Passport, visa and permits

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months or more at the time of travel and there should be enough blank pages for entry and departure seals. As your travel begins in Kathmandu, we will take care of your Chinese visa and Tibet permits application. The visa is called Group Visa and comes in a letter size paper with list of travelers and their passport info and dates of travel specified. Although, we initiate application in advance, final visa work will be done once you arrive at Kathmandu. So, please allow at least two days in Kathmandu prior your departure to Tibet. Chinese embassy consular section is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 am to 11:00 am only.
Chinese Tibetan tourism policy prohibits independent traveling in Tibet. Group visa is normally valid for the period of booked travel only and so if you plan to extend your trip in Lhasa, that should be pre-determined and specified in the application and you have to hire the service of guide for the extra days, no matter you embark on a tour or not. If you intend to travel to mainland Chinese cities after Tibet, we should indicate that in the application and we will get extra days on your visa but that will be good for traveling in mainland Chinese cities only. The entry permit comes in two original copies and Chinese immigration collects one at the port of entry and the second at the port of departure. All other necessary permits are arranged by us, leaving you worry free to enjoy the trip.

Accommodation:

The first two towns-Nyalam and Lhatse do not have tourist standard accommodation at all! You will have to adjust in guesthouses with primitive facilities. However, we will try to accommodate you in the best available accommodation. You will miss private bathroom and hot shower. Some guest houses do provide hot shower but they charge extra for using hot shower. Toilets are Tibetan style squat. Please, bring your own toiletry supplies, including toilet paper for two days. Shigatse and Gyantse have 3 star standard hotels on the top end and so we will book you in them. In Lhasa, we choose mid range hotels in Barkhor area which are 3 star standard properties, run by Tibetan or Nepali families. Hotels do have en suite bathroom and running hot and cold water but at times, hot water may not be available due to power outage. They may or may not have hair dryer, iron and ironing boards. Not all hotel staff does speak English. Please, do not compare Tibetan hotels with those in the west or in developed countries.

Food:

The trip cost includes daily breakfast only. Lunch and dinners are not included in tour cost. You can expect to spend US$ 8-10 per meal in regular tourist standard restaurants. There are wide ranges of Chinese, Tibetan, Nepali, and Indian and Western dishes served in the restaurants. You may want to bring some dry fruits, chocolates, energy bars, vitamin supplements etc.

Transportation:

In Tibet, we provide 4500 model Toyota Land cruiser. Driver and guide is not the same person. Driver may or may not speak English but he knows the Tibetan roads and has skills to fix the vehicle in case of any mechanical problems.
Guide:
You will be accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable English speaking Tibetan Guide throughout the tour. Besides guiding you on tour, your guide is also responsible in dealing with check posts and local bureaucracies and complete necessary paper works. Guide and driver are different persons.

Altitude Sickness and other health concerns.

There is no mandatory vaccination required for traveling in Tibet and Nepal 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. The main health consideration in Tibet is altitude related illness or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea and sleeplessness on the very first day at Nyalam but symptoms should go away as we advance towards Lhasa. The first couple of days, it advisable not to overly exert yourself; please drink plenty of water and have liquid food in meals. A supply of bottled oxygen is carried in the vehicle at all times should it be required. The hotels also do rent out oxygen pillows or bottles. Doctors will be available on call in case of need.
You should start some physical exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking and aerobics about several weeks ahead of the trip that keeps you fit and lessens the chance of getting altitude sickness.

Clothing/Checklist

During the day a light shirt or jumper and lightweight pants will be suitable, but a warm fleece or sweater is recommended for the evenings and mornings even during summer. Night temperatures can fall below freezing point unexpectedly.
* 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
* Rain and wind proof jacket
* Strong sun cream and lip protector
* Moisturizer
* Water bottle
* Camera (and plenty of film and spare batteries)

Note on Itinerary

Although we will do our very best to adhere to the itinerary schedule as listed; it is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control and your cooperation would be very much appreciated

Booking/Tour Deposit

When you are sure you are traveling, please don't delay in booking. The internal flights are sold out quickly and so do the hotels. We request a deposit of US$200 on land plus the cost of internal airfares at the time of booking.

Balance Payment

Balance payment is due 60 days prior to your departure. Depending on the number of applicants, we may set an early payment date. If balance of payment is not received by the requested date, we reserve the right to cancel your booking without prior notice. Credit card payment costs additional 3% fee. Payment made within 60 days prior departure must be made in cashier’s check or wire transfer.

Cancellations

• 90 days prior departure: Administrative fee US$ 50 per person.
• 60-89 day's prior departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• 45 days to 59 days prior departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• 30 days to 44 days prior departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• Less than 30 days: 100%

Highland Asia Travel

We are an active adventure travel company, based in Minneapolis, USA with destination management offices in Kathmandu, Thimphu and Lhasa. We are BBB accredited business and an active member of American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and Nepal Association of Travel andTours Agents (NATTA). We have set the standard for adventure travel and have a strong reputation for excellence that we do everything we can to maintain. Our managers and guides have more than 15 years of experience in organizing and leading adventure trips in the highlands of Asia. For us travel is not just a business, but a way of life.

Travel Protection Plan

While we plan do our best to make your trip smooth and seemless, there 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. that 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 get ill or involve in an accident when you are traveling in remote areas. Highland Asia’s Tour cost does not cover any of these expenses or losses and so we strongly recommend you that you should protect yourself and your travel investment against those unfavorable conditions.