How to Plan the Budgetest Tibet Tour?

Traveling for me is one of my biggest passions in life. In today’s post I want to cover the place that I always dreamed to visit and hopefully soon I will be able to do that.
Tibet tour is the hottest travel expedition in the world. Thousands of people travel here every year by Tibet Travel Agency. But being a remote area with harsh climate, high altitude, and poor transportation facilities, the cost of the trip may go higher than what you will expect while travelling to other places in China.

But there are some ways to get your tour cost reduced and make it a dream tour that fits your pocket. The best way to arrange a budgeted trip is to travel in low season where you may get up to 40% discount in the prices than what you have to pay during peak season. Also, you can use train transportation rather than fights to travel in Tibet.
Here are some ways explained in detail that can make your Tibet tour a budget tour:
Travel Tibet in winter, the off season with great discounts
The most efficient way to reduce the Tibet travel cost is to visit during off season. You may get near to 40% discount in winter as compared to peak season.  January to April and November to December are off tourist months. During this period the entire system of roadways get disturbed by heavy snowfall and thus a very few tourists visit there at that time. Due to this, the Tibetan airlines, hotels and travel agencies offer a considerable discount.

There are some other reasons also which will make your winter trip to Tibet a wonder
People usually think that it is too harsh in Tibet and is almost impossible to go there. But in reality it is not so. Tibetan winters in north are windy, cold and dry but in the central Tibet, where most of the tourist attractions like Lhasa and Tsetang are located experience calm and sunny weather. Also Shigatse and Gyantse do not receive much rainfall even though winters are going there.

Lhasa is the main tourist destination of Tibet. Situated in lower altitude, the city receives abundant sunlight that makes the weather of the place warm, i.e. above 10 degrees in day and above zero degree at night. The city has a dry climate which will not let you feel chilled. Travelling in warm sunlight also makes the tour comfortable.

You can feel the calmness of the mysterious, holy and ancient land of Tibet. Less number of tourists in winters will offer less noisy sightseeing and you can see each and every attraction without any disturbance. Also you don’t have to worry about the arrangements of entrance tickets for visiting Potala Palace and other places in Tibet. You will not be restricted to see Potala Place in just an hour. You will be allowed to see all halls, rooms and chapels to the content of your heart.
The cost of the tour is the most attractive element in the winter tour. Travelling in Tibet during winters is economical. All travel agencies, airlines and hotels implement discounts for attracting maximum tourists in off season. Low cost doesn’t mean compromise in services. Excellent services are offered and you may save up to 50% of the cost in the entire trip.
Following discounts are offered if you travel Tibet in off season:

• Entry fee to Potala Place is just half than what it is in peak season.
• Tashilunpo Monastery, Gyantse Pelkor Monastery and Yamdrok Lake offer huge discounts in winters.
• Discounts allowed by hotels are high up to 50%
• Price of each tourist vehicle is 2/3 of the price in summers.
• Airlines provide a discount from 20%-50%
• Travel agencies also offer attractive discounts.

Some travellers also worry about high acclimatization during winters. But it won’t create much problem if you move ahead with a good plan. It is good to spend two to three days in Lhasa to get acclimatized to the place.

By travelling to Tibet during winters, you will also get a chance to enjoy Tibetan festivals and understand their customs and traditions in a better way. The first festival is the Tsong Khapa festival which falls on 25th of 10th month according to Tibetan calendar. Also known as the Butter Lamp Festival, it marks the death anniversary of Tsong Khapa who as the founder of the Gelukpa Sect. Temples, streets and houses are well lit by innumerable lamps in the memory of this great reformer and religious practitioner. It is one of the most important festivals of Tibet falling in winters.
Another is the Tibetan New Year. Tibetans start the preparations of the festival from the right from the last month of the year. Tibetans paint the walls of their houses, clean the utensils and shrines, draw auspicious patterns on beams, doors and windows. They present some offerings in the name of Lord Buddha like coloured sheep’s head, snacks and fruits, butter fruits etc. The tradition as per the first day of the festival is to go to some pilgrimage like the Barkhor Street, Jokhang Temple, and the Potala Palace.

During the festival you also have a chance to visit the local families of Tibet and chat with them. His will help you to understand the customs of the place more clearly.
During winters you will see folks of pilgrims coming to Tibet for worship. The devotees come to the Jokhang Tempe and the Potala Palace by holding a butter lamp in their hands.

Another favourable reason to travel Tibet during winters is that the travel agencies are usually free. They are glad to get tourists during winters more than in summers. They offer their best services in minimum costs. They pay more attention to each and every minute detail of yours. Also there would be ample supply of tour guides in low season which will help you to compare the prices of all and make a wise decision.
Take Tibet train to Tibet
One may go Tibet through train rather than flight. Choosing a hard sleeper berth will also reduce your cost. Hard sleeper berths are also comfortable and are not as bad as the people think of them. The most basic difference between a hard sleeper berth and a soft sleeper berth is that there are 6 berths in one compartment of hard sleeper and 4 in the compartment of low sleeper. The cost of had sleeper berths is 65% than the cost of soft sleeper berths which means you can cut down your travel expense by 35% if you opt for a hard sleeper train travel.
Stay in guest houses and dine in local Tibetan restaurants
Another alternative is to choose a guest house which is cheap as compared to other similar hotels and will cost just 8-10USD for a night. You will find clean and standardised room in much economical cost. The cost may range between 15-25 USD for a night which includes breakfast also. By this way the cost will reduce down to at least 50%.

Arranging for your food on your own will make your tour a budgeted tour. You daily dinner and lunch cost near to 80-100RMB or 13-16USD for each person as in remote areas there is always a shortage of food supply and the locals charge high price for their supplied food. So it is better to arrange simple food that will cost you around 60 RMB.
All the above-stated factors will cut down your tour cost to almost half and you will enjoy this elegant tour within an economical range.

Join-in a small group tour to share costs
The next thing that could be done is to go for a group tour. Going in group will cut down your travel expenses on food, room supplements, tour guide and tourist vehicles
Travel Tips for visiting Tibet in winter
As there is high temperature difference during day and night time, as it may drop from 15 degrees in day time to as low as 5 degrees in night, so it is preferred to take a down jacket with you on the trip. It will keep you essentially warm and will also prevent frostbite.

Bome is a place in Nyingchi where the altitude of the place is very low but the oxygen content is high. Such a place is perfect to enjoy winter sights in Tibet.
The oxygen level is less in the atmosphere during winters, so it is common to face altitude sickness. The tourists must pack a medicine “Sanlietong” with them on the trip. One can purchase other medicines like Gaoyuanning, Gaoyuankang or Hoongjingtian in Lhasa.

Winter sunshine is also strong so one must wear sunglasses that will reduce the glare and ward off the snow blindness. If snow blindness persists, one should wash his eyes with water, go to some shaded area, wear the eye mask and then compress a cold towel over your eyes.
Products like lip balms, lotions and sunscreens are must to take.
Sunlight in winters is more intense than in summers. So to give a sharp contrast to the back and front of the photographed object, if one is backlighting, then flash should be used to get correct light. Best time to photograph is between 9am to 5pm.