Chengdu Division
110 HuaYang Street,
Chengdu,
Sichuan Province, PRC.
Tel: 0086-28-85768914
Fax: 0086-28-85766217
Sales@toursoftibet.com
marketing@toursoftibet.com

What is high altitude sickness and how to prevent it?
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) refers to some symptoms one may have at high altitudes, including headache, dizziness, lethargy, loss of appetite, nausea, breathlessness, irritability and difficulty sleeping which reflect our bodies' intolerance to the low oxygen environment at high altitudes. They will generally disappear through acclimatization in several hours to several days depending on individual susceptibility.

Here are some suggestions for you to prevent it:

Altitude of Main Cities and Towns in Tibet
City Altitude (m) City Altitude (m)
Lhasa 3650 Pomi 2750
Shigatse 3836 Nyingchi 3000
Gyantse 4040 Tsedang 3500
Chamdo 3240 Tingri 4300
Amdo 4800 Shiquanhe 4300
Nagqu 4507 Purang 3700
Damxung 4200 Rutog 4250
Altitude Relevant Data
Altitude (m) Atmospheric Pressure (mB) Air Density (g/m3) Oxygen Content (g/m3) Equal to that of Sea Level (%) Boiling Point (???)
7000 420 573 133 47 77
6000 481 644 149 52 80
5000 549 719 166 59 84
4000 624 820 186 65 87
3000 707 892 206 73 90
0 1013.2 1292 260 100 100

People who have diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, serious tracheitis, bronchitis and serious heart problems or catch a serious cold, shall not come to Tibet. If you are not sure about your health condition, please consult your local doctors before traveling.

When is the best time to travel in Tibet?
Generally speaking, the best time falls from April to November. But for the valleys at lower altitude free of frigid winters and unbearably hot summers (such as Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang, etc.), you can travel at any time in the year. And during the winter time (from December to March), those places are much less crowded and become a charming white world offering you an even better scenery.

How to get in Tibet?
By air, train or by land cruiser. For the flights to and from Lhasa, please see the Lhasa flight schedule here. For the trains to and from Lhasa, please check the Lhasa train schedule here. Driving overland to Tibet will take much longer time, more money and can be very tough and sometimes even not available, especially the route from Chengdu to Lhasa.

What are the most interesting places in Tibet?
For conventional and trekking tours, the most popular places include Lhasa, Tsedang, Namsto, Gyantse, Shigatse, Tingri, Zhangmu, etc. For adventure tours, Mt. Everest and Mt. Kaillash are the most exciting areas that are easier to access to.

How to make payments to us?
The best to way to pay the deposit (usually 100USD/p.p) is via wire transfer or the money transfer of Wester Union. Both are safe and fast but the latter one seems charging less with a simpler procedure. For emergency booking, we have Paypal available for you to pay on line. And the balance can be paid in Lhasa after you arrive there. Our financial staff and your tour guide can always help if neccessary. You can pay this part by cash, credit card or by Travellers Check through the local bank.

Is it possible to use Credit Card in Tibet?
It is not recommended to use credit cards as a way of payment in Tibet. The central branch of the Bank of China in Lhasa is the only place in Tibet that offers credit card advances. You can withdraw cash in RMB from a few ATM machines which however, do not always work properly. So you are suggested to take some cash with you.

Can foreign tourists travel alone in Tibet?
At the moment, it is forbidden in most places in Tibet. To travel in Tibet, you shall either take part in an organized group or have local travel agencies to arrange for you.

How to choose a travel agency?
Local travel agencies shall be your priority. We often receive inquiries for price information from travel agencies in other cities outside Tibet which usually then make quotation to clients after adding their profit. Thus you can't get a good discount. A local travel agency can provide you the same travel service at a lower price. We live here in Tibet and have been every corner of the land while trying to develop as many wonderful tours as possible. And we have established good relationship with local hotels, restaurants, government departments, etc. You will have a worry-free tour with Tibet Tour Professional.

Are there join-in tours with you?
At the moment, we provide private tours only. But if you are interested in joining in others, please let us know. We can check our clients database to help you. We will conduct join-in tours in near future.

How can I get a lower price from you?
In Tibet, transport usually takes the biggest part of the whole travel cost. The most effective way is to have someone else traveling and sharing the cost with you. More travelers, lower price. And if you stay in guesthouses, it also can help reduce the cost greatly.

How to prepare for a trip to Tibet?
There are three most important things you shall get prepared for: intensive sun radiation, fast temperature change and high altitude sickness. For the first one, you need to have sun blocking cream of high sunlight protection factor, good sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and lip stick, etc. For the second one, you'd better prepare casual and layered clothing. And if you want to visit some remote areas at high altitude, you are suggested to take a feather coat with you. For the third, you shall prepare the cold and flu tablets, throat lozenges, Aspring, nasal desongestant, or just ask your doctor for some advices. See more suggestions about how to deal with high altitude sickness here.

And if you want to conduct an adventure tour or climb mountains, some acclimatization exercises shall be carried out in phases before traveling. You shall not get into areas at over 5000m rashly.For any other questions, please contact us directly at sales@toursoftibet.com.