Eastern Tibet Tours

Eastern Tibet Tours FAQs & Travel Tips

• Where is Nyingchi? How to get to Nyingchi, Tibet?

  Located in the southeastern area of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyingchi is the easternmost prefecture of Tibet. Bounded to the west by Lhasa, to the north by Chamdo, to the east by Sichuan Province, and to the south by the Indian State of Assam, Nyingchi is commonly known as the Switzerland of Asia, with its stunning alpine scenery and warmer milder temperatures.

  Traveling to Nyingchi is relatively easy, and you can get flights direct from Chengdu or Xi’an, and other cities in mainland China. Alternatively, you can take the overland trip from Lhasa, Chengdu, and Kunming in Yunnan Province. It takes several days to travel from Chengdu and Kunming, following the Sichuan Tibet Highway and the Yunnan Tibet Highway. However, the route from Lhasa, which takes the new Lhasa-Nyingchi High-grade Highway, only takes around 4-5 hours, which is the fastest and easiest option of them all.

• When is the best time to visit Eastern Tibet (Nyingchi)?

  As with most of Tibet, the best time to travel to Nyingchi is normally in the spring and autumn, from April to early June and September to the middle of November. The milder climate of the area means that you have warmer weather in the early part of spring and latter part of autumn, giving you a slightly longer window for travel.

  The summer months can also be good for travel, despite it being the monsoon season in Tibet. While the lower area of Nyingchi does get a little more rain than the rest of the plateau, it really is not that much at all, reaching a high of up to 130mm or so at the wettest time of year. And with most of the rains coming in the late afternoon and evening, a light raincoat can help make the summer trip worthwhile.

  Winter can also be a good time for travel to Nyingchi, as the weather is much milder, with temperature in most of the area dropping to only around -5 degrees at night, and staying well above freezing in the daytimes. And with the bright sunshine and milder winters, this can be an amazing time to travel.

• What travel documents are needed to tour Nyingchi, Tibet?

  Nyingchi lies fully within the Tibet Autonomous Region, and therefore requires all the same travel documents as other areas of the region, plus a few more than Lhasa. The main permit you will need is the Tibet Travel Permit, which is required for entry to Tibet as well as travel in the area of Lhasa.

  For travel to Nyingchi, you will also need the Alien’s Travel Permit. This is required for travel to most of the places you can visit in Nyingchi, such as Basum-tso, Bayi Town, etc. You will also need the Military Permit for travel to some of the military restricted areas in Nyingchi, which include Pomi, Rawo-tso, etc.

  All of the permits that you need for visiting Nyingchi are obtained by us on your behalf once you have booked your tour with us. Permits cannot be applied for in person or without a pre-booked tour.

• How about the transportation inside Nyingchi?

  Nyingchi is not a large city, and travel around the area is not too hard, with decent paved roads going to almost all of the places you will visit. Travel in and around Nyingchi is normally done with your guide and driver, as you are not permitted to travel independently in the TAR. As part of your tour of Nyingchi, you will be provided with a professional tour guide and an expert driver. You will be taken to the places on your tour itinerary by the driver, and will only be able to enter most of the major tourist attractions in the company of your tour guide.

• What and where to eat in Nyingchi?

  Nyingchi is the lowest of the prefectures in Tibet, and the closest to Sichuan Province. This means, with their higher level of agriculture and the ease with which goods can be transported to the region, that you will be able to have a much wider choice of foods than in the remoter areas of Tibet.

  Many of the hotels and restaurants in Nyingchi will be able to offer you a range of cuisines, including western and Chinese cuisines. And you can also try some of the more popular local dishes from Nyingchi. These sumptuous dishes include the famous Stone Pot Chicken, Zangxiang Pig, and the strange Lhoba Grilled Mountain Rat, among others.

• What is the Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival?

  Nyingchi is the home to hundreds of thousands of peach trees, and the stunning blossoms produced by these trees cover the landscape from April to the beginning of June. For almost two months, the area is covered with the beautiful pink and lilac blooms of the peach trees, which makes the countryside even more beautiful than it is already.

  As a major event in Nyingchi, several locations hold festivals in celebration of the beauty of nature, with party-like celebrations that include such activities as archery, dancing, horse racing, and the classic operas. You can enjoy the best experiences of the Peach Blossom Festivals at Gala Village, Suosong Village, and Bome County.