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This article is an itinerary.

Tibetan Journeys is in Tibet, China.

[edit] Understand

The Tibetan Autonomous Region is a place often dreamed of for years in advance of a visit. Visitors don’t always realize the restrictions available to foreign travelers about where they can and cannot travel within the TAR. Here are some guides to help in planning a trip around the TAR traveling as an independent traveler on public transportation and where you will need to hire a car and driver. Permit status can change at any time.

[edit] Prepare

[edit] Get in

(see also Overland to Tibet)

[edit] Go/Walk/Drive/...

[edit] Lhasa by Air (6 Days)

A tour of the Lhasa region. Having arrived suddenly at a high altitude, travelers are very strongly recommended to take it easy for the first two days in order to acclimatize. The flight from Chengdu to Lhasa is the shortest among those available from Chinese cities. Alien Travel Permits are not required for Lhasa.

Day 1 – Chengdu/Kunming (By Air) – Lhasa (PM: Barkhor) Day 2 – Lhasa (Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka) Day 3 – Lhasa (Potala Palace) Day 4 – Lhasa (Drepung and Sera Monasteries) Day 5 – Lhasa (Day trip to Ganden Monastery) Day 6 – Lhasa (By Air) – Chengdu/Kunming (or Kathmandu, Nepal)

[edit] Tibetan Areas in Qinghai and Gansu along with Tibet Overland (11 days)

Traveling overland allows sightseeing in the Tibetan cultural areas in Qinghai and Gansu. Lanzhou is the most convenient base for starting this journey.

Day 1 – Lanzhou, Gansu (By Bus) - Xiahe Day 2 – Xiahe (Labrang Monastery) Day 3 – Xiahe (By Bus) – Tongren, Qinghai (Rongbo Monastery) Day 4 – Tongren (By Bus) - Xining Day 5 – Xining – Ta’er Monastery (Day Trip) (Arrange train tickets before leaving Xining in the morning) Day 6 – 8 – Trip to Qinghai Hu Day 9 – Xining City Sightseeing Day 10 – Xining (By Train) - Lhasa Day 11 – Arrival at Lhasa

[edit] Excursions around Lhasa (7 Days)

Visiting Xigatse, Sakya and Gyantse is one of the most common routes in the TAR.

Day 1 – Lhasa (By Bus) - Xigatse Day 2 – Xigatse (Tashilhunpo Monastery) (Arrange alien travel permits in the morning) Day 3 – Xigatse – Sakya (Sakya North Monastery) Day 4 – Sakya (AM: Sakya South Monastery) – (PM: By Bus) - Xigatse Day 5 – Xigatse (By Bus) - Gyantse Day 6 – Gyantse (Pelkhor Choede) Day 7 – Gyantse (By Bus) – Shigatse (By Bus) – Lhasa

[edit] Excursion into Shannan (8 Days)

Travel to Shannan prefecture, the ancestral home of the Tibetan Royal Family, and the location of Samye Monastery, Tibet's first Buddhist Monastery. Tsethang is an open city, but the rest of the prefecture requires an Alien Travel Permit.

Day 1 – Lhasa (By Bus) – Entrance to Drachi Valley (2-3 Hr Walk) – Mindroling Monastery (Stay) Day 2 – Mindroling Monastery (Walk, Hitch, Boat and Truck) – Samye (Stay) Day 3 – Samye (Samye Monastery) Day 4 – Samye – Chimphu Hermitage (Day Trip) Day 5 – Samye (By Boat, Bus) - Tsethang Day 6 – Tsethang – King’s Tombs at Chongye (Stay) Day 7 – Chongye – Tsethang (Yumbu Lagang, Traduck Temple) Day 8 – Tsethang (By Bus) – Lhasa

[edit] From Lhasa to Tsethang area (By Land Cruiser) (3 Days)

Alien Travel Permit required.

Day 1 – Lhasa - Mindroling Monastery - Tsethang Day 2 – Tsethang Area (King’s Tombs, Yumbu Lagang, Traduck Temple) Day 3 – Tsethang (Both Ways by Boat) – Samye – Lhasa

[edit] From Lhasa to Kathmandu (By Land Cruiser) (9 Days)

Land Cruiser is the main option on this route since there is no public transportation between Shigatze and Dram. Alien Travel Permit required.

Day 1 – Lhasa – Yamdrok Yumtso Lake – Nangartse - Gyantse Day 2 – Gyantse (Pelkhor Choede) Day 3 – Gyantse – Zhalu Monastery - Shigatse Day 4 – Shigatse (Tashilhunpo Monastery) – Sakya Day 5 – Sakya (Sakya South Monastery) - Shelkar Day 6 – Shelkar – Jomolangma (Everest) Base Camp Day 7 – Jomolangma (Everest) Base Camp Day 8 – Jomolangma (Everest) Base Camp – Tingri – Milarepa Monastery – Dram (Border, Land Cruiser terminates here) Day 9 – Dram – Kodari (Nepalese Border) – Kathmandu

[edit] From Lhasa to Kongpo (By Land Cruiser) (9 Days)

A scenic tour.

Day 1 – Lhasa – Kongpo Gompa Day 2 – Kongpo Gompa - Basong Tso Lake Day 3 – Basong Tso Lake Day 4 – Basong Tso Lake - Bayi Day 5 – Bayi – Nyingtri – Serhyim La - Menling Day 6 – Menling – Lhopa village - Nang Dzong Day 7 – Nang Dzong - Tsethang Day 8 – Tsethang Area (King’s Tombs, Yumbu Lagang, Traduck Temple) Day 9 – Tsethang (By Bus) – Mindroling Monastery - Lhasa

[edit] To Mount Kailash (Kang Rinpoche) and Guge Ruins (By Land Cruiser) (3 Weeks)

The region visited in this tour is only accessible by land cruiser.

Day 1-6 – Lhasa (North Route) – Ali Day 7 – Ali - Toling Day 8 – Toling – Guge Ruins (Day Trip) Day 9 – Toling - Montser Day 10 – Montser – Tirthapuri – Darchen (Mt Kailash) Day 11-15 – Pilgrimage around Mt Kailash Day 16 – Darchen - Lake Manasarover Day 17-22 – Lake Manasarover (South Route) – Lhasa

[edit] Tours Not Sanctioned by Government

The following tours may rely on buses and hitching lifts from trucks. If caught by the Public Security Bureau, you may be fined and/or jailed and then requested to leave the area.

[edit] From Yunnan to Lhasa (2-3 Weeks)

• Dali, Yunnan - Zhongdian (Shangrila) - Markham - Pomda - Pome - Bayi - Lhasa

The best time time to travel this route is April-May and October-November.

• Dali, Yunnan - Zhongdian (Shangrila) - Markham - Pomda - Chamdo - Nakchu - Lhasa

Year round but bitterly cold in winter.

[edit] From Chengdu to Lhasa (2-3 Weeks)

• Sichuan-Tibet Hwy North - Chengdu - Kangding - Ganzi - Dege - Chamdo - Nakchu - Lhasa

Bus runs to Dege

• Sichuan-Tibet Hwy South - Chengdu - Kangding - Litang - Batang - Markham - Pomda - Pome - Bayi - Lhasa

Bus runs to Markham

[edit] From Xining via Yushu to Lhasa (2-3 Weeks)

Xining, Qinghai - Yushu - Manigango, Sichuan - Dege - Chamdo - Nakchu - Lhasa Bus runs to Yushu

[edit] From Kashgar to Lhasa, via Mt Kailash (Kang Rinpoche) (35-50 Days)

Kashgar - Yecheng - Ali - Guge Ruins - Mt Kailash - Lhasa Bus runs to Yecheng

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out

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