Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
Explore the region
About Karola Glacier Viewing Area
Karola Glacier is part of the Noijin Kangsang massif, 75 km from Gyangzê county town, and is the source of the Nyang Chu river. Its upper section is a gently sloping ice cap and its lower section has two hanging-glacier ice tongues, with a total glacier area of 9.4 sq km; the Tibet culture and tourism department describes it as the glacier lying closest to a public road anywhere in the region, extending to within a few hundred metres of the roadside. The glacier was listed as a AAA-grade scenic area in the region's 2021 tourism registry, and the department's feature notes its appearance in the film 'Red River Valley'.
What to look for
- the ice cap and hanging-glacier ice tongues visible from the roadside
- the glacier's role as the Nyang Chu river's source
Location & getting there
Getting to Karola Glacier Viewing Area
Check weather, trail access and the last return service. A mountain or forest area is not one entrance, and a map’s central pin may be far from the trailhead.
- Search for 卡若拉冰川观景区 with 日喀则市／山南市 and 江孜县／浪卡子县.
Find Karola Glacier Viewing Area
卡若拉冰川观景区 · 江孜县／浪卡子县
No reliable map pin yet: search by the Chinese name.
Sources & visit information
The linked sources support the identity and background described in this introduction. Opening hours, admission, activity availability and exact arrival arrangements have not been comprehensively checked. Confirm current visitor information with the venue; the original catalogue locality and editorial review flag are retained.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Karola Glacier Viewing Area · 卡若拉冰川观景区Photo: player-travel.comResized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.