Travertines and tufas, precipitated from waters (hydrothermal and ambient temperature karstic waters respectively) enriched in calcium and bicarbonate ions, are widespread in continental settings. Both carbonate deposits are important archives for Quaternary studies, as they can be absolutely dated (e.g. via uranium-series dating) and provide evidence of climatic and environmental conditions at the time of formation. Yet, most of the travertines and tufas in China still lack investigation and little is known about the nature of geological and paleoenvironmental information stored in these deposits. Here we summarize previous studies of travertines and tufas from the Tibetan Plateau, with an emphasis on possibilities and problems associated with these carbonates in Quaternary studies, and lastly provide our perspectives on the future of travertine and tufa research. Travertines are quite common on the Tibetan Plateau and preferentially occur along active tectonic zones, such as the approximately north-south trending rift systems and some strike-slip faults caused by the uplift of the Plateau and subsequent east-west extensional deformation of the Tibetan crust during the Late Cenozoic. At present these travertines are under-researched, but several previous studies have shown that the travertine deposition on the Plateau is not only controlled by tectonics but also closely associated with the intensity of the Indian summer monsoon. Some lacustrine tufas deposited on the paleoshorelines of several closed-basin lakes on the Plateau are able to reconstruct lake-level (and hence paleomonsoon) change. It is therefore expected that the widely-distributed travertines and tufas on the Tibetan Plateau have great potential to provide insight into past monsoonal climate change. Furthermore, travertines and tufas preserved in different terrestrial settings, such as periglacial slope, fluvial, and lacustrine environments on the Plateau, appear to be a promising tool for unravelling climate-driven surface processes and geomorphological change of an area. The formation of travertines (e.g. travertine fissure-ridge) is often linked with active tectonics and can thus provide more evidence of faulting and geothermal activities on the Plateau. In several instances, archeological finds (e.g. ancient human hand- and footprints) are stratigraphically or spatially associated with travertines or tufas; thus the dating of these carbonates may provide the timing of human migration and settlement of the Tibetan Plateau, and allow us to better understand the prevailing climatic and environmental conditions during site occupation and abandonment. Several problems might be encountered in the study of the travertines and tufas. Firstly, the travertines and tufas tend to accumulate discontinuously due to the tempo-spatial shift in spring orifice location and water flow pattern, and may be mixed with terrigenous sediments.