There have been many inquires regarding Travel to Tibet. One of the confusing thing is the Tibet Travel Permit or “Tibet Visa”. Because of many travel advisers or travel agencies out of Lhasa do not get the accurate info. Therefore, you might seen different travel info or tips online. Anyway, Tibet Travel Permit is required to obtain if you are holding foreign passport to travel to Tibet Autonomous Region. This permits has to be obtain before you reach Tibet. But if you are traveling to far west of Lhasa, Mt. Everest, Nepal border.etc. you are also required to get Alien’s Permit. Those travelers who are traveling to Mt. Kailash, Ngari, far south of Tsethang, and Chamdo region are required to apply Alien’s Permits and Military Permit.
The places not strictly closed for foreign travelers in the Tibet Autonomous Region are Far south of Tsethang and Chamdo.
Anyway, there is a big portion 60% of Tibetan Plateau is not inside Tibet Autonomous Region. These areas are Amdo and Kham Tibet, administratively under Qinghai Province, Gansu province, Sichuan province and Yunnan Province. If you are traveling in these Tibetan regions, you are not required to have a travel permits. These regions are open to all travelers, therefore you can also travel independently. However, some of the places be closed to foreign tourists from time to time. This hard to predict which places will be closed, but please drop us an email if you want to know if the areas you are about to travel is being open to foreign travelers. Anyway, there are so many amazing places you are visit in Tibetan regions without a permit. In fact, most of the beautiful photos of grassland, green mountains, lakes, traditional Yak hair tent, yaks and sheep, riding horse. homestay,etc you’ve seen online are from Amdo and Kham region of Tibet. Therefore, we recommend to travel to these regions instead of traveling to Tibet Autonomous Region.
Here are the list of places you can travel to without getting a permit.
Yunnan Province / Kham Tibet:
Shanggri -la / Gyalthang
Dechen
Sichuan Province / Amdo and Kham Tibet:
Ganzi / Gantse prefecture (Kham)
Aba /Ngawa Prefecture (Amdo)
Gansu Province / Amdo Tibet:
Gannan Prefecture
Qinghai Province / Amdo and Kham:
Guoluo / Golog/ Golok Prefecture
Yushu Prefecture
Haibei Prefecture
Hainan / Chabcha Prefecture
Huangnan / Rebkong Prefecture
Haidong Prefecture
Haixi Prefecture
Here are some recommended itineraries in Amdo and Kham:
Trips in Amdo
Trip 1:
Day 1. Xining (capital city of Qinghai Province) – Rebkong / Tongren
Day 2. Rebkong – Labrang / Xiahe
Day 3. Labrang – Dzu / Hezuo – Taktsang Lhamo / Langmusi
Day 4. Langmusi / binglingsi Temple – Lanzhou (capital city of Gansu Province)
Trip 2:
Day 1. Xining – Kumbum Monastery – Qinghai Lake
Day 2. Qinghai Lake – Xinghai
Day 3. Xinghai – Mt. Amnye Machen / Ani Maqin Xue shan – Machen
Day 4. Machen – Ragya Monastery – Trika / Gui’de
Day 5. Gui’de – Kanbula National Park – Xining
Trip 3:
Day 1. Xining (capital city of Qinghai Province) – Rebkong / Tongren
Day 2. Rebkong – Labrang / Xiahe
Day 3. Labrang – Dzu / Hezuo – Taktsang Lhamo / Langmusi
Day 4. Langmusi – Songpan – Jiuzhaigou National Park
Day 5. Jiuzhai Gou National Park
Day 6. Jiuzhai Gou to Dujiangyan – Chengdu (The capital city of Sichuan Province)
More detailed Amdo trips, please check our Amdo Tours
Trips in Kham:
Trip 1:
Day 1: Chengdu – Danba
Day 2. Danba / explore hidden villages and monasteries
Day 3. Danba – Tagong / Lagong
Day 4. Tagong – Gantse / Ganzi
Day 5. Ganzi – Baiyu – Dege
Day 6. Dege – Yinlhun Lhatso Lake – Manigango
Day 7. Manigango – Ganzi
Day 8. Ganzi – Sertar / Serthar larung Gar
Day 9. Serthar Larung Gar – Ma’er Kang / Barkham
Day 10. Barkham to Chengdu
Trip 2.
Day 1. Kunming – Dali
Day 2. Dali – Lijiang
Day 3. Lijiang
Day 4. Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Shanggri – la / Gyalthang
Day 5. Shangri – La – Dechen – Mt. Kawa Karpo
Day 6. Dechen – Daocheng/Yading
Day 7. Yading – Litang
Day 8. Litang – Ganzi
Day 9. Ganzi – Sertar / Serthar
Day 10. Serthar – Pema
Day 11. Pema – Mt. Nyambu Yultse and Ferry Lake – Jiuzhi
Day 12. Jiuzhi – Langmusi
Day 13. Langmusi – Dzu Melarepa Monument – Labrang / Xiahe
Day 15. Xiahe – Rebkong / Tongren
Day 16. Tongren – Xining
Trip 3:
Day 1. Xining – Maduo
Day 2. Zhaleng Lake and Eleng Lake
Day 3. Maduo – Chendu – Yushu / Kyekundo
Day 4. Kyekundo / Yushu : Wencheng temple, Libagou, Jigu Monastery
Day 5. Jyekundo – Gar Monastery – Nangchen
Day 6. Nangchen – Suomang
Day 7. Nangchen – Danak Monastery
Day 8. Nangchen – Dzado / Zaduo / Souce of Yangtse River
Day 9. Dzado – Qumalab – Golmud
Day 10. Gomud – Tsaka Lake
Day 11. Tsaka Lake – Qinghai Lake – Xining
More detailed Kham Trips, please check our Kkam Tours
Note: all the above places and tours do not need a Travel Permits to visit. If you need more info, please contact us at: info@snowliontours.com
