Lhasa is always a dream destination for all people, east and west. especially for those travellers who Travel in china. I bet some of them will arrive in Lhasa airport directly if it is possiable. For some reasons, It is difficult to travel to Tibet, even for the Chinese, it is a really far place to go and it is the plateau. most of them believe they will get the altitude sick there and it is very dangerous. Actually, the 布达拉宫 is about 3750 meters high, the city’s average altitude is about 3650 meters high. for common travellers they will get the altitude sick when the altitude is over 3000 meters high. But I can tell that I was feeling fine and nice when I reach the 5230 meters hith(When we tried to touch Tibet in 1998, but we only arrived at the 唐古拉山山口 on the Qinghai-Tibet road). So, no worry, different people have the different feeling, you will be fine. Did you ever hear that some of your friends got sick and in danger or even got killed? Or did you only hear that the Tibet is a wonderful and beautiful place, right? and all the Tibetan people love smile.
How to prepare for a Tibet travel?
Besides the above factors, the visa and passport is not enough for travelling in Tibet, you must need another certificate or the permition for entering Tibet. Let me tell you the steps for apply the permition.
1) design your itinerary, before you can apply for the permition, you shold design a good itinerary. no worry, I can give you an example
Day 0:Arive in lhasa train station meet the Tibetan english speaking guide and drive to hotel Trijang labrang directly. lodging in Trijang Labrang hotel.
Day 1: easy walking in the street in Lhasa city and meet some local people, visit a family in Lhasa. Lodging in TRijiang Labrang hotel.
Day 2 : Sightseeing Potala Palace and Norbulinkar. lodging in Trijiang labrang hotel.
Day 3: Visit Jokang Temple and Sera monastery,lodging in Trijiang labrang hotel.
Day 4: easy walk in the street and shopping before leaving. Drive to airport.
2)apply the permition. but 1st, you should find a local travel agency. it is almost the only way to get the permition. no matter when you try to figuer out by yourself or whatever. and show them your passport and visa’s copy, then tell them your itinerary in Tibet. Please notice that you are not allowed travel by yourself. it is strongly recommend you will hire an English guide and a car all the way there. It will cost them to apply for the permition for about 3~5 days. actually, the permition is free, but it is pretty complicated even for the local travel agencies. so 500 to 800 rmb is needed. tips, one of my friends, he was the former Wild Yak Team members, now works in a local travel agency as a driver. that means I can apply the permition for you. send me a mail. Note: you’d better locate in Beijing. or just trust me and send me your passport and visa’s copy.
3) buy the train ticket. When the T27 train began to service from 2006(July 1st), it attract more and more fans. You can enjoy the wild 戈壁 and grassland and even the Tibetan Antelope when the train go though the 2960 km area, which mean about 2960 km away from Beijing. It is the 可可西里 nature preservation zone. it is the hometown of Tibetan antelope. if you are luck, keep your eyes through the window, you will find some wild anminals. the ticket is about 813 rmb for hard sleeper, and 1262 rmb for soft sleeper. but sometimes it is quite difficult to buy one, if you can pay more charge, for instance, 200 or 300 rmb, maybe you will get it.
4) please leave your story travelling in Tibet and give us more tips how to enjoy the beautiful scenery there. Me and all the readers will thanks for your kind.
Some Chinese info about how to apply for the permition:
外国人入藏旅游批准函
● 外国人为何需要办理“入藏旅游批准函”？
鉴于西藏特殊的民族传统、文化古迹和生态环境保护的需要，同时也因西藏的交通状况和旅游服务设施及接待能力，政府规定非中国公民身份持有者，即外国旅游客人，台湾游客及海外华人（香港、澳门居民持中国特区护照或回乡证者除外），在进入西藏旅游前，必须办理由西藏自治区旅游局 [TTB]签发的“外国人入藏旅游批准函”，同时，也规定外国记者和外交官不能以旅游者身份进藏。
● 哪些人需要办理“入藏旅游批准函”
1、非中国公民身份证持有者－中国台湾的游客；
2、非中国护照持有者－外籍护照持有者。
注：海外华人若无中国护照也需办理“入藏旅游批准函”。
注：现已取消港澳地区人员进藏旅游必须提供“入藏旅游批准函”的规定。港澳游客持中国特区护照、“港澳同胞回乡证”（1998年以前签发，有效期10年）或“港澳居民来往内地通行证”均可自行赴藏旅游。
● 外国人旅藏的有关规定
根据国家旅游局规定，外国旅游者、台湾游客和海外华人（香港、澳门居民持中国特区护照或回乡证者除外）在藏期间不允许自行旅游，不论客人人数多少，必须有组织、有计划地组团旅游。
凡有组织的海外旅游团队须由其委托的旅行社向西藏旅游局及其各地办事处申请入藏批准函。对欲进藏的海外散客，西藏自治区旅游局分别在北京、上海、成都、格尔木设立各地办事机构，具体负责海外散客。
● 如何办理“外国人入藏旅游批准函”？
签证：境外旅游者首先需要在所在地的中国驻外使（领）馆办理中国签证，与中国缔结免签证协定的国家除外。
● 申请入藏旅游批准函：
请将您的基本信息（包括姓名、国籍、年龄、性别、职业、护照号码）、进藏路线、大致游程时间、旅行意向、联系电话等资料经所在地的旅行社或直接提交给西藏旅游局驻各地的指定办事机构，同时将护照首页和签证的复印件传真或Email给我们，您会在2-4日内得到入藏的有关确认手续。
在收到客人的护照和签证复印件后通常可即刻签出“外国人入藏旅游批准函”。虽然只需要3个工作日审核签发此入藏批准函，但考虑到与客人相关的机票、酒店、向导与车辆等旅游事项的安排预定工作，请尽可能早一些办理申请手续，以便就入藏旅行线路、时间、地点等有关资料得到相应确认。
The train schedule
站点：北京-拉萨最新火车时刻表
| 详 细 情 况 |
车次 | T27 | 运行时间 | 46时30分 |
| 发车时间 | 21:30 | 到站时间 | 20:00 | |
| 类型 | 空调特快 | 全程 | 4064公里 | |
| 票价 | 硬座票价389元，硬卧（下）813元，软卧（下）1262元 | |||
| No. | 车站 | 日期 | 停车 时间 |
开车 时间 |
里程 |
| 1 | 北京西 | 当天 | 始发站 | 21:30 | 0公里 |
| 2 | 石家庄 | 当天 | 23:49 | 23:51 | 277公里 |
| 3 | 西安 | 第2天 | 08:36 | 08:48 | 1200公里 |
| 4 | 兰州 | 第2天 | 15:06 | 15:21 | 1876公里 |
| 5 | 西宁 | 第2天 | 18:14 | 18:29 | 2092公里 |
| 6 | 格尔木 | 第3天 | 05:23 | 05:43 | 2922公里 |
| 7 | 那曲 | 第3天 | 15:47 | 15:53 | 3742公里 |
| 8 | 拉萨 | 第3天 | 20:00 | 终点站 | 4064公里 |
以上发车时刻为每天一班
Tags: China travel, China trip, cultural tour, Lhasa, special tour
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[...] will be an international Marathon. anyway, it is an important chance to touch the Tibet culture. If you have the permition, why not goto Lhasa and enjoy the special Tibetan festival? [...]
Yes, Tibet is really very nice and worthy visiting!
There are two main documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel in Tibet.
Chinese Visa
Firstly, please be noted that Chinese visa and Tibet permit is two things totally different.
To enter Tibet, or any part of China excepting Hong Kong and Macao (Visitors to Hong Kong, holding passports from the some countries DO NOT need a visa when staying for a specified free period), a Chinese visa is necessary. It may be best to obtain it before leaving your home country unless you are taking a package tour to enter Tibet overland from Nepal.
The first rule when applying for a visa as an independent traveler is to expect that you will be refused a visa if you mention plans to visit Tibet. There is a trick that when you apply for the Chinese visa, you can’t tell the officer that you have the plan for traveling to Tibet; you can only inform them you want to travel to somewhere else of China. Or else the application would become complicated and arduous.
Keep in mind
1. When entering China it is best to have a visa covering the expected duration of stay. Getting extensions inside China can involve delays and other difficulties.
2. You need to apply for a double- or multiple entry visa when you need to leave and re-enter mainland China. Please note that, even when you leave for Hong Kong or Macao from mainland China, you still need to have a double- or multiple entry visas.
Travel to Tibet through Nepal
If you entry Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal, you are required to obtain a Chinese visa in the consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu, the opening time for the Consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu is only available from 9:30AM-11:00AM on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please note this visa application is compulsory despite you have already had a Chinese visa in your country or not since this is regulated by the border treaty signed between Nepal and China.
The Chinese visa you get in Kathmandu is a “group visa”. A “group visa” is not entered in travelers’ passports but is a separate sheet of paper issued in duplicate by the Chinese consulate in Katmandu, listing all members of the group. It usually allows a stay of 15 or 20 days. A “group” may be any number of travelers, and may be just one traveler. One or more travelers entering Tibet together with others may wish to have their own separate group visa so they are able to separate from the others. Obtaining a group visa requires at least two clear days in Katmandu.
Tibet Permit
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permits are necessary for entry to Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and are obtained through tour operators as part of arrangements for travel; A T.T.B. permit does not obviate the need for an Aliens’ Travel Permit for any closed areas that may be visited. But you can get them easily from our Lhasa office.
Important Issues about Tibet Travel Permit
1. All kinds of people can get Tibet permit through a travel agency except diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.
2. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and the check point reroute with the permit.
3.You are not allowed to bring with the TTB permit and travel to anywhere outside of Lhasa city you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as “Aliens’ Permit”.
4. Generally it needs three days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents.
Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB’s)
These are required to visit closed areas – much of the Tibetan Autonomous Region outside the Lhasa prefecture-level district, and scattered counties elsewhere. They are usually only obtainable through tour operators, for tours by four-wheel-drive car.
Permits to visit places that are not declared open are known as Aliens’ Travel Permits, or PSB’s. They are issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). A single permit is normally issued to all the people who are traveling together, the permit naming just one of them and stating how many others are accompanying him; the passports, or at least photocopies of passports and visas, of all persons traveling must be presented in order to obtain a permit.
If you want to do an overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
Notice:
1. Generally it takes three days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport.
2. The following details of the travelers are required for Permit: name, nationality, passport number, sex, date of birth and occupation.
3.if you do not book any tour(Like Land cruiser with driver ,guide ) from us, we can not help you get the permits. No travel agency can provide “permit-only” service.
4.Only the guide could hold the permit after you in Tibet. You are not allowed to bring with it and travel to anywhere you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as “Aliens¡¯ Permit”. Otherwise if you are stopped by the police you will be sent out of Tibet or have trouble politically and economically. Furthermore, the travel agency which helped to get you the permit will also be in trouble.
5.When you apply for China visa, please do not mention Tibet. After you get China visa you can easily get Tibet permit. Otherwise you have to wait for Tibet permit and then you can get China visa. Of course you will face the risk of that you might be refused to come to Tibet even if you get China visa but your destination is Tibet.
-Our company can help you get all the permit you needed travel in Tibet.
-More details please contact with us :
Tel：0086-10-51938552/ 51938553
0086-1051938570 51938571
Fax：0086-10-51938553
E-mail:Tibettour01@yahoo.cn
Tibettour01@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.tibet-tours.cn/
Address：5th floor, MachineryBuilding, NO.248 Guanganmen Wai Street, Xuanwu district, Beijing