My friend and I planned to catch the train to Lhasa in Guangzhou, spend a few weeks in Lhasa, then take the bus from Lhasa to Kathmandu, spend a month in Nepal, then take the bus back from Kathmandu to Lhasa, and catch the train back to Guangzhou. I am American, my friend is Chinese. I have a 90 day multientry visa for China, and a 30 day visa for Nepal already. I thought all I needed now was a Tibet travel permit which I planned to pick up at a traval agency or police station in Guangzhou. Now I see things are not that simple, and maybe impossible. I see now getting back and forth across the Nepal/Tibet border might be very tricky for foreigners. Can anyone tell me if my travel plan is even possible, and if so, what I will need to do to make it work? I defintiely can't afford the high cost of a plane ticket from Nepal to China, and I would perfer not go through any other countries like india or Pakistan to get back to China. Any help would be very appreciated!
skykoinc - Your plan is not possible unless you fly from Kathmandu back to Chengdu. You cannot reenter China from Nepal overland. Your choices are as you stated, a plane from Kathmandu to Chengdu or overland from Nepal to India to Pakistan to China. Anything else will void your Chinese visa.
Since this thread is reserved for information and not for asking questions, I have asked the moderators to consider deleting your question in the next few days.
Ruth
so what's the most update about permit?
I plan to go to Lhasa this new year 2009....now I still decide to book tour with Chinese agency or go by myself.
I can speak a little Chinese.....will it be too dangerous to go there without tour?
fairytale - Doesn't matter if you speak Chinese or not, are you ethnically Chinese? If so, you might be able to get to Lhasa but the reality is that you need the Tibet Travel Permit which means that you need the tour. Independent travel in Tibet is NOT currently feasible and the likelihood of same at any time in the near future is dim.
Ruth
It is not dangerous to go without a tour. Tibet is quite safe for foreigners and outsiders. However you will have difficulty going without a permit. It is not recommended but it is possible if you are prepared to be a bit sneaky and take the risk of being denied entry on the train. (you won't get in without a permit on flights but some folks are getting in without permits on the train) I would not recommend trying at least until the first week of October and after the 60th anniversary of CCP rule in China.
Everbrite is correct in that independant travel in Tibet is not feasible. You may get into Lhasa without a permit but you won't be able to travel anywhere else outside of Lhasa prefecture.
URGENT PERMIT SITUATION UPDATE:
This morning (20th Sep) the Tibet Tourism Bureau held an emergency meeting in Lhasa with the major tour operators. Tibet Entry Permits for foreigners are NOT being issued from Sep 20th until October 8th. This is due to security concerns due to the 60th anniversary of Communist rule in China. Theres is a possibility that permits may not be issued again until later than the 8th of Oct. This will all depend if any "events" take place in Tibet in the next 2 weeks.
It appears that if permits are already issued then they should be honoured (ie. you should be allowed to enter Tibet) however this has not been tested yet.
This is not rumour...it is fact. The TTB is also holding negotiations with Air China to see if Air China will give full refunds on flights booked for within this time period. No news on that yet.
Chris, can you ask the mods to make your last post only another sticky? But one with no one else adding to it.
What will happen to travelers who have already purchased Chinese sponsored tours and are in Llasa but have permits that expire 26 September if they stay in Llasa?
traveltotibet - since your permit expires 26 Sept you are supposed to be out of Tibet then. Even now, staying past the expiration of your permit could cause problems getting transport out of Tibet, particularly if you intend to go overland to Nepal.
Use some common sense. How can anyone predict what will happen to people who intentionally overstay their permits during a period when the region is being locked down? Honestly why would you want to place yourself in such a situation?
As mrcjonesy noted, it would appear that people currently holding permits will be permitted to travel. This would suggest that people currently there can remain as always assuming that their permits are valid.
Ruth
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