Luxury Tibet Tours: How to Visit Tibet in Style and Comfort

Today, travelers can explore Tibet not only with great adventure, but also in great comfort and luxury, just the way you like!

As Tibet becomes more open to global travelers and its tourist facilities steadily improve, including 5-star luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, chic cafés, upgraded tour vehicles, advanced air, rail, and highway systems, and beyond, you can now visit Tibet in ultimate comfort, with a decent budget and the support of the best local service.

So, in this travel guide, please join us to discover how you can enjoy the raw beauty of the Tibetan Plateau while enjoying the highest level of comfort on a luxury Tibet tour.

Is It Possible to Enjoy Luxury Tibet Tours on the Harsh Tibetan Plateau? Yes

Yes, you can enjoy luxury Tibet tours today, thanks to rapid improvements in tourism infrastructure and continuously upgraded local services. Meanwhile, Tibet is now more open than ever to welcome travelers from around the world.

According to the Tibet Tourism Bureau, in 2024, Tibet received over 63.89 million travelers from home and abroad. Together, they spent more than 74.6 billion yuan (over 10 billion USD) on their journey. Interestingly, about one in four travelers chose to spend more on a fully customizable luxury Tibet tour just to enjoy the maximum comfort and in-depth travel experiences that regular Tibet group tours can’t offer on the towering Tibetan Plateau.

Travel overland from Lhasa to the Tibet EBC on a thrilling and luxurious Tibet tour.

Besides, currently, big tourist cities in Tibet, such as Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi, all have many 5-star luxury hotels for you to choose from. You can enjoy spacious rooms with a perfect blend of modern comfort and Tibetan décor, a heating and oxygen lounge, Tibetan, Chinese, and western restaurants, and an indoor pool, gym, butler service, and almost comparable to deluxe hotels in the West, plus stunning Tibetan mountain views.

In addition, getting to Tibet and traveling around is much easier today. You can fly first-class from major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Kunming, or even Kathmandu, and land in Lhasa within hours, or board the scenic and comfy Tibet train to Lhasa while enjoying the breathtaking plateau views over a couple of days.

Once in Tibet, most national highways are now well-paved, and you can travel with our local experts in an upgraded tour vehicle equipped with luxury aero-style passenger seats and oxygen supply to explore every corner of Tibet in great comfort.

Our guests travel in a luxury tour vehicle with aero-style passenger seats.

What Exclusive Travel Experiences Can I Enjoy on a Luxury Tibet Tour?

As you sign up for our luxury Tibet tours, you are not just getting comfort. You are unlocking experiences that most travelers have no access to.

Whether you are traveling solo or with your family on the popular Tibet train to Lhasa, as a partner with China Railway, we can help you secure the entire soft-sleeper cabin reserved just for you, even during the peak travel season. So, you enjoy the privacy and comfort of your own cabin and watch the scenery shift from grasslands to snowcapped peaks, 100% hassle-free.

As you travel in Tibet, you can enjoy VIP access to sacred Buddhist halls or meditation retreats unavailable to regular tourists. For example, you might be guided through a VIP channel to get closer to pray before a 12-year-old life-size statue of Shakyamuni in Jokhang Temple or watch a lively Tibetan monk debate from exclusive front-row seats at Sera Monastery.

At night, you can enjoy a private, hearty dinner or a cocktail at the most scenic rooftop bar, with the majestic Potala Palace and Himalayan peaks glowing under the magical evening lights just outside your window, while soft traditional Tibetan melodies or gentle jazz play in the background.

Besides, if you come to Tibet for spiritual discovery or inner peace, we can arrange yoga or meditation sessions with local experts by sapphire-blue holy Tibetan lakes or at the foot of a sacred holy Mt. Kailash, and secluded meditation retreats. It’s a truly rare and luxurious opportunity to connect your soul with the divine powers of holy lakes and peaks in Tibet and purify your soul.

Embark on the legendary Mt. Kailash pilgrimage from Lhasa in maximum comfort and style.

What’s more, for cultural explorers, you can join local Tibetan painters to paint your own Thangka (sacred Buddhist scroll), learn to make traditional Tibetan incense with skilled craftsmen, or visit a boutique to explore traditional Tibetan clothing (Chupa). You can feel the textures, hear the stories behind the designs and raw materials, and try on your favorite outfits for lively photo sessions at iconic Lhasa landmarks, with our makeup and styling services and professional local photographers helping you capture the joyous moments in Tibet.

You may also visit a local Tibetan home, watch how locals make traditional meals, or learn Tibetan archery and horseback riding, which are only available to guests on luxury Tibet tours. With our seasoned local experts by your side and butler service, everything is taken care of. So, you can immerse yourself in discovering Tibet’s exotic culture and unspoiled landscapes in an immersive and authentic way.

Our VIP guests dressed in traditional Tibetan clothes and took photos with a private local photographer in Lhasa.

What Luxury Hotels Can I Stay in on a Luxury Tibet Tour? Mostly in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi

Because of Tibet’s high altitude and rugged terrain, more than 90% of luxury hotels are located in the big and livable cities of Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi, which serve as Tibet’s key tourist hubs.

As the capital city of Tibet, Lhasa offers you the widest choice of luxury hotels for ultra-comfort and high-end service. Currently, there are around 13 deluxe hotels available in Lhasa to choose from.

From instantly recognizable 5-star international brands, such as St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, and InterContinental Lhasa Paradise, to the hugely popular Tibetan-owned luxurious hotels like Songtsam Linka, Arro Khampa, and other photogenic and internet-famous luxury hotels, they provide you with a great buffer to get acclimatized to the high altitude in Tibet, along with VIP services and luxurious amenities, and Michelin-starred restaurants and wellness centers for the ultimate comfort on the Roof of the World.

Combining the Lhasa monastic tour with an excursion to turquoise Yamdrok Lake in great comfort.

As the second-largest city in Tibet, Shigatse is another major tourist hub, connecting Lhasa to Mt. Everest and Kathmandu, Nepal, on the scenic Sino-Nepal Highway. Here, two 5-star luxury hotels (Hilton Shigatse and Qomo Langzong Hotel) offer you a perfect blend of modern comfort, Tibetan style, and close access to Tashilunpo Monastery, the most prestigious Gelugpa monastery in Shigatse City.

You can enjoy spacious rooms with oxygen supply, elegant Tibetan and western décor, and views of the surrounding mountains and Shigatse cityscape, plus Tibetan, Chinese, and western dining options, a fitness center, and warm Tibetan-inspired hospitality for you to unwind and acclimatize before visiting Tibet Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

Travel overland across the mighty Himalayas from Lhasa to Kathmandu with our smooth border transfer and VIP services.

Besides, if you are traveling in Nyingchi, eastern Tibet, where serene valleys and enchanting holy lakes meet dense forests and massive pink and white peach blossoms and sublime glaciers in spring, the diverse ultra-luxurious hotels there offer you a dreamlike retreat with incredible views of the surrounding “Swiss-style” landscapes.

The top 10 luxury hotels in Nyingchi are scattered around Nyingchi city, Lulang town, and Bomi county along the most classic travel route in eastern Tibet. Staying in these hotels allows you to enjoy breathtaking alpine views with luxurious amenities like oxygen supply, spas, heated rooms, smart western toilets, attentive services, and savor from Nyingchi mushroom specialties to international cuisines, and beyond.

Experience the best of Nyingchi in spring with our exclusive travel services.

What’s more, when traveling in remote Tibetan regions, such as the Tibet Everest Base Camp and small towns around holy Mt. Kailash or at the Sino-Nepal border areas, while no luxury hotels are available, we help you secure the best local 4-star hotels available. These clean, spacious, and comfortable rooms with oxygen supply, underfloor heating, and western toilets will ensure you have a sound sleep with maximum comfort on the rugged Tibetan Plateau.

What Can I Eat on a Tibet Luxury Tour? From Gourmet Restaurants to Local Flavors

On our luxury Tibet tours, your taste buds are in for a delightful treat.

While you stay in the luxury hotels in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi, you can enjoy a wide range of authentic Cantonese, Sichuanese, Hunanese, and local Tibetan specialties and international delicacies. Featured dishes on the menu change with the seasons, using the freshest ingredients, together with signature cuisines. Normally, each luxury hotel has at least three major restaurants and multiple rooftop bars, cafés, or lounges to cater to your needs.

For example, for breakfast, you can you can select from Tibetan food like highland barley bread, butter tea, and yak noodle soup to Western favorites such as milk, toast, bacon, sausages, fried eggs, and more, paired with colorful fresh fruits and rich, creamy yogurt.

For lunch and dinner, the chefs will serve the traditional Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and local flavors with excellent cooking skills. The Tibetan specialties, such as hand-grabbed beef, yak beef pot, Stone Pot-Cooked Chicken, roast Tibetan fragrant pig, and local snack platter, allow you to savor the finger-licking local delicacies.

Alternatively, you may opt for a scrumptious Western buffet with grilled salmon, tender steaks, creamy mushroom soup, fresh fruit platters, snacks, fine wines, and champagne to satisfy your taste buds. Besides, the artistic décor, open, interactive kitchen, and amazing views of the Himalaya mountain range will enhance your appetite.

Apart from the top-end restaurants in the luxury hotels, you may also follow our local experts to explore local gourmet restaurants, chic rooftop cafés, and bustling local teahouses, tucked away in the old quarters of the city.

Here you can enjoy authentic Tibetan cuisine, like yak or mutton steak, juicy Tibetan momo (dumplings), Tibetan noodle soup (Thukpa) with chilli dip, Tibetan hotpot, and sweet Tibetan tea, alongside Nepalese curries and lentil soup, rice, and vegetables, and Indian dishes, such as butter chicken, nan bread, yak curry with garlic and plenty of veggie options.

Or, you may enjoy our well-prepared picnic (Lingka in Tibetan) with diverse fresh fruits, snacks, and drinks right beside the shimmering Yamdrok Lake or on the serene grassland to enjoy a cozy and private afternoon tea.

The refined and luxurious restaurants in The St. Regis Lhasa Resort.

Explore Lhasa and Shigatse, the cultural heartland of Tibet on a luxurious Tibet tour.

What Kind of Vehicles Are Used in Luxury Tibet Tours?

Since many attractions beyond Lhasa lie far apart, and some may even take a couple of days to reach by road, having a safe, spacious, and comfortable tour vehicle is the key for you to enjoy a comfy ride on your Tibet tour.

For our guests on luxury Tibet tours, we use well-upgraded SUVs (7 seats) and luxury minibuses (9 seats), designed to handle rough Tibetan plateau roads with ease. Each vehicle comes with aero-style passenger seats, plenty of legroom, onboard oxygen supplies, air conditioning, and large panoramic windows for better sightseeing. So, you can sit back and fully enjoy the Tibetan landscapes when passing dazzling turquoise holy lakes and lofty mountain passes.

In addition, your safety and comfort are always our top priorities. Only the most experienced local drivers with warm smiles and attentive services will take the wheel for you. They will help you with the luggage and keep the tour bus clean and tidy, and provide you with Tibetan sweet tea, fresh fruits, and snacks along the way.

During the long drive, they will arrange enough rest stops so you never feel rushed or tired. And if the mood strikes, you may hear some heartfelt Tibetan songs from our versatile local drivers in the lighthearted tour bus.

Our well-dressed local Tibetans are checking in the tour vehicle.

Travel overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa in great comfort with VIP local services.

How Expensive Is a Luxury Tibet Tour?

Luxury Tibet tours are naturally more expensive than budget-friendly Tibet group tours or even most custom trips because, throughout your journey, you will be staying in the finest hotels, enjoying exclusive services, the best local experts and drivers, and experiencing a far more enriching Tibetan experience tailored just for you.

The exact cost depends on your itinerary, travel dates, travel experiences and services you choose. As the leading local Tibet travel agency since 1984, we are always happy to fulfill your dream to visit Tibet and are willing to work with you to plan a luxury Tibet tour that balances ultimate comfort and authentic Tibetan adventure.

If you will be traveling with your family, or on a honeymoon tour, as an elderly traveler, or a Buddhist pilgrim who is keen to enjoy the most comfortable and adventurous trip of a lifetime on the Roof of the World, customizing a luxury Tibet tour is an excellent choice. And we are here to make sure you experience the raw beauty of the Tibetan Plateau while staying pampered along the way.

Our guests are having a great time traveling with our local experts in Tibet.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Tibet is no longer a far-flung destination on the towering, rugged plateau. Today, with improved tourist facilities, you can fly first-class to Lhasa, stay in luxury hotels in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi, and enjoy a luxury Tibet tour with the support of our best local travel services.

If you are planning to visit Tibet and enjoy the ultimate comfort while savoring the authentic Tibetan travel experience, don’t hesitate to email us for an inquiry. And our expert travel consultants will work with you to plan a fulfilling luxury Tibet tour to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the Roof of the World. Tashi Delek!