Tibet Visa and Permits

Tibet Visa and Permits

Almost all PRC embassies in foreign countries issue individual tourist visas for China, which can be used for Tibet also. When you apply for your China visa you should not state you intend to visit Tibet. At Chinese embassies in most countries you are typically given a 30 or 60 days visa. Try and apply for a 60 day visa. Visas cannot be extended in Tibet, but can be easily extended in cities such as Chengdu, Kunming etc

Across the Himalayas Treks & Tours Pvt Ltd.can arrange your Tibet entry permit and flight tickets (or road permits) in advance and deliver them to you in the city in China from which you are entering Tibet. Alternatively you can book a flight and Tibet entry permit from a travel agent once you reach a gateway city (such as Chengdu), although it is often necessary to send a deposit in advance to the agency to secure your reservation, especially if you want to travel onwards straight away, or during the busy holiday periods.

As per today's regulation of P.R.C. you will not be able to obtain an ordinary individual tourist visa for China from the embassy in Katmandu unless you have proof of an air ticket to a city within China such as Chengdu (that is, not to Tibet). If you want to travel to Tibet from Nepal, you must get a group visa from a travel agent in Katmandu who will go to the Chinese embassy on your behalf. These 'group' visas typically cannot be extended once in Tibet/China.

N.B. If you intend to enter Tibet from Nepal you should not get a China tourist visa before you arrive in Nepal as it will be cancelled.
No matter how large or small your group is our counterpart in Tibet can arrange permits and we process your group visa in Katmandu for up to 2 months duration, as well as the Tibet entry and road permits.

Weather

Tibetan Climate

The weather in Tibet is not as harsh as many people imagine. Between mid-March and early November is the best time to travel in Tibet. The best time for trekking in Tibet is from May till mid-October. The monsoon season from July to mid-September is not the best time to be guaranteed a view of Mt Everest, but even then the weather is often clear around sunrise and sunset.

Although the monsoon rains can at times cause minor landslides it is still a good time to visit Tibet because of the lush green grasslands, vivid wild flowers, and agricultural crops that flourish at this time of year.

SPECIFIC WEATHER INFORMATION IN DIFFERENT AREAS

Between December and February snowfall can at times block the road from Lhasa to the Nepal border. But it is usually still possible to drive around central Tibet and to the Nepal border. In Ngari it is possible to travel between Apriil and October although the recommended period is from May to October due to the cold and high elevation. Kham is best visited between April and November but it receives more rainfall than central and western Tibet especially in the monsoon. Landslides are not uncommon in Kham during the monsoon season but they are usually cleared after a few hours.