Many parents concern about this question before planning a Tibet tour, traveling to Tibet with kids is something you should pay special attension, as experienced Tibet travel agent, we have the most correct answer for you as follow.
What is age limit for kids to travel to Tibet
Age is not a very strong factor to the high altitude sickness, there are many little kids going to Tibet with their parents, and mostly the altitude sickness happen on adults according to our year’s experience, so people even said high altitude has less effect on kids.. But better go and ask your doctor for sure, having body examination before coming to Tibet. We do not suggest any baby less than 2 years old or any pregnant female to travel Tibet.
And here below are some solutions to prevent from altitude sickness:
Do not get a cold or fever before going to Tibet, these may cause altitude sickness.
Do not take train directly to Tibet from low altitude cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, etc. Instead you can take flight to Xining first, which is the start point of the Qinghai –Tibet railway, the altitude of Xining is around 2300 meters, having 2-3 days tour in Xining is good for acclimatization, then you can continue with another train from Xining to Lhasa by arriving next day.
If you fly straight in to Lhasa you should medicate with Diamox, after arriving Lhasa, having more water and enough rest, oxygen is available in Lhasa, and the medical facility in Lhasa is good enough for altitude sickness. Most of the tour will stay 3 nights in Lhasa before going to higher places, so you can get used to the altitude with the 3 night’s stay.
Make sure your children and you yourself know about the symptoms, and keep checking with your children about these as a child may not be able to recognize the symptoms of high altitude illness, so parents and other adults must carefully watch for any signs of high-altitude illness in children. If they get symptoms, stop going higher.
Drink more water, have some fruits on the first 2 days, and having a happy & relaxing mood is good to avoid altitude sickness.
