China Travel Forum

[Colin]

Hello everyone,

I'm based in Bangkok and would like to go to Tibet via Kunming at the beginning of April. Unfortunately I only have 12 days (hopefully I can extend to 16 days) and that's why I'd like to get as much information as possible in order not to waste too much time.

I'd like to go to Tibet overland from Kunming, passing Lijiang - Zhongdian etc. - so does anyone know how much it will cost to hire a jeep to go there and how many days that takes? I've heard you can make this trip within 5 days? So it is no problem to get a Tibet permit from Kunming? And how does it work with the flight from Zhongdian to Lhasa, does that route really exist?

And once in Lhasa is it possible to go from Lhasa - Gyantze - Shigatse - Tringi - Everest Base camp (staying there one night) - Lhasa withint 6 days or something like that?

Am I planning to see too much within this period of time or is it doable - or is it better to fly then to Tibet from Zhongdian?
What I really wanna do is see the base camp!

I appreciate any help or tips or adivice, just anything.

Thank you

[Albert]

To hire a LandCruiser from Kunming to Lhasa should cost between Y6000 and Y8000 and it takes around 5 days as you have said. There are several travel agencies around the Camellia Hotel in Kunming that can arrange this for you. There is a weekly flight from Zhongdian to Lhasa as well. If I remember right, the flight is every Friday. Once in Lhasa, you can make a trip to EBC seeing all the places you mentioned in between. A typical journey seeing all those places and returning to Lhasa takes around 7 days. If you want to go overland to Lhasa and see all these other things, 12 days will not be enough. I would recommend flying to Lhasa and then going on to EBC.