How to Travel to Tibet Without a Tour

Many people often ask, “How can I travel to Tibet without a tour?” The process, while it seems difficult, is actually straightforward and a lot easier than you think.

Tibet is generally defined as Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) located in western China. While this is true, Tibet, the cultural region, extends much further into China. One can visit additional parts of Tibet in Gansu, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Yunnan provinces. These provinces, plus TAR make up what is known as the three traditional regions of Tibet: Lhasa, Kham, and Amdo. Kham encompasses parts of northern Yunnan Province and western Sichuan Province. Amdo extends into parts of Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province, and Gansu Province. Lhasa is modern-day TAR.

Essentially, Tibet as a nation was much larger historically than what the Chinese government defines as Tibet today. Kham and Amdo are no different from Lhasa other than it not being considered Tibet politically. Much of the culture, landscape, and customs is the same in all three regions.

The Chinese government and most locals do not regard the non-Lhasa regions of Tibet as Tibet, but locals in these regions speak as if you’re in another country and see themselves as distinct from China. When I checked into my hotel for the first time, the man at the front desk asked if this was my first visit in Tibet. I was a bit confused, but as time went on, I realized not a single local I engaged in dialogue with thought otherwise!

  Why Travel to Cultural Tibet?

Traveling to the cultural regions of Tibet is advantageous for 3 reasons:

1. You do not need to book a tour. Tourists in TAR (political Tibet) are required to travel with licensed tour guides the entire trip. In cultural Tibet, you can travel without a tour guide, which allows you to see what you want without restriction.
2. Some travelers argue TAR is a bit commercialized and lost its “Off the Beaten Track” essence that attracted many travelers in the past. There are way less tourists in the cultural regions of Tibet.
3. Traveling to TAR is expensive. Travelers need to pay for their tour guides, and entry permits, which can be a hassle to prepare for.

For my birthday, I traveled to Gansu province (Amdo Tibet) to visit the city of Xiahe, a small autonomous Tibetan region.

How to Travel to Xiahe?

From Shanghai, I flew into Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu. There are 5 buses daily from Lanzhou South Bus Terminal: 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 2:00, and 3:00. The ride is a little under 4 hours and costs 71 RMB.

I planned to take the bus, but I arrived at midnight and it was freezing outside. With the first bus leaving at 7:30 AM, I couldn’t afford to sit outside to wait for the first bus and was too cheap to get a hotel. I ended up paying 400 RMB ($60) and took a taxi directly to Xiahe, which wasn’t too bad considering the length of the ride.

What to See in Xiahe

Xiahe is a pretty small town and is easily accessible by foot. The highlight of this small city is Labrang Monastery of course. You can see the entire site in half a day, but I recommend you take your time and enjoy it. The site is pretty straightforward, no need for a guide or anything, just walk in and wander around the monastery.

If you stick around late, you can see a massive gathering of the monks around 5 to 6PM, which is an experience.

After exploring Xiahe, I recommend taking a day tour outside the city. I booked a day tour with Snow Mountain Adventures. The tour began around 9AM and ended around 3:30. This was the real highlight of the Xiahe region as it offered me the opportunity to see nomadic families, the scenic nature of the region, and visit some historical temples.

The tour cost about 600 RMB for the day, which is about $95. I recognize this is a bit pricey; however, the remote location of the sites make it almost impossible to visit with public transportation. You’ll need to hire a driver. If you visit Xiahe, I highly recommend you get out and see some of the remote sites, you won’t regret it!