Expats in Kunming to Tibet in 2021

Tibet reopens to foreign tourists who live in China on May, 9th. Every Kunming expats feels excited about it because they have definitely dreamed about it for a long time since Tibet has been closed last year due to Covid-19. If you are expats living in Kunming or in other places in Yunnan Province, you will find some useful information for you to plan your Tibet tour here.

Kunming is one of the most friendly cities for people to live with its moderate climate, less polluted environment, diverse cultures, untouched natural wonders, and low daily costs. So, more and more foreigners will choose Kunming to live after they come to live and learn in China. So, Kunming has an established foreign community and all expats in Kunming can enjoy a relaxed pace of living.

Since they can go to Tibet this year, they need to be well-prepared even if Tibet is next to Yunnan Province. If you are an expat in Kunming who are desperate to get a tailor-made route for your Tibet tour, you can feel free to contact and we will try our best to meet your needs.

Jinsha River Big Bend

What Documents Kunming Expats Need to Enter Tibet?

All foreign tourists, no matter they are living in China or not, need a Tibet Travel Permit to get into Tibet. And they need to book a tour with a local Tibet travel agency. Or they cannot enter Tibet either. If you need detailed information about how to arrange a perfect tour to Tibet, you can reach out to one of our expert Tibet tour consultants right now. After you book a tour itinerary with us, we will start to make a schedule for you and apply for all documents that you need to finish your tour. First, you need to send us the copies of your Chinese visa, passport, and other necessary papers for the application for Tibet Travel Permit. Then we will deliver it to your address once Tibet Tourism Bureau issues your Tibet Travel Permit. Then you should keep it and bring it when you are packing your bags to Tibet.

If your Tibet tour route includes other places that require other papers to get into, we will also help you apply for all those travel permits. For example, Kunming expats need an Alien's Travel Permit if their Tibet tour will take them to Mt.Everest, Mt.Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Yungbulakang Palace, and etc. Besides, Mt. Kailash and Rowok Lake require a Military Area Entry Permit. We will help you apply for all those permits that you need to get to those places before your departure date.

A negative nucleic acid test report within 7 days is also a necessary paper for Kunming expats to Tibet. What’s more, they need to prepare the Green Healthy Code and 14-day Dynamic Trip Record on the app of Alipay and WeChat.

Meili Snow Mountain

How to Get to Tibet from Kunming?

There is no train from Kunming to Lhasa directly. So, Kunming expats can only get to Tibet by car or by air. However, some tourists will also choose to have a cycling tour to get to Lhasa from Kunming. It depends on you and we will show you some detailed information about the first two options.

Currently, there are two direct flights connecting Kunming Changshui International Airport to Lhasa Kongga International Airport. They all depart Kunming in the afternoon and arrive in Lhasa in the evening after 2 hours and 50 minutes. Besides, one flight to Lhasa from Kunming will make a stopover at Lijiang, and there are several connecting flights for tourists to choose from. Since they will take more time than direct flights, they are the least recommended options.

If you have enough time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the road from Yunnan to Tibet, you can book an Kunming-Lhasa overland tour with us. Yunnan-Tibet Highway, also called as Dian-Zang Road, starts from Jinhong City in Yunnan and ends in Duopuma in Qinghai. Then it connects with Sichuan-Tibet southern highway to get to Tibet. Covering more than 2,200 km, this overland tour will take tourists to head north to pass through Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Deqen, Yanjing, Markam, Zogang, Bangda, Ranwu, Nyingchi, and then arrive in Lhasa. The best time to do Yunnan Tibet Overland is from May to November for Kunming expats. So, you can start to consider whether you want to try this amazing tour route to Tibet from Yunnan from now on.

Yanjing Yantian

Useful Tips for Kunming Expats to Tibet

Even if Lhasa remains the safest city in Chine at present, tourists should follow the local policies and wear a mask as much as possible. It is the best way to protect yourself from Covid-19 in public places.

After you arrive in Lhasa by air, make sure you don’t walk fast or jump. Feeling good at first doesn’t mean that you will not have high altitude sickness symptoms. You can follow your tour guide and go to the hotel to have some rest. Do not take a shower in the first one or two days.

If you arrive in Lhasa by overland, you probably have experienced high altitude sickness on the road since you have been much higher places than Lhasa. Your body may have already acclimated to the high altitude. But you’d better have some rest as well to keep healthy.