Why Travel to Tibet: Top 10 Reasons to Visit Tibet Once in Your Lifetime

Tibet remains unknown to the world until the beginning of the 20th century. The massive and snowy land has exerted an awesome draw on travelers and adventurers ever since.

As a unique and mysterious area, Tibet is always there waiting for travelers who wants to know more about it. Its majestic scenery, mysterious and exotic religious culture and wonderful people reward every tourist with an indelible lifelong memory.

So, when it comes to why travel to Tibet, there are countless reasons. Here we list 10 top reasons why you need to visit Tibet once in your lifetime.

1. Appreciate Breathtaking Nature Landscape Unique to Tibet

With a huge rise of elevation from hundreds of meters to 8844 meters, Tibet is endowed with a unique matchless scenery on its land. There are snow mountains, lakes, glaciers, forests, canyons, grasslands, wild animals, etc... Every mountain and lake in Tibet are inhabited by Buddhas in Tibetan belief.

Lake Namtso

Namtso means “Heaven Lake”in Tibetan. It is the second-largest lake with an elevation of 4718 meters in Tibet, covering an area of over 1,920 square kilometers. Wonderful things to do is to enjoy the stunning sunrise and sunset here.

Lake Manasarovar

Manasarovar means“Invincible Lake of Jasper”in Tibetan. It covers 412 square kilometers, at 4588 meters above sea level. This lake attracts tourists not only because of its beauty, but also because it is the oldest and most holy place of the Bon religion, Indian Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Nyingchi

Peach blossoms, canyon, Lulang Forests are quite famous in Nyingchi Prefecture. The elevation of this area is lower compared with other places in Tibet. Tourists can get more easily to acclimatize the altitude. The natural scenery attracts many Chinese and Asian travelers as well.

2. Visit Distinctive Holy Monasteries and Temples of Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan culture is quite different from traditional Chinese culture. Tourists can feel the communication and conflict of civilization here. Local Tibetan people are very devout and are willing to continue to follow their traditions to live. Their life and religion are interwoven.

Temples and monasteries are everywhere in Tibet. Wherever there are human beings, there are temples and monasteries. Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and Drepung Monastery are the 3 most famous Temples in Lhasa.

Tashilhunpo Monastery is the most popular one in Shigatse. And there is Samye Monastery is in Tsedang. Even at Everest Base Camp, there is Rongbuk Monastery. Tourists can feel the real Tibetan culture in the temples.

3. Adventure in Various Trek Routes to Discover the Best of Tibet

People who like outdoor sports often like trekking. They love the pleasure of discovering and adventure. In Tibet, hikers can find various trekking routes.

Ganden-Samye Trekking

The route from Ganden Monastery to Samye Monastery connects the two greatest masters of Tibetan Buddhism, master Tsongkhapa, and master Padmasambhava. Therefore, it can be called a meaningful pilgrimage route, and it is a traditional route with beautiful scenery and changeable terrain.

There are no too dangerous sections along the road, and the terrain slopes gently. Besides, there are a few branch roads. It should be a relatively easy route, however, it is over 3600 meters above sea level, tourists should spend a couple of days to acclimatize in Lhasa before to start the trek.

Gama Valley Trekking

In the last century, Gama Valley was praised as one of the“top 10 landscapes in the world” by American and British explorers. This trekking route is in the Everest Nature Reserve, and mysterious Sherpas are living here.

There are also many rare wild animals and shocking scenery. The route has a changeable climate, high altitude, few people, and is extremely difficult. But this is why many people want to be here to conquer.

4. Witness the World’s Highest Peak - Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the main peak of the Himalayas and the highest mountain in the world. It is located on the border between China and Nepal. The north face of Mt. Everest is in Tibet, China, and the south face is in Nepal.

Visitors can visit Everest Base Camp to get close to Mt. Everest. Everest Base Camp is 5200 meters above sea level. This is the nearest place to the peak of Everest for regular visitors. People can enjoy the sunrise at Rongbuk and take pictures of the highest peak in the world.

5. Visit the World’s Highest Palace - Potala Palace

Potala Palace is located on Maburi Hill (also called Red Hill) northwest of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is a grand building with the highest altitude, which integrates palaces, castles, and monasteries. It is also the largest and most complete ancient palace building complex in Tibet.

At the beginning of the 7th Century, the King of Tibet Songtsen Gampo built Potala Palace on the Red Hill to celebrate the wedding with Princess Wencheng from Tang Dynasty. From then on, Potala Palace was the winter palace of the Dalai Lama of all dynasties.

It was also the center of the unification of the politic and the region. As a holy palace for Tibetan Buddhism followers, it attracts thousands of visitors and pilgrims every year. Visitors can find many pilgrims around Potala Palace doing Kora.

6. Pilgrimage to the Center of the World - Mount Kailash

Mt. Kailash can not be ignored when people talk about the sacred mountains in Tibet. It was recognized as the center of the world by Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon, and Jainism at the same time. A continuous stream of pilgrims from India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other Tibetan Regions of China every year makes the holy status of Mt. Kailash keep improving and deepening.

Darchen is a start and destination for Mt. Kailash Kora trek. Around something with religion, turn a circle, Tibetan called it a Kora. It is said that people can clear their sins of the previous life to do one Kora, and can avoid the pain of reincarnation to do ten Koras, and can turn into a Buddha to do 100 Koras.

People can increase their merit and virtue by 12 times by doing the Kora in the Tibetan year of the horse, which is equivalent to 13 Koras in another year. Because the founder of Buddhism Sakyamuni was born in the year of the horse.

7. Experience Wonderful Tibetan Festivals and Celebrations

There are more than 100 Tibetan festivals, large or small, covering all fields of regions, agriculture, and food. All of them are based on the Tibetan calendar. Most festivals are affected by Tibetan Buddhism.

Here are some important festivals: Tibetan New Year, Lamp Festival, Shoton Festival, Saga Dawa Festival, and Tibetan Horse Racing Festival, etc. Each of them is in a different month. Tourists can choose a proper month to take a festival tour in Tibet to experience the local culture in deep.

8. Meet Hospitable Local Tibetan People

Besides breathtaking high-altitude lake scenery, stunning views of the world’s highest mountains, and fabulous Buddhist monastery sights, it offers one of the most likable people you will ever meet. The people here are very devout.

You see them circumambulating their sacred places, like the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace, to accumulate merit. You see them doing prostrations in front of the Jokhang - they might have a goal of doing a couple hundred thousand prostrations in their lifetime as part of their attempt to reach greater enlightenment.

But perhaps the most wondrous is how you see Tibetans continuously in prayer as they are walking down the street or sitting on the park bench, spinning their prayer wheel, running their fingers over their prayer beads, their lips constantly moving as they chant Om Mane Padme Hum.

9. Enjoy Tasty Tibetan Food Unique to the Plateau

Because of its high altitude, Tibetans have their unique food structure and eating habits. There are many special foods only available on the plateau, such as Butter tea, Dried Yak meat and mutton, Sweet milky tea, Tibetan Yoghurt, Tsamba, and Barley wine, etc.

Tibetans are the most favorite tea drinkers in China, tea-houses, and Tibetan restaurants all over the streets are places where people can drink tea. Butter tea is made up of butter, salt and tea, and sweet milky tea is made up of sugar, milk, and black tea. If you want to deeply feel Tibet’s unique way of life, you cannot miss these tasty foods.

10. Get to Tibet via Convenient Train or Flight

Tibet is in the southwest of Qinghai Tibet Plateau in China. Foreign visitors usually mistakenly thought that Tibet was a very remote and bitter place, and the traffic is inconvenient. But in fact, the traffic is quite convenient. Tourists can choose to get to Tibet from mainland China or Nepal.

From mainland of China, there are many flights and trains per day. Recently, foreign travelers even can choose to go to Tibet by land from Sichuan, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. From Nepal, tourists can go to Tibet by air or overland.

Conclusion

Tibet shows many different faces: mountain landscapes, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan culture and customs, unique Tibetan way of life, and friendly Tibetan people. You can find a quiet spot in a prayer hall full of chanting monks, experience an unforgettable Tibet trekking, or make an epic Nepal-Tibet overland trip along some of the world’s wildest roads. The adventure and highlights are limitless in Tibet.

For your convenience, we offer kinds of Tibet tours to meet different needs. We also provide professional trip advisors who can help you with your questions, customize your ideal trip. Contact us now for your lifetime journey to Tibet.