The Potala,and the Tibetan cityaround it.

Questions worth
answering early.

• What is the Tibet Travel Permit and do I need one?

  Yes, any foreign passport holder visiting Tibet needs a Tibet Travel Permit (also called the Tibet Entry Permit). It is a paper permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, distinct from your China visa, and required to board any flight or train into Lhasa. The permit takes about three weeks to process and we ask for at least six weeks of lead time on a booking. You cannot apply yourself. It must be processed by a licensed operator with a Tibet tour-permit licence, and you must be on a confirmed itinerary with that operator. We handle the permit end-to-end as part of your booking.

• How serious is the altitude at 3,650 m?

  Serious enough that we plan the trip around it. Most travellers feel breathlessness on stairs, a headache the first afternoon, and reduced sleep quality for the first one or two nights. Some people get full altitude sickness: nausea, severe headache, exhaustion. It usually resolves with twenty-four hours of rest at altitude, but in rare cases requires descent. The pattern that works for most groups of companions: acclimatise at 3,200 m in Shangri-La first, fly or drive into Lhasa, rest the afternoon you arrive, hot soup, light dinner, early sleep, no exertion the first day. We pace it that way. Pre-existing heart or lung conditions are a contraindication, and we ask before we book.

• Should I fly in or take the train?

  The Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining to Lhasa is one of the iconic train rides on Earth: about twenty-one hours through the Tanggula Pass (5,072 m, the highest railway in the world), with sealed carriages and supplemental oxygen. The trade-off: the altitude exposure is gradual (which helps acclimatisation) but the train is also tiring. Flying is faster but drops you straight at 3,650 m with no acclimatisation. The middle path we recommend for most companions is overland or fly from Shangri-La (3,200 m), which gives the altitude step without the long train ride. We talk through which fits honestly before we book.

• Can I attend the morning prayer at the Jokhang?

  The Jokhang's interior chanting is open to respectful visitors at certain hours, but the famous morning scene most photographs show happens on the outdoor courtyard from before dawn: the white-smoke incense burners and the prostrating pilgrims at the front of the temple. We bring you to the courtyard at first light. The interior visit is timed to our permit slot mid-morning, when the queue thins and the central Jowo Shakyamuni statue is approachable.

• Can I take photographs inside the Potala and the monasteries?

  Photography is forbidden inside the Potala and inside the active assembly halls of the monasteries. Outside, in the courtyards, on the Barkhor circuit, and from the public photography points around the Potala, photography is allowed. Some monasteries sell a photography permit for specific chapels; we tell you which ones are worth it. Drones are forbidden in Tibet without separate prior approval; we do not arrange them.

• Do I need a visa to visit?

  Yes, and a Tibet Travel Permit in addition. The Tibet Travel Permit is a separate paper from your China visa, organised by a licensed operator (us), and required to board any flight or train into Lhasa. As for the China visa itself: ordinary Australian, British and New Zealand passports enter mainland China visa-free for up to thirty days, confirmed through 31 December 2026, covering tourism, family visits, transit, and short business. Many other passports qualify under the broader scheme. United States and Canadian passports need a tourist visa under current rules, and we manage the application end to end. Tibet adds its own permit on top, which we organise.