Lhasa -> Zhongdian overland

I'm a solo traveler interested in going overland by 4x4 from Lhasa to Zhongdian in Yunnan, departing on or after October 4. I'm not trying to escape buying the permit, and I'm not interested in hiding from the PSB on the public bus (though if outbound buses are never checked, I'd consider taking that risk); I want to do it the "legal" way unless there's a clear reason not to do so.

There are a ton of posts from people who have done the reverse direction (Zhongdian -> Lhasa), including information about where to arrange it, costs, itineraries, request for fellow passengers, etc. There is, however, virtually nothing regarding logistics for doing the trip in the other direction.

I don't know if this indicates that the trip is enormously less popular in the direction I want, or if people simply think it doesn't require postings because the complications of acquiring the tour permit are diminished when exiting Tibet compared to entering. In any case, I'd like to know if anyone has any tips or suggestions for arranging such a trip: who to use, how much it should cost, how easy it is to find fellow travelers to split the cost, etc.

Also, if it's true that many more people are doing the trip in the reverse direction, presumably there are large numbers of 4x4s going back empty the other way; is it possible to arrange a ride in one of them for less than the normal tour price, perhaps by accepting that the driver will be driving more hours per day and some of the scenery will be missed due to driving in the dark?

Also, if anyone would be interested in making such a trip at the same time and would like to make arrangements together in order to split costs, please contact me, either here or at: t b a i n 98 (a t) g m a il (d ot) c om.

In response to your PM I did take such a trip in 2002 with some guys I met on the road in Tibet. I can't tell you for sure the name of the Travel Agency but it was something like Chamdo blah blah Travel Agency. The cost worked out to be RMB9000 which was a cheap as we could get it without getting all the requited travel permits which would have brough the cost up to RMB15,000. I think you could probably expect to pay a bit more these days.

I suggest you contact people in Lhasa through bulletin boards at places like the Yak Hotel, there will be others wanting to make similar trips. Contact local agencies about costs. My guess is that you will get a cheaper deal in Lhasa coming out into China but I could be wrong.

Good Luck

Lhasa to Lijiang overland