Tibet Nepal Border officially reopened

The Tibet-Nepal border officially reopened after being closed for two and a half years. All international visitors can make an overland Journey between the Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal through the Friendship Highway.

After being closed for COVID19 Pendemic. The Border port for Overland crossing Nepal and Tibet was finally reopened to international visitors on 28th August 2017. With the announcement made by the Tibet Tourism Development Committee, formally known as the Tibet Tourism Bureau. So from now on, foreign visitors can enter Tibet or exit from Tibet by the overland route. So now, one of the most astonishing overland travel routes on the planet is open to travellers. Before the closure, the two most popular travel routes were the overland journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu, the Mount Everest Base Camp, and the Journey from Lhasa to Kailash and into Nepal.

Before the earthquake in Nepal and the Himalayan regions of Tibet, China, the port town of Zhangmu (Dram འགྲམ།樟木) in the Nyalam County in Shigatse prefecture is the Main port border crossing between the two nations. However, due to significant damage, the town suffered from the earthquake. Therefore, the Government has shifted the border port to the County of Kyirong (སྐྱིད་གྲོང་吉隆县). The New Port is 547 Kilometers from Shigatse city and 325 Kilometers from Rongbuk Monastery or the Mount Everest North Base Camp.  The new border port will serve as the main port between Tibet and Nepal for all, including international visitors.

The town on the Nepalese side is Rasuwa Gadhi, 130 kilometers north of Kathmandu. The road on the Nepalese side is 80% paved, and the journey from Rasuwagadhi to Kathmandu takes 6 hours. There are Private jeeps and buses each day to take travellers to Kathmandu. We can also arrange a private pickup service from Kathmandu. 

Suppose you are taking the friendship highway from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Here are a few guidelines. Read more about coming from Nepal to Tibet.
You must apply for the Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.
It is mandatory for everyone coming to Tibet from Nepal to get a group visa from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal. If you already have a Chinese Visa, your existing visa will be cancelled, and a new group visa will be issued from the Embassy.
A Travel agency in Tibet will send your visa invitation to an approved travel agency in Nepal. That agency will apply for the group visa on your behalf.
Visa takes three business days to process. So you must stay in Nepal for at least three business days. Read More here
Progressive altitude is higher per day if coming from Nepal to Tibet.
If you are coming from Nepal to Tibet, the altitude escalation per day is higher than the opposite route. Therefore, we do not recommend this overland journey for travellers from Nepal to Tibet.

Here is the altitude of places in Nepal, Tibet, and the Overland Journey

• Kathmandu = 1300 meters
• Rasuwa Ghadhi: 1777Meter
• Jilong SheQu: 2797 meters
• Gyirong County: 4134 Meters

Suppose you are taking the overland journey from Lhasa to Nepal. The following are some guidelines.

Tibet travel permit

The travel agency in Tibet will issue a Tibet travel permit. You will need to send them your passport and visa copy for the permit. When applying for a Chinese Visa, it is best not to mention Tibet. Yet all the major Travel agencies in Tibet can send you a visa invitation. If your visa is not a tourist visa, which is an L category visa, you will need to submit a letter from your host (Institution or family).

Train to Lhasa

Taking the train from other parts of China is a better option. There are many trains from all the major cities in central China. You will need to book a well-advanced train ticket. The last-minute train ticket is nearly impossible to get. I recommend you book a train ticket with China Highlight. They are excellent and effective. Xining is the best gateway for taking the train to Tibet as all the trains to Tibet merge into the Qinghai-Tibet railway line. And there is a significant possibility of getting the train ticket. Taking the train to Tibet does not require you to bring the original permit. Hence, the travel agency will send you a scanned copy of the Tibet travel permit. It is better to make a few copies of it.

Flight to Lhasa

Suppose you are taking a flight to Tibet. The best gateway flight to Lhasa is from Chengdu. There are over 13 direct flights from Chengdu to Lhasa each day. However, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of China, no foreign visitor can board a flight to Tibet without an original Tibet travel permit in hand. So you will need to talk to the travel agency about how they will send your permit to Chengdu.

Usually, we would send the permit to the hotel in Chengdu. However, if you are not staying in Chengdu and taking a consecutive flight to Lhasa, we offer a Permit delivery service at the Chengdu Airport with a service charge.

Tour Recommendation

We recommend a ten-day overland journey from Lhasa to Nepal and our 7-day overland group tour to Kyirong.

We are pleased to announce that the Tibet Nepal Border has officially reopened after being closed for two and a half years.

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