Tips for Travel to Lhasa

Visitors love Lhasa for many reasons. Its blue sky and mysterious culture are of great attraction for tourists in different corners of the world. Lhasa acts as the collection and distribution center of Tibet tourism. Most tourists both at home and abroad would start and ends their Tibet tour at Lhasa. In a world, Lhasa plays important role in the tourism development on Tibet Plateau.

Generally, summer and autumn are regarded as the best seasons for travel to Lhasa. The mild climate and pleasant temperature are the deciding factor for tourists visiting Lhasa in these seasons. In addition, the traditional festivals celebrated in these seasons allow tourists to explore into the unique folk customs of local Tibetans. Last but not least, the road condition to the scenic spots around Lhasa City is much better in the warm season and it is safer to visiting the faraway scenic spots, such as Lake Namtso.

The number of tourists travel to Lhasa in the winter season keeps increasing in recent years due to the introduction conference regarding the Tibet tour products in winter held in a series of domestic cities. Tourists visit Lhasa in the winter season rather than the summer season for many reasons. Firstly, the number of visitors in Lhasa is much less in winter compared to that in the summer and it is easier to get an admission ticket of the highlights in Lhasa. Secondly, Lhasa is much warmer than some other domestic cities in northern China under the warm sunshine. Thirdly, the celebration of the Tibetan New Year Festival in winter presents visitors a grand culture feast.

In consideration of the strong ultraviolet radiation on Tibet Plateau all year around, sun-blocking equipments, including sunglasses, sun-blocking cream and sun bonnet are necessary whenever you are traveling to Tibet. Besides, lipstick should also be prepared to protect your lips from the strong wind and dry air in Lhasa.

The period between July and September is the rainy season of Lhasa Area. The road condition of the roads to the counties and towns around Lhasa would be relatively poor on the rainy days. Therefore, tourists are strongly suggested to pay necessary attention to the real-time weather forecast before heading to the spot. At the same time, tourists planning to travel to Tibet in July and August don't need to be over worried about the weather condition for the rainfall only happens frequently in the night. Enough clothes should be prepared to cope with the changeable climate on Tibet Plateau. Basic rain-proof equipments should be prepared for tourists planning to camp in the wild on Tibet Plateau.

Tourists making a self-help tour to Tibet via Zhangmu Port and Kashgar are strongly suggested to choose a vehicle with required licenses in consideration of safety. There are many taboos in the monasteries and tourists should always respect the local traditions and never violet their taboos. In addition, tourists enthusiastic in photographing should note that cameras are forbidden in certain areas in the cultural sites on Tibet Plateau.