1. Since fluid loss usually accompanies the acclimatization process, drink plenty of fluids (3 - 4 litres daily at least) and eat carbohydrate food to keep the body properly hydrated;
2. Do not over exert and only partake in light activity immediate after your arrival;
3. Don't smoke, drink alcohol or take other depressants such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. These will depress the respiratory drive and limit oxygen intake. Always keep in mind the following rules which will ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip to Tibet:
4. Any sickness at high altitude is AMS until proven otherwise; ¡¤ Never go higher with symptoms of AMS;
5. It is significant that you report any symptoms of AMS immediately to other group members in the trip.

There are overall four documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel freely in Tibet. One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your country, one is Tibet Permit, which you have to obtain it in order to enter Tibet, one is the Travel Permit when you are planning to travel to the closed areas in Tibet which you can obtain it after you arrive in Tibet, and the other is the Military Permit, which you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas. As a local travel agency, we are able to assist you the process all of those above documents if you book a tour with us.

--Passport & Visas
All individuals entering Tibet must hold a passport valid for at least six months. If you are entering Tibet from China, your Chinese visa will be valid, though only travelers with tourist visas (not business, resident or student visas) are permitted. Entering Tibet from Nepal, either by friendship highway or by air requires a separate visa valid for Tibet from the Chinese embassy in Katmandu (30-60 day visas are the norm and it normally takes 2 week days to obtain it.). You may apply for a group visa from us (minimum of two people in a group and you must leave China with this person unless you can change the visa inside China).

--Tibet Permit

What¡¯s Tibet Permit?
Tibet Permit, also known as Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permits, is necessary for entry to Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and is obtained as part of tour arrangements for travel to Tibet.It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau for restricting the number of foreign tourists traveling in Tibet.

How to apply for it?
We can facilitate to obtain it for you if you could submit your personal information to us beforehand by providing your Full name, Sex, Birth Date, Nationality, Passport Number, and Occupation. Journalists, Diplomat, and monks are forbidden to entering to Tibet. After receive your information, we will start to work with the T.T.B to applying for the permit for you. It normally takes 2 week days. And the cost is 50 yuan/person.

How to obtain it?
There are two ways leading to Tibet, one is from other parts of China, the other is form Nepal.
if you are planning to enter Tibet from other places of China, you can claim for it from our local offices of your planned previous city to Tibet, e.g. Chengdu if by air, Golmud if by Qinghai-Tibet Highway.It is a must document when you are boarding the air to Tibet.

if you are planning to enter Tibet from Nepal, you can obtain the fax copy of this permit from the Chinese Embassy in Katmandu. Please allow at least 2 days to get it. After you land at Lhasa if you fly from Katmandu to Lhasa, Our guide will meet you (at the Lhasa airport if you fly from Katmandu or at the Border if you travel though friendship highway) and forward the original Permit to you.

--Travel Permit

What¡¯s Travel Permit?
Travel Permit, also called Aliens' Travel Permit (A.T.P), is required to visit closed areas.It is issued by Foreign Affairs Section of the Local Public Security Bureau (PSB).The Law on the Control of Entry and Exit of Foreigners (Order of the President of the People's Republic of China (No.31), 22.11.1985, Chapter 4), says: 1. Article 20: Foreigners who hold valid visas or residence certificates may travel to places declared open to foreigners by the Chinese Government. 2. Article 21: Foreigners who desire to travel to places closed to foreigners shall apply for travel permits from local public security organs [i.e., the police].

How to apply for it?
We will assist you in applying for it after you enter into Tibet. Our guide will ask you for your passport and the Tibet Permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB.It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 yuan/person.

Which parts of Tibet are listed as the closed areas?
At the present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:
Lhokha: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trandruk Monastery, Yumbulakhang
Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, The MT Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
Ngari Region
Basumtso lake in Nyingchi Region
Chamdo Region

--Military Permit
Military Permit is required if you are planning to travel to Ngari, Nyingchi, and Nagqu which are regard as the military sensitive areas in Tibet. It is issued by the Military office in Lhasa and we will need you to provide your passport, Tibet permit to apply for it. It normally takes 1-2 week days and the cost is 100 yuan/person.

Travel Permit
There are two kinds of permits for traveling in Tibet. The entry permit (TTB permit) and the Alien's travel permit (PSB permit). Himalayan Respo Trek and its Tibet representative arrange all the necessary permits for your tour.

TTB Permit - Tibet Entry Permit When you fly from any city to Lhasa you will need to show this permit when you check in at the airport. Furthermore, whenever you buy a flight to Lhasa you need to show this permit. TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.

PSB Permit - Alien's Travel Permit
If you want to go further to the "unopened" areas, you need an Alien's travel permit issued by PSB of Tibet. It is called "Alien's Travel Permit" or "PSB permit".

Other Permit - Sensitive border areas such as Mt. Kailash and eastern Tibet also require a military permit and a foreign-affairs permit .

For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet your may also need a permit from the local Cultural Affairs Bureau. Dungkar in western Tibet requires a permit from the Zanda Cultural Affairs Bereau.

For remote places such as the Yarlung Tsangpo gorges or the Bonri Kora in eastern Tibet, or for any border area, you will need special permits. For this you will need an agency that has military connections. All these will be arranged by Himalayan Respo Trek and its Tibet agent.

How to get the travel permits?
Because we are a LOCAL travel agency, it's quite easy for you to get a travel permit with our help. Simply send us your
1) full name; 2) gender; 3) date of birth; 4) passport number; 5) nationality
- all exactly the same as on your passport. And you need to tell us your occupation because journalists and people that could be involved in political matters could be revoked (they need more complicated procedure to get a permit).

You need to apply for the travel permit at least 10 days prior to your entry date. Please note that if you do not book any tour from us, we can not help you get the permits. No travel agency can provide "permit-only" service. Here is a note from Lonely Planet:

"Lhasa PSB will not issue travel permits to individuals and will direct you to a travel agency. Agencies can arrange a travel permit to almost anywhere but only if you book a Land Cruiser, driver and a guide."

--Important Issues about Tibet Travel Permit

1. All kinds of people can get Tibet permit through a travel agency except diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.

2. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and the check point reroute with the permit.

3. Only the guide could hold the permit after you establish yourself on Tibet land. You are not allowed to bring with it and travel to anywhere you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as "Aliens¡¯ Permit". Otherwise if you are stopped by the police you will be sent out of Tibet or have trouble politically and economically. Furthermore, the travel agency which helped to get you the permit will also be in trouble.
Therefore seriously not any legitimate travel agency could sell you the Tibet permit if you do not book a tour with them. We don't think you would like to be in trouble due to a "sold" Tibet permit after you pay a lot of money for the tour.

4. There is a service charge (by the government) to get the Tibet permit which is 7 US dollars per person.

Question: How much is Tibet permit?
Answer: as mentioned above, it is only 7 US dollars if you book a tour with a travel agency. But if you come to Tibet from Kathmandu of Nepal, you have to obtain the China Visa no matter if you have already had it or not. In this case, the permit will be 20 US dollars including insurance and Travel Alien¡¯s permit. Usually it is included in our tour cost. Please note that the above is the service charge, not a selling price.

Question: How long can I get Tibet Permit?
Answer: Generally it needs three days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents. But if it needs another 3 days (or more) to Express Deliver the permit.
There is a trick that when you apply for China visa, please do not mention Tibet. After you get China visa you can easily get Tibet permit. Otherwise you have to wait for Tibet permit and then you can get China visa. Of course you will face the risk of that you might be refused to come to Tibet even if you get China visa but your destination is Tibet. In our experience seldom does TTB refuse tourists if they are not of those three kinds of people mentioned above: diplomat, journalist, government officials.

Other documents:
Other documents are the same as you travel to other places of China - you need hold a valid passport with valid visa (issued by Chinese Embassy).
If you are coming to Lhasa from Kathmandu, you'd better get China visa from Kathmandu because no matter you've already got the visa in your country or not, you must get a visa in Kathmandu, which is regulated in an official memo between China and Nepal.
For the clothing, we suggest casual attire style and layered clothing. In day time you may need only a T-shirt or at most a jacket, but at night you may need a coat. Down coat is necessary if you go beyond Lhasa and Shigatse to remote areas, the Everest Camp or further to Mount. Karlash. Sun glasses, sun blocking cream, moisture scream are very necessary to be in your packing list.