The blockbuster Kora stimulates a lot of domestic tourists to make a Tibet tour in Winter

Tibet has been an ideal destination for tourists especially interested in self-driving/riding tours, adventure tours and trekking tours for a pretty long time. With the big hit of the film Kora, the Tibet dream of a lot of domestic tourists was awakened. Make a Tibet tour along the self-riding route of the leading actor in the film has been the annual plan for tourists willing to join the Tibet adventure tours.

The peculiar concept – Tibet tour in winter was introduced on the China International Tourism Trade Fair 2011. According to Tibet Tourism Bureau, making a Tibet tour in winter offers tourists the chance to enjoy a more distinctive natural landscape and thicker Tibet folk custom atmosphere though winter is widely regarded as the low season of Tibet tour. And it is researched that winter is the best season to appreciate the snow-capped mountain landscape of the high mountains in Tibet for there is high visibility.

To attract more tourists to make a Tibet tour in winter, Tibet has divided the tourism resources carefully. Tourists could choose different tour route to enjoy the fascinating ecological environment, ancient history and culture, the holy lakes and mountains, and solemn Tibetan New Year. In the film Kora, the snow-capped Namjagbarwa is always surrounded in the cloud and mist. For tourists especially interested in the real appearance of Namjagbarwa, making a Tibet tour in winter is a good choice for there is less rain and mist in this season. Nyingchi Prefecture in Tibet is of rich tourism resources, including the world famous Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Namjargbarwa Peak, Glaciers in Bome, Baksumtso Lake and Lulang Forest Sea. In addition, several solemn local festivals would be celebrated in winter. These festivals provide tourists making a Tibet tour the chance to look into the local folk customs and traditions.

Tourists planning a Tibet tour should note that the cost of Tibet tour in winter is relatively lower compared to Tibet tour in other seasons in many aspects, including the air ticket, admission ticket of the scenic spots, vehicle renting cost and hotel rooms. It is reported that there is special winter admission price in some of the cultural and natural highlights in Tibet in winter since 2011. Tourists' tour budget in winter would be lower than that in summer since there would be certain discount in the room reservation and vehicle renting due to the lower demand in winter.

The self-riding tour to Tibet in the film Kora was started from Lijiang in Yunnan Province. This rout leads to Lhasa from Lijiang via Shangri-la, Deqen, Yanjing, Mangkang, Zuogong, Basu, Nyingchi and Lhasa. Tourists making a self-driving tour to Tibet from Sichuan Province should note that the Sichuan-Tibet Highway merges with the Yunnan-Tibet highway after arrived in Mangkang in Tibet. It is reported that there would be frequent debris flow and landslide on both the Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Sichuan-Tibet Highway during the rainy season (June-August). Tourists planning a self-driving/riding tour to Tibet along these highways in winter could avoid the rainy season and would be much safer.