China Travel Forum

[Bowater]

Hi guys:

I am nearing the end of a long surface overland with this Nepal/Tibet/China problem one of the last hurdles.
I will be in Nepal. I basically need to get to Shanghai, though I would like to stop for a few days in Xian and Bejing.
From what I see I have three options.

1. Try to get the single group entry for tibet (tour), go overland to Lhasa and then take the train to Xian, Bejing, Shanghai. I hear the Tibet Visa can be 21-27 days. Am I right in assuming I can enter mainland china with this? Or do I have to change the chinese visa in Lahasa?

2. I do the Nepal Tibet tour to Lhasa, fly back to kathmandu, then get china visa, fly to nearest china city, overland it back to Lhasa and then go back into china overland. Any idea of costs on this one? Airlines too?

3. I go back into india and try a frighter to Thailand or elsewhere and make my way up?

I could go back to Pakistan, and up the KKH but that would mean waiting around until the passes open in May (ish)
Any help here much appreciated. I have no intention in taking a flight that would mean skipping over an area I did not cover overland.

Thanks

[Samantha Su]

option 1 would be the best if you can do your travelling in 21 days. getting the permit chaged into a regular chinese visa is not easy.
I would go for the overland option from Nepal to Lhasa pro

vided you can get a grouppermit with only your name on. This time of the year it can be difficulty getting the overland option however, due to low season. If more than 1 person on the grouppermit try to get a split in lhasa.

if you in total want to stay in Tibet/China for more than 21 days head for Golmud. Sometimes its possible to get a grouppermit changed into a regular 30 day chinese touristvisa there. If no luck head for Xining and try there.