Terms and Conditions for Booking a Tibet Tour with Tibet Vista

Thank you for your trust in choosing our Tibet tour services. By booking a trip with us, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, which outline, among other things, our cancellation policy and limitations of liability. These Terms and Conditions affect your legal rights and specify the governing law and forum for resolving any disputes. Please read them carefully before booking your tour..

1. Effectiveness of a Booking

A booking becomes effective only from the date when the deposit payment is successful, the client agrees to the tour program confirmation, and these terms and conditions by signature or by email.

Kind Reminder: By paying the deposit, you confirm that you’ve fully accepted our terms and conditions, which will apply to your booking and throughout the trip.

2. Acceptance of Local Service

The client shall fully understand that Tibet is a special place which cannot provide tour products as good as some other travel destinations comfortably and luxuriously due to its undeveloped economy, backward infrastructure, and harsh natural environment.

The hotels, transportation, security, anti-epidemic, sanitation, medical service, communication, and other infrastructures in Tibet cannot be compared with those at the client’s home or on conventional holidays, even with other cities of mainland China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, etc.

3. WeChat APP Downloading

WeChat in China is similar to WhatsApp in Western countries. You can choose to download the app before the trip for better communication during your trip. For join-in group travelers, we will set up a group talk by WeChat when the tour starts with the travel consultant, local operator, tour guide, customer service, and the group members. You can ask any question in the group talk.

4. Entry Policy for Visa-free Countries

For tourists from visa-free countries, please note that your Tibet travel stay is also included in the visa-free period. Please confirm whether your entry and departure times in China are within the total visa-free days (the Tibet Autonomous Region is a province of China, and Tibet travel should be included). Tibet Vista Tour Co., Ltd. is not responsible for any consequences and expenses caused by the expiration of Chinese visas due to tourists' ignorance of this policy.

5. Tour Cancellation

Cancellation by the Client
If clients have to cancel the booked trip, please write an email to Tibet Vista to inform the cancellation. Cancellation refunds will be calculated from the date we receive your written cancellation. The cancellation will incur cancellation charges from Tibet Vista and other third-party service providers, like cruise, airline, and railway companies. And all cancellation fees will be itemized.

● All cancellations made 30 days or more before departure: 20% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable.

● All cancellations made between 29 and 15 days prior to departure: 30% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable.

● All cancellations made between 14 and 7 days prior to departure:40% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable + 50% of train ticket fare if applicable. All cancellation fees will be itemized.

● All cancellations made between 6 and 3 days prior to departure: 50% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable + 100% of train ticket fare if applicable + cancellation fees charged by hotels if applicable. All cancellation fees will be itemized.

● All cancellations made within 3 days of departure or no-show up: 100% of the tour price. If the tour includes Train tickets to and from Lhasa, as long as the ticket has been issued, the cancellation would cause the 100% loss of the train fare, see Part 4 1.3 Cancellation for the train tickets to and out of Lhasa.

Note 1: If the Client books a tour including a Yangtze River Cruise or other services unmentioned above, the cancellation charges will be itemized as a separate clause in the contract.

Note 2: According to the payment & cancellation policy issued by the Bhutan government, if the tour package includes the Bhutan part, the cancellation and refund of the Bhutan tour is specialized as follows:

- 80% refund if cancellation is more than Forty-five days from the effective dates of service.
- 70% refund if cancellation is within Forty-five days from the effective dates of service.
- 50% refund if cancellation is within Twenty Days from the effective dates of service.
- No refund if cancellation is within one week from the effective dates of service
- Cancellation happens because of the failure in obtaining a Bhutan Visa, the client will receive a full refund of the tour price, except the cancellation fees charged by airlines, the other suppliers. The cancellation charges will be itemized as a separate clause in the contract.

Cancellation Because of the Client’s Failure to Obtain a Visa
The client will receive a full refund of the tour price if he/she fails to get a Chinese Visa, except the cancellation fees charged by airlines and the Railway Station, if applicable, including:

● If the client fails to get a Chinese visa and makes the cancellation 30 days or more before departure.
● If the client’s travel permit application is rejected by the Tibet local government.

Here’s a quick summary of the tour cancellation details in the table below:

Date of Cancellation	Charge Incurred
30 days or more before departure	20% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable.
29 and 15 days prior to departure	30% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable.
14 and 7 days prior to departure	40% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable + 50% of train ticket fare if applicable.
6 and 3 days prior to departure	50% of the tour price + cancellation fees charged by airlines if applicable + 100% of train ticket fare if applicable + cancellation fees charged by hotels if applicable.
within 3 days of departure or No Show Up	100% of total trip cost

6. Changes of Itineraries and Services

Changes made by Tibet Vista
In certain circumstances, Tibet Vista may change the tour itinerary or services because of some geographical or political factors of the travel destination beyond Tibet Vista’s control. In this event, the schedules, itineraries, amenities, or mode of transport may be subject to alteration, and sometimes without prior notice. Please be flexible in this arrangement.

If Tibet Vista makes major changes, Tibet Vista will inform the client as soon as possible. The major changes refer to the changes affecting at least one-fifth of the itinerary. In this event, if the changes are not acceptable to the clients or we are not able to agree upon a suitable alternative, the client will be entitled to cancel the reservation and receive a full refund of the unused tour price, except the cancellation fees charged by airlines and railway companies if applicable.

Changes of Itinerary and Services Made by the Client
The clients have the right to change the tour itinerary and services before and during the trip, but it may cause the cancellation and rebooking as well as the price difference on seasonal changes, which may correspondingly increase or decrease the tour price, and Tibet Vista will re-quote the tour package.

Complete the Trip Before the Designated Time
As the quotation for a tour is based on both the length of tour days and total mileage of the itinerary, the following two situations will be considered where Tibet Vista has successfully fulfilled the tour service and obligation:

a. Tourists finished the planned itinerary ahead of time.

b. The tour days ended, yet tourists failed to complete the itinerary due to force majeure. If tourists extend the days beyond the designated tour length or make other tours beyond the itinerary, Tibet Vista will accordingly charge an extra service fee.

7. Fixed Pick-up and Drop-off Schedule Between the Airport and the City

As for Lhasa Gongar airport is 70km from the downtown, it is hard for us to arrange free shuttle service at any given time.

So, Tibet Vista can only offer free shuttle service to pick up/drop off tourists between hotels and Gongga airport twice a day at a designated time. Some of the tourists may have to wait for others for a long time beyond our designated time, and we advise our clients could book the flights to match our shuttle service time, and the rules go as follows:

● The free airport pick-up time is as follows on the day the itinerary begins: From airport to hotel, Fixed departure: Pick up tourists at 10:00 am, 13:00 pm, 16:00 pm, and 18:30 pm.

● The free airport drop-off time is as follows on the day the itinerary closes: From the hotel to the airport, Fixed departure, pick up tourists at 06:30 am, 08:00 am, and 12:00 pm.

● If tourists’ pick-up/drop-off time is beyond our fixed schedule, they are required to pay private transfer from 60USD/car.

● If passengers are fewer than 3 pax transfer, we may use public transportation, like a public airport bus or a taxi, instead of using our shuttle service.

● All the shuttle service from/to the train station on the date of the tourists' arrival and departure would be free.

8. Airport and Railway Station Services

At the airport or train station, our service staff will welcome you holding a "Tibet Vista" sign or wearing clothes with the Tibet Vista logo. You can reach the taxi pick-up point outside Gate 5 of the domestic arrivals of the airport or the Lhasa Railway Station. If you could not find the tour guide, please call at:

Mr.Awang +86-13908991344,or Mr. Kungar +86-13908985517

Lhasa AIRPORT Picking Up Point (Exit Gate 5)

Our local experts and local drivers will be expecting you outside the Exit Gate 5 of the Lhasa Gonggar International Airport.

Lhasa TRAIN STATION picking up point

Our local experts and local drivers will be waiting for you at the taxi pick-up point at Lhasa Railway Station.

9. Have a Passport

The client must have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months before applying for the Tibet permit. The client is responsible for arranging Chinese Visa, entry, and exit documents and procedures.

If a traveler changes their passport during the Tibet Permit application period, they must submit the new passport information to Tibet Vista and inform Tibet Vista to update the application. When traveling to Tibet, travelers must carry both the old and new passports; failure to do so may result in being unable to board a flight or train.

10. The Client Entering Tibet from Inland China

After a booking is confirmed, the client should send scanned copies of a valid passport and Chinese visa to the relevant trip advisor of Tibet Vista by email or fax at least 30 days before departure. The client is responsible for making sure all the information on the scanned copies is readable.

If the client is working, studying, residing, or doing a business trip in China, the client is also responsible for offering Tibet Vista corresponding working, studying, resident, and business visiting certificates or permits. These documents are required to be sent to Tibet Vista along with the passport and Chinese visa.

Download the sample of a working certificate.

11. The Client Entering Tibet from Nepal

Currently, travelers who have the Chinese Individual Visa do not need to apply for the Chinese Group Tour in Kathmandu, thus no need to stay in Kathmandu for a few days. Travelers can fly to Lhasa directly after they land in Kathmandu;

Travelers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, as well as Singapore, Thailand, Georgia and Malaysia (30 days) do not need to apply for a Chinese visa when staying in China (including Tibet) for less than 15 days.

12. Booking and Issuing Train Tickets

Due to the busy booking of Tibet Railway Tickets, the clients’ ticket booking plan will be submitted to the railway company or ticket agents 2-3 months before departure, and the ticket will normally be issued 15-60 days before departure. During Tibet’s Peak Tourism Season (from June to mid-October, during the Chinese Spring Festival and other public holidays in China), the train tickets may be issued only 1-9 days before departure due to large market demand for ticket bookings.

13. Flexibility on Train Tickets

During Tibet’s peak tourism season, due to the shortage of supply, the train ticket demand may greatly exceed the supply, and the train station will ask the client to make a flexible travel plan. For instance, the client may be required to take a train one day before or later to the original departure adate, or take a connecting train instead of the direct one. The clients are kindly required to understand the situation in China. If the client does not accept such flexibility, the client is responsible for informing Tibet Vista at the time of booking. Otherwise, the client is considered to accept it automatically by Tibet Vista.

14. Cancellation for the Train Tickets to and out of Lhasa

According to the latest policy of railway stations in 2024, passengers who want to cancel or change train tickets are required to take their original passports to one of the train stations in China in person to handle relevant procedures.

For travelers who are not in China but still want to get refunds or change the train tickets, Tibet Vista may not be able to help travelers cancel or change tickets. So you have to give up the refunds. In this case, travelers will suffer a complete loss of train ticket if you can’t come to China to deal with the matter. Meanwhile, Tibet Vista has to charge the ticket booking fee, which is around 30%-50% of the ticket price if the ticket has already been bought.

15 .Booking a Soft Sleeper Train Ticket

Since there are only 35-64 soft sleeper train tickets available on a train, and sometimes it can be hard to book during peak travel season. Though Tibet Vista will endeavor to book a soft sleeper as the client’s requirement, but may fail to get tickets occasionally when the train station refuses the booking. This may be caused by:

● Giving priority to a bigger group booking;
● Giving priority to another booking that the train station identifies as more important or special;
● Giving priority to government booking;
● Canceling or decreasing soft sleeper cars due to the maintenance of the train.

Correspondingly, the client hereby releases Tibet Vista from all claims and causes of action arising from any loss, mental damages, inconvenience, or financial costs both direct and indirect incurred. When a group soft sleeper booking cannot be met, the train station will offer second sleepers (6 pax a room) for the client as a substitution unless the client specified in advance. If the client does not accept it, the client is responsible for informing Tibet Vista at the time of booking.

Validity of Passport

The train tickets booking will need the valid passport information, if you are ready to change new passport, please provide us the new passport information, because once the tickets are booked, it is not allowed to change the passport number, which will cause you extra money to buy a new one, even fail to get new train tickets.

16. Travel Insurance

The tour covers the premium of personal travel accident insurance provided by PICC (PICC reserves the right of interpretation). According to the insurance contract, when the agreed insurance accident occurs, PICC will compensate you for the corresponding losses, but the exact amount and proportion of compensation cannot be confirmed before the relevant staff of the insurance company reviews it.

Tibet Vista Tour is only responsible for assisting PICC in investigation, compensation, and supervision of whether the compensation is properly implemented, and does not bear any other responsibility and compensation. Any disputes can only be resolved in accordance with the Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China and relevant laws.

Insurance Coverage
The insurance only covers accidents within China. Tibet Vista Tour does not provide overseas insurance and does not compensate for any overseas accidents. Tibet Vista Tour strongly recommends that travelers purchase their own insurance to supplement the travel insurance provided by Tibet Vista Tour.

The maximum compensation is RMB 300,000 under the personal travel accident insurance provided by PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited.

The accident insurance included in the tour package only covers travelers who are older than 185 days and younger than 80 years of age.

Travelers under 185 days old or over 80 years old are not covered by the insurance. Any accidents or acute illnesses that occur in Tibet will be entirely at the traveler's own risk.

Health Risks
As one of the highest regions in the world, Tibet has a special geographical environment, and some travelers may suffer from acute altitude sickness and its complications. Customers must inform Tibet Vista Tour at or before booking any physical, emotional, or psychological conditions that may affect your full participation in the tour; or conditions that may require professional care and attention during the tour; or conditions that require the use of special equipment.

If customers have serious heart disease or high blood pressure, it may affect their safe travel in Tibet and may cause serious complications during the trip. Tibet Vista Tour recommends consulting a professional doctor before going to the plateau.

Rescue Cost and Medical Expenses
In some rare cases, some clients might suffer from sudden diseases, mainly as a result of severe high-altitude sickness. They need to be transferred to the nearest clinic or hospital, or even end the tour and leave Tibet. In these cases, Tibet Vista’s team will do our best to rescue the clients, but this will cause extra costs like medical costs, transportation, human resources, equipment, etc. These costs will be on the client’s bill.

Force Majeure and Responsibility for Additional Costs
In the event of travel delays, cancellations, or interruptions caused by force majeure factors such as natural disasters (e.g., flash floods, mudslides, earthquakes, etc.), epidemics, airline flight cancellations, or other events beyond the control of the travel agency, the travel agency will make every effort to assist the traveler in handling emergency situations.

However, any additional costs incurred (such as extra rescue fees, flight change fees, accommodation costs, transportation fees, etc.) shall be borne by the traveler. The travel agency is only responsible for assisting the traveler in managing emergency events, including providing necessary advice, contacting relevant authorities, etc., but will not be responsible for any expenses or losses arising from such events.

In the event of such force majeure incidents, the traveler should promptly contact the travel agency and cooperate with the agency to handle emergency measures. The travel agency is not liable for any economic loss or damages directly or indirectly caused by force majeure events. Such costs shall be paid by the traveler according to the specific situation, and the travel agency will provide necessary assistance to minimize inconvenience.

Insurance Coverage and Recommendations
The insurance provided by the travel agency for travelers covers only personal accident risks and does not include economic losses caused by natural disasters, third-party liabilities, or other unforeseen events. We strongly recommend that travelers purchase additional rescue and third-party liability insurance before embarking on their journey to mitigate potential financial losses.

17. Notification of Tour Safety

Due to the awe-inspiring scenery on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, travelling to Tibet has remained hot for years. However, the journey on the plateau is never easy and involves many difficulties and inconveniences. To get fully prepared for your tour, it’s our responsibility to inform you of the important matters:

Accommodation and Food
Generally speaking, the accommodation and food available throughout the tour on the plateau are much inferior to those of big cities. Normally, the food sold is pretty expensive, with a small portion and spicy flavor of Sichuan cuisine. It’s a small challenge to those who are used to plain food.

It’s often the case that we will stay in local hotels, run by locals. The facilities and service there are no comparison with our travel agency’s service. And our travel agency is not subject to any complaints because of its poor service.

Traffic Condition
Flanked by rugged and lofty mountains, the roads in Tibet are notoriously long and narrow. The driving speed in Tibet is limited to 40 to 50KM per hour. If you happen to travel during high season (from July to October), do be patient with sporadic traffic jams and low driving speed.

High Altitude
Travelling at high altitude is a challenge to one’s physical fitness. If you have the following illnesses or inconvenience, you are not suitable for travel on the plateau.

Cardiovascular diseases like heart disease, hypertension, respiratory disease, mental disorder, severe anemia, contagious diseases, etc.

Due to the high altitude and physical demands of Tibet travel, it is not suitable for individuals recovering from major surgery, those with significant mobility impairments, or pregnant travelers. If you are assisting others with booking, please confirm they meet the health requirements or seek medical advice beforehand.

18. Tour Itinerary

Clients shall check the itinerary carefully. Areas of attractions not open for tourists (like parts of Yading, Daocheng County) are not included in our service. Please travel safely and do not venture into unknown trails or linger over dangerous spots.

19. First-aid Kit

A first-aid kit is prepared for any emergency. Since all the staff of the travel agency are not professional medical staff, the medicines prepared are OTC drugs. Clients can prepare the needed medication yourself before departure. Throughout the tour, please take great care of your valuable items and protect your skin from sunburn. Wishing you a pleasant journey!

20. Personal Activities During the Tour

Local Policy requests that foreign tourists need to travel under the arrangement of the travel agency and with a tour guide if you have some personal arrangements locally, please follow our advice.

If our clients prefer to visit attractions or public places, or places for personal affairs alone, during your stay in Tibet, you need to inform us in advance. Our company will try our best to help you arrange the visit and may need to send a tour guide to accompany you if necessary, with a reasonable service charge.

21. Extended Your Stay Beyond the Scheduled Tour Plan

If tourists have rest time after or before the scheduled travel plan, and are willing to tour somewhere else, please inform our company timely. Never venture out alone or use other companies’ tour services, because the policy does not allow tourists to use other companies’ or private services if you do not get a Tibet travel permit from them, otherwise, it will cause both the tourists and our company serious trouble.

22. Respect Local Folk Customs

Tourists are not allowed to wear hats, slippers, shorts, short skirts or revealing tops when entering temples. Please prepare long sleeves and long pants when traveling to Tibet in summer.

23. About the Tour Price

Due to market factors such as Early Bird Discounts, Flash Sales, Agent Promotions, and Last-minute Deals, booking different hotels, tour prices within the same group may vary. We guarantee that any price differences are based on legal and transparent promotional practices, in full compliance with China's Tourism Law (Article 41: Clear Pricing; Article 6: Fair Business Conduct). There is no price discrimination or fraud.

For the best deals, we recommend booking early through our official channels. Tibet Vista recommends that travelers book their tours during the early-bird promotion period to take advantage of more favorable prices.

24. About the Tour Organization

Due to the high demand for tour guides and vehicles during the peak travel season, as well as the need to arrange longer itineraries in segments to ensure operational efficiency, you may be served by different tour guides, vehicles, and service teams at different stages of your journey.

Please rest assured that all staff members have undergone standardized training and will strictly adhere to the itinerary requirements to ensure smooth transitions between each segment of your trip.

25. Payment Method and Bank Account Information

Methods of Payment
Tibet Vista provides 6 methods of payment:

Method of Payment	Extra Bank Charge & Tax on Clients
Option 1: Wire Transfer	All domestic or overseas bank charges
Option 2: Visa Card or Master Card Pay Online	4% bank charge
Option 3: PayPal	4% bank charge
Option 4: Alipay or WeChat	CNY only
Option 5: Credit Card with POS Machine in local	4% Bank Charge
Option 6: Cash in Local	CNY, USD,AUD,EURO etc are acceptable

Deposit
It is required to pay 20%-50% of the tour price as a deposit to confirm your reservation. To confirm a reservation on a trip within 15 days before the tour begins, a full payment is required at the time of booking, and in this case, the payment by wire transfer is not recommended.

Local Payment
Final payment for all trips is due at 30 days prior to departure, unless it is clearly stated in the contract which the cient is accepted to do the final payment upon arrival in the tour departure place. The local payment shall be made within two days upon your arrival; it can be paid directly to our local office in Cash or by Paypal or by Credit Card

Bank Account and Payment Details
Option 1 Wire Transfer: If you are booking your tour 15 days before your departure date, you may choose to make the payment by wire transfer. If you make payment from outside of China, please choose our US$ bank accounts; if you make payment from a bank within the Chinese mainland, please choose our RMB bank account.

A.The company’s USD Bank Account Detailed Information Bank
Name: Bank of China Tibet Branch
Bank Address: No.7 Linkuo West Road, Lhasa, Tibet
Swift Code: BKCHCNBJ900
Company Name: Tibet Vista Tour Co., Ltd
Company Account: 1388 0783 8140
Company Address: No.52 Dang-Re West Road, Lhasa, Tibet

B. The company’s CNY Bank Account Details Information, and this account is applied by CNY when you are in China ONLY.

户名：西藏博域国际旅行社有限公司
开户行：中国银行西藏自治区分行
账号：1388 0783 8140

Note: All local and overseas charges borne by payer.

Option 2 Credit Card: If you pay by credit card online, please let the trip consultant know. Your trip consultant will send you the link to make the payment, and this service is powered by PayPal. Note: 4% transaction fee is at the payer’s side.

Option 3 PayPal: You may choose to pay by PayPal for deposit payment by paying into our PayPal account ([email protected]). Note: Please inform us by email when the payment is done, and 4% transaction fee is at the payer’s side.

Option 4 Alipay or WeChat: This payment method is limited to tourists using WeChat and Alipay in China.

Just scan the QR code to pay through WeChat and Alipay in China.

Option 5 Credit Card with POS Machine in local: This option is applied at the Tibet Vista Chengdu office or the Lhasa office. Note: 4% Bank Charge for foreign credit cards and 1.5% for China domestic credit cards.

Option 6 Cash: CNY, USD, and EURO are acceptable in the Tibet Vista Chengdu office or the Lhasa office.