Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Foreigners aren't allowed to enter Tibet from Nepal individually. Must be in a group. Permit required.

No non-Chinese registered vehicle allowed in China. Carnet de passage doesn't apply in China.

Bribing is possible but only if you know somebody. Just handing over a few hundred yuan when caught won't work.

Han Girl

2

As Han Girl said, you can't do it legally without going through a lot of bureacracy, if you really want to do it that way, an easier option is to fly from Kathmandu to Chengdu, buy a motorbike there and motorcycle the Nation Highway 318 from Chengdu to Lhasa, then all the way to the Tibet-China border, then sell your bike at the local market. Nothing cheap to do it this way.

Extensive FAQ about travel situation and permit restrictions in Tibet
Spinn Cafe , Lhasa, Tibet - we are based in Lhasa
Spinning in Tibet (ISBN: 9789881805966), published in Hong Kong.

3

Not that it's not really cheap to do it only, if you don't have any license you may have problem with the police... well... but you won't be stopped at the police checkpoints, wear helmet.

Extensive FAQ about travel situation and permit restrictions in Tibet
Spinn Cafe , Lhasa, Tibet - we are based in Lhasa
Spinning in Tibet (ISBN: 9789881805966), published in Hong Kong.

4

Great info guys, much appreciated. If we were to do it this way (#2), the bike has chinese registration, are you then able to take it into nepal?

would it be possible to get a local to take the bike through the border, hopefully unchecked, and then rendevous on the other side? just a thought.

interesting that cyclist are able to travell this route, yet no other form of transport is conscidered.

Anyone out there done this or tried to do this by motor bike?

J

5

Joshuailes, as far as I know, you can't take a motorbike from Tibet to Nepal, you have to sell it in Dram if you are going to do this trip this way.

Well, foot-peddled bicycles are the best indeed, you don't need any license, you can transport it anywhere you want, without paying any extra taxes.

And a man-powered bicycle would still be able to ride on 5000m above sea level, nothing can be guaranteed for a motorbike, especially if it's cheap and... (I don't want to say this) made in China!

Extensive FAQ about travel situation and permit restrictions in Tibet
Spinn Cafe , Lhasa, Tibet - we are based in Lhasa
Spinning in Tibet (ISBN: 9789881805966), published in Hong Kong.

6

in glomud i met a dainish family who drove their danish van from katmandu to lhasa and ont golmud. they shipped it form europe to india or something. they needed to have some chinese permits and they had to havea guide with them for the chinese section. i think they havea website wwwfamilycaininasia.com or something similar - from reading, im going to cycle to ebc, assumign permits arent an issue you should be able to physically make it all the way - if pushies and cars can...

Hows the weather?