2012 TIBET PERMIT SITUATION UPDATE

Hi everyone, it looks hopefull that my girlfriend and I have got our permits from Nepal to Tibet. We plan to cycle from Lhasa via Everst Base Camp back to Kathmandu. We leave Sydney to fly to Kathmandu via Bangkok on Sunday, so fingers crossed. We both carry Aussie passports. We go overland to K to Lhasa first.

You cant get your visa for China till you get to Kathmandu. And how many in your group??

And what are your back-up plans? Keep in mind that travel agents have every reason to be optimistic with you. Myself, I would think that independent foreign travellers cycling around Tibet is a very very unlikely scenario at present. Not to mention what seems the near-impossibility of getting to EBC now.

Don't forget that if you reach KTM and your plans fall through, summer is a very bad time for trekking in Nepal.

#463 Cycling independently from Lhasa to EBC to Nepal border (or other way round) this summer is not just very very unlikely - it is next to impossible. No travel agent is going to be optimistic about providing permits for independent travel - Absolutely no agency would dare do this this year.

I'm assuming that #461 is talking about an organised cycle tour group.

There is no independent cycling in Tibet for foreigners at the moment.

I rode this route last fall - we organised a small truck, guide and driver through a small agency in Lhasa as this was the cheapest option. We designed our own itinerary, paid for own meals (and any accom we used) it certainly wasn't a "tour". The truck drove ahead each day and set up camp. We were free to ride on our own all day (we had cell phone to keep in touch with our guide). Of course its not the same is touring totally on our own - but it was still a pretty amazing experience (and riding with light bikes was pretty damn cushy!)

Trekking in monsoon is not so bad. I did the Chomolhari trek in Bhutan in mid July the other year and loved it. We only changed our plans for one morning due to rain. Trekking up in the Khumbu or back side of Annapurna can be very rewarding in the monsoon - no crowds everything is lush and green....local lodges have far more time for you and the thunderstorms are spectacular! It doesn't rain all the time!! Just plan a little flexibility into your itinerary.......

"Just plan a little flexibility into your itinerary . . . "

And don't let the leeches bother you!

Does anybody know if foreigners can travel to Qinghai, western Sichuan and northern Yunnan at the moment? What about the places where there have been self-immolations?

Yes - you can travel in most of Qinghai, western Sichuan and northern Yunnan. It is most likely that some of the locations where immolations have occurred are shut off to foreigner travelers - its almost impossible to get accurate information at the moment about these sites and the closures of these places is very fluid - ie. one week you get through - next week you don't. I do know that that the main route from Yushu - Manigango - Ganzi is most likely impassable by foreigners at the moment. The area is definitely tense - but you'll find some great travel alternatives to the T.A.R. I'll be in Qinghai soon so will be able to get more accurate updates.

#889 come on - a few leeches never hurt anyone!! Actually - in 8 days trekking into Chomolhari in mid July I never got a single leech!

I couldn't get to litang from kangding had to go south to xichang and then to lugu hu. Basically said no foreigners allowed on bus to litang. We could have headed north to tagong and damba just not west

Edited by: kremjo

Hi everyone

Firstly a big thank you for all this information!

Planning a trip from India - Nepal - China - Central Asia soon.

If needs be can fly from Nepal to HK and get the Chinese visa from there but would much rather overland via Tibet.

My main question is:
With the new rules is it possible to continue solo travel in China (exiting to kazakhstan) after leaving the tour group from TAR (to Lanzhou or Xining by train)?
We are two UK passport holders.

I know in the past you could get a group visa of 1 or 2 to continue travel but am unsure if this is still possible given the new rules.

• apologies if this has been already covered and thank you in advance. C&D

Don't bother with further planning of this trip through TAR as at the present time UK passport holders cannot enter Tibet from anywhere. See post #386 and #388 of this thread for further confirmation regarding this.

You can get a Chinese visa in Kathmandu for travel in China but you will need to fly from Kathmandu to someplace other than Lhasa (although you should be able to transit in Lhasa). You should plan to fly to Chengdu and then you can proceed to Urumqi to exit to Kazakhstan.

Ruth