According to the climate, weather and geography in Tibet, some necessary equipment should be packed in order to get a pleasure tour in Tibet.
The big different temperatures in day and night make cold-proof clothes necessary even visit Tibet in the hottest months (July and August)
As a land of snow, Tibetan may experience the winter all year round. The highest temperature is 4-5 degrees centigrade in northern Tibet. It also snows in July and August. In Lhasa, the temperature in July arrives at 30 degrees centigrade at daytime, but falls to 10 degrees centigrade at night.
Some down garments should be packed during your Tibet travel. Warm clothes such as woolen sweaters, warm gloves, warm and wind-proof shoes and socks will keep you warm. Wearing several layers of clothing that can be easily added or removed is the wise choice since temperatures may vary greatly within a single day. Women should avoid skirts or dresses.
It is wise to carry an umbrella or some rain-proof tools. The rain season in Tibet is from July to August which is the peak tourism season as well, while the ultraviolet radiation (UV) in this period is also stronger in a sunny day.
As the sunshine is really strong, you’d better take the sunglasses, sunhat and suntan lotion etc. Ladies should take the high SPF sun-cream. If necessary, try to wear long-sleeve clothes when you walk under the sun.
More water will be drunk when you stay in this high altitude area. Travel canteens is equipped for comfort yourself by strengthening the body cycling system.If you plan to enter into Tibet by road or the areas beyond Lhasa, sleep bags are essential for you.
Simple photographic equipment is recommended. A camera will help you to memory the charming scenery and mysterious culture deeply.
If you like to take the plateau scenery, best time to take photos may be the periods before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
Because of the geographical factors, hotels in some areas of Tibet are not good enough for tourists. Some daily articles such as a cup, a small towel, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and slippers should be carried with you. It is not very convenient to wash clothes, so disposable underpants will help you a lot.
An electric torch is also necessary as some hotels don't even have power at night and sometimes you may have to travel early in the morning.
Medicine is a must for travelers to Tibet. In order to release the symptom cause by the geographical factors,you can take
1. Herb medicines including chrysanthemum tea, seal heal mulberry leaves and ginseng powders
2. Pills including vitamin C pills, some pain-killers
3. Nasal ointment and throat-moistening pills will be of great help for those who are sensitive to chilly or freezing weather conditions.
We should make your attention that the equipment and conditions of hotels in Tibet are not as well as that in the rest parts of China. If you would like to book a 5-star (or 4-star or 3-star) hotel in Tibet, you should notice that the standard may not as the same with the one you always anticipate.
In Lhasa, lodging ranges from guest houses to the best five star hotels. In Shigatse, Gyangtse and Tsetang, the highest standard is three star hotels. In Tingri and Zhangmu, the highest are two stars while in other smaller or remote areas, accommodation is mainly guest houses.
Asking your travel advisors to arrange your accommodation in Tibet is a better way for your Tibet travel.
Separate room does not equip internet service except some luxury rooms for tourists. If you would like to surf the internet, you should go to the business center or the separate internet café in the hotels.
However, in some remote areas, the internet is not accessible due to the limited condition.
Generally speaking, we would not recommend you to accommodate in the local houses because of the inferior accommodation conditions, the taboos in the Tibetan culture and the safety considerations.
Extremely high elevations such as those encountered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau may present unique problems to people who are not accustomed to these high altitudes. Fortunately, the following are some tips to prevent or at least alleviate the uncomfortable feelings caused by altitude sickness.
A physical examination before the trip is necessary as people with heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, serious anemia, and other cardio and respiratory problems should not travel in the extreme altitudes encountered Tibet. Even if you do not believe that you have a health problem, the sudden change to a high altitude possibly make a latent one apparent. We strongly suggest that you had better take proper precautions. It is best to ask your doctor to advise you about precautions you can take and items to bring along on your trip that may assist you to adjust to the climate and altitude. It is also a good idea to pack some commonly used over-the-counter medicines, such as those used for cold, inflammation, insect bite, and sunstroke. But, even with these OTC items, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure that the brands are safe in very high altitude environments.
You can not anxious about the dinning problems in Tibet. The high altitude makes this area prefer light taste rather than those spicy foods. It is also a good diet custom to release the High Altitude Sickness.
Tibetans have rice, wheat and barley as staple foods, and usually they eat food made of barley, such as Tsamba. The so-called tsamba is actually stir-fried barley. Different from the process of dealing with wheat among the Han people, barley is first stir-fried, and then milled into powder without being peeled. Tsamba is often accompanied with yak butter tea. Pour out half a bowl of yak butter tea, then add tsamba into the tea, stir it with your fingers, crush it up and it is ready to eat. During festivals, Tibetans throw tsamba into the air to pray for a good luck.
Tibetans like eating meat to fight the cold. The meat of yaks and sheep is the most favored. The meat of goats is disliked, while that of dogs, horses, and donkeys is taboo. In some areas, people do not eat fish for they regard fish as the incarnation of the god of water. Other people do not eat chicken or even eggs. Food Taboos differ from area to area. Just keep it in mind and do as Romes do. Tibetans are used to eating raw meat. In winter, they cut the meat into slices and hang them high up. The meat will keep fresh in the coldness and gradually dry. In the next spring they can either eat the air-dried meat as it is or cook it.
Yak butter tea is a daily drink in Tibet and a drink to greet guests as well. Almost every Tibetan family keeps a lot of yak butter in storage. When they make yak butter tea, they put yak butter into a bowl of tea, and after it is thawed, heat it up in the cooking pot. It is very convenient and rich in calories.
Chang is a kind of low-alcohol liquor that is brewed using fermented barley. It is enjoyed by all Tibetans, men and women, children and elders. It is also a necessity for festivals and religious ceremonies. These days, Tibetans dance freely and drink sweet chang to their content on the grasslands.
Sweet tea and yogurt are the other two common drinks. Sweet tea is what you get when you add milk and sugar to boiling tea. It is very popular to propose a toast of tea when seeing somebody off. Yogurt is more popular in pastoral areas.
With the development of the Tourism in Tibet, the restaurants serve more and more cuisines to meet needs of visitors. Lhasa for example, Tibetan food is supplemented by Chinese food, mostly Sichuan food. Restaurants serving Tibetan food, Chinese food and even western food mushroom in the streets to accommodate tourists.
As the tourism develops, many Tibetan restaurants are beginning to translate their menus into Chinese, English and some other languages.The photos in tourist brochures and the enthusiasm of many writers about the “romance” of a visit to the roof of the world neglect to point out the hazards of travel there. It’s not just the obvious cold, though that is a major danger for the unprepared. At altitude, the oxygen level is so low it could prove fatal to the elderly, unfit or travelers with respiratory illness (even a cold). We don’t want to discourage you; there is romance and unique beauty in Tibet, but we do want you to return with only good experiences to share. More than any other travel destination in China, constant awareness of your personal safety is essential in Tibet. The unique social situation, with occasional religious and political unrest, the extremes of weather and climatic conditions and the exceptional geography are all good reason to go prepared.
There are many dogs in almost every temple or monastery in Tibet. They depend on the food scraps from the temples for their living. These dogs are generally tame and have rarely been known to attack people, so don’t be frightened when you see them as they are a part of the place.
However, you should exercise caution with all dogs; they are unlikely to respond well to attempts to be friendly, and under no circumstances should you feed or try to pat them. If they become aggressive or a nuisance, hurling a few rocks in their direction will let them know you are not in the mood for company, while flourishing a hefty stick should deter any particularly determined individuals. The potentially most dangerous dogs belong to remote homesteads or nomad encampments.
When you go shopping along the city streets in Tibet, you should pay attention to your purses and belongings. Thieves commonly hang around the prosperous regions such as Potala Square, Barkhor Street and shopping malls. Wear shoulder bags with the carry-strap diagonally across your chest, not hanging from one shoulder; this prevents thieves on motor-bikes from snatching handbags. Always keep one hand on a camera or other portable valuables.
In order to avoid the displeasure and inconvenience caused by property loss, it is a good idea to deposit your valuables at the reception desk of your hotel.
Tibet has a long tradition of begging for alms. If you give money to the beggars (and the choice is entirely yours), it is much safer to keep some small change in a pocket rather than open your wallet or purse in public.
Do not drink the water in the lake, even if it is clear enough to see the bottom. The local people say that after drinking the water from some lakes, people may experience serious long term health problems, not just a minor upset stomach. So please be cautious at all times and pay attention to the advice from your guides.
By contrast, please note that thawed snow is usually quite safe to drink.
When hiking away from settled areas, you should keep well away from wild animals. Although they may not appear threatening and might present a cute and cuddly appearance, it does not mean it is not dangerous to get close to them; they are wild, so are unpredictable. Even a nip from a small animal could result in a medical problem sufficient to ruin your holiday.
Influenced by different and complicated weather, it is not always suitable to visit Tibet all around the year. Here, we would like to share some information about the best time to travel to Tibet, aiming to help you to explore the different beauty of this mysterious land.
Generally speaking, the golden season for traveling is from May to October. During this time, according to scientific statistics the weather is fine and pleasant and the density of oxygen is the highest. In addition, several Tibetan traditional folk festivals are also celebrated in this season, such as the Shoton Festival (on Tibetan July 1st to July 5th), Buddha Unveiling Festival and Nakchu Horse Race Festival. These festivals provide tourists a perfect chance to get profound understanding of Tibetan culture and immense in.
In fact, the best time to visit Tibet depends on many factors and it varies with different regions. Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang (Shannan) are equipped with convenient facilities for tourists, and most places of interest in these cities are historical or cultural attractions. People can visit them in any season at will. Winter is okay as well. In winter, when there is only a small tourist volume, it is easy to get discounts in hotels, ticket offices, and airports. You will be more enjoyable with few visitors.
Renowned for its picturesque natural scenery, southeastern Tibet, especially Nyingchi Region, is fascinating throughout the whole year. Roads there are also in good condition, so tourists can list it in their itinerary at any time.
In northern Tibet such as Nagqu, the wind is too strong in spring. Roads are too likely to be blocked by landslides in summer and are too treacherous in winter owing to the heavy snowfall. So May to July and September to October are best seasons to visit the northern Tibet. It is also the reason why we should avoid summer and winter to travel in the border area in the south.
To find out the best time to go, you should firstly work out your itinerary and then decide your time according to the information above. Or if you have decided your dates already, the information we provided above may help you make a proper itinerary. If you still have no idea of the best of visit, welcome to email us.
For many tourists who plan to go to Tibet, which kinds of clothes should bring with become the biggest confusion. Whether it is needed to bring a coat in summer? In this page, Top China Travel will give you a brief introduction about what to wear in Tibet in four seasons for your reference.
In spring, most of the tourists traveling to Tibet are for Nyingchi’s peach. At this time, Tibet is still slightly chill. As it is to travel outside, and will be more walk, the clothes and pants to wear should be loose and comfortable, such as sportswear or other casual clothes, comfortable shoes. This time to Tibet, you can wear a thick cotton jacket plus general thermal underwear, and for the pants, sportswear with thin long johns. Comfortable cotton underwear are best choice.
Entering summer, Tibet also enters the peak season of tourist. It is sunny with comfortable temperature. In Lhasa, during the day, you can wear long-sleeved shirt and casual trousers; Namtso also has thawed at this time. More tourists trek to Nagri, Medog and other regions. If you go to these high altitudes area, you’d better bring a sweater, jacket and other warm clothing. At these areas, the temperatures can drop to below freezing at night. The high-top outdoor shoes are more appropriate in this season.
Tibet's autumn is very beautiful. Different colors were tilted down from the mountains, many tourists hiking in Nagri or Medog and other routes. If you go to Nagri and other high altitudes areas, you need to bring sweaters, jackets and other warm clothing. These areas are usually cold at night, and temperatures may drop below zero. In Lhasa, Nyingchi and other regions, you should bring thicker coat and thermal underwear, sports pants and thinker long johns. High-top outdoor are more appropriate.
At this season, Nagri, Medog, Namtso and other places have snow blocking the road, not suitable for tourism. Jokhang Temple Square during the day, the sunshine is a very pleasant thing in the morning and at night temperature will reach a few degrees below zero. You need to add sweaters, down jackets, and sports pants plus thick warm long johns to resist cold. Shoes are better add cotton with moisture proof, and a hard-soled shoes are appropriate.
For more details, please leave your contact information, we will feed back as soon as possible.
Success！Your form was sent.
No.13-1/2, Princess Wencheng Cijuelin Tibetan Style Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
