South Silk Road--For thousands of years, only humans and horses treaded the mountains of Southwest China as they followed an ancient pathway through the Chinese hinterlands and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Along the unpaved and rugged pathway that was formed, commodities like tea, salt and sugar flowed into Tibet. Meanwhile, horses, cows, furs, musk and other local products made their way to the outside world. The road was called the tea-horse ancient road, and it stretched across more than 4,000 kilometers, mainly through Southwest China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
The ancient commercial passage first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It also experienced the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties - or a period of more than 1,200 years. The road promoted exchanges in culture and religion, and saw ethnic migration that closely resembled what was experienced on the well-known Silk Road.
Meli Snow Mountain -- towers over the scene where the world famous Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nu River flow together. It’s a gigantic snowy series of mountains, ranging from north to south. The northern section is called Meri Snow-capped Mountain, the middle section Prince Snow-capped Mountain and the southern section Biluo Snow-capped Mountain. It connects to Mount Adonggeni of Tibet in the north. It consists of a total of 13 mountains higher than 6,000 meters in elevation and known as the “13 Princely Peaks”.
Meli Snow Mountain is famous for its towering splendor and mystery. Its main peak, Kagebo, is 6,740 meters in elevation, the highest in Yunnan Province. It’s the guardian spirit of Jiajuba, a branch of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. The peak resembles a magnificent pyramid. A floating sea of clouds covers the snow capped mountain with yet another mysterious veil. It is referred to as the “god of the snow mountain” and one of the “8 mysterious mountains in Tibet”.
Service Provided:Yangtze River first bend、Gadan Songzanlin Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in live in Shangri-La
-Yangtze River first bend— The First Bend of the Yangtze lies in Shigu Town, Lijiang. Rushing down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, "the roof of the world", the Yangtze surges into Yunnan from its northwest, where it meets Lancang River and Nu River. Then, they go together through the high mountains and deep gorges of Hengduan Mountains. Rushing southwards from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yangtze is blocked by the Hailuo Cliff at Shigu, Yunnan, which makes it turn roughly to northeast, forming a rare great bay of "V" shape, which is called the First Bay of the Yangtze. According to the geologist, the Yngtze flowed southwards along Hengduan Mountains to Jianchuan and Yangbi Gorge in ancient time; later, land movement resulted in the change of the landform, which forced the river to divert, forming the turn of its flowing direction from south to east. Surrounded by water and mountains, the First Bay of the Yangtze has picturesque scenery, the river flowing slowly in the broad channel, a belt of willows growing along the bank, Yunling Mountains stretching around and enclosing it, tiers of terraced fields entwining the mountain slope, connecting with flat fields and farmhouses, which enjoys a reputation of "mini Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze)".
Gadan Songzanlin Monastery—Gadan Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, is about 5 km north of the seat of Shangri-la Old Town. It covers an area of 33.3 hectares and has 700 Lamas. The monastery was built in 1679 at this site selected personally by the 5th Dalai Lama. It took three years to build the monastery. As an imitation of the Potala Palace in Tibet, the monastery is also called “Minor Potala Palace”. The fifth Dalai Lama named it “Gadan Songzanlin Monastery”, Gadan is the Tibetan name for Tusita, the fourth of the six-layered Buddhist heavens. In 1410, Tsong-kha-ha, founder of the Gelu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, built the first monastery for Gelu Sect in Lhasa named Gadan. Songzanlin is also a Tibetan expression in which “song” means “three”, “zan” means the “playground for heavenly gods” and “lin” is “monastery”. Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty granted the name “Guihuasi” to the monastery and his brother Prince Heshuoguo also granted to it a golden plaque inscribed with “Blessings for All”.
Service Provided: Napahai Plateau Wetland—Dongzhulin Temple
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in Feilai Temple
Service Provided: Changchun green secco temple
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in MangKang
Service Provided: Yanjing
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in Mangkang
Service Provided: Ranwu Lake
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in Rwanwu Lake
-Lake Rawo-tso: The Rawo-tso, Ranwu Lake in Chinese is a perfect blending of the Swiss Alps snow peaks and glaciers and the streams in Jiuzaigou (a pretty town in central China). The Ranwu Lake, the largest in southeast of Tibet, is in the Village of Ran about 130 km from Pomi. The lake, 3,800 meters above the sea level, has a water area of 22 square kilometers. On the bus ride from the Pasho, Chamdo down the Sichuan-Tibet Highway 318, you will see a corner of the lake. This is the most dangerous highway in China.
Service Provided: To the ancient glacier,Galong Temple,The Namjagbarwa Peak;Midui Glacier;The Yarlung Zangbo River
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in Nyingchi
-Bomi:The Bomi Country lies in the neighboring area between Himalaya and Niangqing Tanggula of east Tibet.Bomi in Tibetan means grandfather , The rugged countryside is surrounded with peaks with a river valley in the heart..
- The Namjagbarwa Peak: In Tibetan, Namjagbarwa means a "long lance piercing into the sky." The sky-scraping Namjagbarwa Peak, with its majestic appearance, precipitous shape and unpredictable climate, has been an ambitious aim of mountain-climbing organizations from various countries, and was only conquered recently by a Sino-Japanese climbing team in 1992.
Service Provided: Basomtso
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch,Chinese dinner
Hotels: live in Lhasa
-Basomtso:Covering 26 square kilometers (10 square miles), the pristine waters of the green lake reflect the picturesque snow-capped peaks surrounding the lake.Basomtso lies in the Cuogao Village Gongbujiangda County, Nyingchi. It is in the valley of the upper reaches of the Ba River, 50 km from the Town of Gongbujiangda, 39.6 km from the National Highway No. 318 and 370 km from the Tibetan Capital Lhasa.
1、Tour price: You can add to cart and contact us
2、Price Inclusion
Note: We can offer you the flight tickets or train tickets in and out Lhasa from mainland china. Please check the latest price with us by email.
b. Private expense like laundry, IDD calls, drinks etc
c. Tips for the guide and driver
d. Extra expenses of additional days caused due to unexpected events (delays, porterage because of land slides and other natural events)
Tibet Travel Permits
1. Chinese Visa - you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your country;
2. Tibet Entry Permit - It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau and is a must for foreigners entering Tibet;
3. Travel Permit: It is required when you are planning to travel to the closed areas in Tibet,which you can obtain it after you arrive in Tibet
4. Military Permit - you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas.
As Tibet Going-Mad Travel 4WD Club, China Highlights is able to assist you to process all of those above documents if you book a Tibet tour with us.
Passport & Visas
All individuals entering Tibet must hold a passport valid for at least six months. If you are entering Tibet from China, Tibet Going-Mad Travel 4WD Club remind you, your Chinese visa must be valid. Only travelers with tourist visas (not business, resident or student visas) are permitted. Entering Tibet from Nepal, either by friendship highway or by air requires a separate visa valid for Tibet from the Chinese embassy in Katmandu (30-60 day visas are the normal and it normally takes 2 weeks to obtain it.). You may apply for a group visa from us (minimum of two people in a group and you must leave China with this person unless you can change the visa inside China). Continue to read Latest FAQs about China Visa
Tibet Entry Permit
Customers whose travel arrangements are made by China Highlights will receive their Tibet Entry permit from our local office in the city where they depart for Tibet e.g. Chengdu if by air, Golmud if by Qinghai-Tibet Highway. You are required to present this document when boarding the flight to Tibet. China Highlight will make all necessary arrangements to obtain the correct documentation for you if you book a tour with us.
How to apply for a Tibet Entry Permit?
Tibet Entry Permit is not available by independent travelers at the moment(at least before the Olympics). Travelers have to travel in tour group and ask their travel agent to apply it for you. Please prepare the following documents before asking your travel agent to apply permit.
1. a copy of your Passport;
2. a copy of your China visa (tourist visa);
3.Full names, gender, Date of Birth, Passport number, nationality, occupatio
Additional Requirements for F visa customers
Tibet Going-Mad Travel 4WD Club remind you, If you are F visa (business visa) holders, you are required to provide additional information to Tibet Tourism Bureau to get a Tibet Entry Permit:
1. If you are working in China, a certification in Chinese by your company in China is required;
2. If you are invited to China for business, research, lecture, scientific-technological and culture exchanges, short-term advanced studies or inter practice for a period of no more than six months, a certification by your Chinese travel agency is required.
As for the certification, you are required to provide your full names, nationality, passport number, dates of entry and exit China, and the stamps of your company or your travel agency.
Travel Permit
Whats Travel Permit?
Travel Permit, also called Aliens Travel Permit (A.T.P), is required to visit closed areas. It is issued by Foreign Affairs Section of the Local Public Security Bureau (PSB). The Law on the Control of Entry and Exit of Foreigners (Order of the President of the Peoples Republic of China (No.31), 22.11.1985, Chapter 4), says:
1. Article 20: Foreigners who hold valid visas or residence certificates may travel to places declared open to foreigners by the Chinese Government.
2. Article 21: Foreigners who desire to travel to places closed to foreigners shall apply for travel permits from local public security organs [i.e., the police].
How to apply for it?
We will assist you in applying for it after you entering Tibet. Our guide will ask you for your passport and the Tibet Entry Permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 yuan/person.
Which parts of Tibet are listed as the closed areas?
At the present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:
1.Tsetang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Changdruk Temple, Yumbulakhang
2.Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, The Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
3.Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
4.Nqari Region
5.Basumtso lake in Nyingchi Region
6.Chamdo Region
Lhasa and Nagqu regions are open to foreign travelers and no need for Travel Permit.
Military Permit
Military Permit is required if you are planning to travel some areas of Ngari, Nyingchi, and Nagqu which are regard as the military sensitive areas in Tibet. It is issued by the Military office in Lhasa and we will need you to provide your passport, Tibet permit to apply for it. It normally takes 1-2 week days and the cost is 100 yuan/person.
NOTE: This page is last updated on August 12, 2008. Please contact us for the lastest policy or share the latest news related to this if you have any good resources.
DISCLAIMER: China Highlights will try our best to arrange a Tibet permits for our customers who booked tours with us. But we are not 100% sure that you can get the permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau even you provide all of the information they need. China Highlights is not responsible for any cancellation of your Tibet tours if you are refused to get a Tibet permit by the Tibet Tourism Bureau.
Tips for applying for a China visa:
It’s better not to mention Tibet as your travel destination when you are applying for a visa to China. Because you may be refused by stating that you will go to Tibet. However, it will be much easier if you travel to Tibet after you have got a valid China visa after you entering China.
Thank you very much for coming Tibet Going-Mad Travel 4WD Club,Very honored to serve you.