Tibetan Tourism Info for Visitors > Facts for the Visitor > Getting Around Tibet
Getting Around Tibet
There are few paved roads in Tibet and most are subject to dust clouds and summer landslides. In open areas, public transportation is available to travelers but in closed areas transportation is reserved for locals and hitchhiking is not recommended. Like the local people, when trying to reach monasteries or temples, you’ll need to walk from the highways or hitch a lift on an infrequent tractor. Local city transportation only exists in the cities such as Lhasa and Shigatse. Minibuses run on set routes around these cities and charge a fixed fee of ¥ 2. Pedicabs (pedal-operated tricycles that transport passengers) are available in Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Bayi but can be rather slow. Taxis are becoming increasingly prevalent in Tibetan towns and typically charge a standard fee of ¥ 10 within the city and negotiated fees for longer trips.
Main Roads
The main roadways in Tibet that are paved:
Friendship Highway- from Lhasa to Kathmandu and takes in a lot of Tibet’s main sites while offering great scenery.
Highway 109- from Lanzhou via Ziling and Kermo to Lhasa
Highway 213- from Lanzhou via Labrang to Luchu and from Mewa to Chengdu
Highway 227- from Ziling to Chilen
Highway 214- from Ziling via Jyekundo to Nagchen and from Chamdo to Pomda Airport and Dechen via Gyeltang to Kunming
Highway 318- from Chengdu via Dartsedo to Litang and from Lunag via Lhasa to Takar
Highway 317- from from Dartsedo to Derge
Travel Options
Bicycle
It is possible to buy a bike for use when traveling across Tibet. You can usually purchase a Chinese or Taiwanese bike in Lhasa for about ¥ 500 or a good quality Thai bike for about ¥ 2000. Be sure to get extra parts as quality is typically not as good as you would expect at home and they tend to break, needing repair more frequently.
Bus
The bus is public transportation and usually the best bet for traveling long distances though it can be slow. Some bus stations will refuse to sell tickets to foreigners or will try to charge double so be wary. Buses are not always the most comfortable but are almost always the cheapest way to get places. Be sure to have a travel permit as many drivers will require you to let them see it before boarding.
Car & Truck
If you don’t want to trek far off the path in to order to reach your destination you can charter a four-wheel drive car or truck. However, this will cost a fair amount of money and may not be available in remote areas. Renting a Land Cruiser plus a driver and splitting the cost amongst a group is one of the most popular ways to get across Tibet as foreigners are not permitted to drive rental vehicles in China. Prices typically are based on kilometers driven (about ¥3.50 per kilometer). The best place to hire vehicles is in Lhasa but be sure to check out notice boards in hotels to see if there are groups looking to fill empty seats. It’s a good idea to create some sort of contract to ensure the price, payment method and what will happen if something goes wrong before you leave. Treat your driver with respect and offer him a small gift as a token of your appreciation. Also be sure to have a travel permit because it will be required before you can rent a car/land cruiser.
Hitching
Hitchhiking is illegal on the Tibetan plateau but is still commonly practiced by travelers to avoid the price of hiring a Land Cruiser. However, do be expected to pay a small fee if choosing to hitchhike and be open to the possibility of being stranded for awhile until another person comes along. Also remember that while you may not see a problem bending the rules to hitch, that if caught the driver could face a fine and could lose his/her driver’s license. While some driver’s will risk taking on foreigners to make money you may end up getting yourself and your driver in to some trouble
Horse
If cars and trucks are not available to get you to your destination, try hiring a horse from the Tibetan people. Using pack animals is a common practice for getting around and won't be seen as something out of the ordinary.
Train
The only rail available in Tibet in the past has run from Lanzhou through the Tsongkha valley to Ziling and past Lake Kokonor to Kermo.
A current map of the Tibetan Railway:
Domestic Air
The only domestic air connections in Tibet are Lhasa to Chamdo, Gyeltang to Ziling and Ziling to Kermo.
Local Transport
Chengdu
The No.16 bus runs from the North Train Station to South Train Station and runs through the center of the city. There are also two buses which are mainly used for touring the city, No. 901 and No. 902. It’s also possible to get a bus near Xin Nan Men Bus Station, the largest bus station in the city. Cost is usually about ¥ 3 per person to travel around the main streets of the city.
Most tourists prefer to take the taxi to get around as it’s the most convenient transportation. However, it's sometimes difficult to find one during 11:30 AM-2:00 PM and 6:00 PM-8:00 PM since it's the "rush hour".
Currently, the Chengdu Subway is under construction and should be completed in 2012.
Taxis typically cost: ¥ 5-7 plus ¥ 1.4 per kilometer.
Bikes can also be rented for about ¥ 10 per day
To/From Airport:
Airport bus No. 303 runs every half hour from the Air China office on Renmin Nanlu and is usually about ¥8. A taxi is about ¥ 40.
Lhasa
Most internal sites are within walking distance. If not, a minibus or bike can be used.
Minibuses cost only ¥2 and run to Dekyi Shar Lam, the Lhasa Hotel or the bus station. They are the cheapest, quickest method.
Taxis have a standard fare of ¥ 10 anywhere inside the city
Pedicabs are really only useful for short trips and cost about ¥ 4.
Bicycling is the most convenient way to get around the city on your own. They can be rented from the Banak Shol/Snowlands hotels for ¥ 3 per hour or ¥ 20 per day. If you’re not a guest of the hotel there will be a deposit of ¥ 200 – ¥ 400 or your passport. Be sure to lock up your bike to avoid theft.
To/From Gongkar Airport: Airport buses cost about ¥ 35 and leave throughout the day. Buses from Gongkar airport (¥ 50) are also available. A taxi costs about ¥200 and will hold 3 people comfortably.
Kathmandu
While Kathmandu is not in Tibet, it is a gateway city and can be an important part of your travel in and out of the region. Taxis are reasonably priced and fees are usually less then Rs 50 (rupees) but you may have to negotiate in the evenings. Three-wheeled auto-rickshaws may also be available and will cost about half the taxi fare. Cycle rickshaws will cost about Rs 30-50 for a ride around town but be sure to agree on the price before you get in.
To/From the Airport:
There is an organized taxi service in the ground floor foyer level of the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport. The fixed fee to Thamel is Rs 250 and to Durbar Marg is Rs 200. You can also probably get a taxi from Thamel to the airport for Rs150.
Travel Options
Contributors to this page
William McGrath, Pamela Riis