Lhasa,Tibet travel info - How to get in, Travel guide and tips
If you are not a Chinese citizen, you can not travel to Tibet alone. It is illegal to do so(You need to remember this. This info is important for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel). You have to find a Chinese travel agent for your Tibet tour. ( Travel2ChinaInfo.COM: Website for Lhasa travel, Tibet travel and China vacations information)
You will need a "permit to enter Tibet" from the TTB(Tibet Tourism Bureau). Without this permit, you can not buy an airline ticket to Tibet.
How to get this permit? You'll need to provide your personal infomation (name, citizenship, age, sex, occupation, passport number),your planned route of the Lhasa travel or Tibet travel, a basic travel schedule, purpose of your trip,contact phone number, etc to the local Chinese travel agent or the local office of the TTB. They will need the clear copies of your passport and visa too. You can fax or email these copies to the agent or local TTB office. The TTB need 2 or 3 days to process your application.
How to get in?(This is helpful info for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel)
(1). By air: You can fly to Lhasa, Tibet. But it is risky to fly to Tibet from a much lower altitude city because of the quick transition.( Altitude sickness is a big concern for the Lhasa travel or Tibet travel ) You can use a traditional Tibetan medicine named "HongJingTian". It can alleviate your altitude sickness.If you are in Sichuan Province,flying from Chengdu to Lhasa is the easiest option for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel.
(2). By train (Another choice for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel): The Qinghai to Tibet train began to operate in July 2006. It took less than 48 hours to travel from Beijing to Tibet by train. The cheapest ticket is only 389 RMB but you should realize that it is not so comfort to travel by train in China( Very crowded and noisy ).I don't recommend this type of transportation for your Tibet travel or Lhasa travel. The only advantage is that you can slowly adapt to Tibet's high altitude instead of a sudden transition of the altitude if you take the plane.
(3). By road: Forget it! This mode of transportation will cost you a few days and the road from Sichuan to Tibet is dangerous!!
Hotels in Tibet:
There are good hotels in the big cities like Lhasa, Rigeze, Jiangmu, Naqu, Linzhibayi and Shannanzhedang of Tibet. They are not comparable with the five star hotels in Beijing or Shanghai of course. But the rooms are pretty clean and the services are not bad. Some small motels are good options too. Many tourists like these special and lovely motels in Tibet. For example, the Balangxue motel of Lhasa is a notable one and it is named as "The top ten mountain motels in the world".(A good place to stay for the Lhasa travel or Tibet travel)
Other cities in Tibet have their own "Motels" too. But these "Motels" are very simple and maybe all you can get from them is just a firm bed. The rooms are not so clean either. (cost 20-30 rmb a night)
There are also some "Motels" in other small towns of Tibet. But these are mainly for the truck drivers and the condition is pretty bad. I prefer to sleep in my own tent, because it is cleaner than these so called "motels". (The cost is about 20 rmb if you really wanna try them)
Some tips for your Tibet travel or Lhasa travel here:
(1). In many hotels or motels in Tibet, the drivers can get free rooms if they take you here. This means than you will have to pay for them. You should make everything clear before check in if you don't agree with this "rule".
(2). The sleeping bag is very helpful if you are planning to visit the small towns of Tibet. Sometimes it is not easy to find a motel to sleep in these areas. The hospitable Tibetan people will offer you a room if your car is not running. But it is just a room ( with nothing in it ) and you will need to bring your own sleeping bag. :-)
The flights to Tibet:(Useful info for your Tibet travel or Lhasa travel)
There are airlines connecting Lhasa, Tibet directly to Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Cangdu and Jiademan. The airport of Lhasa is called Lhasa Gongga airport. China South West Airline is running these airlines to Lhasa and the planes used here are the Boeing 737. (No severe accidents happened since the first flight to Lhasa,Tibet in 1956 )
How to get flight tickets to Lhasa, Tibet:
If you are planning your Lhasa travel, Tibet travel on July or August, it is not easy to get tickets from Chengdu to Lhasa because it is the peak season for Tibet travel. Thousands of tourists come here during this period of time every year. The best way to get flight tickets is to book your ticket through a travel agent in Chengdu. You will need to pay the extra fees for it.(About 30 RMB) Usually, the airlines companies will sell the tickets 5 to 7 days in advance in this peak season and it will be too late if you only book your ticket 1 or 2 days earlier. Here is a phone number of the airline ticket office: 028-6833446.
How to get to the downtown of Lhasa from the airport:
The Lhasa Gongga airport( the only airport in Tibet for the Tibet travel or Lhasa travel ) is a little bit far away from the downtown of Lhasa. You can take the airport bus and it takes 1 and a half hours to get to the downtown of Lhasa. The cost is 25 rmb. Another choice is the taxi. There are lots of taxicabs in the exit of the Lhasa Gongga airport and the cost is about 120 rmb.
The Main Tibet Tours ( Lhasa travel and Tibet travel info ) :
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and is the politics, ecomony and culture center of Tibet. It will take you at least 2 or 3 days to see this unique Tibetan city. I reommend that you plan a 7 days' trip for your Lhasa travel . 2 or 3 days for the "Sky Lake" and 3 to 4 days for Shannan or Rigazhe. You can experience the unique culture of Tibet in these areas. What attract millions of tourists here is the religious culture of Tibet and it will be a pity to miss these traditional Tibetan places if you are alreay in Tibet. There are six notable areas for tourists in Tibet and they are: Rigazhe, Shannan, Naqu, Ali, Linzhi and Changdu. Here are the most popular tours for your Tibet travel:
(1). Lhasa - Rigazhe - Lazhi - Zhangmu. This is a traditional tour for the foreign tourists and is recommended by most Chinese travel agents. You can visit the second largest city of Tibet - Rigazhe in this trip for your Tibet travel. The brilliant Zhishilunbu temple and Banchan Palace is in Rigazhe. Other attractions in this tour are: Yaluzhangbu River, Shaga Temple, Mount Forest. The whole trip will take 8 to 12 days.
(2). Lhasa - Rigezhe - Lazhi - Cuoqin - Gaizhe - Geji - Shiquan River - Pulan. This tour is not an easy one. But it is very attractive. You will go throught the Aligaoyuan(it is called the roof of the world), Mount Sanmubati, Snow Mountain Balingang, Mysterious Guge Palace. Now this tour is becoming the most popular one in Tibet travel because you can experience the unique culture and natural scenes of Tibet in it. Although it is a tough trip, it is still the first choice for thousands of adventure travellers. This tour takes 3 weeks.
(3). Lhasa - Jiangmu - Rigezhe - Lhasa. This tour will go through the Qushui Bridge, Mount Gangbala, Yangzhuoyong lake. When you arrive Jiangzhi city, you can visit the famous Baiju Temple(It is also called Wanfota). This trip focuses on the Tibetan religion and culture and the total time it will cost is about 2-4 days.
(4). Lhasa - Shannan. Shannan is called the "Birth place of the Tibetan nation" and it was the center of an old civilization named "Yalonghegu". The attractions of this trip are: Shangye Temple - the first temple of Tibet, Changzhu - the fist Buddha hall of Tibet, Suodang - the first farmland of Tibet, Yabulakang - the first palace of Tibet. They are all telling tourists the old Tibetan culture and history. This tour is mainly about the history of Tibet and 2-3 days will be enough for it. ( A good choice for the Lhasa travel or Tibet travel )
(5). Lhasa - Naqu - Germu. This is a trip along the Qingzang road and focuses on the scenes of the Tibetan grasslands and snow mountains. The main attractions for this trip are: Chubu Temple, Yangbajing, Namucuo Lake, Mount Lianqingtanggula and Naqu. This trip is about 1200 kilometers long.
(6). Lhasa - Linzhi - Shannan - Lhasa. The most attractive place for this tour is Linzhi. It is called a place like Heavan in Tibet. The famous Lalvzhangbu Valley is right here in Linzhi. It is a very attractive place for the scientists and adventure travellers. The total length of this trip is about 2000 kilometers and usually it will take 4-7 days.( I like this tour and it is a good choice for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel )
Some tips: You will have a comprehensive understanding of Tibet if your plan for the Tibet travel is more than 2 weeks. A jeep or SUV will be helpful for your Tibet tours.
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