China Travel Forum

[Benjamin]

I will be travelling to China in July and need some sound advice. I would like to travel to Lhase (Tibet) from either Shanghai or via Guangzhou . what is my best option and or alternatives (bus/train/tour)? AND from your experiences what do you recommend on doing and seeing? Obviously, there is a cultural element that I would love to see.
This will be for 4 - 5 weeks only based on time restrictions. How would i get from Tibet / Nepal to Vietnam? What do you recommend for a budget traveller?
I'll be more then happy to meet with people along the way if you are in my neighbourhood!

[ILHAM]

I'd reccommend against going through Guangzhou to get to tibet. I have not done it yet myself but have looked into it. I believe it is something like a 30 hour bus ride; and a pretty rough ride to boot.
You should be able fly into Lahsa from Chengdu. That is how I am going to try to do it. You'll need to get a foreigners permit to enter Tibet. You will not be able to buy a ticket into Lahsa without one. You'll most likely have to book with an organized tour company to get your permit, and they'll book the flight for you (you'll probably never actually see your permit). of course it will cost a fair amount of money. once you get into tibet you don't have to stay with the tour company. you can go off on your own.
There are areas inside Tibet that you need permission to enter, which can be obtained from a local police station I believe. There are also locations in Tibet completely off limits.
Once in Tibet you should be able to grab a bus, run by another tour company, to the border with Nepal.