What are the chances of organising Ad-Hoc trip from Lhasa to Mt. Kailash

Hi, there

I will be traveling to Lhasa in September. I shall have permit and I shall be traveling via the Bejing (Peking) train (hard seat! :-))
What are the chances for me as I arrived in Lhasa to:
1. Get a last minute trip to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar via an agency with a group and how much would that cost?
2. Get to know 4 other persons like me and and organize a Land Cruiser trip to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, and how much would that cost?
3. Get a last minute trip to Everest Base Camp via an agency with a group and how much would that cost?
4. Get to know 4 other persons like me and and organize a Land Cruiser trip to Everest Base Camp, and how much would that cost?

I am very interested in the opportunities available there on the spot, or should it be wise to organize my trip in Bejing and pay there for an organized tour at an agency?
I have found many agency-s via Internet raging from 900 USD - 2000 USD, but I always found "on the spot" opportunities more cheaper.

Ad hoc trips anywhere in Tibet?? Zero!!
All this is well documented here so why ask??

Hey,

"last minute trip" to Mt. Kailash is hard to arrange. Travel agency usually needs at least about 15 days to arrange your permits to that area.
If you want to join a group, I suggest you to post an ad here or on other travel forums, find your group and then contact a travel agency. You can visit Everest on your way to Kailash (one extra day in your itinerary).

Hope this helps.

As far as I know, and it was certainly the case when we went to Tibet last year, you have to list your itinerary for every day you plan to be in Tibet before you can even get the permit to go there.

So yeah, what westwood said.

I shall have permit and I shall be traveling via the Bejing (Peking) train (hard seat! :-))

If you have a permit, then you will have a trip preplanned and already have an itinerary. Changing that plan, while theoretically possible, is extremely improbably. Finding other people who can do the same will be even more impossible.

If you want to organize trips to Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, or Everest Base Camp you will need to do that in advance to get your Tibet Travel Bureau permit. If you want to find others to share the costs, you probably won't have the opportunity to meet them prior to traveling with them. Your best chances of doing this are to be flexible about your dates, contact several agencies for prices, post here and other forums looking for travel companions.

Ruth

Thanks for everybody for the information. :-)
It was very helpful. It seams that I was reading only the post that sounded too good. :-)
You see, there are post by extremely adventurous folks out there who did it with out permit hitchhiking. :-)
I did not had intention to hitchhike and to cross the law, but reading the Lonely Planet guide which talked about organizing your trip in Lhasa with a rented jeep, got me fantasizing.
Well I am glad that I've asked. Well I am not giving up that easy, but now I shall sleep on it. :-)

You see, there are post by extremely adventurous folks out there who did it with out permit hitchhiking. :-)

Prior to March 2008 this was possible. Since the uprising in March 2008 this is increasingly difficult and certainly not recommended.

Ruth

Prior to March 2008 this was possible. Since the uprising in March 2008 this is increasingly difficult and certainly not recommended.

Got the message. :-(,:-)

My guide was: Tibet 7th Edition February 2008 by the way. :-)

Its best to get the latest LP Tibet guide. Everything changed for the worse in Lhasa on 14th of March 2008.... its been strict ever since and there is currently no indication that it will get any better for some time....

The situations in Tibet are very changeable. For now if you want go to Mt. Kailash, the travel agency will need 2 weeks to apply the permit, and you can go to Mt. Everest Base Camp on the way from Kailash back to Lhasa. But this tour is not cheap and takes more than 15 days.

By the way, " traveling via the Bejing (Peking) train (hard seat! :-))" it's sooooooo horrible. Are you sure you want to sit 44 hours on the train? I suggest you don't do that, you should ensure that you are in a good physical condition when you arrive in Tibet.
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Murphy from Chengdu Windhorse Tour.

By the way, " traveling via the Bejing (Peking) train (hard seat! :-))" it's sooooooo horrible. Are you sure you want to sit 44 hours on the train?

Well I've did 48 (one bus) + 24 (second bus) two times in Patagonia. So yeah, the train experience is still missing. :-) (I also have the 48 hour airplane and boat experiences, not too mention the car experience :-))

Permits to travel to Kailash and western Tibet normally take 10 to 14 days to arrange. So your chances are zero.