Tibet Winter Tour: how to plan a Tibet travel in winter

In December 2015 I travelled to Tibet. It was a region that had always caught my attention. My cousin had already travelled with TIBET VISTA, so I did not hesitate to travel with them. I chose the 8-day tour, visiting Lhasa, the capital, Gyantse, Shigatse and Everest Base Camp. The trip was a big challenge for me because of the height. However, I didn’t have any problems. The first day, I tried to acclimatize, since the change in height coming from Kathmandu was very big: I drank lot of water and rested as much as I could. I arrived on the 31 of December so I thought about celebrating new year with the group but the region deals with the Chinese calendar.

HOW TO GO TO TIBET?

I always liked being able to visit these places that are "special": not so easy to access and have a unique history and traditions.

It can be accessed from different cities in China, by plane or train (e.g. from Shanghai it is almost two days by train) or from Chengdu. In my case, I opted for the plane from Kathmandu, Nepal. - Check the expert’s tips for how to get to Tibet.

Travel Documents Needed

If you are coming from China, you have the Chinese visa on your passport and a Tibet permit is processed. In my case when I arrived from Kathmandu, a representative of Tibet Vista was in charge of that permit. I was given two sheets and one I presented at the airport of Tibet when I arrived and the other when I left the country. You have to be careful not to lose these papers, because of the checks in the region, you will be asked often to present them.

On my tour, there was a local guide and driver. Both very friendly who were with us from the arrival at the airport, until we left the region. Always happy to respond to group inquiries.

The group was made up of four South Americans and four Europeans. During the long hours of crossing, we chatted and hung out.

How I Enjoyed the Lhasa to EBC tour in Winter?

It is an ideal area for trekking, however if you go in winter, as in my case I went in January, temperatures can reach -25°C, so for example, expeditions to Everest are suspended until the temperatures are more pleasant. My tour was 8 days, as I mentioned earlier. We went to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, visiting monasteries and seeing the traditions of Buddhist monks. Lhasa is a super modern city, combining Chinese technology with Buddhist traditions so it has a special charm. The routes and highways are modern too and there is a variety of food. A typical postcard of the region is to see the Tibetans praying. In the Jokhang Temple we could see people walking in a circle praying around the Temple. A fascinating experience. The building that struck me the most was the "Potala Palace", residence of the Dalai Lama, until the last one went into exile in India. - Check the winter tours in Tibet..

On our way to Tibet's second largest city, Shigatse, we visited monasteries in Gyantse and passed the highest road in the world, located 5248 meters above sea level, until we reached our destination and went to know the monkeys Tashilhunpo, seat of the Panchen Lamas, the second most important religious authority in Tibet.

The next morning, we began our journey to the world's highest mountain located in the Himalayas, a mountain range that stretches across the countries of Bhutan, Nepal, China and India. Although, the original plan was to sleep in the highest habitable monastery, due to the low temperatures, we slept in a hostel, in a small village. As I mentioned previously, it was very cold. We spent the night there and the next day, we went on our way to Everest, to Everest Base Camp(5200 meters). The plan was to see the sunrise on Everest. It was a long road, about 3 hours by bus, with a zigzagging path, so I recommend not to have a hearty breakfast. And then we reach the highest mountain in the world: Everest. The guide told us where the people set out their journey to conquer the summit.

The most famous animal in this region is the"yak", native of the mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, and also the Tibetan mastiff, guardian of Tibetan monasteries.

And if you ask me about food, Balep Korkun is the typical bread from the region (is so easy to learn that back home you make it yourself. You will only need wheat flour, baking powder and water. It was a very interesting experience to be able to reach this region of the world, of which I only knew a couple of aspects, because of the films I have seen or because of books I read.

If you're looking for a journey that combines history and religion, I'm sure you'll love this tour.