Tibetan Business Highlights

Tibetan Business Highlights is part of the heartbeat of this site. It is a platform to promote small businesses of excellence throughout Tibet who are continually seeking to improve their services. As this feature of Tibetpedia develops, we hope to have a broad range of services represented: guesthouses, homestays, restaurants, guiding services, drivers, horse trekking operators, etc. We aim to not only help raise awareness of these businesses, but also to lend credibility to the businesses profiled here so that foreign travellers will experience the best of Tibetan service and hospitality.

Large portions of tourism resources across Tibet fail to benefit businesses run by the local people. Instead, businesses owned and operated from outside these areas often receive the majority of benefit. This feature of Tibetpedia aims to help ensure locally operated businesses benefit from the tourism resources in their locale. Not every business found here is necessarily locally owned. We also value promoting businesses that hire local employees, purchase from locally run businesses, and generally promote the best possible interest of Tibetans as they do business in this region.

We believe the businesses profiled below will enable travelers to have insider access to the best service and most authentic experience of Tibetan service and hospitality.

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Most Recent Business Highlights

Zhuan Jing Bridge Hostel

Entrance to Zhuan Jing Bridge Hostel

“Xisuo Local Residence” is a small Rgyal rong Tibetan village located in a Zhuokeji in Maerkang. The village was built in the middle of the Qing dynasty, and even today maintains the architecture of these early settlers. On the outside the village houses are made of stone, making it look …

Wrangler Hotel

Wrangler Hotel

In Ruoergai County Town, you will find the Wrangler Hotel. As a local nomadic family runs the hotel, the managers – Dorjie and Gengden – are both family. Both brothers are friendly people who are very passionate about social entrepreneurship. They have been helping a lot of local people make …

Black Tent Restaurant

Entrance to Black Tent Restaurant

While it’s easy to find a restaurant where you can have authentic Tibetan food, it is hard to find a restaurant in Hong Yuan town, in the Amdo Tibetan Region, where you can experience the local Tibetan style. However, at the Black Tent Restaurant, guests experience both. Run by a …

Xiangxiong Guesthouse

Entrance to Xiangxiong Guesthouse

Songpan ancient town is the best place to learn and explore local history and culture in the entire county town. As the Ancient Town was first built in the Ming Dynasty, the old city walls and the building architecture still maintains charm from this period. Today visitors will find many …

Aba Zang Feng Hotel

Entrance to Aba Zang Feng Hotel

In Aba, you will find the Aba Zang Feng Hotel where travelers go to experience a little bit of the local Tibetan hospitality and kindness. You will also find that the hotel is one of the most comfortable and cleanest in town. A local Tibetan couple Nima and his wife …

Hua Hai Hotel

Entrance to Hua Hai Hotel

Hong Yuan is a very good place for travelers to explore the Tibetan nomadic life. When staying in the area there are a few tent hotels available but this option often means a private shower is not possible. However, if you are looking for a nice and comfortable bed with …

Tibetan Family Kitchen

Tibetan Family Kitchen entrance Lhasa

Tibetan Family Kitchen is becoming a landmark in Lhasa for good reason. It was founded by a young and enthusiastic Tibetan couple in 2013. Namdon and Lumbum were tour guides for many years, but unfortunately in 2012 there were far too few tour groups to make a living. With the …

Sonam International Youth Hostel

Sonam Hostel

Sonam International Youth Hostel was founded by a capable Tibetan lady, Nizhen, in 2008.  As a result of the train to Lhasa opening in 2006, the tourism in the area developed greatly. As Nizhen had a few years of experience in running a hostel in mainland, China, she decided to …

Metok Karpo Restaurant

Metok Karpo Owner

Metok Karpo is a gem of a restaurant located near Barkor in central Lhasa. Though it is hidden away in a narrow alley beside the Snowlands restaurant, it is well worth the effort to track it down. The low doorway is on your right hand side if you are walking …

Po Ba Tsang Restaurant

Employees of Po Ba Tsang

Located in Lhasa, the Po Ba Tsang Restaurant is serving guests more than just food, and they are proving that being at the roof of the world is a rewarding, yet challenging task. Guests to Lhasa are continually amazed by the local historical and cultural sites, and they are often …

JiLi Long Yangqin Tents Guesthouse

Many colourful tents are set up on the broad grasslands surrounding Hongyuan, in the Amdo Tibetan region. Here, one can see herds of yaks, sheep, and horses spread over miles of grassland spotted by the black tents of nomadic herders. In this guesthouse, you are welcome to stay as a …

City Nomad Guesthouse

In the city of Xining, you will find a cozy and welcoming guesthouse called City Nomad. While you won’t be staying in the grasslands with sheep, yaks, and horses, you will experience a taste of the nomadic spirit in the midst of the city. In this sweet and comfortable guesthouse, …

Jiachu’s Homestay

In the shadow of the famous Konka Mountain, lies the Yulongxi Village. It is in this majestic setting that one can find Jiachu’s Homestay. The owner, Jiachu, has spent his entire life in the Kham Tibetan Region, making him a local expert. It all started one day when Jiachu was asked …

Tashi’s Homestay

Tashi’s Homestay is in the Pengbuxi village, of the Minya area in the Kham region. From the deck off of your room, you can relax with the beverage of your choice and enjoy the view of surrounding mountains and valleys. Peaceful is the word that pops to mind. Wandering the …

Tenpa’s Homestay

In the quiet little Tibetan village of Duorang, travellers can find Tenpa’s Homestay. The namesake – Tenpa – is from the Kham Minya area. Tenpa studied English for few years, so he speaks fluent English, Chinese, and Tibetan. He has been working as a guide and driver in the Kham …

Dolma La Restaurant

Stepping inside the Dolma La Tibetan restaurant, one is immediately taken by the richly coloured wooden walls and furniture. I spied the stairs leading up to the second floor dining area and couldn’t resist climbing them to discover what lay above me. Upstairs the  natural light filters in through the …

Zhongde Tan Cafe

Zhongde is located in town of Ruoergai, Aba prefecture, of the Sichuan province. For the past year, two Tibetan university graduates have been running their unique coffee bookshop here – Zhongde. Yangtan and Pabazu are are full of passion, pride, and love for their culture. These brave grads decided to …

Bala Clothing Store

Wandering into Bala Clothing Store, one will find exquisite garments in traditional Tibetan style designed by Deqing who is from a small village in the Kham Minya Region. She received her bachelor’s degree at Northwest University for Nationalities where she majored in English.  After she graduated from college, Deqing worked …

Sok Bo Tibetan Hostel

Sok Bo Tibetan Hostel

On a hillside above the town of Xinduqiao, Sok Bo Tibetan Hostel is open to receiving travelers who wish to explore the Kham Tibetan Region. Tsering Lamo (the owner) used to work for a hostel as a chef, and it was there that she learned a lot about running a …

Malaya Tibetan Restaurant

The Malaya Tibetan Restaurant was founded in 2006.  Located in the heart of the town of Kangding, it is the oldest and best Tibetan Restaurant in town. The restaurant is run by a young and knowledgeable Tibetan guy – Xirao – who is from Minyak, in the Kham region. Xirao …