Before I get underway a bit about planning for Tibet. It is a bit long winded so no need to read on if you have no interest in visiting Tibet. Tibet is a location I just wanted to go to but due to previous employment, travel restrictions, timing, other rules etc. it has just not worked out. Based on prior planning there is a bit of faffing about and the following is just my experience.
As a foreigner travelling to Tibet unescorted is not allowed, and a Tibet travel pass is required. You can't apply for the Tibet travel pass until you have a visa and this is where the faffing starts. From previous travel to China IIRC you cannot apply for a Chinese visa greater than 90 days out from travel. Depending on your visa type and length these can be for 3 months or longer, number of entries etc. so you need to get the correct one. Last year when discussing with the tour company about the Tibet travel pass I was advised when applying for a visa ‘do not mention you are planning on going to Tibet’ as your visa application may get knocked back. The introduction of visa free travel resolved this.
There are 2 ways to get a Tibet permit, if coming from the Nepal side I seem to recall that you can apply for group tour permit which takes around 4 days and can only be applied for once in Nepal and as part of a group tour. This seemed easier however my timeframe did not allow for this. From the China side the agencies/tour operators that arrange the Tibet travel pass indicate it takes around 20 days. In my experience the tour operator asked for my passport details 4 months in advance to start the process. Two months out I received a message from the tour operator that stated "For the Tibet permit: Our department specializing in applying for documents is already preparing the materials for your application. Please let me know your hotel information in Chengdu at least 3 weeks in advance as we need to mail it to your hotel!
After receiving the message I let them know where I would be staying but they wanted a copy of the booking confirmation which I sent them. I have since been informed about the collection process and who I must ask for at the hotel. The message also advised/ warned me to be careful with the pass and not damage it in any way as questions will be asked and if damaged it may not be accepted. The travel pass is mandatory as you need it to board a flight(s) or train to get to Tibet, without it you cannot board. Also it must be the original copy which can only be collected in China so in most cases you will have to stay at least one night in China just to collect the pass.
I seem to recall other correspondence that stated once in Tibet I must always stay with the guide and not to wander off or go to anyplace that is not on the plan without asking for permission. Travel outside of Lhasa and to the best of my knowledge it needs to be with a registered tour operator/ guide and in tour vehicle or private car. From what I understand in Lhasa you can wander around by yourself but have to carry the pass and your passport at all times as random checks maybe conducted.
Getting there - as I was planning on getting in and out of China using rewards I took a punt on tour start and end date based on historical tour information. The reward flights to China were booked well in advance of the tour dates being confirmed. I had hedged my travel and had a few different flights into and out of China and once tour date options were published I just cancelled what I didn’t need.
Domestic flights to Lhasa - for the past 12 months all flights that I could find were either full J or Y and not that cheap, around AUD2000+ and AUD600-AUD700+ respectively. I knew I would eventually have to pay but held off and a couple of weeks back I found a MU J flight that was reasonably priced, around AUD300.
Trains to Lhasa - there are train trip that start in Shanghai and Beijing and take around 48 hours. These are quite popular, can only be booked 2 weeks out, sell out fast and it is best for local agents help with booking. The other option is to travel to Xining and catch the train from there and will only take around 24 hours and the same 2 week booking rule applies. I am currently waiting on confirmation that I am able to catch the train Lhasa to Xining.
Accommodation – most tours seem to have a reasonable base price but after asking about accommodation I changed to the 4 star option which added 50% to the price. I asked the tour operator about accommodation quality and this is the response I received "About the hotels: In terms of hotel rating standards, there are significant differences between the Tibet region and first-tier cities in China. Specifically, 3-star hotels (standard hotels) and 4-star hotels (comfort hotels) in Tibet still exhibit certain gaps in hardware facilities, service levels, and other aspects when compared to hotels of the same rating in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
However, we will select hotels with excellent infrastructure and services from the same rating category in Tibet for you.
There was an option for 5 star which includes the likes of The St. Regis, V-Continental, Hilton etc. this option added about USD1100-1500 to the price. As I am travelling solo and the coughpy FX rate I did not pursue this option, knowing how we normally travel I may come to regret this decision. If Mrs&MissM were tagging along I would have paid the extra.
Altitude – This is of mild concern, when I was younger I have been at altitude without problem and in most cases it was an incremental ascent. For this trip I be travelling from sea level (HKG) to Lhasa 3650m (12000ft) within 30-34 hours and a day or so later 4850m (16000ft). The doctor has given me a script for altitude sickness pills and said they may not solve the problem but may help reduce the effects. The doctor did mention he was concerned about the rate of ascent and said ‘I will also prescribe cough’. This took me by surprise and asked why, the simple answer given was it will help to send blood to other parts of the body where it can cause less damage and only take it if I suffer from AMS and cannot get it under control. He then mentioned if that doesn’t fix things descend to a lower altitude as quickly as possible.
