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Autonomous region of China
Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tibet (Tibetan: , Bod, Mandarin: 西藏, Xīzàng), officially known as the Xizang Autonomous Region, is sometimes described as the "roof of the world"; the entire region is on a high plateau and there are many large mountains. Part of High Asia, the area has its own unique culture, and most travellers will find some of the plants, wildlife and domestic animals quite exotic as well. When you enter Tibet you will feel as though you've found an entirely different world.
The main starting point for all travel in Tibet. Includes the capital city, Lhasa.
Home of the third largest city in Tibet and houses some of the most impressive mountains in the world.
Remote and sparsely populated, this region is the home of the Nagqu Horse Racing Festival, one of the most important festivals in Tibetan culture.
Nestling along the Himalayas, this large, mountainous region is home to Mount Kailash, a revered and holy site in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Surrounds a portion of Northeastern India to the South and houses some of the most beautiful views in China. Home to a few sites that are considered holy in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Home to Samye Monastery, the oldest in Tibet.
Tibet's main gateway to South Asia and the outside world. An excellent destination for those driving into China from Nepal.
Agencies
After the 2008 riots, independent travel in Tibet has become effectively impossible: your Tibet permit is inspected on boarding any plane or train headed to Tibet, once more when you arrive, and then…
By plane
You can fly directly to Lhasa, which is well connected with most major Chinese cities and has a few flights to Kathmandu, but flying in from a much lower altitude city puts you at high risk of…
By train
The Qinghai-Tibet (Qingzang) Railway from Golmud to Lhasa started operating in July 2006, and was extended to Shigatse in 2014.
By road
There are four roads into Tibet, roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions.
By plane
Tibet Airlines has limited services connecting Lhasa to regional towns.
By train
The train line from Lhasa to Shigatse opened in 2014, and is open to non-Chinese tourists if they have arranged this as part of their organized tour.
By bus
Central Tibet has a reasonable public bus network. However, non-Chinese tourists cannot make use of it since even with travel permits they cannot generally buy a ticket.
By jeep
Jeep tours are a popular way of getting around Tibet, while not cheap, the tour operator will sort out all the necessary paperwork, and they offer you a reasonable chance of sticking to a schedule.
By hitching
Hitchhiking used to be a good way to get around Tibet for someone who is flexible and has a lot of time.
By bicycle
There are a surprising number of Chinese tourists travelling to and around Tibet by bicycle, but foreigners can only do this by joining an organized tour.
the capital of Tibet, and traditional seat of the Dalai Lama, the most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa is the starting point for most travel within the region.
Gyantse (Chinese: 江孜, Tibetan: རྒྱལ་རྩེ་), is a city in Xigatse Prefecture.
Qamdo (also spelt Chamdo; Chinese: 昌都 Chāngdū; Tibetan: ཆབ་མདོ་གྲོང་ཁྱེར། Qamdo) is a city in southeast Tibet.
the second largest city in Tibet, and traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism
a sacred mountain revered by Tibetan Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bon adherents.
the Tibetan side of Mount Everest
Nyingchi (also Nyingtri or 林芝 Linzhi) is a prefecture level city in southwestern Tibet. Nyingchi is different from the rest of Tibet.
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