The best
- \n
- July and August are the warmest months (daytime temperatures in Lhasa are around 20\u00b0C), but the views of the Himalayas are often clouded over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April, October and November are the best months for the Himalayas, and that’s when you have the greatest chance of seeing them. The temperature in Lhasa, though, is around 10\u201315\u00b0C. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Definitely
The cheapest months in terms of services are October and November.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Abbeys](\"https:\/\/www.navratil.travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20231106_124159-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nVisa and regulations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Tibet is politically part of China. Within China it has autonomous status, and you need a special permit to enter. This has to be arranged for you by a Chinese or Tibetan travel agency. Without a permit you won’t get into Tibet, and they won’t even let you board a train or plane heading there. You can only obtain this permit through an authorized tour operator. There are many different checkpoints operating in Tibet, where they check your documents and permit. <\/p>\n\n
You also can’t move around the region on your own \u2014 you must have a local guide arranged through an authorized tour operator. To sum up, visiting Tibet is only possible through a local agency that arranges transport, accommodation and the permit. You can’t get here independently at the moment, and probably won’t be able to for the foreseeable future either. <\/p>\n\n
How do I get
- \n
- By air <\/strong>\u2014 <\/strong>there is no direct connection between Europe and Lhasa. At present you can only fly in from major Chinese cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai\u2026). So first you have to get to China and then on to Tibet. Always remember that you must already have your Tibet permit at this point. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By train <\/strong>\u2014 from Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu. Train seats are reserved in advance \u2014 15 days before the train departs. In the summer months (July, August) seats sell out immediately. Just as you want to travel by train, so do several hundred other tourists. Counting on getting tickets on the day of departure is impossible. The best approach is to do it through a local agency, which will arrange both the Tibet permit and the organized tour. Train tickets start at \u20ac100 for a 40-hour journey. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Overland<\/strong> \u2014 from Nepal through any Nepali travel agency in Kathmandu, or from Chengdu through a Chinese\/Tibetan agency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navratil.travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_0213-2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nHow to choose the right train?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
It all depends on your comfort and your budget.
Tickets can’t be bought online directly through the Chinese railway company. You’d need a Chinese payment card and their national ID. The only way to buy a ticket in advance is through this site \u2014 http:\/\/www.chinahighlights.com\/china-trains\/<\/a> or https:\/\/www.trip.com\/trains\/<\/a>. When buying a ticket you need to provide the number of the passport you’ll be traveling on and where the tickets should be delivered to you in China (the name of the hotel where you’ll be staying). <\/p>\n\n
Ticket sales for a given travel day open 15 days before the journey. If you want to travel during Chinese holidays, be aware that you’ll have a hard time getting a ticket. If you’re traveling during the school holidays, which incidentally coincide with our summer break, we also recommend buying your tickets in advance. On the spot they’ll most likely be gone already. Always plan ahead, to be safe. <\/p>\n\n
To buy a ticket in person you need your passport. You can also pay with our payment cards. To be safe, though, have some cash ready. Large cities also have a window for English-speaking tourists. Not that there’s always someone there who actually speaks English\u2026 <\/p>\n\n
What’s sleeping on the train like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
- \n
- soft sleeper \u2014 an enclosed compartment with 4 berths. Take a look at what a soft sleeper compartment looks like: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LJXWJqpCeVg<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- hard sleeper<\/strong> \u2014 an open compartment with 6 berths, that is two on top, two in the middle and two at the bottom. The compartment has no door. The berths are connected by a ladder and you can’t fall out. The upper berths are the quietest and the cheapest. The lower berths also serve as seating for the people up above. So don’t be surprised if you have a lower berth and someone sits down next to you. It’s an unwritten custom and there’s nothing you can do about it. Here you can watch a video of what a hard sleeper compartment looks like: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nJZWKSev4EA<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- soft seater <\/strong>\u2014 reserved seats.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
For the trip to Lhasa, which takes about 40 hours, we recommend at least a “hard sleeper,” which costs around \u20ac100. The seats are considerably cheaper, but you’ll arrive completely wrecked. <\/p>\n\n
Itinerary:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
In putting together the itinerary “Tibet \u2014 travel advice, tips and itinerary,” we assumed you’re setting off from Beijing and continuing overland from Lhasa all the way to Kathmandu. Going only to Lhasa (from where you won’t see the Himalayas) would be a great shame. <\/p>\n\n
Day 1:<\/strong> Departure for Beijing<\/p>\n\n
Days 2\u20134: <\/strong>Arrival in Beijing and a tour of the city. <\/p>\n\n
- \n
- The Forbidden City<\/strong> \u2014 the largest palace in the world, though you won’t find the artifacts from the emperors’ era here; they’re in Taipei, Taiwan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Temple of Heaven <\/strong>\u2014 where the emperor prayed each year for a good harvest and prosperity, and also a place where locals sing and dance in the park on weekends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Summer Palace <\/strong>\u2014 the emperors’ palace, where the rulers retreated mainly during the sultry summer days. On weekends this popular spot is packed. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Coal Hill (Jingshan)<\/strong> \u2014 every morning from 6:30, hundreds of Chinese practice tai chi and other exercises here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Yonghe Temple<\/strong> \u2014 a Tibetan temple, once the residence of a Chinese prince, where the Dalai Lama stayed in the 17th century when visiting Beijing. A great place to start getting acquainted with Tibetan culture in the heart of China. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Great Wall of China <\/strong>\u2014 a structure said to be visible all the way from the Moon. That myth, however, arose in the 19th century, when planes didn’t even exist yet. Even so, this magnificent structure, more than 8,000 kilometers long, will amaze you. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navratil.travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC_-8878-3.jpg\")
Or visit district 798<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n Day 5: Departure by train to Lhasa<\/p>\n\n
Day 6:<\/strong> The whole day on the train and, toward evening, the climb up onto the plateau<\/p>\n\n
Day 7:<\/strong> The train journey across the Tibetan Plateau and arrival in Lhasa,\nwhere the local agency and your guide will be waiting for you.<\/p>\n\n
Day 8: <\/strong>A bit of a rest day so your body can get used to the altitude, and a visit to the Tibetans’ most sacred site \u2014 the Jokhang.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Tibet](\"https:\/\/www.navratil.travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC_-9052-10-1024x682.jpg\")
Drepung abbey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n Day 9: <\/strong>A visit to the Potala and either Sera or Drepung Monastery<\/p>\n\n
Day 10:<\/strong> A drive along Yamdrok Lake to Gyantse. Along the way there’s room for a short hike to a glacier \u2014 if you want to do it, set off early in the morning. <\/p>\n\n
Day 11: A short drive to Shigatse \u2014 a visit to Tashilhunpo Monastery and a tour of the city<\/p>\n\n
Day 12:<\/strong> The drive to Everest Base Camp with a stop at Sakya Monastery. You can also spend the night right by Everest Base Camp, but these days crowds come here and it’s not quite the intimate mountain experience you dream of. Overnight stays are only possible from May to mid-October \u2014 depending on the weather. It’s better to stay a bit farther away (e.g. in New Tingri) and head to EBC in the morning. <\/p>\n\n
Day 13:<\/strong> Via Tingri to the border with Nepal. This is the most panoramic road in the world. In good weather you’ll see the entire Himalayan range. Overnight at the Nepalese border in Gyirong. <\/p>\n\n
Day 14:<\/strong> The journey to Kathmandu \u2014 about 8 hours for 120 kilometers of off-road driving by car. 12 hours by bus. <\/p>\n\n
Day 15:<\/strong> Kathmandu <\/p>\n\n
How much does a trip like this cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
If we don’t count the main flight (in this case flying into Vienna and out of Kathmandu, which starts at \u20ac900), the trip works out at a minimum of \u20ac900<\/strong> for 6 days including the permits through a local agency (this assumes you’re not going through the local agency on your own, but joining other travelers in an English-speaking group; groups start at 8 people). If you’re interested in a program like the one outlined above, it will be more \u2014 around \u20ac1,500 in an English-speaking group. <\/p>\n\n
- The Temple of Heaven <\/strong>\u2014 where the emperor prayed each year for a good harvest and prosperity, and also a place where locals sing and dance in the park on weekends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- hard sleeper<\/strong> \u2014 an open compartment with 6 berths, that is two on top, two in the middle and two at the bottom. The compartment has no door. The berths are connected by a ladder and you can’t fall out. The upper berths are the quietest and the cheapest. The lower berths also serve as seating for the people up above. So don’t be surprised if you have a lower berth and someone sits down next to you. It’s an unwritten custom and there’s nothing you can do about it. Here you can watch a video of what a hard sleeper compartment looks like: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nJZWKSev4EA<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By train <\/strong>\u2014 from Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu. Train seats are reserved in advance \u2014 15 days before the train departs. In the summer months (July, August) seats sell out immediately. Just as you want to travel by train, so do several hundred other tourists. Counting on getting tickets on the day of departure is impossible. The best approach is to do it through a local agency, which will arrange both the Tibet permit and the organized tour. Train tickets start at \u20ac100 for a 40-hour journey. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By air <\/strong>\u2014 <\/strong>there is no direct connection between Europe and Lhasa. At present you can only fly in from major Chinese cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai\u2026). So first you have to get to China and then on to Tibet. Always remember that you must already have your Tibet permit at this point. <\/li>\n\n\n\n