Getting To Tibet

China Southwest Airlines operates direct flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa (one hour). The trans-Himalayan overland journey retraces the old mule caravan route (962 km, three to six days). Lhasa is also connected to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu and Chongqing by air. Flights to Gonggar airport, 90km from Lhasa, depart Beijing via Chengdu (Sichuan); Chongqing (Sichuan); and Kathmandu. There are five major road routes to Lhasa but foreigners are only supposed to use the Nepal (Friendship Highway) and Qinghai (via Golmud) routes.

KATHMANDU TO LHASA ROAD

The journey from Kathmandu should be viewed as an adventure, not just a sightseeing bus tour. The road itself was poorly constructed and is prone to closure by landslides, particularly from June through September. It can be very dusty and some kind of facemask is a good idea to take along. As you drive to altitudes of over 17000 feet at some points, altitude sickness becomes a real possibility and most will feel some symptoms. You must make sure to drink plenty of fluids to help you acclimatize. The choice of hotels en route (except Lhasa) is extremely limited. Hotels are basic with showers, flush toilet, a small shop, a restaurant and the laundry facilities only. Food is not readily available en route until the stopover hotels are reached. We recommend you carry packed lunch from the hotels. We suggest you bring a canteen or water bottle with purification tablet or water filter pump and refill your bottles at every opportunity. Meals en route (until Lhasa and except in good hotels) tend to be greasy and you may want to bring snacks or other foodstuff with you. We therefore suggest you to carry tinned food, biscuits, chocolates, cheese, drinking chocolate/coffee, soup cubes, instant noodles, vegetables, nuts and raisins, chewing gum, etc.

Traveling in Tibet

Getting around Tibet can be difficult: the buses are often at their last gasp and travelling by 4WD can be expensive. Trucks tend to charge the same inflated prices as buses, but the Chinese government discourages foreigners from hitching rides. 'Road safety' is little more than a slogan. Tibetans tend to rely on prayer to facilitate a safe arrival - you might consider doing the same once you see the conditions.

Bicycling is possible, but is not without its hazards: cyclists in Tibet have died from road accidents, hypothermia and pulmonary oedema. You can fly to Xining from Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou (Guangdong) and Ürümqi (Xinjiang). There are frequent rail connections to Lanzhou (Gansu) and more erratic services to Beijing, Shanghai and other regional centres.