlines to carry onboard – check before check-in for the latest.
General: Bring your digital cameras, backup batteries, spare memory cards/sticks, pen-drives, charger for camera and hand-phone, PowerPoint adaptor (China uses two straight or angled three flat pin plugs)
The list below is not definitive, but we have collected it from our experienced clients who travelled with us before. Therefore, the following Tibet travel tips will be sufficient for most situations.
• Lockable travel bag. A “soft” bag is preferable to “hard” luggage. Preferably not “jumbo” size.
• Day bag or pack to accompany you in aircraft/vehicle and for day trips.
• Travelers security pouch/wallet.
• Sun hat and sunglass.
• Hands wipes or alcohol hand wish is useful.
• Hotel rooms will have an electric kettle or thermos of hot water so if you would like a change from tea, take some coffee/milk powder.
• Pepper is not often provided “on the table” – if this is an essential part of your diet, bring a small supply.
The climate in highland Tibet belongs to the typical downy exceptional environment. Climates are much different in different areas in Tibet, and temperatures vary greatly within a single day.
In the southeastern part of Tibet, the average temperature will always around eight degrees, but in the western part of Tibet will zero degrees on average. So while in Lhasa and the central part of Tibet, the climate is moderate and pleasant to travel.
Visitors would not feel cold in winter nor hot in summer, especially from March to October, the best seasons for travelling. Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season from May to September, when the precipitation covers 90% of the year. Usually, it rains at night in Lhasa.
Lhasa lies in a small basin, and the topography is plain. As a result, the city’s climate is mild, without severely cold winters or sweltering summer. Instead, it has a highland temperate semi-arid monsoon climate.
As a high altitude city, the air is thin, and temperatures vary greatly within one day. The average yearly temperature is eight*C. There is plenty of suns shines all year round with annual sunshine time reaching 3,000 hrs.
It is easy to sunburn in Tibet because of intense ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, make sure that you bring your sunglass, sunscreen, hat or umbrella with you.
April, the weather starts to become warmer, but it is very comfortable. With the big difference in temperature between day and night, prepare a long-sleeve shirt, sweater and overcoat. The average low and high temperature is respectively at 3*C – 16*C.
Tibetans have their language, known as “bod-yig”, in the Tibetan-inhabited areas with the meaning of “Tibetan Language”. Tibetan belongs to the Tibetan-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Helpful dialogue (Greetings)
English – Tibetan
Hello: Tashi Delek Thank you: Thuk Je Che.
Good Bye: Kah Lay Phey I’m sorry: Gong Dha
Chinese currency is Renminbi (peoples currency), the denominations are in units of 100 yuan (Y). Thus, the currency is commonly called Yuan. Yuan exchanges at around 6.8 to 1 USD.
The foreign currencies can exchange at the Bank Of China in Lhasa, but only the General Office of the Bank Of China accepts the traveller’s cheques and cash advance.
220V, 50 AC: Plugs are commonly two straight pins and two-blade plugs.
The flavour of the Tibetan food is fresh, light and tender. Salt, onion and garlic are the main ingredients. Like Tibet Food King Restaurant, many Lhasa restaurants serve a wide range of continental foods, including Tibetan food. These restaurants of various classes are decorated and furnished in the Tibetan traditional style. They are a list of some Tibetan food you must try in Tibet.
You have seen nothing to suggest that the municipal water supply in major Chinese cities is better or worse than most major cities in the western world. On the contrary, in provincial towns, we suggest that tap water and bottled water are readily available and relatively inexpensive.
In China, roads are a firm, generally smooth surface available to everything that walks, crawls, rolls or perambulates. Motorways are serious roads with strict rules but navigating city streets and prudential roads can be an adventure.
Roads reconstruction is a national pastime, and it is practically impossible to escape the three D’s (delays, detours and deviations) that accompany any overland journey in China.
Despite the long list of complicated things that can happen to people on overland journeys in Asia, Chinese drivers seem always to avoid serious confrontations.
Traffic flows (though not always smoothly), pedestrians live to tell the tale, and domestic animals survive. Tourist drivers are well trained, regularly tested and tightly regulated. Hence, the carriage of tourist is a business that drivers take very seriously even though they may appear cavalier in the face of oncoming traffic.
As is the case everywhere, common sense is the key to hassle-free travelling in China. Never leave travel documents, currency or travellers’ cheques in your hotel room or bag.
The simple practicality of carrying your valuables on your person can make the difference between smooth sailing and disaster. If you never let your valuables out of your sight, you won’t have to worry about misplacing them or risk having them walk off in someone else’s back pocket.
Get a good quality travellers security pouch/wallet that will fit under your clothes (either around the neck or waist). Put your passports and tickets into a small ziplock bag, stick them into your traveller’s pouch, and leave them there until departure.
Keep in mind that you are travelling up to the highest plateau in the world – Tibet. Driving fast in such an elevation could cause medical conditions (Acute Mountain Sickness), which could be fatal.
There is 50% less oxygen compared to the sea level in high-altitude places like in Tibet. The higher the altitudes, the less is oxygen in the air. A mild headache, fever, loss of appetite or stomach disorder are the usual symptoms of AMS.
Some Tibet travel tips from other travellers:
• Do not overexert yourself – take things easy and slowly.
• Keep hydrated and drink lots of fluids.
• Keep away from alcohol, cigarettes and other depressant drugs, sleeping tablets, etc.
• Eat a high-calorie diet while at a high altitude.
• Avoid taking showers in the first few days.
