FROM SHANGRI LA TO LHASA.. I NEED A SUGGESTION!

Hi!!! I am planning to enter Tibet from Shangri La. I read something about the difficulties to get a permit to enter Tibet... You suggest to have the permit in Beijing ( where I live right now ) or better to go in Shangri La and get a permit from an agency on site? How long will I need to get a permit in shangri La?

And then, is it true that I can only enter Tibet with an organized trip and not by myself with a bus or with a private car? And once I am in Tibet I will not be free to visti the country by myself but only with a tour guide??

Thank you very much for your help and ENJOY CHINA!!!

Simone from Italy

Do you mean overland from Shangri-la? I don't think that road is open for private tours - but check with the tour agencies. If flying, then it is possible. If flying, you could use an agency in Beijing to get your permit. It takes around 4 days, but note that Tibet is opening and closing a lot this year - without much notice.

Basically you need to pay for a guide for your time in Tibet, but while you are in Lhasa, the guide will not need to be with you all the time. You do need to be on an organized trip, but can be a tour of one person, but that is expensive.

The overland route from Shangri La to Lhasa has been closed for over a year. It is still possible to organize permits and a tour and fly from Shangri La to Lhasa. By contacting a travel agency in advance through email, you can arrange all of the details for your trip minimizing the amount of time you would need to wait. However, waiting a few days in Shangri La is not too bad. It is a very nice small town with plenty of good restaurants, hotels and bars to choose from.

All foreigners traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region need to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver (no private vehicle is required if you are only staying in Lhasa). There are no exceptions to this. This has been the law for foreign travelers in Tibet for several years now.

For more information about getting to Tibet, read through the following:
Getting to Tibet

Zhongdian-- nice town but when it rains, the pits.

Cio Simone,
I'm trying to enter in Tibet from China as well, in order to cross Nepal and reach India. I don't want to fly either. I will do it next month, and I will let you know as soon as possible my root, for sure I'm non gonna pay a tour guide :-)

Stefano

For sure you're not going to get the TTP and for sure, you wont get on either train,bus or plane!!

There is no way you will enter Tibet without having to pay for a tour guide! In order to board the train or a flight to Lhasa, your permit will be thoroughly checked at least twice.