Can someone help me to decide whether to go to Tibet from mainland China or Nepal? I know that this is an often asked question, furthermore, I know that it used to be better to come from the mainland because it allowed independant travel and coming from Nepal always required a tour group.
However, I have been reading that independant travel in Tibet has recently been greatly hindered if coming from the mainland due to those protests a bit ago (is it true?), and that you have to get a tour if you want to go outside of Llasa anyway. So, is getting a tour necessary whichever way you come these days (that is, if you want to go outside of Llasa)? If so, perhaps it is not a bad option to just come from Nepal and go straight through to Llasa (I am aware that the visa is shorter if you come from Nepal). Or, is it easier to just get to Llasa from the mainland and to book tours around Tibet once there? Is it cheaper to do the latter? (any idea of tour prices, say for a week or two booked from Llasa?) Or, is it currently even possible to get a train ticket and permit to get to Llasa from the mainland? Any advice will surely help. Of course, I would prefer to see things without a group. But if this is necessary I just want to know what would be the cheaper, better, easier way.
Thanks,
Hal Fischer
I would personally go in from China just because you could see more Tibetan culture along the way (unless you fly or take the train). You won't have to be part of a group if you manage to take the train or plane in; it's just that you have to buy those from a travel agent. If you go overland in a jeep, then it will be expensive, depending on where you start out from. You and your companions can decide on the route and see everything you want along the way.
It's hard to give you a price estimate if we don't know where you would be coming from in China. I definitely enjoyed my overland trip into Lhasa last year (I just took a bus from town to town since I look Chinese) from Sichuan. If you're up for it, just sneak in. I've met guys who had done it from Sichuan. It's also especially easy coming from the west, from Kashgar.
If you want to arrive Lhasa from mainland China You can from Beijing/Guangzhou/Xi'an /Shanghai/Chengdu to Lhasa by train or plane .now from Chengdu to Lhasa is easier, because is more scheduled flight from Chengdu to Lhasa everyday. if you want to by train, you'd better by air in and by train out, because the train ticket is quite hard to get from the cityes to Lhasa .
No matter that you by train or by air to Lhasa you should get the Tibet permit,and this permit only valid in the Lhasa area,if you want to go other place of Tibet you should get a alien travel permit and must join a group with a guide.
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