How much does a Tibet tour cost?

Tibet tour costs differ based on four main factors which are tour operators, Tibet travel seasons, tour group sizes, and types of tours, it is common for different people to get other offers from various travel agents based on the above four main factors, so it is essential to know the Tibet tour cost factors when you plan your Tibet tour, then you will know how to keep the Tibet tour cost reasonably cheap as much as possible.

Many people think traveling to Tibet is always expensive, but generally speaking, a Tibet tour may cost a little bit more compared to other places around the world, it is just because Tibet is a vast place and it is a long drive from one destination to another, so today through this article, I will share some key tricks to keep your Tibet tour cost affordable and cheaper.

The reason why I know the Tibet tourism market and its cost factors?

My name is Sonam Jamphel, I was born and grew up in my hometown Gonkar where Lhasa airport is located. After my graduation I started my first career as a tour guide in 2002, gradually I loved the job since I have a deep passion for my own culture and history, and I felt a strong sense of pride and accomplishment when I could introduce my hometown to international friends.

In 2007, I launched my travel company website www.exploretibet.com, and started one of few Tibetan travel companies at that time, with our unremitting effort and professional skill, we have earned a great reputation and returning clients over the years, and we are very proud to be the NO.1 recommended Tibetan travel company on Lonely Planet Guidebook, Bradt Guidebook and other travel websites around the world, besides, we are one of the first Tibetan travel company that applies the idea of a group tour in Tibet.

As a local Tibetan travel company, we know our homeland and its culture better since this is the place where we grew up, we have profound knowledge of its landscape, road conditions, and travel resources, these are the core values of customizing authentic Tibet tours based on different interest, so we have all types Tibet tours that are not limited knowledge and resource of the area, we believe that only local Tibetan guides can show you, Tibet, through Tibetan eyes.

Tibet tour cost factor one: choosing a local Tibetan tour operator.

It is very important to choose a local Tibetan tour operator, because it not only saves your tour cost but you also get the authentic experiences that Tibet has to offer, by choosing a local Tibetan tour operator helps you to cut layers of service cost from intermediate operators or service providers,  so the tour quotation that you receive is direct from the first-hand tour provider and it will be the cheapest too.

Besides, by directly dealing with local Tibetan tour operators, you will get firsthand travel information as well as Tibetan travel permit updates without any intermediary. Tibet travel permit is only can be obtained by Tibet registered travel company, so if you book your Tibet tour with a tour operator located outside Tibet, then that tour operator has to find a Tibet-registered tour company to apply for the Tibet travel permit, therefore it may add up the tour cost too.

 

Tibet tour cost and experience differences factored by Tour Operator
Categories	Local Tour Operators	Non-local Tour Operators
Tibet Tour cost	Always cheaper and more reasonable	Always costlier with layers of service fees
Reliability in information	Receives firsthand information from the field	Always rely on the locals to get updated information
Tour itinerary arrangement	Reasonable and customizable based on your interest in knowing the area	Limited options limited knowledge of the area
Last minute changes	Always negotiable by directly dealing with	Need to wait for the different intermediate confirmation
Emergency effectiveness	Always as much as possible	Take longer to get to the point
Special interest arrangement	Rich in local resources to meet different interests and experiences arrangement	Always rely on the locals to meet interest
Responsible tourism practices	Support locals by using local services	Against Responsible Tourism Practices

Tibet tour cost factor two: Choose the best season for your interest.

Tibet tourism is a very seasonal industry, generally, June, July, Aug and Sept are known as the peak season, so all the hotels, flights, transportation (tourist car), guide fees, and all other costs would be the highest, also July and Aug is the summer holiday of the schools in China, so in China, most of the people choose to travel in these months, the major festivals in Tibet and Lhasa are in June to Sept, like Saga Dawa religious festival, Shoton Festival, and Harvesting festivals (also known as horse racing festivals), therefore there is more demand for the Tibet tour and it automatically raises the tour cost at highest.

Then April, May, and Oct are the shoulder seasons, the temperature is a little colder and the tour cost is comparatively cheaper, and also fewer tourists in Tibet.

Then November, December, January, February, and March are low seasons, it is also winter in Tibet and only a few tourists, but it is the best season to experience local Tibetan culture, and it is a great opportunity to interact with local Tibetans came from all over Tibet, because winter is the best season for Tibetan nomads and farmers from villages to make their pilgrimage to Lhasa and around.

 

Tibet tour cost factor three: Bigger group size will have cheaper tour cost per person.

The land transportation cost is the major part of the Tibet tour cost, so if the group size is bigger, then the bus cost will be shared among the individual tourists, and can keep the tour cost as low as possible. So the Tibet Group Tour is always will be the cheapest way to travel to Tibet, since the Tibet Group Tour is a fixed tour cost, fixed date, and fixed itinerary, you can join one of the group tours based on your interest, then the only drawback of the Tibet Group Tour is you have very limited option for the itinerary and travel dates are fixed.

If you choose to travel as a small and private tour for a family or friends, then the tour cost may be higher if the private group is small enough, but the advantage is you can customize the tour itinerary per your interest, and the travel date can be chosen as your availability.

Tibet Group Tour VS Tibet Private Tour
	Tibet Group Tour	Tibet Private Tour
Tour Cost	Comparatively cheaper	Cost higher
Travel dates	Fixed departure dates	Customizable based on your availability
Group size	Mostly less than 12 people but it is also differed for the tour operators	Any group size
Itinerary flexibility	Limited flexibility and following the pace of the whole group	Maximum flexibility and changes may be possible if needed
Experiences	Get a chance to meet with many other like-minded travelers in the group	Customize the tour itinerary with the group’s interest
Last minute changes	No possible	Always possible if needed

 

Tibet tour cost factor Four: types of the Tibet tour.

Tibet is a huge area with diverse landscapes and culture, so there are various types of tours available, for example, mountaineering tours, motorbike tours, trekking tours, hiking tours, cultural and spiritual tours, city tours, and so on, therefore mountaineering tours and trekking tours always will be expensive because it requires specialized escorts and equipment, while city tours will be cheaper because it doesn’t require special arrangement.

Important tips to travel to Tibet inexpensively.

There are always some tricks to travel inexpensively and save some money, so Explore Tibet is a local Tibetan tour company with more than 20 years of work experience in Tibet, we can share with you some important tips to travel to Tibet cheaper without influencing your tour quality and travel experiences.

1. If you are a solo traveler and happy to travel with other like-minded travelers, then it is best to choose one of the Tibet Group Tours, so all the group tours are well-designed with best-selling Tibet tours, then the departure dates are available every 3 days. All our group tours are guided by knowledgeable local Tibetan tour guides and experienced local Tibetan drivers to guarantee an authentic experience in Tibet.
2. Many travelers think winter in Tibet is very cold, but honestly speaking, winter in Tibet has a sunny climate during the day, so it is a little cold only at night and morning if you are not doing trekking or special trips, then winter is a good season as most of the nomads and villagers from every corner of Tibet choose to make their pilgrimage during the winter months, therefore during the winter months you will see more Tibetans in their traditional costumes and less tourist on the streets, then in Lhasa, Shigatse, Tsedang and other major cities in Tibet has good heating facilitated hotels.
3. It is always important to choose a local tour operator no matter wherever you travel, since the locals know their hometown best and help you to make your experience better, so when you travel into Tibet, we recommend you choose a local Tibetan travel company, it is not only save your Tibet tour cost but also provide you most reliable travel information and best itinerary as your interest.

How to choose a local Tibetan tour company?

It has been a tough job to find a local Tibetan tour company in this internet-dominated world, there are thousands of non-local companies and individuals’ websites showing up as a local Tibetan tour company online, even some agents even given them a Tibetan pretending to a local Tibetan company, but in fact, they are based somewhere in mainland China and operating everything from there by using a local Tibetan company services in Tibet.

1. You can check the website about us section to check their company information as well as the company founder and its team members, so it is very important to check the company founder’s autograph, the local Tibetan companies always use their Tibetan team in Tibetan costume, also from their autograph, you will easily know where they born and how long they have worked in the Tibetan industry.

FYI: some non-local Tibetan companies also put some Tibetan guide names and photos just to pretend as local Tibetan companies, so better check who is the founder of the company.

2. Check their company registration license, then easily know whether the company name on the license and the website name are the same or not, the business certificate (in Chinese Jingying Xuhezheng) has the company name both in Chinese and English.

FYI: many non-local companies use a local registered company license to show up as a Tibet-registered company. All the Tibet-registered company names start with Tibet.

3. Company address if it is in Tibet or not.
4. Lonely Planet guidebook and other reliable guidebooks have a special section in which they have a hand-picked list of local Tibetan tour companies.