Tibet Travel Guide

Travel to Tibet

Our destination guide aims to give you all the information you need to have an amazing experience in this amazing country. Find affordable travel and backpacking ideas with advice for amazing things to do and how you can be more than just your average traveller. You can also get recommendations for budget travel tips, where to stay and advice how to stay safe.

Get inspired to visit Tibet today!

Capital: Lhasa
Currency: Chinese Renminbi (¥) (CNY)
Country Size: 1,228,400 km2
Population: 3,002,000 (approx)
Language: Official: Tibetan, Mandarin

Top Reasons to Visit Tibet

Discover one of the most spectacular countries in the world
Some of the most friendly people in the world
Incredible sights
Untouched by globalisation
Authentic experience

Travelling & Backpacking in Tibet

Tibet is a country steeped in Buddhist beliefs with the Dalai Lama the country's spiritual leader. In 1949 Mao Zedong and his Communist movement took control of China and he had high aspirations for Tibet. In October of 1949 Chinese forces entered Tibet with the aim of liberating the country, at first everything was peaceful with Chinese politicians promising local people of a better future ahead but after encountering issues winning hearts and minds they soon changed tack with a more aggressive and oppressive approach.

In the past decade the Chinese government have built a high speed rail link into Lhasa and are offering incentives for Chinese people to move to Tibet - this is seen as a way of reducing the number of ethnic Tibetans and making the country more Chinese. In present day Lhasa, Chinese ethnic groups are more commonly found over local Tibetans. Due the the Chinese government ruling Tibet with an iron fist this country is now a fairly neutralized and tourism is restricted. Thousands of Tibetans have now left the country in search of more peaceful surroundings - many live in Dharamasala in Northern India.

Around 3 million people visit Tibet every year with most of these being Chinese tourists. This is a difficult destination to visit for independent travelers as there is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape but there are travel agenices in Asia and also international companies offering the chance for internationals to explore Tibet.