Known as the “TAR”, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China is fast becoming a major tourist destination in Asia, and one of the most popular places to visit in China. A region that includes the stunning city of Lhasa, the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, and the sacred Mount Kailash, Tibet has a wealth of amazing sights to see and things to do for the discerning travelers.

All international travelers to Tibet are required to book their tour with a Registered Tibet Tour Operator, who will provide the required guide, driver, private vehicle, and required Tibet travel permits and passes. Independent travel in Tibet is not permitted, but with the help of the right travel agency, you can be sure that your trip to Tibet goes without a hitch.

Why Choose a Tibetan-owned Agency?

One of the main questions asked is “Why use a Tibetan-owned travel agency?” For everyone concerned, this is a win-win situation, and will benefits both travelers and the local Tibetan businesses. Booking through a reliable local travel agency can mean your hard-earned dollars are going to support the local tourism industry and local businesses. Many of the international travelers that come to Tibet to travel with local agencies have a better experience because of the friendly staff and expert guides, all of whom are local Tibetans.

Around 95% of the tourists to Tibet are Chinese, and mostly book their tours through the Chinese-owned travel agencies who cater more specifically to their tastes. The Tibetan-owned travel agencies tend to cater to the smaller number of international travelers. You can also find that the service from the smaller Tibetan agencies is more personal and friendlier.

Find an Agency that is Capable of Handling All Your Requirements

As you do not want to use more than one agency for your trip to Tibet, so making sure that your agency can handle everything is paramount to a good and enjoyable trip. You should also make sure that the agency you book through is not using a third party company for the tour, as you will have no recourse if things go wrong.

Check their Ability to Obtain the Required Documents

Traveling into Tibet is very different from traveling almost everywhere else in the world. International travelers to Tibet will need to follow certain guidelines and policies on getting into and around the TAR, and you need to find a travel agency that can easily manage to obtain your required Tibet travel permits and passes. Aside from getting a Chinese Entry Visa, you will also need to have several other permits in order to travel in Tibet.

The main permit is the Tibet Travel Permit, which is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa, and is required to enter the region and travel in the area of Lhasa. Then you will need to have the Alien’s Travel Permit to travel outside of Lhasa to certain areas of the TAR. Also, the Restricted Areas Permit is also required for travel to some of the mot outlying areas of the TAR, including Mount Kailash and Nyingchi. The permits are asked for in the hotels, airports, attractions, and checkpoints across Tibet, as well as the Tibet Travel Permit is required even to book tickets for the flights and trains to Tibet.

Compare the Latest Reviews of Different Tibet Travel Agencies Online

Finding the right travel agency is important when traveling to Tibet. All tours to Tibet must be booked in advance, and paid for up front, so you need to take great care in choosing a good travel agency. There are hundreds of agencies online, but not all of them are actually legitimate businesses for travel to Tibet. One of the best ways to know the reputation of a tour operator or travel agency is to check their reviews on TripAdvisor.com. One of the leading travel review websites, the reviews are all made by real travelers that have used these services and you can check and compare companies listed within the site. A good travel agency for Tibet should have a very good review score based on a large number of reviews. However, do not be put off by one or two bad reviews – nobody is perfect.

Compare the Tour Services and Listed Tour Costs

Another thing to check on is the differences in the services and tour costs that the travel agencies are giving out. What do you get for your money is important to any traveler, and you should compare the different top travel agencies for what they includes in their tour cost, such as free transport to and from the airport in Tibet, hotels and meals being included, inclusive tickets and permits (permits are not chargeable for Tibet normally), and whether their Group Tours require a minimum number of people before departing on the tour.

There are two types of tours in Tibet, Group Tours and Private Tours. Private Tours are private, with only you and your family/friends traveling in Tibet. Group Tours are also simple, and are made up from people from anywhere in the world that have booked the same tour, but are usually strangers to each other. These Group Tours often require at least 4-5 people before they will be confirmed to commence.

You should also compare the cost of the tour, and whether their terms and condition allow for that cost to change under certain different circumstances. Only the best travel agencies guarantee that the price you see on their web page is the price you will actually pay.

Check the History of the Agency

This is another concern for most travelers. It is important to ensure that the people you are booking with are experienced, friendly, have good business ethics, and a proper working relationship with their staff. Some travel agencies do abuse their staff, making them work for less than they should be paid, or deducting any tips from their pay. Look for an agency that has been around for a while, with good reviews from travelers about their staff. Most travelers that get good guides and drivers will include those facts in their reviews.

Efficiency is important when planning such a complex trip as the tours of Tibet. You should be able to work this out from initial conversations, and the best agencies will provide plenty of services for your money, including offering to book flight or train tickets to Tibet from mainland China.

An experienced travel agency should be quick to respond to queries and in emergencies, have a good team of competent staff, and make sure that both they and their guides speak English and other languages. Select the agency that is more willing to listen carefully to your requirements, and will not try to force you into a package that does not include what you require.

Overall, a good agency should make you feel welcome, comfortable with their staff, and it is important to take your time to choose the agency that is right for you. Here at Explore Tibet, we have been handling tours to the plateau for our international clients for more than a decade, and are one of only a few agencies that offer such benefits as one-man Small Group Tours (the tour will still depart on time, even if you are the only booking), and local mobile phones with 24/7 contact with our office while you are in Tibet on every tour.