What to Pack for Tibet Travel and Tibet Travel Necessity

Tibet is neighboring to mighty Himalayan ranges with average altitudes range between 4,000m and 5,000m, numbers of world highest peaks including Mt. Everest are located, thus it deserves the name of roof of the world or third pole of the earth. Tibet takes up about a quarter of the Chinese territory Compared to 1/500th of its population. It is such a region with extreme living conditions and a low inhabited density due to its high altitude and cold weather, snow capped mountains which can be seen throughout the plateau and most of the rivers in the Asian Subcontinent are originated from these snowmelt.

It is important to pack things for traveling before going to Tibet. Planning a trip to Tibet is just the same as any other places. However, you need to consider more factors while packing, such as remoteness and the altitude.

What to Pack for Tibet

Bags

  • A large backpack and a smaller one. The smaller one can be used for daily activities and be put into the large backpack when necessary.
  • A waist bag to put important documents and enough cash.

What to wear

  • It is advised to dress in layers that can be easily added or removed as temperatures vary greatly within a day in Tibet. 
  • Windbreaker, dark colored clothes. A down jacket(with a hat) with keep-warm clothes is necessary if you want to travel into remote areas or to have a trekking tour.
  • A pair of durable and comfortable shoes and a pair of waterproof and warm-keeping  climbing shoes.
  • If you plan to travel Tibet in July and August, you should bring waterproof clothes and rain gear.

Note: Please do not wear skirts or dresses.

What to eat and drink

Carry some dry food, nuts and power bars when you are travelling to Tibet as the towns in Tibet are far away from each other and you might feel like eating on the way even when you are driving. Always drink bottled water and carry few in the morning if you are travelling to different towns involving long journey on foot or by a Jeep. Your guide in Tibet will brief you about what you need to carry on daily basis.

Daily Necessities

  • Cotton plugs
  • A set of two towels
  • Sachets of shampoo and soap
  • Tissue paper, wet issue, toothbrush, toothpaste and comb
  • High SPF sunscreen cream, sunbonnet, sunglasses, skin cream and lip balm are necessary due to intense sunlight and dry weather.

Note: many daily necessities can be purchased in Lhasa, you do not bring all the items from where you set off.

Necessary drugs

  • Band-aids or other wound dressings
  • Multivitamins
  • Nasal ointment and throat lozenges if you are sensitive to chilly or freezing weather conditions
  • Drugs for cold, headache, stomachache, diarrhea, nausea, insect bite, altitude sickness, etc. such as Aspirin, Diphenoxylate, Prochlorperazine, Rhodiola rosea .

Important documents

  • Tibet Travel Permit, without a Tibet Travel Permit, you cannot enter Tibet. 
  • Passport
  • Chinese Visa

Note: Generally, the people with foreign passports can enter into Tibet when they get the Tibet Travel Permits. However, when people want to go to other cities, they also need other permits. For example, you need Aliens’ Travel Permit if you want to go to Mount Everest. If you want to do Mt. Kailash kora, apart from the Tibet Travel Permit, Military Area Entry Permit is also needed.

Other Items

  • A water bottle
  • A solar flashlight (in case of power cut)
  • Oxygen canisters are easily available in Lhasa. You can buy them from hospitals, hotels, downtown markets, etc. if necessary.
  • Trekking equipment (such as sleeping bag, compass and Tibet map) if you plan to have a hiking or camping tour in Tibet. For more details, please refer to Tibet Trekking Tips.

Travel light! Heavy baggage will weaken you on the plateau. But the things mentioned above are essential since Tibet is on the roof of the world and most part of Tibet is remote area.