Most people asking about Tibet have the same first question. How do I get in? And the answer is more complicated than for most countries.
Foreign nationals cannot visit Tibet independently. Not allowed. Government rules say all foreign visitors must travel through a licensed tour operator who arranges the permits and accompanies the group. So before any itinerary gets planned, the permits get arranged first. Our team handles this from Kathmandu.
From Nepal the entry point is Kathmandu to Lhasa by flight, around 1.5 hours. On a clear day the flight crosses directly above the Himalayan range and Everest, Lhotse, Makalu are visible from the window. Once in Lhasa, the Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau covers the city. For travel outside Lhasa to places like Namtso or the Kailash region, Aliens’ Travel Permit is also needed. Kailash specifically needs a third document, Military Permit.
Both packages on this page start and end in Kathmandu. 6 days or 13 days. April to October for best travel conditions. WhatsApp +977 9851193013 to start planning.
Tibet Tour Packages from Kathmandu
Tibet Travel Permit, Aliens’ Travel Permit, licensed guide, all ground transport inside Tibet, accommodation, meals. All included. No permit office visits needed from your side.
1. Namtso Lake Tour – 6 Days | From $3,415
North of Lhasa, around four hours by jeep, Namtso Lake sits at 4,718 metres in the Nyainqentanglha range. One of the largest saltwater lakes in China, one of the highest in the world. The water colour is a deep cold blue that changes slightly depending on light and cloud. Behind the far shore the Nyainqentanglha peaks rise to over 7,000 metres. On still mornings the reflection in the lake is almost a clean copy of the mountain above.
Getting there from Kathmandu goes like this. Flight to Lhasa first. Two days in Lhasa for acclimatization. Altitude in Lhasa is already 3,650 metres and going straight to Namtso at 4,718 metres without adjustment days causes problems. Lhasa sightseeing in those two days covers Potala Palace, the old winter residence of the Dalai Lama where 13 of them lived across several centuries. Jokhang Temple in the old city centre, pilgrims circling the outer kora on foot from before dawn. Barkhor Street around the temple, old market, butter lamps, prayer flags, locals doing their morning round. Then jeep north to Namtso crossing Laken La Pass at 5,190 metres before the descent to the lake.
Driving is 5 to 7 hours per day. Hotels in Lhasa, lodge near Namtso. Breakfast lunch dinner all days. Group size 1 to 15. May to October.
2. 13 Days Lhasa Kailash Tour | Contact for Price
Kailash is 6,638 metres and nobody has officially summited it. Not because it is technically impossible but because it is protected. Four religions consider it sacred. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the ancient Bon tradition. Nepal does not issue climbing permits for it. The mountain is visited by walking around it, not up it.
Walking around Kailash is the Kora. 52 kilometres, 3 days. Day one from Darchen to Dirapuk monastery, around 22 kilometres with steady altitude gain. Day two is the hard day. Dolma La Pass at 5,630 metres, the highest point of the whole 13-day trip. Cold even in July, wind on the exposed sections, a long push. Day three down from the pass to Zuthulpuk and back to Darchen. People who arrive at Kailash without proper acclimatization have a hard time on day two. That is why the 13-day itinerary builds in two full days in Lhasa at 3,650 metres and another day at Mansarovar at 4,590 metres before the Kora starts.
From Kathmandu the route is flight to Lhasa, two days acclimatization and sightseeing. Potala Palace, Sera Monastery where the monks do afternoon debate sessions in the courtyard, Drepung Monastery which was once the largest monastery in the world by number of monks, Jokhang Temple. Then overland west through Shigatse to Lake Mansarovar. Mansarovar is considered sacred in Hinduism as a lake created by Brahma, and pilgrims bathe in it before the Kora. Two nights there before driving to Darchen and beginning the 3-day circuit. After the Kora, drive back east to Lhasa and flight back to Kathmandu.
Group size 1 to 11. Guesthouses and hotels throughout. Meals all days. April to October.
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Tibet Travel Permits for Foreign Travelers
Three documents, depending on where you go inside Tibet. Tibet Travel Permit is the entry document, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, and without it you cannot even board the Kathmandu to Lhasa flight. Second is Aliens’ Travel Permit, which covers areas outside Lhasa, places like Namtso, Shigatse, the western regions. Third is Military Permit, needed specifically for the Kailash area because it sits near a sensitive border zone.
None of these can be arranged by the traveler directly. A licensed operator applies for all of them on your behalf. Processing is around 5 to 7 working days. Passport must be valid at least 6 months from the Tibet entry date.
One thing that changes and needs confirming before any booking. Nepal passport holders and Indian passport holders face restrictions entering Tibet and in some periods are not permitted entry at all. Policy on this shifts. Our team checks the current status when you contact us because booking before confirming this causes problems.
Best Time to Visit Tibet
April to October is the main window. But not all months inside that range are equally good for both packages.
April and May work well for Lhasa and the Kailash route. Weather is mild, skies are clear, the western plateau gets less rain than the east. June, July, August are warmer and Namtso is good in this period. Eastern Tibet around Lhasa sees more rain in July than the western areas do. September and October are the most reliable months overall. Monsoon finishes in Nepal and the Himalayan range cloud clears, and that same clearing affects southern Tibet too. Mountain views at their best. October especially.
November to March and things close down. Guesthouses near Namtso and Kailash shut for winter. Temperature at Mansarovar in December goes below minus 20 at night. Also Tibet closes to all foreign tourists for a period each year, usually February or around Tibetan New Year. The dates are not fixed. They shift year to year and sometimes the closure is announced with short notice. We check the current year’s window when any Tibet booking starts.
How to Get to Tibet from Nepal
Kathmandu to Lhasa flight is around 1.5 hours and goes over the main Himalayan chain. Everest is visible on the right side of the aircraft on a clear day, Lhotse next to it, Makalu further east. That flight section over the range lasts maybe 15 minutes and most people who have done it say it was not what they expected.
Tibet Travel Permit must be in hand before boarding. Without it the airline will not allow you to check in. Our team sends the permit documentation before departure so there is no issue at the airport.
Overland entry via Kerung border crossing from Nepal is also possible. The road crosses into Tibet through Rasuwagadhi on the Nepal side and Kerung on the Tibet side. That route adds two days to any itinerary and requires coordination on both sides of the border. Some travelers prefer it to see the landscape change from Nepal to the Tibetan plateau. Both packages on this page use the Kathmandu flight as standard. Overland is available on request.
Why Book Your Tibet Tour With Himalaya Guide Nepal
Nepal Tourism Board registered. TAAN member. Nepal Mountaineering Association listed. Reviews on Tripadvisor and Viator before you contact us.
Tibet permit logistics are specific and things go wrong when operators are not familiar with the current requirements. Which guesthouses near Mansarovar have reliable heating in April. That is not something a booking platform tells you. Which day of the Kailash Kora needs the earliest start to cross Dolma La safely before afternoon weather builds. That comes from doing the route, not reading about it. Chandra Gurung and our Tibet team have arranged this itinerary for groups from Europe, North America, Australia, and they know where the problems happen.
Stephan Gille in Berlin, Skip Moss in USA, Menios Constantinou in Sydney. Write at night your time and someone near you reads it the same day. Every Tibet itinerary adjustable for group size, pace, accommodation. No extra planning charge. WhatsApp +977 9851193013 any day.
