Tibet

File:Tibet banner.jpg Bos_grunniens_at_Yundrok_Yumtso_Lake - Yak at Yumtso Lake

Tibet (Classical Tibetan: Bod; (Tibetan|བོད་), Lhasa dialect: Pö; Mandarin Chinese: 西藏, Xīzàng) is sometimes described as the "roof of the world"; the entire region is on a high plateau and there are many large mountains. The area has its own unique culture, and most travellers will find some of the plants, wildlife and domestic animals quite exotic as well. Entering Tibet you feel as though you've found an entirely different world.

Tibet is becoming more and more popular travel destination among the local Chinese themselves. It is almost as exotic to someone from another area of China as it is to someone from the other side of the world, and there is now a good rail link.

Regions of Tibet

eHalal Travel Guide only covers the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). To learn more about other regions that are culturally affiliated with Tibet, see the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Yunnan; the Indian regions of Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti, and Sikkim; and the independent states of Bhutan and Nepal.

There are seven prefectures in the Tibet Autonomous Region:

Lhasa (prefecture)

Qamdo (prefecture)

Nagqu (prefecture)

Ngari (prefecture)

Nyingchi (prefecture)

Shannan (prefecture)

Xigatse (prefecture)

Cities

• Lhasa GPS 29.65,91.116667 - the capital of Tibet
• Gyantse GPS 28.95,89.633333
• Qamdo GPS 31.166667,97.233333 = (Chamdo)
• Xigatse GPS 29.267,88.881 = (Shigatse) - the second largest city in Tibet

More Destinations

• Mount Kailash GPS 31.066667,81.3125 - a sacred mountain revered by both Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus.
• Qomolangma National Nature Reserve GPS 27.988056,86.925278 - the Tibetan side of Mount Everest
• Yarlong River National Park GPS 29.798,95.067 = containing the world's largest canyon and the Yalung Zangbo Canyon.

  Tibet Halal Travel Guide

Tibet in China (claimed hatched) (+all claims hatched).svg|Tibetan Autonomous Region eHalal Travel Guide covers only the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). There are also Tibetan autonomous prefectures and or counties located in the provinces of Qinghai, southwest Gansu, western Sichuan and northwest Yunnan, covered in the articles on those provinces. See List of Chinese provinces and regions for an explanation of the terms "autonomous region" and "autonomous prefecture" if required.

The Tibetan Empire was once much larger than the current borders, and various areas outside the TAR are culturally, historically and linguistically Tibetan to various degrees. In contemporary China, and in general English usage today and the term "Tibet" refers only to the TAR. However and the term "Tibetan Regions", with its focus on all of ethnographic Tibet is becoming more widespread amongst Chinese in China as well.

The Tibetan Plateau is the world's largest and, with average heights of over 4,000m, also the world's highest, plateau. It includes all of the TAR, most of Qinghai, and parts of Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu. Parts of the region (northwestern region) are so remote they remain uninhabited to this day.

India and the rest of Asia are on separate continental plates which are colliding; that collision is what raised the plateau to its current height. Most of the world's highest mountains are in the Himalaya range along Tibet's southern border, along the line of the subduction zone where one plate goes under the other. Mount Everest and the highest of all, is on the border between Tibet and Nepal.

Travel as a Muslim to Tibet

Tibet_Travel_Permit_for_foreigners - A typical Tibet Entry Permit

As of 2022, unless you are a citizen of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region is only feasible by joining an organized tour lasting the entire duration of your time in Tibet. This requires going through an approved Chinese travel agency, who will apply for your Tibet Entry Permit (外国人进藏许可证 wàiguórén jìncáng xǔkězhèng) and arrange a mandatory guide and vehicle to take you around. Many tour guides are ethnic Chinese and even the ethnic Tibetan guides have to sit exams in Chinese and learn the official Han Chinese government-sponsored perspective on Tibet in order to gain and keep their tour guide licence. Some particular occupations (e.g. press, professional photographers, diplomatic personnel and foreign government officials) can only obtain the permit from the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Autonomous Region.

As you need to pay for all this and the cost of travel in Tibet is far higher than anywhere else in China, with barebones group rates starting around US$120/day and going up if you want a private tour, decent accommodation, etc. Demand also far exceeds supply in the summer high season, with Flights and train tickets into Tibet difficult to get, not just for foreigners but Chinese as well. For these financial, ethical and logistical reasons, some travellers opt to travel to other Tibetan regions of China instead: Qinghai and Northwestern Yunnan.

If you do opt to go, you will need to start your paperwork well in advance, and beware that regulations may change and permits to Tibet may be halted at short notice: for example and the entire month of March is off-limits every year due to sensitive anniversaries, and Norwegians were not permitted to enter for several years after Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel prize.

• You must have a Chinese visa before the agency can apply for your Tibet entry permit, but Chinese visa applications that mention travel to Tibet are routinely rejected. The usual workaround is to apply for your Chinese visa without mentioning Tibet — travel agencies may even offer certified but fake itineraries to help you do so!
• Once the visa has been granted and the agency will apply for the Tibet entry permit. The permit can only be applied for 20 days before your trip, and usually takes 8-9 days to issue. The permit must list all places you intend to visit, so make sure your itinerary is locked down, or negotiate with your tour provider to ensure that all places you may want to visit are listed.

Some parts of Tibet also require an Aliens' Travel Permit (ATP), which is issued by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in major Tibetan cities like Lhasa, Shigatse and Ali (Tibet)|Ali. The list of regions that require ATPs changes constantly, so enquire locally. Lhasa's PSB has a poor reputation, while Shigatse and Ali are said to issue permits without any unnecessary difficulties. If your papers are in order and the permit can be issued in several hours for ¥200.

Finally, some remote areas also require a military permit. These are only available in Lhasa, where processing takes several days, and are only granted for an appropriate reason.

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Tibet

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 altitude sickness because of the quick transition. Most other larger Tibetan cities including Shigatse and Ali (Tibet)|Ali also have airports, but flights are very limited.

Safest is to follow the Yunnan tourist trail to Zhongdian (Shangrila) and fly from there to Lhasa. If you spend a night or two each in Kunming (2,000m), Dali (2,400m) or Lijiang (2,400m), and Zhongdian (3,200m) to acclimatise, you should be able to fly to Lhasa (3,650m) with little risk.

If you are in Sichuan or nearby and aren't satisfied visiting the many ethnically Tibetan areas to the east of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, flying from Chengdu (500m) is the easiest option, but the rapid increase in altitude risks altitude sickness.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Tibet

Hard sleeper berths on YW25T 676511 (20151228193501) - The hard sleeper berths on Beijing-Lhasa train with oxygen supply devices

The Qinghai -Tibet (Qingzang) Railway from Golmud to Lhasa started operating in July 2006, and was extended to Shigatse in 2014. The journey from Beijing to Lhasa takes just under 48 hours, costing ¥760 in the cheapest hard seat class and ¥2144 for a soft sleeper. Direct trains to Lhasa originate in Beijing, Xining, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Chengdu. For a mid-range sleeper from Chengdu with 6 bunks in each room and they are ¥992.

The main advantage for this mode of transportation is often claimed to be that you can gradually acclimatise to high altitudes instead of the sudden shift if you were to take a plane. However, in reality the high-altitude parts of the journey are all covered within the last 12 or so hours and this does not offer enough time to acclimatise. Some thus opt to acclimatize for a few days in Xining (2,300m), which can be visited by overnight trains from most major Chinese cities and is near several points of interest like Lake Qinghai (Koko Nor) and Kumbum Monastery. Golmud (2,900m) is the last city of any size on the railway before Tibet, but it's an unattractive industrial town with no sights of significance.

Be warned that the lower classes in these trains are not for the faint-hearted and the less adventurous type: they do not have Asian-styled toilets and bunks are relatively cramped. Soft sleeper class is recommended, and here you will mix with middle-class Chinese tourists or business people.

The trains to Tibet are available from any major city in mainland China though not all have daily service and some routes involve changing trains part way. See the main China#Train_tickets|China eHalal Travel Guide for information on how to book.

By road

There are four roads into Tibet, roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions. Foreign Muslims on any of these routes are rare, so make sure you have all the necessary permits and tour guide accompaniment for these trips. If you are caught by the authorities in Tibet without the appropriate permits, you will either be sent back (at your expense), have your visa cancelled, be sent home, or in extreme cases banned from ever re-entering China. There are even reports of foreigners being imprisioned for breaking travel bans.

North: The road from Golmud is the easiest legal land route at present, and the only fully paved road into Tibet. The landscape is beautiful but difficult to appreciate after the long rough ride, and the Tanggula Pass near the Qinghai/Tibet border is over 5,000 m high.

East: The other main approach to Tibet is via Sichuan and Yunnan, starting from Zhongdian (Shangri-La). The road is much improved, but still requires a 4WD and has multiple passes over 5,000 m.

West: From Kashgar the road is totally unpaved for over a thousand kilometers with villages and water few and far between. The main advantages of this route is that it passes by Mount Kailash and through a beautiful, very remote region inhabited by nomads. You should be very well prepared to travel this way and take everything you would need for independent trekking: camping equipment suitable for freezing temperatures even in the summer, a good tent and at least a few days of food (there are a few truck-stop places on the way but not always when you want them). Expect the trip to take two weeks or more. From Kashgar it's much farther to go to Lhasa via Urumqi and Golmud but the better transport (trains and good paved highways) make it no more time consuming to travel this way. There are many interesting things for the tourist to see on the way and it is worth considering travelling this way instead of via Mount Kailash.

South: From Nepal and the only option to get to Tibet is to book a tour with a travel agent in Kathmandu. In addition, you cannot use a normal Chinese visa, but need to apply specifically for a "Group Tourists Visa" (团体签证 tuántǐ qiānzhèng) in Kathmandu, which will only be granted once you have a confirmed and paid tour. The drive from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes a couple of days and is very rough, but pretty.

Southeast: After 44 years of closure and the Nathu La pass to Sikkim, India — a part of the historic Silk Road — opened again in July 2006 for trade traffic. The border is not yet open to foreign tourists.

How to get around in Tibet

Tibet is large, rugged and sparsely populated. While China has poured large amounts of money into improving infrastructure, meaning that there are now modern four-lane highways connecting major towns, travel off the beaten track remains very rough.

Good road maps of Tibet are common in China, including the Baidu Maps app, but they are only in Chinese. Beware that Chinese names can be very different from those used by Tibetans. Tibetmap.com has a free downloadable set of maps covering much of Tibet with detail almost good enough to use for independent trekking.

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Tibet

Tibet Airlines has limited services connecting Lhasa to regional towns.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Tibet

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. The trip takes about 3 hours and is the most comfortable way to travel between the two cities.

A train line to Nyingchi is under construction and is scheduled to open around 2020, with plans to eventually extend this across eastern Tibet all the way to Sichuan.

There are even plans and early stages of construction for a rail line all the way to Nepal.

Travel on a Bus in Tibet

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 and the tour operator will sort out all the necessary paperwork, and they offer you a reasonable chance of sticking to a schedule.

Your driver will likely be an indigenous Tibetan who can speak Chinese. He'll get to eat and sleep for free wherever you go (he'll often be treated like a king), and he'll often need to stop for a smoke or a pee by certain vendors on the road. ¥6500 will get a jeep that can seat 4 people and luggage comfortably for 4 or 5 days.

How to travel around Tibet on a bicycle ?

There are a surprising number of Chinese tourists travelling Tibet by cycling|bicycle, but foreigners can only do this by joining an organized tour. The roads vary from rough dirt tracks to good quality paved roads. There are restaurants, truck stops and retail outlets scattered around often enough so that you don't need to carry more than a day's worth of food (with the important exception of the west of the nation). The roads are often well graded, being built for overloaded trucks. 26 inch wheels would be preferable as 700cm (ISO 622) are almost unknown in China. Good mountain bikes are available in large cities of China or in Lhasa.

What to see in Tibet

• The Potala Palace and the home of successive Dalai Lamas is in Lhasa
• The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa was built in 647 AD by Songtsen Gampo and is one of the holiest sites in Tibet.
• The Barkhor in Lhasa is the name for the ring of streets of traditional Tibetan buildings surrounding the Jokhang Temple.
• The 'Norbulingka (Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama) is located in Lhasa, about 1km south of the Potala.
• Samye#See|Samye Monastery - constructed in 779 AD, Samye was the first Buddhist Monastery established in Tibet, and is located near Dranang, Shannan (prefecture) |Shannan Prefecture, 150 kilometers south-east of Lhasa.
• Tashilhunpo Monastery and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas. It was constructed in 1447 and is located in Shigatse.
• The Rongbuk Monastery, one of the highest monasteries in the world, from which the view of the Mt. Everest is just amazing.

What to do in Tibet

Trekking is a major draw in Tibet, with Mount Kailash (Lake Manasarovar) and Everest Base Camp (5200m) in Qomolangma being the best-known attractions. Both are remote and challenging, generally requiring at least ten days in Tibet to complete.

Halal Restaurants in Tibet

Hui family eid - Hui family Eid

Some travellers feel that Hui (ethnic Chinese Moslem) places are cleaner because of halal food laws; they can be recognised by the green flags and crescent moons (and because they do look cleaner).

Vegetarian food

Despite being a predominantly Buddhist country, Tibet is not particularly vegetarian-friendly - the altitude being the main justification for this. In rural areas, Vegetarian need to be prepared to compromise or live on very simple diets. Even if a thukpa is without Meat, you can bet the broth they use is a Meat broth.

However, monastery restaurants and some large towns do offer restaurants serving Vegetarian food and even some Tibetans observe a Vegetarian diet on particular days of the religious month. So it is worth asking. One key term to look out for is དཀར་ཟས་ (literally, "white food" - kar zey) which you will see, for example, on some monastery restaurants or in Lhasa, where there are Tibetan Vegetarian restaurants. In spoken Tibetan, Vegetarian food is also simply referred to as "without-meat-food" ཤ་མེད་ཁ་ལག sha mey kha la'.

Tea

Tibetan butter tea (བོད་ཇ pö cha, Chinese 酥油茶 sūyóuchá) is a must try, though it may not be a pleasant experience for all — even the Dalai Lama famously said that he's not a fan of the stuff! It is a salty mixture of black tea and Tibetan butter. Traditionally it is churned by hand with a thick rod in a long upright wooden container. However, when electricity came to the city in recent years, modernized Tibetans turn to use electric mixers to make their butter tea. The Tibetan butter is not rancid as commonly described, but has a cheesy taste and smell to it, close to blue Cheese or Roquefort. Think of it as a Cheese broth rather, that you will appreciate particularly after a long hike in cold weather.

An alternative to Tibetan butter tea is sweet milk tea (cha ngar mo) which is more familiar to western palates. Sweet tea drinking was introduced only recently by merchants returning from India, first among well-off Tibetans, since sugar was a luxury on the Plateau and then when sugar became more available among the general public. Unlike Indians, Tibetan do not use spices (clove, cinnamon, cardamon) to flavor their tea.

Salted black tea (cha thang) is another alternative, refreshingly free from milk or butter!

When ordering tea in a teahouse and the price is usually for a full thermos bottle of the stuff, not a single cup.

Stay Safe

Plan your route to manage altitude sickness; the main thing is to give your body enough time to acclimatize before going higher. This is important both when getting in, and when ascending within Tibet. Be prepared to adjust your plans, descend or spend a few extra days acclimatizing if it proves necessary.

You are very high up and the sun is going to be very strong; see sunburn and sun protection. Wear protective clothing, UV-protective sunglasses, and sunscreen.

When travelling in the nationside be prepared for the vehicle to break down and for bad weather. Carry a snack and some warm clothes. Water and fluids are crucial.

Be warned that driving at night can be particularly dangerous in Tibet.

Beware of the dogs! In the cities there are numerous stray dogs about and in the nation side the villagers and nomads keep large guard dogs for security, (usually chained up). A modest level of caution is enough to prevent you from being bitten, as the strays usually run in packs and if you don't get too close you should be okay. If guard dogs are unchained, keep them at bay by staying away from the house or tent they are protecting at all costs as their barking will indicate they have picked you up on their radar and pray they don't come running after you. If they do, pick up (or pretend to pick up) some stones and be prepared to be attacked at the ankle. Sometimes kicking or lunging at the dogs before they attack may scare them off. Some other ways to protect yourself is by wearing boots and thick pants. Much is made of the viciousness of the Tibetan dogs, but few travelers have problems with them.

Steer clear of political protests. They're rare, but suppressed brutally by the authorities, who do not look kindly on Western witnesses (especially those with cameras).

Local Customs in Tibet

Tibet CCTV Surveillance - Smile! You're being watched.

• Avoid placing any Tibetan at risk by discussing political matters. This includes anything about the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. While you're unlikely to get in trouble, a casual comment overheard by the wrong person may risk them their job or land them a spell in prison.
• Be respectful and cooperative when your papers are checked or bags inspected, which they will be, often multiple times per day. That said, foreigners are rarely if ever hassled and your tour guide will take care of the vast majority of the paperwork anyway.
• Travellers to Tibet usually find Tibetans to be friendly. It is appreciated when you try and use the local Tibetan dialect when communicating with Tibetans. The further from Lhasa you travel and the more often Tibetan is used.
• Religion is extremely important to the majority of Tibetans, and travellers should endeavour to respect their customs and beliefs. Always walk around Tibetan Buddhist religious sites or monastery in a clockwise direction, and when in a monastery do not wear a hat, smoke or touch frescoes. In addition, refrain from climbing onto statues, mani stones or other sacred objects.
• Do not take photographs of police, military, checkpoints, etc. Don't photograph people without permission; photography inside temples and palaces is generally prohibited unless you pay fees ranging from reasonable to extortionate. Sky burial sites are obviously off-limits.
• Sacred sites of the Indian sub-continent#Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhism and its impact of Tibetan culture is a major draw for tourists. Funds used to pay entry fees at major religious sites will probably go into the coffers of the local Party and its Chinese members. Funds donated directly to individual monks and nuns and left on altars will remain and be used to maintain and support the local religious infrastructure. Appreciate the work of the monasteries and those within and help support these great institutions with non-monetary donations and by attending the festivals and just spending a little time getting to know the monastic community.
• Supporting the Tibetan economy by purchasing from Tibetans is a great way to help. Pay a fair price while bargaining. Beware that some vendors may try to swindle tourists by selling at very high prices.
• Help protect Tibet for future generations by not purchasing products made from wild animals. Many items are made from endangered species. Remember to Leave-no-trace camping|leave only footprints and take lots of photographs while visiting Tibet. Take the initiative and pack out trash and recyclables you see around while travelling outside of urban Tibet. The ecosystem in the Himalayas is very fragile due to the weather being so cold, so be careful of where you hike and try to keep erosion down.
• Help to keep Tibetan culture alive. It is very important to use Tibetan resources such as hotels, restaurants, guides and souvenir stalls, as Tibetan culture is gradually being eroded. It is also important to benefit financially the Tibetans, who are rapidly becoming a disadvantaged minority in their own country. When visiting temples, monasteries or shrines you may wish to leave a donation, which will help their upkeep. It is best to leave it on the altar or give it directly to a monk or nun. This will ensure it stays in the temple. You may also wish to give a small donation to pilgrims from rural Tibet.

Explore more Halal friendly Destinations from Tibet

Generally speaking, it is easier getting out of Tibet than in, however, to the south the Himalaya rises even higher, presenting a formidable barrier to travel.