Updated May 2023
Sino (Tibet) – Nepal Border update March 2023: With the end of COVID restriction for domestic travelers in Jan 2023. Most travel agency has been confirming tibet tour booking for year 2023. On march 15th 2023, we are receiving update that China is issuing Tourist visa.
Updated May 2021
Tibet Nepal Border Update 2021: Due to the pandemic Tibet is close to international travelers. We will update the situation when we have.
Updated May 2018
Recently Our friend has travelled from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Leading his group from Lhasa to Nepal via Tibet Nepal border and here is his updates.
In his word “Hey, how are you? If you have groups/travellers going from Kyirong to Kathmandu. It is essential that you let your clients know the road condition. Because the road condition is terrible, I just took the road, almost ten days ago. All my information is correct. So please listen very carefully.
There are two towns called Kyirong. There is a county town and then a small town. All groups will stay in a small town. Which are 25 kilometres from the Nepal Border. In Chinese, that town is called Kyirong Zhen.
I don’t think there are many hotels there. But I found a Decent two-star hotel. But it did not have breakfast. So, I found a Tamang Sherpa Restaurant across the street from the Hotel. And I book my breakfast at that hotel. So, I told them to have it early in the morning. Then they may have a good breakfast. They also had dinner that night in Kyirong town. Because of the small town, it doesn’t have many restaurants or hotels. It’s just a few. But the scenery is gorgeous.
From Kyirong Zhen to the actual China-Nepal border is 25 Kilometers. The road is very windy and Curvy, so it takes 40 to 45 minutes to drive that road. Before the border, there is a small checkpoint. Everybody needs to get out for the Checkpoint. But it is swift then you get to the Chinese Custom building. The Chinese Custom building, you have seen in the picture, is very nice. Inside they are a little slow. They have to x-ray every bodies bag into a machine. So, it is a little slow there.
Once you exit the China custom, the Tibetan guide can go no further. The guide has to stay inside the China Custom’s Building. But the Travel guide can go and help the travelers all the way until they get the stamp on their passport. So, there is a place where they can formally say goodbye to the Guide. So, it’s not rushed and Inconvenient.
Then once exist the China custom building. The visitor has to take their bags and walk about 75 Meters over a narrow metal bridge. There is a river that divides China and Nepal. So, the Visitor has to take their own luggage across that bridge. Because the Tibetan Guide cannot help them or the Nepal guide and Drive cannot go into China to Help them.
The road all the way to the China Custom is a broad road, Paved. It looks like it’s brand new. But the road on the Nepal size is a terrible road. Once the visitor crosses the Metal Bridge. Then there is the first military checkpoint on the Nepal Side. Everybody will have to have their luggage examined again by hand. Not with the Machine but the police will go through every bag by hand.
If your group has a driver and Guide in Nepal, they can meet them at that middle bridge, where the military checkpoint is. After the military inspection. Then the Visitors can get into the vehicle and drive about one kilometer to the Nepal Immigration. At the Immigration, they will get the Nepal Visa. They have to fill out a Visa Application form, they also need one passport photo, and they need to pay for the Visa. For 15 days, The Visa price is 25 US Dollar Or 175 RMB.
If they want one month visa, the cost is 40 USD. 90 Days, the Cost is about100 US Dollars. So, they need to pay that fee there.
Between the Border and Kathmandu. The driving time will take between 6 to 7 hours. That is only Driving time. That doesn’t include the Lunch break and Doesn’t Include many checkpoints. My assistant and I counted between 8 to 10 checkpoints on the Nepal Side.
They are very slow. Some are police checkpoints, and some are military checkpoints. There is another check place, closer to Kathmandu, where they will have to examine every bag by hand. So, there are two times where the luggage needs to be examined by hand on the Nepal Side of the Border.
During the Monsoon Season, which is June, July, and August. The Road can have big rocks and Mudslide. The road can be closed for several hours or even a few days. So, you need to be very careful about that and explain that to the visitors. Again, because they can be rock and Mud Slides during the monsoon season.
Please make sure; you tell clients that the road is very bumpy, rough, uncomfortable, and dusty.
My group, we arrive at the Nepal border from Kyirong Town as soon as it is open. Which is 8 am Nepal time, but we did get to our hotel until 9 o’clock. So, it’s 13 hours. It took us to get there. So, I want to make sure that you understand the Current Situation. So that your customer can also understand.”
Sino-Nepal Border is open
Tibet Tourism Bureau is issuing a Tibet travel permit for the overland journey between Tibet Autonomous Region of China and Nepal. This means the foreign visitor can undertake the overland trans-Himalaya journey from Tibet and Nepal. Instead of Zhangmu, the new port is open at Kyirong.
If you would like to travel from either Lhasa to Kathmandu to Lhasa. You will need to book your tour 25 Days before the travel dates. If you are coming from Kathmandu to Lhasa, you will have to get the Chinese Group visa from the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Kathmandu. Please read here more about coming to Tibet from Nepal.
The followings are previous updates.
Tibet Nepal Border open 2016: After the devastating earthquake in Nepal 2015 and specific border area inside Tibet in the year 2015. The border has been close ever since the border between Nepal and Tibet has been closed to international travellers. The border of Kyirong or Geelong was open for Nepalese and Chinese tourists and traders. According to CCTV 13, the local news channel in China. The boundary between Tibet and Nepal will be open at Gyirong port for the International traveller from June. But we haven’t had any confirmation from the Tibet tourism bureau. I will keep my readers updated in this post.
It has been over some time since 1st June; we have been waiting for news about the opening of the border. But it has not happened for international travellers. Some local reports indicate the few Indian pilgrims have made it to Tibet from the Gyirong border. We have not had any official confirmation about it.
Massive Rains Cause New Damage in Border Region
July Update: The heavy monsoon rain has caused damages to the road. Some video shows an enormous rockslide passing the Chinese custom on the border. We think this would further delay the opening of the China -Nepal border in Kyirong. And now no one is sure about when the border is going to reopen. If there is a Tibet Nepal Border update, it will keep this post updated.
Here are some other exciting posts, you might like to read.
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