Getting to Tibet

Flights into Lhasa are shared by Air China. There are flight connections to Lhasa from Half a dozen Chinese cities but most travelers fly from Chengdu because arranging a permit is generally easier from there. Flights from Lhasa to Shenzhen and Hong Kong are expected to start before long, as is a Kunming-Nyingtri flight. Airport tax and a fuel surcharge are figured into the cost of domestic airfares.

In 2006 Tibet’s third airport opened south of Nyingtri, thought it’s of very limited use to tourists. The Ngari Kunsha airport in Ali is scheduled to open in 2010.

Permits are very rarely checked on arrival at or departure from Lhasa’s Gongkar airport, though they are checked when checking in for your flight to Lhasa.

While it ca be difficult to get a ticket into Tibet, once there you face to restrictions on buying air tickets out of the province. Note that flights to and from Lhasa are sometimes cancelled or delayed in the winter months, so if you are flying at this time give yourself a couple of days’ leeway if you have a connecting flight.

Baggage allowance on domestic flights to Lhasa is 20kg in economy class and 30kg in 1st class, so you’ll have to limit your gear to that to avoid penalties, regardless of what you are allowed to bring on your international flight into China.

Flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa run four times a week in the high summer season and twice a week in the low winter season. Individual travelers can’t buy air tickets from the Air China office in Kathmandu without a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. To get a ticket you will have to purchase a three to eight day package tour through a travel agency.

The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu does not give Chinese visas to individual travelers and will even cancel any existing Chinese visa you have for more on visa headaches in Kathmandu.

It is possible to buy air tickets from Kathmandu to destinations in China such as Chengdu, Shanghai and Hong Kong. You don’t need a TTB permit to take these flights.

Flights between Chengdu and Lhasa cost is bit more high, but you will be very lucky if this is all you end up paying from the flight. In Chengdu, as in other cities, Air China will not sell you a ticket to Lhasa unless you already have a TTB permit.

To get aound this, many travel agencies will sell you a ‘tour’ that allows them to arrange a ticket for you. What the tour consists of depends largely upon the political climate in Lhasa. Out of the high tourist season (July to September) you can normally get away with booking only a ticket and a TTB permit. At the height of summer, agencies may have to book airport transfers, three night’s dormitory accommodation and a simple tour in Lhasa in order to get the TTB permit.

In past years traveler never even saw their TTB permit but at the time of research you needed a physical copy of the permit to show at check-in and customs in Chengdu.

On a clear day the views from the plane are stupendous to try to get a window seat. In general the best views are from the left side of the place from Chengdu to Lhasa and on the right side from Lhasa to Chengdu.

Many individual travelers make their way to Tibet as part of a grand overland trip through Nepal, China & India and onwards. In many ways, land travel to Tibet is the best way to go, not only for the scenery en route but also because it can help spread the altitude gain over a few days.

The 865km stretch of road between Kathmandu and Lhasa in known as the Friendship Highway. The journey is without a doubt one of the most spectacular in the world.

From Kathmandu (elevation 1300m) the road travels gently up to Kodari (1870m), before leaving Nepal to make a steep switchback ascent to Zhangmu (2250m), the Tibetan border town, and hten Nyalam (3750m), where most people spend their first night. The road then climbs to the top of the Tong-la (4959m), continuing to Tingri (4250m) for the second night. Most of the road is now paved.

It is essential to watch out for the effects of altitude sickness during the early stages of this trip. If you intend to head up to Everest Base Camp you really need to slip in a rest day at Tibgri or Nyalam.

This highway is very well traveled nowadays and is a pleasant journey; except for one jamor problem- the Chinese authorities will not let individual travelers enter Tibet form Nepal without a TTB permit and tour.

Because of this, several of Kathmandu’s travel agencies offer ‘budget’ tours of Tibet to get you into Lhasa. At the time of research the cheapest of these tours to Lhasa. Stopping Ahangmu/Nyalam, Lhatse, Shigatse, Gyantse, and then Lhasa for three days. These trips generally run every Tuesday and Saturday.

A direct but runs twice a week from Lhasa’s Northern bus station to Kathmandu and back but foreigners are currently not allowed on this. If you are going direct to Nepal you might be able to find a Land Cruiser heading down to the border to pick up groups arriving from Kathmandu. Check out the notice boards in Lhasa and ask at the various FIT agencies but it is more complicated to find the good local agencies because there is more hassle to the tourist, you can book your tour as you wish through the internet, which are very trustworthy or trustable company in Nepal.