As a kid I was dreaming to visit Tibet, a magical place in western China, surrounded with Himalayas and lakes, taigas and forests. Travelers and dreamers will tell you, Tibet is a place where you can touch the sky, where you have the feeling that you’re at the top of the world. Recently my dream came true. I had the lucky opportunity to spend 10 wonderful days in a place unlike anywhere else. Before I arranged this trip, I thought that if you wanted to visit Tibet, you would need to have a deep pocket. As a student, that was impossible for me, but I did research and found out that the cheapest possible option is just 3,500 RMB. Really not a large amount of money for such a fairy tale type of place. If you’re planning the same adventure, you’ll need to know a few things. Visa tip: The first and most important part is the special permission paper for Tibet, called entry permit (TTB permit). Even if you’re a student in China and you have a Chinese visa or residence permit, you’ll still need to apply for the TTB permit. The second important paper is the Alien travel permit (PSB permit). Without these two papers you can’t travel to Tibet, can’t even buy train or plane tickets. Usually it takes anywhere from 7 to 20 days to get those permits. Here’s what you need to prepare these papers: copy of your passport, copy of your student ID and a copy of your residence permit. One more thing, every foreigner should consider hiring an agency. This agency will fix all necessary papers for you. Together with the agency you will make a schedule for your trip and the agency will forward that information to the local authorities. All this paper work might seem a bit boring, and even though we might not understand why we need to do all this, we still need to respect the system. But, with the boring part over, now comes the interesting and most awaited time; the journey to Tibet! Transportation tip: Depending on your budget you can choose between train and plane. Personally I think that the train is a better option. Firstly you will pass through almost all of China, and you’ll get an idea of how big and beautiful China is. Secondly your body will accustom to the high altitude gradually. Thirdly you’ll have the chance to meet a lot of interesting people. Fourthly the price for a sitting seat (400 RMB) or a hard sleeping bed (860 RMB) is much more affordable for students. However, taking the plane is more convenient and the faster option, but expensive. Be ready to spend at least 2,000 yuan for a ticket.   Tibet is magnificent. It’s full of lakes and mountains. Lhasa, the capital city of this autonomous region, is the most popular touristic destination along with the Himalayas. Since it’s the main tourist spot, you’ll see a lot of foreigners. Before I saw the tourist crowd, I had imagined that I would be just one of the few lucky Western tourists who managed to visit Lhasa and Tibet. Well, apparently that was an illusion. Besides my blindness about tourists, I also overlooked the city infrastructure and development. Lhasa is a modern medium-sized city and it has everything you might need. A lot of restaurants, bars, hotels, a modern airport and train stations, malls, boutiques and many souvenir shops. For me that was a shock. Honestly, I’m ashamed of my thinking. Anyway, besides the modern look, Lhasa also has many traditional parts. In the city you can find a lot of cultural and religion monuments, as well as a lot of monasteries. Local people are very religious and this won’t be surprising if you see them praying in the street. All parts of the city are extremely beautiful, but if I have to name some of the most stunning places I would say Potala Palace and Barkhor street. Those places are authentic, traditional and lovely. What to visit in Lhasa: the Norbulingka (Dalai Lama’s summer palace), Potala Palace, Barkhor street, Jokhang temple and Drepung monastery. After 3 days in Lhasa I went to explore the countryside. It’s the total opposite of the capital. Small villages and towns with authentic architecture and people with traditional values. There you can see the pure beauty of Tibet, which is astonishing. the Norbulingka What to visit in Tibet: the Yamtsko lake, the Pelkor monastery, the Karola glacier, Gyantse fortress, the Rongpuk monastery (highest in the world), the Tashilunpo monastery, the Yangpachen hot spring. There are a lot of monasteries all over Tibet. For me it was interesting to learn something about Buddhism and to visit some of these places to see what they look like. It has been a unique and interesting experience, which has been enriching for my life. What kind of food and drinks to try: Momos, Tibetan pastries, Naizha cake, Thentuk, Tsampa, Lhasa beer, tea with yak milk, yogurt. Tsampa The local food is great. It was so delicious, that I ate even when I wasn’t hungry. At the end of my trip I had a chance to visit the Himalayas. I have now been at the roof of the world, because the base camp was at 5,200m altitude. That night I spent in a tent. In the cold morning the first thing I saw was the Everest, the highest place on earth, always under the snow and mystically beautiful. With this magic all around, one guy from my tour group proposed to his girlfriend at the slopes of Everest. High altitude: Tibet is located pretty high, therefore many people have problems with the high altitude. I know the story of one Dutch guy who arrived in Lhasa by plane. Almost immediately after arrival he felt sick. He spent the first night in the hospital and the next day he left for home. High altitude sickness is pretty serious, but luckily there’s a medicine for it. In Tibet you can find a type of medicine for high altitude called 红景天 (hóngjǐngtiān), and you can get it as a pill or as a “soda” drink, brilliant. The last stop before my departure was the Namtso Lake. Words can’t describe this beauty. The lake is large and surrounded with snowy mountains. On the main entrance is written: ‘you are in Heaven’, and you really are. I’m not drunk when I say I had the feeling I could touch the sky. Namtso Lake Money: on every trip the biggest dilemma is how much money to bring with you. Lhasa in general is not an expensive city. Prices are reasonable and if you’re not going shopping, 100RMB per day is enough. Unforgettable places: The Everest base camp, the Himalayas, the Namtso Lake, Potala palace.Traveling is one of few things money can buy that will last forever. Don’t have breaks. Go for it, live the life!