Tibet travel safety: Is it safe to travel to Tibet?

With breathtaking landscapes, atmospheric monasteries, massive historical sites, and unique folk customs, travel to Tibet has become more and more popular among tourists from home and abroad. However, as a remote and seldom accessed area with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters, travel safety has become one of the main obstacles for travelers to plan their tour in Tibet. Till now, we still are frequently asked by our clients if it is safe to travel to Tibet. If you are one of them, the tips here can be useful for you to plan your Tibet tour.

Honestly speaking, Tibet is probably one of the safest places to travel in the world, its crime rate is even lower than many other regions/cities in China. Almost all Tibetans are devout Buddhists who believe good deeds will accumulate merit in their next lives, this religious belief plays a very big part in guiding their social behaviors and morals. Besides, plain-clothes police officers are everywhere in Tibet to protect locals and tourists, and even some monks and monastery officials work for the security services, hence, it’s very safe to travel to Tibet in this aspect.

Violent crimes against foreign visitors have not been reported yet. Stealing and pickpocketing rarely happen in Tibet, but you should be aware of the crowded places, even it is very rare to see that locals will assault your personal items. In addition, you should pay attention to the ATM scams, the fake ATMs set up by the criminal gangs will swallow your bank card and won’t return your card. It is much safer to withdraw the cash from the ATM machines located in banks, not those located on the streets.

It can be easy to avoid natural disasters if you make a trip to Tibet at the right time. Generally, the best and safest months to travel to Tibet are from April to June and September to November. The weather of these months is very stable with lots of sunny days and very little rainfall as it is not affected by the northwest cold current and southeast monsoon.

The monsoon season of Tibet is July and August, which receives the most rainfall of the year. The torrential rainfall can occur occasionally during this period, making there can be cases of sudden landslides or roadblocks in the mountain areas of Tibet, especially the road from Shegar to Gyirong can get distorted during rainfall. In winter, natural disasters do occur at the mountain area with high elevation, as it is common to encounter a blizzard and excessive snowfall in these areas. However, either the occasional torrential rainfall in summer or the blizzard in winter can happen, but they will not ruin your vacation in any way, hence, it is generally fine and safe to travel to Tibet all year around.

While traveling Tibet, especially exploring remote monasteries or villages on foot, you do need to watch out Tibetan dogs/mastiffs. In the past, there were reports about travelers being bitten by Tibetan dogs/mastiffs. It can be easy to see dogs roaming around Tibet, they usually run wild and live on the streets. The dogs found around temples and monasteries are generally tame and will not attack you. At remote homesteads or nomad encampments, you should be careful about the powerful and aggressive Tibetan mastiffs which are the guard dogs for both the herds and the families and can be very dangerous animals, however, once they get familiar with you, they will be very friendly and loyal to you. Hence, it is highly recommended to travel with a walking pole or stick if possible, avoid walking alone, and try to walk with a group of travelers, together with your guide and driver.

Some political turmoil used to happen in Tibet in the past, such as the full-blown riot that occurred in 2008 in Lhasa, hence, Tibet has been portrayed as a hotbed for civil revolt and disagreement by Western popular media, however, this political strife rarely takes place in Tibet. If unfortunately, you meet it, the safest way is to stay at your hotel. If things get really worse, the local authorities or your embassy will organize emergency flights/trains for you to be out of Lhasa.

While traveling to Tibet, tourists should always bear in mind that Tibet is a very tightly controlled place. You should avoid bringing materials or images which will contradict or disturb the national unity and the public peace including pictures of the Dalai Lama, publications by the Dalai Lama, Tibetan flags, and anything construed as pro-Tibetan political activity as they will be taken away from you. At the same time, you still need to be careful about what you say and whom you will talk to, usually, any topic that you want is fine to talk about among your family or friends in your group, but you should avoid trying to enrage the public or engage them in a line of sensitive political questions.

Reputed as the paradise of photography, Tibet is a distinctive place bringing you with unique rewards by its breathtaking landscapes, atmospheric monasteries, historical and cultural relics, Buddhism-rooted folk customs, and friendly and hospitable Tibetans. No way is better than photographing in Tibet to record every single unforgettable moment and capture the stunning views of this sacred land, but make sure that you fully understand where and when you can point your camera to.

While visiting the monasteries, before shooting, it’s advisable to ask your guide about if it is ok to take pictures of, as in some monasteries, it is offensive to take photos inside, especially take photos of the Buddhist statues in the shrines. In some monasteries, you should pay a certain amount of money to photograph inside. Furthermore, if you want to take photos of the local Tibetans, you should ask for their permission first, especially in the remote areas, people believe that it is inauspicious to have their photo taken. Apart from this, before photographing the military sites, strategic points, government buildings with your camera lens, please make sure to check with your guide first to see if it is permissible to shoot.

1. Should I be afraid of high altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness)? 

Regarded as the roof of the world with an average altitude over 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), honestly speaking, it’s really common to suffer from one or more symptoms of high altitude sickness for newcomers when traveling there. What matters is more of how to handle it than afraid of it, hence, there is no need to panic as long as you have comprehensively prepared for it. Follow our travel tips of ‘How to avoid high-altitude sickness in Tibet’ to make full preparation.

2. Is it safe for SOLO travelers to travel to Tibet?

Safety is one of the major concerns while traveling to a foreign land. There is some risk to travel alone anywhere in the world, in some places even more dangerous, especially for female travelers. However, when making a Tibet tour, you don’t need to worry about it even if you are a solo traveler, as international travelers are not permitted to travel independently there, they are required to travel with a tour guide, driver, and private vehicle organized by one of the registered local travel agencies. The tour guides used in Tibet tours are registered tour guides who have been professionally trained specific to their job. And it is safe to travel with them.

If you are still unsure about the safety of traveling alone with a guide and driver, then you may choose to join our popular small Tibet group tour, which has a maximum of 12 tourists in the group offering you more feeling of security. Apart from security, joining a group tour has more benefits including money-saving, making friends with travelers from all over the world, etc.
 

3. Is it very risky for pregnant women to travel to Tibet?

Without a doubt and dispute, for pregnant women whose expected date of childbirth is very near, it is very dangerous to travel to Tibet. However, usually, for those less than 4 months’ pregnant, it is still possible to do a specially designed private and leisure tour in the lower altitude places of Tibet, like Lhasa and Nyingchi, of course, we would suggest the expectant mom and dad should come together, and make sure to be pre-prepared with many precautions. If the situation of the pregnant woman becomes not good, you will be arranged to fly to a place/city at a lower altitude such as Chengdu, Xi’an, Kathmandu, etc. quickly.

4. Is it safe for young children and elderly people to travel to Tibet?

Honestly speaking, for those parents traveling with young children, the children need to be at least 3 years old and can communicate in the language. If feasible, it is generally recommended that the children have reached their age of 8 before traveling in Tibet, as they can share their physical reactions and feelings completely and accurately with us by communication, in addition, they can better understand and listen to the precautions and guidance of us. Please read our 'Useful tips for traveling Tibet with kids' for more details.

For elderly travelers, it is certainly possible for them to travel to Tibet, but prior to the trip, please make sure to consult your doctor for advice and take a full physical examination to check your physical fitness. During your trip, you should always pay close attention to your physical condition and reaction to high altitude. More tips, please follow our ‘Tips for senior travelers in Tibet’.

For young children and the elderly, we always recommend them to travel with your family and take a special-designed private tour rather than a group tour, you should avoid the trip being very strenuous or too tough, make sure to keep the itinerary more accommodating and flexible.

5. Is the local food/tap water clean enough to eat/drink?

This is a very good question, well, the cleanness of food in Tibet and many other remote areas of China is always an issue, food in those places may not clean enough. Besides, different regions and places have different food and restaurant standard, even quality Chinese/Tibetan/Nepal/India food can be found in Tibet, especially in bigger cities such as Lhasa (check out the 9 best restaurants in Lhasa for decent food), Shigatse, and Nyingchi, but quality restaurants may not be able to find in other remote towns or villages. Alongside, you should always bear in mind that the tap water in Tibet is undrinkable, you should always avoid drinking tap water directly.

6. If I get sick, what should I do?

Wherever and whenever you travel, it’s important to keep healthy during your trip. We do expect that you will have a smooth travel time in Tibet, however, if there is something going the opposite direction, for instance, if you feel sick, please share your symptoms with your guide and driver instantly to seek help. Your guide will give you some suggestions based on your symptoms, visit a pharmacy or clinic/hospital. If the situation gets more serious which doesn’t allow you to continue your trip, you may need to alternate or cancel your trip immediately and fly out of Tibet. 

7. Do you recommend medicines or first-aid Kits for my Tibet travel?

Traveling in such a remote area at high altitudes, it is highly recommended to carry a well-supplied first-aid kit including the must-need medicines, such as high-altitude medicine - Diamox, cold and flu tablets, diarrhoea, and dysentery medicines, etc. for emergency care. However, as you may know, we are not doctors, we would highly recommend you to seek more reliable advice and professional medical support from your doctor to prepare your first-aid Kit prior to the trip.

8. Are the road condition and tour vehicle safe for Tibet Travel? 

With the rapid development of Tibet’s economy and tourism, the roads in Tibet have been significantly improved in recent years and its condition is far better than decades ago. Right now, most of the travel routes’ roads are with great condition and well-paved with asphalt. In the past, only 4WD vehicles were able to access most of the roads, but nowadays, tourist vans and buses have become many travelers’ choice to travel in Tibet. Furthermore, as Tibet is a place with different topography and landform from low altitude to high altitude, making its road condition complicated, however, different driving speed restrictions are set in different sections of roads to ensure the safety of travelers. As there are lots of mountain roads in Tibet and travelers’ safety is our top priority, to ensure our clients’ and drivers’ safety and comfort, the trip that we designed for them is not busy with many stops on the way to stretch their legs and doesn’t need to drive long hours a day.