What is the best way to go to Tibet? When is the best time to travel to Tibet?

Now is a very good time to travel to Tibet. However, if you want to go to Tibet, you must first determine the mode of travel. However, there are also many transportation options, such as trains, self-driving trains, and flying. However, there is a possibility of high reflexes when flying on an airplane. How to get to Tibet

Go to Tibet by train

There are trains departing from 5 cities, namely Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing.

Shanghai-Lhasa, Z164, 47 hours and 27 minutes, total sleeper trip is 793.5 yuan

Guangzhou-Lhasa, Z264, 53 hours and 5 minutes, full sleeper trip is 865 yuan

Beijing-Lhasa, Z21, 40 hours and 40 minutes, 720 yuan for a full sleeper trip

Chengdu-Lhasa, Z322, 36 hours and 18 minutes, 627.5 yuan for a full sleeper trip

Chongqing-Lhasa, Z223 , 35 hours and 30 minutes, 627.5 yuan for a full sleeper trip

In addition, almost all trains to Tibet will pass through Xining and Lanzhou, so you can also fly to these two destinations first and then take the train to Tibet.

This will save some time relatively, and at the same time, it will not compromise at all on the beautiful scenery. After all, when the train enters Tibet, the most beautiful scenery is mostly in the second half.

The train is a relatively cost-effective option, and the altitude gradually rises, so the discomfort caused by altitude sickness is relatively light, and you can enjoy the scenery along the way. Entering Tibet by train is one of the main options for many young people to enter Tibet.

As for the disadvantages, if you don’t take a shower for 2 days in a row, the accommodation on the train will not be as good, and the air in the train will be average, which will make you tired. This will still dissuade many people.

Moreover, if it is the peak season, it is as difficult to grab train tickets (sleeper berth) in Tibet as it is to grab tickets during the Spring Festival.

Self-driving into Tibet

Self-driving into Tibet, there are mainly 6 routes into Tibet. It is recommended to take G318, G317, and G214 for your first self-driving trip. It is relatively easy and the scenery along the way is relatively good.

There are two lines from Chengdu to Tibet, the north and the south, G317 and G318.

The northern line G317 mainly runs through Dujiangyan, Garze, Qamdo and Nagqu. The altitude of the northern route is relatively high, with many points above 4,000 meters above sea level, but the scenery on the northern route is majestic.

It passes through Han, Qiang, Hui, Manchu, Mongolian and other ethnic gathering areas, as well as soul-shaking destinations such as Seda, Zizhu Temple, Siguniang Mountain and Bugia Snow Mountain. It is said that 317 is a cultural landscape avenue. Along the way, there are countless temples of Tibetan Buddhism and Yongzhong Bon Religion, as well as the Dege Sutra Printing House and Songge Mani Stone Sutra City, which are also good news for religious enthusiasts.

G317 Geological disasters are more serious during the rainy season on roads in Sichuan, especially in the Miyaluo and Markang sections. However, the road starting from Ganzi is relatively dry due to the overall climate. With the road construction in recent years, the road condition is relatively good. At the same time, because most self-driving vehicles are on the G318, there will be many fewer cars on the G317, so it is also a good choice.

The southern route G318 is the most famous of the many roads into Tibet.

Mainly take Ya'an, Kangding, Litang, Bomi and Linzhi. The conditions of the southern route are relatively good and the altitude is moderate. In the meantime, you can go south from Litang to Daocheng Ading, and Linzhi is also a good destination, especially during the Peach Blossom Festival. Spring in Tibet starts with the peach blossoms in Nyingchi.

Kunming to Tibet

The G214 Yunnan-Tibet Line, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, and Deqin has more beautiful scenery, crossing the Jinsha River, Nujiang River, Many famous rivers in Asia, including the Lancang River, are also the famous Three Parallel Rivers area. The whole journey travels through the Hengduan Mountain area, with large altitude differences and rich scenery, especially Shangri-La and Meili Snow Mountain. This route is relatively mature and has better road conditions, making it suitable for students who are entering Tibet for the first time.

There is also a Bingchacha line from Kunming to Tibet, the thick one in the picture below.

The road into Tibet used to be relatively difficult to drive, but now it has been renovated and renamed the New Yunnan-Tibet Passage, making it much easier to drive. However, due to complex geological conditions during the rainy season, there is still a greater risk of landslides and mudslides, so you need to proceed with caution. The Bingchacha Line goes all the way west along the Nujiang Grand Canyon, passing through Gaoligong Mountain, Bingzhongluo, and Wuli Village... all of which are good travel destinations.

Xining to Tibet

G109 Qinghai-Tibet Line. The advantage of this line is that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is built along this line, so you can see a lot of scenery parallel to the train. But for now, the Qinghai-Tibet Line is the current logistics and transportation artery between the mainland and Tibet. There are many large trucks. If there is an accident, traffic jams will often occur for dozens of hours. At the same time, because the Qinghai-Tibet Line was built on plateau frozen soil, it is constantly ravaged by large trucks. The current road conditions are also relatively average, with large undulations.

Generally speaking, it is not particularly recommended to choose the Qinghai-Tibet Line for self-driving. In addition to the above shortcomings, the simple scenery and the lack of counties and towns where you can stop along the way are also the main reasons.

Xinjiang to Tibet

The G219 Xinjiang Line, from Kashgar in Xinjiang to Lhasa, is a road that coexists with brilliance and desolation. The average altitude of most sections is above 4,500 meters. The air is thin and deserted. It is considered the most difficult road to Tibet. G219 prepares roads for border warfare, so you will see PLA soldiers maintaining the roads. In addition, the accommodation conditions along the Xinjiang-Tibet Line are relatively poor. Generally speaking, this highway is not recommended for friends who are visiting Tibet for the first time. On the one hand, it is because the conditions are relatively difficult. On the other hand, both Kashgar and the Shiquan River in Ngari are relatively far from the regular Tibetan attractions. If you use Gaode to navigate it yourself, it can easily be thousands of kilometers away.

Flight into Tibet

There are 5 major civil airports in Tibet, namely Lhasa, Nyingchi, Ngari, Shigatse, and Qamdo.

But generally, except for those who fly to Linzhi specifically, most of them will fly to Lhasa. If there are no direct flights to your city, it is relatively convenient to transfer to Lhasa via Chengdu or Chongqing.

The problem with flying into Tibet is that it is relatively easy to cause altitude sickness, and if it is the peak season, the air tickets are basically full price. The reason why travel to Tibet is expensive is mostly because of the air tickets

I suggest you fly into Tibet. After all, it is convenient and saves time. As for whether there will be high reaction, this mainly depends on fate.

During the Peach Blossom Festival, I fly to Nyingchi and other times to Lhasa. Most itineraries in Tibet start and end in Lhasa.

An advantage of flying into Tibet that other methods of entering Tibet do not have is that you can overlook the peaks and glaciers of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 10,000 meters. For the route from Chengdu and Chongqing to Lhasa alone, the route passes through the Hengduan Mountains. Dagu Glacier, Gongga Mountain, and Yala Snow Mountain can all be seen when the weather is good.

The route from Lhasa to Shiquanhe Airport passes through the entire Ngari area, and it is an excellent experience to overlook the "measure after measure" from the air. Such a visual feast may be another reason why the route is more expensive. I once chatted with a photographer contracted by China’s National Geographic Magazine. He said that he takes dozens of routes across Tibet every year just to be able to take stunning pictures of the beautiful scenery on the plane. Choose the right time

June to October every year is the peak season for travel to Tibet. Air tickets, hotels, and group tours at the destination are expensive. This is normal. It is like this in the Northwest and Midwest. Other dates are too cold.

But even in peak season, there are good times and bad times to go.

It is recommended that everyone avoid July and August, not only because it is more expensive than the summer vacation, but also because July and August are the rainy season in Tibet, there is a lot of rain, and you can fully see The chances of lakes and snowy mountains are very small.

The price/performance ratio is not high and you can’t see anything, so why bother with it?

The spring and autumn months of May, June, September and October are relatively suitable. If you like ice and snow, you can actually go there in November and December. Especially Ali in winter is like a fairy tale world.

In the depth of winter, many holy lakes in Tibet will be completely frozen, and the ice is thick enough to drive on, which is also a very rare experience.

Of course, once you avoid June to October, you will find that air tickets and hotels in Tibet are so cheap. For example, even St. Regis Lhasa often has a two-night price of 999 during the off-season. The same goes for air tickets to and from Lhasa, which are basically 10% to 15% off. Choose the right destination

Generally speaking, when going to Tibet, you will basically go to Lhasa, Linzhi, Ngari, Shigatse, Shannan...

Lhasa

Generally speaking, when you go to Tibet, you enter and exit Lhasa, so you can’t avoid this city, and you don’t need to avoid it.

The correct way to open Lhasa is to bask in the sun, drink sweet tea, and visit the temples. Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery, Ramoche Temple, Zayeba Monastery... There are more than 200 temples in Lhasa, and there are quite a few worth visiting.

In addition, the best hotels, the most delicious restaurants, the most cafes, the most worth visiting art centers and markets in Tibet are all in Lhasa. It’s not too much to arrange for 2-3 days.

For example, the picture below is the Mesoscopic Art Center in Lhasa. It looks nice.

Ngari

Ngari is the most beautiful place in Tibet. The sacred mountains and holy lakes are something you never tire of seeing. Except for the high altitude and poor accommodation conditions, which are a bit difficult, everything else is perfect.

The sacred Mount Kailash, the holy lakes Manasarovar and Laangtso, the mysterious ruins of the Guge Dynasty, and the Zhongba Colorful Desert are all in Ngari.

Lingzhi

Every year during the Peach Blossom Festival, there are so many people in Linzhi. The altitude here is relatively low, and tourism development is relatively mature. Apart from Lhasa, the hotels are the best and most numerous, and there is also an airport.

Lingzhi can be connected online, or it can be used as a single-player travel destination.

Of course, during the Peach Blossom Festival every year, the most difficult thing to get in Linzhi is air tickets, not hotels.

Spring is a good time to go to Nyingchi.

Shigatse

Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and an important viewing area in the Himalayas. Seeing the Himalayas is undoubtedly the biggest highlight of Shigatse. There are 5 peaks above 8,000 meters in Shigatse. In addition to the most famous Everest, the world's highest peak, there are also Shishapangma, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu.

It is actually not recommended to go to Shigatse in summer. You may not see anything during the summer rainy season.

Shannan

Shannan is known as the "birthplace" of Tibet, with both magnificent mountains and rivers and mysterious sacred mountains and holy lakes. It has Yamdrok Yumco, one of the "Three Sacred Lakes" in Tibetan areas, and Kula Gangri, one of the "Four Sacred Mountains".

There is also Samye Monastery, known as the first temple in Tibet, and Yongbulakang, the first palace in Tibet.

It will be very interesting to go to Shannan. How to arrange the itinerary

Generally speaking, Lhasa can be arranged for 2-3 days; then Lhasa-Ningchi-Lhasa can be arranged for 3-4 days; Lhasa-Shannan-Shigatse-Lhasa can be arranged for 3-4 days ; If you go to Ali, it will take a long time. It usually takes 10-15 days for a circular trip. If you have a holiday, go there. Tibet is an addictive place. If you don’t go there five, six, seven or eight times, you won’t be able to understand it at all. If you have never been there once, you can make arrangements next year.