Trip Includes
- Mid-range hotel in Lhasa, guesthouse in Namtso Lake, and rest of the places tented camping.
- Daily breakfast in Lhasa and full board during trekking.
- All transfers and sightseeing by a van and support truck for gears and supplies for group size four persons and above.
- All camping gears that include sleeping tents, dining tents, kitchen tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows, etc.
- Service of English speaking tour guide and cook. There will be additional helpers provided for a group of 4 persons and above.
- Pack-animals for gears and supplies.
- Tibet travel permit and all admission permits.
Trip Does Not Include
- Lunch and dinner during a hotel stay.
- Drinks, tips, and other expenses of personal nature such as laundry, telephone, etc.
- Airfares into and out of Lhasa.
- Airport taxes.
- Extra expenses due to nature and unforeseen events.
- Travel insurance.
Chinese Visa and Tibet Permits
Chinese visa and Tibet Permits are not that complicated as they sound to be. If your travel begins in Nepal, we will have to pre-process your visa application, but we will do the final visa work in Kathmandu upon your arrival. We will take care of all the visa works. If your travel begins in Bangkok or Hong Kong or any mainland Chinese cities, all you have to care about is obtain a Chinese visa on your own. You can do it from the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate in your come country. And provide us a copy of it about a month before your travel. Then, leave the rest of the things to us.
Accommodation in Tibet
Lhasa has some choices on accommodation, but we pick mid-range Tibetan managed properties located in the Barkhor area. We use Gyangyen, Denkang, Dhood Gu, Tibet Gorkha Hotel, and Yak Hotel, which are 3-star standard properties with a private bathroom. We will have en suite bathrooms with running hot and cold water. Hot water may be available for certain hours of the day only and sometimes also disrupted by a power outage. For trekking, we provide complete camping gears that include two persons sleeping tents, kitchen tent, dining tent, toilet tent, camping chairs, and tables. There will also be mattresses and kitchen utensils. On request, we can also provide sleeping bags, but usually, we recommend bringing your own.
Meals
Our tour features breakfast only when you are in the cities. Breakfast can be western or Chinese or Tibetan style. There are choices of restaurants in the cities serving western, Chinese, Indian, and Nepali dishes. You can expect to spend US$ 8 -10 per meal in regular restaurants. Meals in hotels can be expensive. During trekking, there will be a special cook and some helpers (depending on group size). They will prepare three tasty, plentiful and nutritious meals daily with a variety of local and Western dishes. At the start of the day, breakfast consists of a choice of porridge, muesli, and cereal, followed by omelet, fried, or scrambled eggs with chapattis or bread. Lunch is generally a selection of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta, and traditional foods. After a long day on the trail, dinner is a hearty 3-course meal - soup, followed by a variety of vegetables, meat, rice, and pasta dishes and completed with a simple dessert.
There will also be tea, coffee, and hot chocolate provided at all meals. We use as much fresh produce as possible, and our cooks and kitchen crew maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness and food preparation hygiene. They can always cater to special dietary requirements, if any.
Besides, it's advisable to bring on your own some dry fruits, energy bars, chocolates, supplement vitamins, etc. to eat on the way.
Guide and Crews
Right upon arrival at Lhasa airport, you will meet by your guide, who will accompany you throughout the trip. We pick knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible guides who are also recommended by our former clients. The guide, besides working as an interpreter and giving a valuable insight into the Tibetan way of life, he helps you check in the hotel, co-ordinates with drivers and other crews. And the guide also deals with local bureaucracies as and when required. Your guide carries all necessary vouchers and documents needed in connection to your trip. On trekking trips, besides guides, there will be a special cook and additionally helps depending on group size and animal drivers. The crews are responsible for setting up and breaking down camps. We do use pack animals (Yaks or ponies) to transport the gears and supplies during trekking. The drivers and animal drivers do not speak English, but you will be impressed by their sense of hospitality and service.
Transportation in Tibet
Rehabilitation works are going on in Tibetan roads. So, at times, it can become quite rough and impassable for many vehicles, so, for this reason, we use Land cruiser 4WDs (Toyota 4500). These vehicles are incredibly reliable and will make the journey as comfortable as possible. As for the trekking trips, depending on the duration of the trip, we might require to hire additional vehicles, usually, a truck to transport gears and supplies to the trailhead and again bring them back from the finish point. As road condition is not so good, we might come across flat tires or other mechanical issues. But the driver will fix it while you are engaged in capturing the scenes. Usually, we drive 6 hours on average, stopping along the way for photography or places of particular interest and also stop for tea and snacks and lunch and arriving in the destination by 4 or 5 pm.
About our Trekking Trips in Tibet
Our qualified and experienced crew from Tibet fully cateres our all trekking trips. Depending on group size, we may also hire professional Nepalese Sherpa Crews, who are well renowned for organizing trekking trips. We hire English speaking Tibetan Guide for all our trips. But on large expeditions, there will also be a Nepali Leader who will be responsible for controlling the trekking arrangement part.
A typical trekking day begins with a hot cup of tea or coffee served at your tent early morning. You are provided a bowl of hot water for washing. You will pack up your stuff and appear in the breakfast table by 7 or 7.30 am. We leave the campsite usually from 8 to 8.30 am for days trekking. Porter carries your luggage or pack animal. And all you need to take is a small daypack containing a water bottle, camera, sun cream, hat, rain-jacket, and a warm jumper, just in case. The afternoon's walk is generally shorter, and we arrive at camp in time for a nice cup of tea. You can spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring the nearby villages, doing a bit of washing, or simply relaxing with a good book. Or give hands to the kitchen crews to add your taste. You will have dinner usually between 6 and 7 pm, and after dinner, the evening is often spent playing cards or talking with the crews. If it’s a large group, the crews might take the initiative in singing and dancing before turning into the tent for a well-earned sleep.
Health concerns
There are no mandatory vaccinations required to travel to Tibet. But you may consider vaccination against rabies, and Hep A. Travelers with cardiac-pulmonary issues or any other medical conditions are recommended to consult their physician before you sign up a trip to Tibet. The primary health consideration in Tibet is altitude-related illness or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience some mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea, and sleeplessness, but these should lessen within a few days. We also carry a Portable Altitude Chamber (PAC) on all our Tibet treks. We also carry basic first aid kit, but it’s good to bring your own as well. Doctors will also be available on call.
Based on our experience, less than 1% percent of our clients got altitude sickness, but that was nothing serious. In case of a severe illness or a casualty, which generally does not happen, a land cruiser shall drive you to the nearest Nepal border or flown out of Lhasa. We recommend that you bear valid travel insurance covering emergency medical transportation.
You should start some physical exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking, and aerobics about several weeks before the trip. It helps you keep fit and lessen the chance of getting altitude sickness. You should have a good sleep the night before you fly to Lhasa and take complete rest on the first day. It's also advisable to drink 3-4 liters of water daily and consume liquid food.
Best Time to Trek in Tibet
You can undertake trekking trips from April through late October, May, June, September, and early October are the best periods. High Himalayas block the monsoon cloud, and Tibet is generally dry, but still, there is some chance of rain during July and August. Trekkers must be prepared for the extremes in climate, even in the middle of the summer. Weather can change very quickly and unexpectedly. Night temperatures at 4500m (14,760 ft.) and above can fall below freezing even in July and August, and it’s very much windy on high passes.
Clothing
During the day, a light shirt or jumper and lightweight pants will be suitable, but we recommend a warm fleece or down jacket for the evenings. Below are the general clothing and equipment list for trekking in Tibet.
- Down jacket or warm fleece top.
- Thermal underwear (top and bottom).
- Cotton shirts (short and long-sleeved).
- Warm and cotton trousers.
- Sun polarized sunglasses.
- Beanie or warm woolen hat and gloves.
- Scarf (to keep out dust as well as cold).
- Sandals (flip-flops).
- Towel.
- Sleeping bag (for camping/trekking).
- Rain jacket.
- Potent sun cream and lip protector.
- Moisturizer.
- Water bottle.
- Camera (and plenty of films and spare batteries).
Tour Deposit US$ 300
Balance Payment
Balance payment is due 90 days before departure. A payment schedule may vary with customized and private trips on case to case basis. If your trip involves internal airfares or train tickets, we may have to purchase the tickets within the deadline given by the airlines. So we may request you the cost of the ticket along with the tour deposit.
We must receive a notice of cancellation and refund request in written form.
Cancellation Fee
- Ninety-day prior departure, US$ 150 admin fee.
- Sixty-Eighty-nine days before departure US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Forty-five-Fifty-nine days before departure US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Thirty-Forty-four days before departure US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
- Cancellation received less than Thirty days attracts a 100% cancellation fee.
Some suppliers, including airlines, may have their cancellation and refund policies, which will supersede Far & High’s Cancellation Policy to the extent of their difference.
Travel Protection Plan
We plan and do our best to make your trip smooth and seamless. But there still may be chances of unforeseen events and conditions such as illness, accident, inclement weather, and flight cancellation or missed connection or loss of baggage, etc. It may cause interruption or delay or total cancellation of your trip, putting your hard-earned travel investment in jeopardy. It’s also possible that you may need medical assistance, emergency evacuation, or medical transportation when you are traveling in remote areas. Far & High’s Tour cost does not cover any of these expenses or losses. So we strongly recommend you that you should protect yourself and your travel investment against those unfavorable conditions.
