Giving Up Solo Travel to See the Roof of the World: A Tibet Journey

Ever since my childhood, I have always dreamed of travelling to Tibet because of the videos and photos I saw online. I also imagine the rhythm of spinning copper prayer wheels, ancient architectures and monasteries, and Mount Everest. For years, the idea of visiting Tibet has been stuck in my head. You will understand why once you go on a trip to Tibet. There are a lot of rumors about Tibet on the internet, such as regulations changing overnight without any warning, and dealing with a bunch of paperwork, which makes me feel frustrated.

As a 30-year-old nurse from Melbourne, I handle high pressure at work naturally. Yet, the idea of stepping into the Tibet Autonomous Region makes me feel overwhelmed, and getting access to Tibet seems uncertain from the beginning. With an Australian passport, is it possible to go to Tibet? How difficult is it to pass through the security points as a foreigner? Will I get stuck with paperwork? Because one mistake would lead to application rejections.

One day, something inside me decided to overcome my own hesitation and book a 15-day overland journey through Tibet with a travel agency that would take me by train from Beijing. Nothing ever felt so excited and relieved after booking my trip online. Here’s the thing — maybe you’re stuck on that screen, unsure whether to go or not. It happens more often than you think. Yet, everything changes once you book the trip.

Surrendering the “Solo Traveler” Ego

Back in Australia, I am an independent traveler, and I would book a hotel on my own. Wandering on my own to unknown streets without any planning makes me feel free and natural, and I will do anything to avoid group tours. Here is the truth that you have to accept: if you ever want to visit Tibet, you simply cannot buy a ticket to Lhasa, book a hotel, or even wander around on your own if you are a Non-Chinese citizen. For foreigners, it is mandatory to be part of an authorized tour accompanied by a licensed guide and to sit on a vehicle owned by travel companies.

To be honest, I was quite disappointed about the restriction at first because I love to travel on my own. Once I finally arrived in Tibet, I realized that navigating the roads, the language barrier, and the insane high altitude definitely requires a local to help you. Because of this, I was no longer disappointed. Being part of a small group does not ruin the trip at all. In fact, I got to explore more places in Tibet because our guide, Pema, ended up taking us places that I would have never discovered on my own

Because of him, I wasn’t just observing Tibet, I was actually feeling it. One day, I was performing kora, a type of meditative practice, with hundreds of local Tibetan pilgrims on Barkhor street through thick air with the earthly scent of burning juniper. On another afternoon, I was feeling warm inside in a living room with a local family in Gyantse, and they were laughing at me as they tried to correct my terrible techniques for folding the Momos while filling my cup with rich, savory yak butter tea. Later in this trip, I was standing in the Courtyard of Sera Monastery, and was completely fascinated by the explosive energy of the monks debating about Buddhist philosophy. I wouldn’t have experienced this if I had tried to figure things out on my own.

Local Tibetan Performing Kora at Barkhor Street

Navigating the Bureaucracy Without the Headache

These days, entering Tibet as a foreigner isn’t quite what it used to be. The process of entering Tibet has eased up, and China now welcomes several nationalities without visas, including Australians. Getting off the plane to meet my tour group was quicker and smoother than I expected. Still, reaching the capital is just the beginning. To get through strict security checkpoints in Tibet, you will need to have a physical copy of the Tibet Travel Permit. Without it, you won’t be able to take the train or planes to Tibet in Beijing.

I’m not going to lie, the part to deal with paperwork scares me the most while planning the trip at home, but going through an agency means that they can handle all the stressful paperwork for you. All I have to do is send a copy of my passport (and visa if needed) to my agent through email about 40 days before my departure, and that’s it! I don’t even need to fill in any complex administrative form, and all I need to do is wait for my travel permit. When I was heading to my hotel in Beijing, the travel permit was handed to me at check-in. The travel permit and alien travel permit that our guide kept for us were the golden ticket that cleared the path through every security checkpoint, allowing us to experience the landscape in Tibet.

Tibet Checkpoint

Standing Beneath the North Face

As I headed up to the Tibetan plateau, the worry of getting the Tibet Travel Permit completely vanished from my mind. We then walked around dazzling turquoise lakes, climbed over a high mountain covered with colorful prayer flags, and watched the landscape shift into something utterly wild. The best part of the journey was getting to Rongphu Monastery, the highest monastery on Earth, because it stands quietly in freezing wonder beneath the massive north face of Mount Everest.

Looking up at the peak of the mountain and breathing in the thin, cold air, the anxiety I felt months ago at the hospital in Melbourne felt a million miles away. If you are holding back from visiting Tibet because of not being able to take a solo trip, or are intimidated by the rules and permit regulations in Tibet, the agency will help you manage your trip if you let go of control and let the local experts show you around. What’s waiting for you on the other side of those checkpoints is a world that will change the way you see the earth and yourself.

Climbing Mount Everest with my group tour