Tibet Tour Packages

A wonderful Tibet tour package can be one's greatest dream or an adventure of lifetime.  No matter you are planning to travel Tibet by air or via train, a wonderful Tibet tour packages will help you arrange the best accommodations and transportation around this virtual paradise. Either you want to spend a few days in the capital of Lhasa or two weeks touring monasteries and seeing Mt. Everest, our Tibet tour consultants are glad to offer alternative tour itineraries and help with customized Tibet tour packages to appeal to the particular interests.
Here we recommend serveral tour packages below. If none of them can not meet your personal desire, we could also make a customized tour package for you. Anyway, enjoy and explore this mysterious region with us.

11-Day Splendid Tibet Tour, 6-Day Tibet Discovery Tour, 6-Day Tibet Nyingchi Tour,
11-Day Mysterious Tibet Train Tour, 9-Day Tibet Highlights Tour
Transferred: http://www.itourstibet.com/

Tibetan Hotel

Being opened to the public as a tourist city in 1985, Tibet has very basic infrastructure of the tourism industry. It is kindly suggested that you don't expect the Tibet hotels like which you are accustomed to back home or in other world's popular destinations. It's better to accept what it is and enjoy its unique spirit, naivete and atmosphere. Our page of Tibet hotels would be a great help for those who want to make a Tibet tour. All the hotels listed here were chosen from the limited hotels in different area of Tibet which can meet the standard to accommodate foreign tourists. As the travel agency in Tibet, we have a long-established relationship with the hotels in Tibet and can provide guaranteed service at a lower price.

Brahmaputra Hotel 5*

Minzu Hotel 5 *

Four Points by Sheraton 5 *

Source: http://www.itourstibet.com/

Tibet Travel Guide

Tibet Travel Guide is dedicated to provide the general information you want to know about Tibet. These Tibet regional guide will enrich your knowledge about different parts of this holy land. At the same time, here you can find detailed information about the featured travel attractions such as Potala Palace and Mt.Everest. As most Tibet travel guide books say, it takes a year or even a lifetime to explore this pure paradise. As soon as you step onto this mysterious land and follow the tracks of the pilgrims,

Tibetan Funeral Custom

Any Tibetan festival you meet in Tibet will make your Tibet tour more exciting. One of the Tibetan festival is the Funeral Custom. The Tibetan funeral is imbued with Buddhist belief in reincarnation. It is a ceremony to expiate the sins of the dead and a guarantee for the future life of the dead. Tibetans are not afraid of death. They believe that death does not terminate a life, but indicates rebirth. Generally, funeral rituals practiced in Tibet are stupa burial, sky burial, cremation, water burial, and internment. Cliff burial and tree burial are also practiced occasionally.

Tibet Top Travel Attractions

Tibet is a vast and must see place in the world. Just as the travel guide books saying: It will take you one year even a lifetime to explore this great region. But for most of us, Our time in Tibet is very limited. How to make a Tibet tour without missing its most typical and beautiful attractions would be the focus that people concern. Here is a list of the top travel attractions in Tibet that you can not ignore during travelling Tibet.

Mountain Everest: Mt. Everest, with a altitude of 8,844.43 meters high,

Tibetan Taboo and Custom

Every ethnic minority has their special cultures and living-habits. Tibetans is an old and passionate ethnic minority. During the long history, Tibetans have formed their own customs and taboos. With unique culture and religion, Tibetans have different ways of behavior in many aspects. It will be good for you to know these taboos before your Tibet tour. The following advices might help you have a nice trip in Tibet:

Tibetan Customs and Taboos Related to Daily Life:

(A) Tibetan people do not eat horse, dog and donkey meat and also do not eat fish in some areas, so please respect their diet habits.
(B) Eagles are the sacred birds in Tibetan culture. You should not drive them away or injure them. Do not relieve yourself near any cattle pens, horse stables, or sheepfolds. On the outskirts, and do not drive or disturb the sheep or cows with red, green or yellow cloth strips on because these animals are the Tibetan sacrifice to worship gods.
(C) It is impolite to spit in front of or behind others or clapping hands behind others.
(D) Do not throw any bones into fire. Do not touch other's head by hand. Do not use paper with Tibetan characters as tissue to wipe off mess with the paper.

(E) Remember not to step on the threshold when entering the tent or house.
(F) Please add "La" behind the name when you call someday to express respect.
(G) If you are asked to sit down, please cross your legs, do not stretch your legs forward and face your sole to others.
(H) In the tent, men sit on the left side, and women on the right side.
(I) You should accept the gift with both hands. While presenting the gift you should bend your body forward and hold the gift higher than your head with both hands.
(J) When the host presents you a cup of wine; you should dip your ring finger in the wine and flick the wine into the sky, in the air and to the ground respectively to express your respects to the heaven, the earth and the ancestors before sipping the wine. The host will fill the cup, and you take a sip of the wine again. After the host fills your cup for the forth time, you have to bottom it up.
(K) Please keep quiet on the top of mountains. It is believed that loud noise will result in heavy snow, storms or hail.

Customs and Taboos Related to Religion:

(A) A monastery cannot be entered without permission.
(B) Once inside a monastery, don't smoke or take photos; do not touch, walk over or sit on any religious texts, objects or prayer flags in monasteries.
(C) Don't wear shorts or short skirts in a monastery. Take your hat off when you go into a monastery.
(D) Walk clockwise around a monastery, mani stones, pagodas, or other religious structures. Prayer wheels should also be turned clockwise.
(E) Keep quiet during religious ceremonies in the monastery.
(F) When meeting a lama, it is not appropriate to hug him or shake hands with him. The proper way is to hold the two hands upright, palms together in front of the chest, and lower the head. Don't talk with them on sensitive topics, such as marriage and the eating of meat.

With the fast developing tourism, the above rules are not obeyed as strictly as before. But it will be good for you to follow the advice during you travel in Tibet.

Tibet Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street，located in the old area of Lhasa City, Tibet, is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the Tibetan people are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, this street is also a must-see place tourists in your Tibet tour. There is more to Barkhor Street than just a place for pilgrims to walk. Barkhor Street, often called the "Window of Tibet" is famous for as a distributing center of Tibetan Handicrafts.

Even today there still many pilgrims hold the prayer wheels to walk clockwise there from dawn to dark. Some of them are teenagers or have experienced thousands of miles' walk to reach this sacred place. The way they express their piety make you understand the holiness of Tibetan religion.

Best Season For Tibet Travel

The climate in highland Tibet belongs to the typical downy special climate. Climates are much diverse in different areas and temperatures vary greatly within a single day. Generally speaking, it is suitable to travel Tibet from Apr. to the early Nov.. Except this period, the temperatures start to plummet. The peak season for Tibet travel is from May to Sep. and the best months are May, Jun., Sep. and Oct. as Jul. and Aug. are rainy months. But different areas have their own golden times:

(A) In Lhasa and the central part of Tibet, the climate is normal and nice for traveling. So if you only plan a Lhasa tour, you can go there anytime of the year.

Tibet Travel -Tips For Photography Lovers

Tibet trip is regarded as a must to do in one’s lifetime. Tibet is famous not only for its religion culture but also for its awesome scenery. Thus it become a Photography destination besides the Buddhism pilgrim palace-Potala Palace. Tibet tour is somekind of venture due to its high altitude, and not everyone is suitable to travel there. Especially for Photography lovers who want to take the most beautiful pictures there. Here are some valuable tips for you:

(A) Due to the extreme temperature and harsh climate in Tibet, photographers need to take an essential technical precaution to protect their

Acute Mountain Sickness In Tibet

Tibet Tour is full of mysterious and unique culture, attracting all the guests from the world coming to join. It is one of the most adventurous, scenically stunning and physically demanding tours in the world. Touring Tibet, meeting it's people, learning about its culture, visiting the majestic Potala Palace and beautiful Norbulingka Park, or trekking up to the Mt. Everest Base camp…all of these items made Tibet travel as one of dreams in one’s life. However, not everyone has the chance to fulfill their dreams.

The first and the most important obstacle is the Mountain Sickness. Acute Mountain Sickness is an illness that can affect mountain climbers, hikers,

Tibetan Handicrafts

Tibet as a holy destination for Buddhism pilgrims, is famous not only for its religion culture but also for its unique Tibetan handicrafts. A Tibet tour without bringing one of these Tibetan handicrafts would be incomplete.
Tibet Knives are traditional and well-known handicrafts with a peculiar style. They are indispensable in the life of herdsmen. Tibetans use them as the tools to defend, to slaughter livestock and to eat meat.

Tibet carpets, include backing carpets, saddle carpets, sleeping carpets and normal carpets, are made from pure sheep wool. In general, Tibet carpets

Tibetan Culture

Before your Tibet tour, knowing something about Tibetan Culture will make your Tibet travel more convenient. Tibetan Culture consists of Tibetan Handicrafts, Tibetan Cuisine, Tibetan Festival, Tibetan Religion, Tibet Language, Tibet Opera, Music and Dancing, Tibetan Medicine and the local Tibetans.

Tibetan culture developed under the influence of a number of factors. Tibet's specific geographic and climactic conditions- its altitude, short growing season, and cold weather as well as the development of a different cuisine from surrounding regions. The neighboring countries and cultures- including India, China, and Mongolia- have influenced the development of Tibetan culture, but the Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinctive local culture.

Tibetan Festival

Tibet travel will be more exciting when it happens to the Tibetan festivals. Tibeten festivals is the best way to show the unique culture of this mysterious highland.

The New Year Festival (Losar): It is the greatest festival in Tibet, which lasts for 2 weeks during December and January according to the Tibetan calendar.It is an occasion when Tibetan families reunite and expect that the coming year will be a better one. On New Years Eve, Tibetans gather for a big dinner.After dinner, they continue dancing and using fire torches to drive away bad spirits.

Things To Do In Tibet

Tibet tour is regarded as a must do thing in one’s tour schedule. Tibet is famous for as the holy pilgrim destination for Buddhism and for the unique beautiful scenery. Despite the venture of Mountain Sickness, tourists never stop there Tibet tour.

Don’t worry about what to do in Tibet.

Do the Pray. Since it is the holy destination of the Buddhism, just do the pray whatever your belief is Buddhism or not. You will not miss the masterpiece of Tibet Monastery: the Potala Palace, Jokhang, Tashilunpo Monastery and Sakya Monastery.

Tibet Travel Permission(TTP)

Tibet travel is becoming a fashionable one in one's China tour schedule in recent years. But TTP(Tibet Travel Permits ) is needed for the foreigners. Below is the details.

1.Non-Chinese passport holders (including those of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and other countries) must have an Alien's Travel Permit as well as a valid passport and visa to visit Tibet. Citizens from Hong Kong do not need a visa. A visa can be obtained from a local Chinese consulate in your country. Since the government encourages group tours to Tibet, the permit is issued only to tour groups traveling with a Chinese tour agency. You need to find a travel agency who can represent you in facilitating the application process.

How many documents will the foreign guest need to apply for in Tibet?
For the foreign guests, there are totally four documents need to be arranged if they want to visit Tibet:
(A) Passport and Visa
All the guests who want to visit Tibet must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months. Also, you need to arrange the valid visa issued by Chinese Embassy. Entering Tiber from Nepal requires a separate visa issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
(B) Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permit
Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permit, also known as the Tibet Permit, is an essential document to enter into Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau for restricting the number of foreign tourists traveling in Tibet. All the foreign guests who want to visit Tibet must have the Tibet Permit.
(1) If you are planning to enter Tibet from other places of China, we can help you to get it after you book the tour with us and provide the following detailed information and documents to us at least one month before the tour starts, which must all exactly the same with your passport: Full Name; Gender; Date of Birth; Nationality; Passport Number. Besides, you need to tell us your Profession or Occupation, because journalists and people, who can be involved in political matters, will need more complicated procedures to get the permit.

• (2) If you are planning to enter Tibet from Nepal, you can get the copy of the permit from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu at least 2 days after you apply for it. After you land in Lhasa, your guide will bring the original one to you.
  (C) Public Security Bureau (P.S.B.) Permit
  Public Security Bureau (P.S.B.) Permit or Travel Permit, issued by Foreign Affairs Section of the P.S.B, is a necessary document for the guests who want to visit the restrict areas. Our local guide will help you to apply for it after you enter into Tibet. You need to provide your passport and the T.T.B. Permit to the Foreign Affairs Section of P.S.B.. Usually, it takes you several hours to get it.
  To get the permit, you need to book a tour from a licensed travel agent, because there isn't any travel agent can be allowed to provide the "permit-only" service. And also, the tour must include a guide and transfer service.
• At the present, you have to apply for the P.S.B. Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:
  Lhokha: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trandruk Monastery, Yumbu Lhakang
  Shigatse: Sagya Monastery, the Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
  Gyangtse: Palkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
  Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang
  Nyingchi Region: Basumtso Lake, Pomi, Rawo-tso
  Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen
  (D) Military Permit
  If you want to visit Ngari, Nyingchi, and Nagqu, regarded as the military sensitive areas in Tibet, you need to get the Military Permit issued by the Military office in Lhasa. You need to provide your passport to apply for it, which will takes you around 1-2 week days.

China Laba Festival

China Laba Festival, celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month, usually falls in mid-January. The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge / congee on the Laba Festival.

China has many traditional festivals, which is an important part of Chinese culture.

Though most Chinese treat Laba Festival as a reminder of the approaching Chinese New Year, very few aware of its Buddhist origin. Han Buddhism was well accepted in the areas inhabited Han Chinese, who believed that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, attained enlightenment on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month. Laba festival was originally used to celebrate the day when Sakyamuni experienced his first revelation after six years of practicing asceticism, surviving on one meal of rice congee every day.

Laba Rice Porridge was prepared on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in courts, officials' mansions, temples and common people's homes, since it was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty about 900 years ago. This custom became more prevalent in the Qing Dynasty. On this day, the emperor, empress and princes in the royal court would bestow Laba Rice Porridge to ministers and attendants. Also, they would give out rice, fruits and other materials to monks in temples. Meanwhile, every common family would cook Laba Rice Porridge and offer sacrifice to their ancestors.

Where to eat Laba rice porridge in Beijing? Yonghegong Lama Temple is very crowded on Laba Festival. Sutras were chanted and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha, believers and the public. Though, the tradition of eating laba porridge was based in religion, with time the food itself became a popular winter dish especially in cold northern China. So if you are taking a Beijing Tour right on Laba Festival, don't forget to have a bowl of Laba rice porridge.

Tibet Travel Suggestions

Nowadays, Tibet travel is becoming very fashionable among Various China tours especially for tourism lovers and the mountaineers. There are something you need to know before you travel Tibet. Hope it helps.

1. TTP(Tibet Travel Permission):TTP is an official document for the foreign visitors comes to visit Lhasa and other cities in Tibetan Autonomous Region.

2. Avoid Acute Mountain Sickness: Acute Mountain Sickness is an illness that usually occurs when people rapidly reach a high altitude or do the acute exercise. If you have problems like anemia or hypertension, or suffer from