措美湖边的牦牛

西藏 (藏文བོད་, Bod, 普通话: 西藏, Xīzàng), officially known as Xizang Autonomous Region, is sometimes described as the "roof of the world"; the entire region is on a high plateau and there are many large mountains. The area has its own unique culture, and most travellers will find some of the plants, wildlife and domestic animals quite exotic as well. When you enter Tibet you will feel as though you've found an entirely different world.

Politically, Tibet is part of 中国, one of five autonomous regions for minority ethnic groups. There is an active independence movement and even a government-in-exile headed by the former ruler, the Dalai Lama. For discussion, see the Understand section below. Travellers who disagree with the current political situation may think they have an ethical dilemma because if they go to Tibet they feel they are implicitly supporting the Chinese regime, with some of their money going to the Chinese authorities. However the Dalai Lama encourages foreigners to go, so that they can see the situation for themselves and because Tibetans welcome their presence.

Tibet is becoming a more and more popular travel destination among the Chinese themselves. Many Chinese are attracted by the natural scenery of Tibet and claim that they "must go to Tibet once in their life", and some people think that going to Tibet can purify their mind.

地区

西藏自治区有七个地区

拉萨 西藏旅行的主要起点。包括首府 拉萨。

昌都 西藏第三大城市的所在地，拥有世界上一些最壮丽的山脉。

Nagqu 这里地域偏远，人口稀少，是藏历马术节的举办地，这是藏族文化中最盛大的节日之一。

阿里 该地区地处喜马拉雅山脉，是一个广阔而多山的地带，拥有被印度教和佛教视为神圣的冈仁波齐峰。

林芝市 南部与 印度东北部 的一部分接壤，拥有中国一些最美的景色。这里有一些被佛教、印度教和耆那教视为圣地的景点。

山南 这里有几处历史悠久、保存完好的古迹。

日喀则 西藏通往 南亚 和外界的主要门户。对于从 尼泊尔 驾车进入中国的人来说，这是一个绝佳的目的地。

藏族自治区以外的几个地区在文化上与西藏十分接近；请参阅我们关于前 吐蕃王朝、中国省份 青海、云南、四川 和 甘肃，以及印度地区 拉达克、拉霍尔和斯皮提 和 锡金，巴基斯坦地区 巴尔蒂斯坦，以及独立国家 不丹 和 尼泊尔 的文章。

中国政府还宣称 印度 的 阿鲁纳恰尔邦 的大部分地区属于西藏，但由于该地区实际由印度政府控制，因此我们在维基旅行指南中将其作为印度的一部分进行介绍。

城市

昌都、察木多、Chab mdo 还是 Changdu？ 西藏的任何地方至少可以拼写四种不同的方式。 藏语拼音（Qamdo）结合了藏语音译和汉语拼音拼写：它用于标志、票据等，对旅行者最有用，维基旅行指南也使用它。 Tournadre（Chamdo）使用更西式的拼写，但在西藏本身不太常见。 学者使用的 Wylie（Chab mdo）精确复制藏语书写，但发音几乎不可能（例如，Bka' rgyud 读作“Kagyu”）。 最后，西藏的任何地方都有一个中文名称（昌都），通常是对藏语名称的音译，可以用普通话（Changdu）阅读。

• 1 拉萨 - 西藏首府，历代达赖喇嘛的驻锡地，是藏传佛教最重要的精神领袖。拉萨是该地区大多数旅行的起点。
• 2 江孜
• 3 昌都 (Chamdo)
• 4 日喀则 (Shigatse) - 西藏第二大城市，班禅喇嘛的传统驻锡地，是藏传佛教中仅次于达赖喇嘛的第二重要人物
• 5 古荣 - 藏传佛教噶玛巴（第三重要人物）的传统驻锡地

其他目的地

• 1 冈仁波齐 - 一座受到藏传佛教徒和印度教徒崇敬的神山。
• 2 珠穆朗玛峰国家公园 - 珠穆朗玛峰的西藏一侧
• 3 雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家公园 包含世界最大的峡谷——雅鲁藏布大峡谷。

了解

藏族自治区

This article covers only the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). There are also Tibetan autonomous prefectures and counties located in the provinces of 青海, southwest 甘肃, western 四川 and northwest 云南, covered in the articles on those provinces. See 中国各省区列表 for an explanation of the terms "autonomous region" and "autonomous prefecture" if required.

The 吐蕃王朝 was once much larger than the current borders, and various areas outside the TAR are culturally, historically and linguistically Tibetan to varying degrees. In contemporary China, and in general English usage today, the term "Tibet" refers only to the TAR. However, the term "Tibetan Regions", with its focus on all of ethnographic Tibet is becoming more widespread amongst Chinese in China as well. The Dalai Lama's Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala continues to claim the entirety of the former Tibetan Empire.

The Tibetan Plateau is the world's largest and, with average heights of over 4,000m, also the world's highest, plateau. It includes all of the TAR, most of 青海, and parts of 四川, 云南 and 甘肃. Parts of the region (northwestern region) are so remote they remain uninhabited to this day.

India and the rest of Asia are on separate continental plates which are colliding; that collision is what raised the plateau to its current height. Most of the world's highest mountains are in the 喜马拉雅山脉 range along Tibet's southern border, along the line of the subduction zone where one plate goes under the other. 珠穆朗玛峰, the highest of all, is on the border between Tibet and 尼泊尔.

政治与政府

Tibet is officially known as the Tibetan Autonomous Region (普通话: 西藏自治区, Xīzàng Zìzhìqū; 藏文: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།, Poi Ranggyong Jong). It is one of five autonomous regions within the People's Republic of China.

Under Chinese law, autonomous regions are entitled to more rights and privileges — such as implementing their own economic policies and declaring additional official languages — but they have no legal right to secede.

人物

Because of its harsh and rugged terrain and high altitude, the Tibet Autonomous Region has the lowest population density among all the provinces in the People's Republic of China. This is one region where Han Chinese are a minority.

藏族人 are the largest ethnic group in the region and they make up 90% of the population. Most Tibetans (70-80%) are adherents of Vajrayana Buddhism, which has been the main religion in Tibet since the 8th century. A significant number of Tibetans are followers of Bon, a shamanic religion that was once the main religion in Tibet prior to the arrival of Buddhism.

汉族 make up 8% of the population and they are the second largest ethnic group in the region. Most Han Chinese in Tibet are economic immigrants, and are concentrated in the major cities.

历史

See also: 吐蕃王朝

Tibet has a long and complicated history, at times an empire, at times warring with China, and at times a tributary of China or the 蒙古帝国. It first came under common rule with China when the Mongols conquered both around 1300. Tibet became independent once more after the Mongols were expelled from China and the Ming Dynasty was established in the 14th century, but would subsequently be conquered by the Manchu-Chinese Qing Dynasty under the Kangxi Emperor in 1720.

For most of the 清朝 (1644-1911), Tibet was nominally part of the Chinese empire, but in practice the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama (high-ranking religious figures) actually ran things, with a Qing official called an Amban stationed in Lhasa to keep a watchful eye on them. Pre-modern Tibet was a feudal theocracy with a caste system, with an upper class nobility and monastic elite who owned most of the land, and a vast population of commoners who mostly worked as serfs for the nobility and monasteries, though the new Dalai Lama would usually be selected from a commoner family when the old one died. While Chinese sources claim that the traditional Tibetan system of government was an oppressive regime built on slavery, most Western sources, the Dalai Lama and his followers reject this view, instead contending that while there was some truth to the feudalism claim, its oppressiveness has been grossly exaggerated by the Chinese government in order to justify its continuing occupation of Tibet.

Britain sent a force to Lhasa in 1904/05, but the Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907, widely seen as the end to the 大博弈 (a competition for influence in Asia between those empires that lasted most of the 19th century), stipulated that neither country would interfere in Tibet, leaving it in China's sphere of influence. In 1910, Qing China sent a military expedition of its own to Tibet for direct rule.

However, after the Qing Dynasty fell in 1911, Tibet declared independence under the authority of the 13th Dalai Lama. Tibet was an isolated de facto independent nation for almost forty years, controlling most of what is now the TAR. The Chinese government, however, never accepted their claim to independence, though they were powerless to do anything due to being tied down by internal problems within the Han Chinese heartland.

The Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet in 拉萨, a heavily guarded memorial to the 1950 invasion

After the retreat of the Nationalists to 台湾 and the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, the Communists turned their attention towards Tibet as they wished to consolidate control over all former Qing territories. In 1950, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) invaded Tibet. In the UN Security Council, the Nationalists (who still had China's seat) vetoed a motion that would have censured the invasion; they too considered Tibet part of China.

In 1951 an agreement was signed that annexed Tibet into China, giving Tibet — on paper — full autonomous status for governance, religion and local affairs. The current (14th) Dalai Lama was even made a vice-secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in the early 1950s. However communist reforms and the heavy-handed approach of the PLA led to tensions. After a failed Tibetan Uprising in March 1959, the Dalai Lama and many of his followers went into exile in India, setting up a government-in-exile in Dharamsala. Each side accuses the other of failure to live up to the 1951 agreement. The CIA assisted the uprising and Chinese propagandists still mention this often.

Tibet's isolated location did not protect it from the terror of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), and large numbers of Tibetans were killed or imprisoned at the hands of the Red Guards. Tibet's rich cultural heritage as well as much of neighboring Chinese ancient culture were reduced to ruins. After the end of that era, the rise of Deng Xiaoping and China's "reform and opening up" policies since 1978, the situation in Tibet has calmed considerably, though it still remains tense. Monasteries are slowly being rebuilt, traditional culture has been allowed to come back to some degree, and a semblance of normality has returned to the region. Despite this, Tibet still suffers from independence-related civil unrest from time to time. The Chinese authorities often close Tibet to foreign tourists, usually in March, the anniversary of the 1959 uprising.

When the 10th Panchen Lama died in 1989, the Dalai Lama selected a new one, as was customary in Tibetan tradition. The Chinese government, however, did not accept this and instead installed a different boy as their officially-recognised Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama's appointee disappeared shortly after, and has never been heard from since.

To a considerable extent, the issues in Tibet are the same as for indigenous peoples anywhere, such as Uyghurs in China's western province 新疆, or the indigenous peoples in the Americas, Australia and the Asian part of Russia. The government points proudly to development work such as mines, railways and highways; locals complain that those facilities are all owned by outsiders, outsiders get most of the good jobs while locals do most of the heavy work, and environmental consequences are often ignored. The government say they are improving education; locals complain that the system aims at forcing assimilation by using a language foreign to them. Immigration is encouraged and sometimes subsidized; locals complain of an influx of outsiders who do not want to adapt to local culture and often do not even bother to learn the local language. When the locals get really agitated, the government does not hesitate to send in troops to "restore order"; generally the locals see this as vicious repression, but the government claim they are only dealing appropriately with "hostile Indians", "reactionary elements" or whatever.

The question of Tibetan sovereignty is a hot-button issue in China. The party line is that Tibet has always been part of China and foreigners have no business meddling in internal Chinese affairs. There was no invasion in 1950, only the central government asserting its authority over a province to liberate it from a severely oppressive feudal system, a corrupt medieval theocracy with slavery. (That part makes a lot of sense to Chinese, liberated from their own feudal system in 1911.) Western powers are being extremely hypocritical since they roundly condemn theocracy (rule by priests) in Iran and simultaneously support it in Tibet. Most Chinese people agree with the government position, and some will ask foreigners about Tibet then firmly "correct" their "errors". Avoiding such discussions is a good policy.

节日

In addition to the national public holidays that are observed throughout China, Tibet observes two more public holidays, namely Losar (Chinese: 洛萨, Tibetan: ལོ་གསར་) or Tibetan New Year (Chinese: 藏历新年) in February or March, and the Sho Dun Festival (Chinese: 雪顿节, Tibetan: ༄༅། ཞོ་སྟོན།) in the summer, usually mid-August.

阅读

• Eight Years in Tibet by Peter Aufschnaiter and Martin Brauen ISBN 9789745240124
• Dialogues Tibetan, Dialogues Han by Hannü: Tibet through the Tibetans with a Han traveller ISBN 9789889799939
• Tears Of Blood: A Cry for Tibet by Mary Craig ISBN 9781582431024

对话

The Om mani padme hum mantra in Tibetan

See also: 藏语手册 and 安多藏语手册

The main language of Tibet is 藏语, which is co-official with Mandarin within the region. Many Tibetans, especially young people, are basically able to speak Mandarin, while those who can only speak Tibetan are mostly elderly. Tibetan is closely related to 缅甸语 and much more distantly to Chinese. Several dialects of Tibetan exist, and not all of them are mutually intelligible; standard Tibetan is based on the Lhasa dialect. Depending on the dialect of Tibetan spoken, it may be tonal or non-tonal. In the cities people speak Chinese fluently; in the villages it may not be understood at all. Han Chinese people, on the other hand, normally don't know any Tibetan at all. Signs in Tibet, including street signs, are at least bilingual — in Chinese and in Tibetan — plus a major local language when there is one. There are also local television and radio stations that broadcast in Tibetan.

It makes Chinese a more useful language for travellers in many ways. Many Tibetans view Chinese as a useful lingua franca and a few Tibetan pleasantries are enough to befriend Tibetans. Tibetans from different regions converse in Chinese since Tibetan dialects vary so much that they are not immediately mutually intelligible. If you as a foreigner speak Tibetan to Chinese police you may raise suspicions that you are in Tibet to support Tibetan Independence, though all police stations and government offices within the region are required by law to have Tibetan-speaking staff on duty.

Tibetan is, however, an extremely difficult language to learn, and most foreigners who claim to know Tibetan can hardly get by. When it comes to writing, a focus on Mandarin in the education system means that even the Tibetans themselves have difficulties and many are in fact illiterate.

抵达

	注意： Unless you're a citizen of 中国 (including 香港 and 澳门, but not 台湾), you must have an entry permit if you wish to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region.

要求

A typical Tibet Entry Permit

Unless you are a citizen of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region is only possible by joining an organized tour lasting the entire duration of your time in Tibet. This requires going through an approved Chinese travel agency, who will apply for your Tibet Entry Permit (外国人进藏许可证 wàiguórén jìn zàng xǔkězhèng) and arrange a mandatory guide and car to take you around. Many tour guides are ethnic Han Chinese and even the ethnic Tibetan guides have to sit exams in Chinese and learn the official Chinese perspective on Tibet in order to gain and keep their tour guide licence. Some sensitive occupations (e.g. press, professional photographers, diplomatic personnel and foreign government officials) can only obtain the permit from the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Autonomous Region.

As you need to pay for all this, the cost of travel in Tibet is far higher than anywhere else in China, with barebones group rates starting around US$120/day and going up if you want a private tour, decent accommodation, etc. Demand also far exceeds supply in the summer high season, with flights and train tickets into Tibet very difficult to get, not just for foreigners but Chinese as well. For these financial, ethical and logistical reasons, some travellers opt to travel to other Tibetan regions of China instead: 青海, 云南西北部 and 四川西部.

If you do opt to go, you must start your paperwork well in advance. Regulations may change and permits to Tibet may be halted at short notice: for example, the entire month of March is off-limits every year due to sensitive anniversaries, and Norwegians were not permitted to enter for several years after Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. If you are caught by authorities in Tibet without the appropriate permits, you will either be sent back (at your own expense), have your visa cancelled, be deported, or in extreme cases banned from ever re-entering China. There are even reports of foreigners being imprisoned for breaking travel bans.

• You must have a Chinese visa before the agency can apply for your Tibet entry permit, but Chinese visa applications that mention travel to Tibet are routinely rejected. The usual workaround is to apply for your Chinese visa without mentioning Tibet — travel agencies may even offer certified but fake itineraries to help you do so!
• Once the visa has been granted, the agency will apply for the Tibet entry permit. The permit can only be applied for 20 days before your trip, and usually takes 8-9 days to issue. The permit must list all places you intend to visit, so make sure your itinerary is locked down, or negotiate with your tour provider to ensure that all places you may want to visit are listed.

Some parts of Tibet also require an Aliens' Travel Permit (ATP), which is issued by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in major Tibetan cities like 拉萨, 日喀则 and 阿里. The list of regions that require ATPs changes constantly, so enquire locally. Lhasa's PSB has a poor reputation, while Shigatse and Ali are said to issue permits without any unnecessary difficulties. If your papers are in order, the permit can be issued in several hours for ¥100.

Finally, some remote areas also require a military permit. These are only available in Lhasa, where processing takes several days, and are only granted for an appropriate reason.

机构

Tibet without a permit? After the 2008 riots, independent travel in Tibet has become effectively impossible: your Tibet permit is inspected on boarding any plane or train headed to Tibet, once more when you arrive, and then again repeatedly by hotels on checking in, major tourist sights like the Potala Palace, checkpoints on roads, etc. The only way to experience Tibetan culture without joining a guided tour is to explore the Tibetan regions of 青海, 四川, 云南 and 甘肃.

The following is a partial list of well-recognized tour companies licensed to host foreigners in Tibet

• China Highlights, well-connected pan-China agency specializing in tailored tours; expensive but may be worth it
• Explore Tibet, Tibet based Tibet Travel Agency who offers the smallest group tours in the industry
• I-Tibet Travel & Tours, A Tibetan Travel agency in Tibet
• Touch Tibet TourLhasa based local travel agency, offering a wide range of tours in Tibet.
• Tibet Highland Tours, well connected, custom trips.
• Tibet Ctrip Travel Service, local longstanding Tibetan travel service
• Tibetan guide small group tour by group of local Tibetan guides.
• Tibet China Tibet, local travel agency in Lhasa
• Travel China Guide, the largest online tour operator in China, operating trips throughout China.
• Tibet Focus Travel & Tours, a local Tibetan travel agency in Tibet.
• Tibet Nature Tour, Tibet based local travel agency.
• Tibet Universal Travel & Tours, Tibetan travel agency founded in 1997
• Tibet Vista, managed by local Tibetans and operated by CITS, the tourism and travel agency of the government of the People's Republic of China.
• WindhorseTour, An experienced inbound local travel agency specializing in customized tours for families and small groups to Tibet.

乘飞机

You can fly directly to 拉萨, which is well connected with most major Chinese cities and has a few flights to Kathmandu, but flying in from a much lower altitude city puts you at high risk of 高原反应 because of the quick transition. Most other larger Tibetan cities including 日喀则 and 阿里 also have airports, but flights are very limited.

Safest is to follow the 云南旅游线路 to 中甸 (香格里拉) and fly from there to Lhasa. If you spend a night or two each in 昆明 (2,000m), 大理 (2,400m) or 丽江 (2,400m), and Zhongdian (3,200m) to acclimatise, you should be able to fly to Lhasa (3,650m) with little risk. You can also travel from Zhongdian to Lhasa overland; see 陆路进藏.

If you are in 四川 or nearby and aren't satisfied visiting the many ethnically Tibetan areas to the east of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, flying from 成都 (500m) is the easiest option, but the rapid increase in altitude risks altitude sickness. It is safer to travel overland from Chengdu to Zhongdian via 攀枝花, or take a train or plane to 昆明 and follow the Yunnan tourist trail from there.

乘火车

The hard sleeper berths on Beijing-Lhasa train with oxygen supply devices

另见：青藏铁路

The 青藏铁路 from 格尔木 to 拉萨 started operating in July 2006, and was extended to 日喀则 in 2014. The journey from 北京 to Lhasa takes just under 48 hours, costing ¥360 in the cheapest hard seat class and ¥1144 for a soft sleeper. Direct trains to Lhasa originate from Beijing, 西宁, 兰州, 上海, 广州, 重庆 and 成都. For a hard sleeper from Chengdu with 6 bunks in each compartment, the cost is ¥692 per person.

The main advantage for this mode of transportation is often claimed to be that you can gradually acclimatise to high altitudes instead of the sudden shift if you were to take a plane. However, in reality the high-altitude parts of the journey are all covered within the last 12 or so hours and this does not offer enough time to acclimatise. Some thus opt to acclimatize for a few days in Xining (2,300 m), which can be reached by overnight trains from most major Chinese cities and is near several points of interest like Lake Qinghai (Koko Nor) and Kumbum Monastery. Golmud (2,900 m) is the last city of any size on the railway before Tibet, but it's an unattractive industrial town with no sights of significance.

Be warned that the lower classes in these trains are not for the faint-hearted and the less adventurous type: they do not have Western-styled toilets and bunks are relatively cramped. Soft sleeper class is recommended, and here you will mix with middle-class Chinese tourists or business people.

The trains to Tibet are available from any major city in mainland China though not all have daily service and some routes involve changing trains part way. See the main China article for information on how to book.

A new direct railway line from Chengdu, Sichuan to Lhasa via 林芝 is under construction, but will not be ready until around 2025.

公路

See also: 陆路进藏

There are four roads into Tibet, roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions. Foreigners on any of these routes are rare, so make sure you have all the necessary permits and tour guide accompaniment for these trips. On the other hand, road trip is rather common for Chinese travellers owing to increasing automobile proliferation.

• North: National Highway 109 from 格尔木 is the easiest legal overland route with beautiful scenery, but it is deserted compared to the east and there is very little food and accommodation, so it is advisable to bring your own food. The Tanggula Pass near the Qinghai-Tibet border is over 5,000 metres above sea level and altitude sickness can easily be exacerbated. As the road is mainly built on permafrost, it fluctuates greatly and is potholed. Moreover, the road is relatively straight, and it is easy to drive too fast, causing accidents. Therefore, you should pay attention to your speed.
• East: The other main approach to Tibet is from 四川 (National Highway 318) and 云南 (National Highway 214), starting from 中甸 (Shangri-La). The road is much improved, but still requires a 4WD and has multiple passes over 5,000 m. The route is difficult as it passes through a number of large mountains, but there are plenty of places to eat and accommodation along the way.
  • The overnight intercity bus service from 成都 to 林芝 is terminated with effect from 30 September 2025.
• West: From 喀什, National Highway G219 is more than a thousand kilometres with villages and water few and far between. It passes through many sensitive border areas and requires a slew of additional permits. The advantage of this route is that it passes through a more inhospitable and stunning landscape than the rest, including the famous 冈仁波齐峰. You should be very well prepared to travel this way and take everything you would need for independent trekking: camping equipment suitable for freezing temperatures even in the summer, a good tent and some food (there are some food and accommodation points along the way, but not always when you want them). Expect the trip to take two weeks or more. From 喀什 it's much farther to go to Lhasa via 乌鲁木齐 and 格尔木 but the better transport (trains and good paved highways) make it no more time consuming to travel this way. There are many interesting things for the tourist to see on the way and it is worth considering travelling this way instead of via 冈仁波齐峰.
• South: From 尼泊尔, the only option to get to Tibet is to book a tour with a travel agent in 加德满都. In addition, you cannot use a normal Chinese visa, but need to apply specifically for a "Group Tourists Visa" (团体签证 tuántǐ qiānzhèng) in Kathmandu, which will only be granted once you have a confirmed and paid tour. The drive from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes a couple of days and is very rough, but sceneic.
• Southeast: The 那图拉山口 to 锡金, 印度 — a part of the historic 丝绸之路 — is open only to Indian citizens who obtain a permit in Gangtok.

Due to Tibet's highly mountainous and rugged terrain, there are no roads to Tibet from 不丹 and 缅甸, and this is likely not going to change for a long time. There is, however, a road to Tibet from 尼泊尔 that you may use if you have arranged it as part of your Tibet tour. Nathu La Pass is the sole official border crossing between China and India, connecting Tibet with 锡金, but it can only be crossed by local traders, not tourists. Road conditions are significantly worse than those of typical Chinese national highways owing to permafrost, less finance and heavy truck traffic. Even newly-built expressways are notorious for subsidence and require speed reduction. Frequent potholes, traffic jams and accidents should be expected.

四处逛逛

Due to Tibet's immense size, mountainous geography, and low population density, the quickest way to get around the whole region is by car. Even though China has poured large amounts of money into improving infrastructure, meaning that there are now modern four-lane highways connecting major towns, travel off the beaten track remains very rough.

Good road maps of Tibet are common in China, including the Baidu Maps app, but they are only in Chinese. Beware that Chinese names can be very different from those used by Tibetans. Tibetmap.com has a free downloadable set of maps covering much of Tibet with detail almost good enough to use for independent trekking.

While Chinese citizens may travel freely around Tibet, foreigners are required to join a guided tour, and the tour company will take care of all your transportation arrangements.

乘飞机

Tibet Airlines has limited services connecting Lhasa to regional towns.

乘火车

The train line from 拉萨 to 日喀则 opened in 2014, and is open to non-Chinese tourists if they have arranged this as part of their organized tour. The trip takes about 3 hours and is the most comfortable way to travel between the two cities. A further extension to 吉隆 on the Nepali border is planned to open around 2030, but construction of the Nepali side of the link to Kathmandu has yet to begin.

A second train line to 林芝 opened in 2021, bringing travel time down to 3.5 hours. This line will eventually extend this across eastern Tibet all the way to Chengdu in Sichuan, opening around 2030 if all goes well.

乘巴士

Central Tibet has a reasonable public bus network. However, non-Chinese tourists cannot make use of it since even with travel permits they cannot generally buy a ticket.

乘吉普车

Jeep tours are a popular way of getting around Tibet, while not cheap, the tour operator will sort out all the necessary paperwork, and they offer you a reasonable chance of sticking to a schedule.

Your driver will likely be an indigenous Tibetan who can speak Chinese. He'll get to eat and sleep for free wherever you go (he'll often be treated like a king), and he'll often need to stop for a smoke or a pee by certain vendors on the road. ¥4500 will get a jeep that can seat 4 people and luggage comfortably for 4 or 5 days.

搭便车

Hitchhiking used to be a good way to get around Tibet for someone who is flexible and has a lot of time. However, tighter regulations and enforcement introduced since 2008 have made this almost impossible in practice, with frequent police checkpoints and heavy punishments for both hitchhikers and their drivers.

骑自行车

另见：中国自行车

令人惊讶的是，有许多中国游客选择 骑自行车 来往西藏和在西藏境内旅行，但外国人只能通过参加有组织的旅行团来实现。这里的道路从崎岖的土路到优质的铺装路面不等。餐馆、卡车停靠站和商店随处可见，足够让你不必携带超过一天的食物（但西部地区是个例外）。道路通常坡度平缓，是为超载的卡车修建的。最好使用26英寸的轮子，因为700厘米（ISO 622）的轮子在中国几乎见不到。中国的大城市或拉萨有不错的山地自行车可供购买。

看

• 宏伟的 布达拉宫，一座 联合国教科文组织世界遗产，曾是历代达赖喇嘛的冬宫，位于 拉萨。
• 位于 拉萨 的 大昭寺 建于公元647年，由松赞干布修建，是西藏最神圣的寺庙之一。
• 位于 拉萨 的 八廓街 是围绕大昭寺的传统藏式建筑街道环线。
• 坐落在 拉萨 的 '罗布林卡（达赖喇嘛的夏宫），距离布达拉宫约1公里。
• 桑耶寺 - 建于公元779年，桑耶寺是西藏第一座佛寺，位于扎囊县附近，属于 山南地区，距拉萨东南150公里。
• 扎什伦布寺，班禅喇嘛的传统驻锡地，仅次于达赖喇嘛，是西藏的第二大宗教领袖。该寺建于1447年，位于 日喀则。
• 世界上海拔最高的寺庙之一 绒布寺，从这里可以看到珠穆朗玛峰令人惊叹的景色。
• 位于拉萨以西约70公里的 堆龙德庆 的 楚布寺，是噶玛巴的传统驻锡地，噶玛巴是西藏继达赖喇嘛和班禅喇嘛之后的第三大宗教领袖。

活动

徒步旅行是西藏的主要吸引力之一，其中最著名的景点包括 冈仁波齐（玛旁雍错）和 珠穆朗玛峰 的珠峰大本营（海拔5200米）。这两个地方都地处偏远且具挑战性，通常需要至少十天的时间才能完成。

节日

• 藏历新年（洛萨），一个在西藏自治区拉萨流行的传统民俗活动，是国家级非物质文化遗产之一。藏历新年是藏族人民的传统节日。它从藏历一月的初一开始，到一月的十五结束，共持续15天。由于所有人都信奉佛教，这个节日充满了浓厚的宗教氛围，是人神同乐、庆祝祈福的全国性节日。
• 雪顿节是藏族人民的传统节日。它在藏历六月的二十九日至七月的初一庆祝。“雪顿节”在藏语中意为“吃酸奶的节日”。由于雪顿节期间有藏戏表演和晒佛仪式，一些人也称之为“藏戏节”或“佛展节”。
• 德吉林节是一个有600多年历史、具有独特藏族特色的传统节日。每年的藏历四月十日至二十八日，是江孜人民的传统节日德吉林节，在藏语中意为赛马和射箭。届时，江孜的藏族人民聚集在宗山脚下，通过各种丰富多彩的体育表演和比赛来庆祝德吉林节，庆祝活动通常持续一周。

购物

西藏以其藏式 地毯 而闻名，其中 江孜 是西藏最著名的传统地毯工厂所在地。其他藏族传统手工艺品可以在众多的当地市场和纪念品商店购买。

餐饮

顺时针方向从上开始：丁莫（蒸包子）、甜茶（面条汤）、馍馍（饺子，可汤煮或油炸），中间是调味品。

一碗正在搅拌酥油茶的 糌粑。

人们来西藏不是为了品尝美食。由于气候恶劣，当地仅能生产有限的食物。传统的藏族饮食主要限于大麦、肉类（羊肉或牦牛肉）和奶制品，香料和蔬菜很少，尽管可能会配上极其辛辣的辣椒酱。即使是好的藏餐也非常单调，大多数藏餐馆只提供 吐巴（面条汤）和茶。部分受欢迎的藏族美食

• 馍馍 - 馅料为肉或蔬菜的饺子，可蒸或炸。
• 丁莫 - 无味、几乎没有味道的蒸面包。
• 吐巴 - 丰盛的蔬菜或肉类面条汤。
• 甜茶 - 吐巴 手工面条的版本。
• 牦牛肉茶 - 用黄油搅拌的咸味茶，是西藏的主食，对大多数西方人来说是一种需要适应的味道（见 饮品）。
• 糌粑 - 炒大麦粉，一种常见的旅行食品和寺庙供品，通常通过与酥油茶混合制成饺子或粥。

西藏的餐馆大致可分为三类：

1. 面向非中国人的旅游餐厅，它们提供几乎一模一样的英文菜单，上面有迎合外国人的藏式菜肴、一些尼泊尔菜以及尝试制作的西式食物，如披萨、意大利面和汉堡。虽然数量相对较少，但在拉萨，你很可能会在这里用餐，因为你的导游会不可避免地带你去那里：不仅食物“安全”，而且回扣也最高。
2. 面向中国人的中餐馆，提供正宗但通常美味的中餐（尤其以麻辣的 川菜 为主），以及适合中国人口味的藏式菜肴，如牦牛肉火锅。一些旅行者认为回族（中国穆斯林）的餐馆更干净，因为他们遵循清真食品法；它们可以通过绿色旗帜和新月标志来识别（并且它们看起来确实更干净）。
3. 面向藏族人的藏族餐馆/茶馆，提供饮品和种类非常有限的藏族食物，通常只有 吐巴 面条汤。

素食

尽管西藏是佛教占主导地位的地区，但它并不是一个特别适合素食主义者的地区——海拔是造成这种情况的主要原因。在农村地区，素食者需要做好妥协或只吃非常简单的饮食。即使 吐巴 没有肉，你也可以打赌他们使用的汤底是肉汤。

然而，寺庙餐厅和一些大城镇确实提供素食餐厅，甚至一些藏族人在宗教月份的特定日子里会保持素食。所以值得询问。需要留意的一个关键术语是དཀར་ཟས་（字面意思是“白色食物”——kar zey），你会在一些寺庙餐厅或拉萨的藏族素食餐厅看到它。在口语藏语中，素食也简单地称为“无肉食物”ཤ་མེད་ཁ་ལག sha mey kha la'.

饮品

藏式放松：在 拉萨 的茶馆里，一杯热气腾腾的咸味黄油茶和一张舒适的椅子。

茶馆是西藏重要的社交场所，提供了坐下放松的机会。大城镇和城市的茶馆提供甜奶茶、咸黑茶或咸黄油茶；在乡村地区，你可能只有咸茶的选择。茶馆（ཇ་ཁང་ cha khang）和餐馆（ཟ་ཁང་ za khang）之间的界限模糊，许多茶馆也提供 吐巴 面条汤。

茶

藏式黄油茶（བོད་ཇ pö cha，中文 酥油茶 sūyóuchá）是必尝的饮品，尽管并非人人都能欣赏——连达赖喇嘛都曾说他不爱喝！它是一种咸味的红茶和藏式黄油的混合物。传统上，它在一个长而直的木制容器中用粗棒手工搅打而成。然而，随着电力进入城市，现代藏族人开始使用电动搅拌器制作黄油茶。藏式黄油并不像人们常说的那样有酸败味，而是带有类似蓝纹奶酪或洛克福奶酪的奶酪味和气味。可以将其视为奶酪汤，在寒冷天气长途徒步后尤其能体会到它的好处。

藏式黄油茶的替代品是 甜奶茶（cha ngar mo），这与西方口味更接近。甜茶是由返回印度的商贩引入的，最初是在富裕的藏族人中流行，因为糖在高原是一种奢侈品，后来随着糖的普及，普通大众也开始饮用。与印度人不同，藏族人不使用香料（丁香、肉桂、豆蔻）来调味茶。

咸黑茶（cha thang）是另一种选择，不含牛奶或黄油，清爽宜人！

在茶馆点茶时，价格通常是一整壶茶，而不是一杯。

酒精

日喀则青稞酒，西藏的“百威”

青稞酒，或称藏式啤酒，由大麦酿造，味道比西方瓶装啤酒更清淡，因为它们不使用苦啤酒花。通常是家庭酿造，口味和度数变化多样，就像工业啤酒一样，但在拉萨及周边地区的餐馆和商店出售的蓝色罐装 日喀则青稞酒 口味相当温和，酒精含量低（约1.5%）。

虽然是相对较新的进口产品，但西式啤酒也广泛销售，尤其是相当清淡/无味的当地酿造的 拉萨啤酒。各种中国式的 白酒 也出售，通常掺有药用价值可疑的草药。

注意安全

	注意： 绝不要以任何方式批评或对 中国政府 表示不敬，也不要对 达赖喇嘛 或 西藏独立运动 表示任何支持。简单来说，避免讨论这些话题，将你的观点留在心里。

旅行者面临的最大危险可能是 高原反应；在去更高海拔之前，给你的身体足够的时间进行适应。这一点在 抵达 和在西藏境内攀升时都非常重要。准备好根据需要调整计划、下降或多花几天时间进行适应。穿着防护服、防紫外线太阳镜和防晒霜，尤其是在非常炎热的情况下。

西藏及其周边地区有很多流浪狗，而在乡村，村民和游牧民会养大型护卫犬（通常是被链住的）来保障安全。保持适度的警惕足以防止被咬，因为流浪狗通常成群结队活动。

尽管不太可能发生，但要避免政治抗议。当局不赞成游客参与、支持和/或拍摄抗议活动。对于试图发起政治讨论的人，原则也是一样的。

鉴于西藏位于欧亚板块和印度板块之间， 地震 很有可能发生。

尊重

藏族姓名 在西藏，姓名可能是一件复杂的事情。 与缅甸人类似，出身平民的藏族人通常有2到4个音节的名字，没有姓氏，可以用2个音节的昵称来称呼。 由于传统的藏族名字来自大约500个词汇表，因此可以通过在名字前后添加描述个人身份的音节，如外貌、职业、性别或籍贯。 出身贵族的藏族人还会在名字前加上一个2音节的姓氏（类似于德国姓氏前的“von-”)。例如，历史上的西藏政治家 阿沛·阿旺晋美（ང་ཕོད་ངག་དབང་འཇིགས་མེད/Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme）就有姓氏“阿沛”和名字“阿旺晋美”。一些居住在 青海、甘肃 和 四川 附近的藏族人，无论出身如何，也使用姓氏。 姓氏中的附加音节可以提供关于家族的更多信息。例如，姓氏以 zur（ཟུར/苏）结尾，意味着该家族是从另一个贵族家族分支出来的。 对于僧侣来说，除了俗名之外，僧侣在做出承诺后会获得一个法名。法名通常在宗教场合使用，尽管有些僧侣在世俗生活中仍倾向于使用法名。 活佛（如达赖喇嘛和班禅喇嘛）也有非常长的名字。他们通常以其职位和法名来称呼。 最后，一些藏族人，特别是生活在多民族地区的藏族人，会使用汉族姓名。 因此，万无一失的方法是询问对方希望如何被称呼。

微笑！你在被监视。

与中国其他地方一样，不要卷入任何政治事务。这包括达赖喇嘛、中国政府和西藏流亡政府。

当你的证件被检查或行李被搜查时（这会经常发生，每天可能多次），请保持尊重和合作。话虽如此，外国人很少被骚扰，你的导游会处理绝大多数的文书工作。

当你与藏族人交流时，可以说“扎西德勒”（Tashi delek），这通常足以让当地人友好起来。

不要触摸他人的头部，包括小孩的头部，因为藏族人认为这是非常冒犯的。触摸他人的头部通常只保留给长辈和高级僧侣。

宗教对大多数藏族人来说极其重要，旅行者应努力尊重他们的习俗和信仰。在藏传佛教的宗教场所或寺庙周围行走时，始终要顺时针方向。在寺庙内，不要戴帽子、吸烟或触摸壁画。此外，请勿攀爬雕像、 玛尼 石或其他圣物。

不要拍摄警察、军队、检查站等。未经许可不要拍摄他人；在寺庙和宫殿内部通常禁止拍照，除非支付从合理到敲诈的费用。天葬场显然是禁止进入的。

藏传佛教 及其对藏族文化的影响是吸引游客的主要因素。用于支付主要宗教场所门票的资金很可能会流入当地共产党及其中国成员的腰包。直接捐赠给个别僧侣或尼姑并留在祭坛上的资金将用于维护和支持当地宗教基础设施。欣赏寺庙及其内部人员的工作，并通过非货币捐赠、参加节日和花点时间了解僧侣社区来支持这些伟大的机构。

通过向藏族人购买商品来支持西藏经济是很好的帮助方式。在讨价还价时支付公道的价格。请注意，一些商贩可能会试图通过高价销售来欺骗游客。

通过不购买野生动物制品来帮助保护西藏的未来。许多物品是由濒危物种制成的。请记住，在访问西藏时 只留下你的足迹，带走大量的照片。主动打包你在西藏城市以外地区看到的垃圾和可回收物。由于天气寒冷，喜马拉雅生态系统非常脆弱，因此在徒步时要小心，尽量减少水土流失。

参观寺庙、僧院或神龛时，你可能希望留下捐款，这将有助于它们的维护。最好将其留在祭坛上或直接交给僧侣或尼姑。这将确保它留在寺庙里。你也可以考虑给来自西藏农村的朝圣者一些小捐款。

下一站

你可以前往 尼泊尔 或 中国 的其他地区。与 印度 的边境口岸仅对当地商人开放，游客无法穿越。