Aarrange an address in China (usually that of a hotel, guesthouse or local agency) to receive your posted TTB permit, if flying to Lhasa.
What your tour actually involves depends on the agency. Some offer all-inclusive tours, while others will arrange transport, a guide and permits but leave accommodation, food and entry fees up to you. You can book your own train or air ticket to Lhasa or have the agency arrange this. Some airline offices and online booking agencies will sell flights to Lhasa to foreigners, but others won’t unless you can show you have a TTB permit. Some agencies require you to have a prebooked ticket out of Tibet, but most are happy for you to arrange this in Lhasa. Treks fall under the same permit requirements as normal tours.
You need to have the original permit in your hands in order to board a flight to Lhasa, so most agencies arrange to post the permit through an agency or hostel. This can cost anything from ¥25 for normal post (four working days) to ¥180/280/380 for 36-/24-/18-hour express post. A photocopy or scan of an original TTB permit is currently all that is required to board a train to Tibet, which saves on postage fees. The permit is actually free, though most agencies charge a few hundred yuan per person for the bureaucratic runaround.
Agencies can only apply for some permits 15 days before departure, so there is invariably a last-minute rush to get permits posted to you in time. Travel restrictions and closures occur without warning, as with the closure of Ngari (western Tibet) for several months in summer 2014 or the whole of Tibet for a week in June 2016. Note that official regulations change particularly quickly if there are any political disturbances. In 2012 temporary regulations were introduced requiring that groups have a minimum of five persons, all of the same nationality. A few months later Tibet was closed to foreigners completely for a short time, after two cases of self-immolation in Lhasa.
TTB permits are not issued in March due to the anniversary of several politically sensitive dates. Assuming the political situation is calm, permits normally start to be reissued in the last week of March and agencies only know the new season's permit regulations for sure by the end of March. The last-minute nature and uncertainty that comes with this obviously complicates booking train and flight tickets; we recommend booking a fully refundable ticket if possible and taking out trip-cancellation insurance in case your permits fail to materialise.
ALIEN'S TRAVEL PERMITS & MILITARY PERMITS
Once you have a visa and have managed to wangle a TTB permit, you might think you're home and dry. Think again. Your agency will need to arrange an alien's travel permit for most of your travels outside Lhasa.
Travel permits are not needed for Lhasa or places just outside the city such as Ganden Monastery, but most other areas do technically require permits. Permits are most easily arranged in the regional capital, so for Ngari (western Tibet) you’ll have to budget an hour in Shigatse, and possibly also Ali or Darchen, for your guide to process the permit. Agencies can only arrange a travel permit for those on a tour with them.
Sensitive border areas – such as Mt Kailash, the road to Kashgar and the Nyingtri region of eastern Tibet – also require a military permit and a foreign-affairs permit. For remote places such as the Yarlung Tsangpo gorges in southeastern Tibet, the roads through Lhoka south of Gyantse or for any border area, you will likely not be able to get permits even if you book a tour. Regions can close at short notice. The entire Chamdo prefecture has been closed since 2010, effectively blocking overland trips from Sìchuān and Yúnnán. You’ll have to check to see if this has changed.
You should give your agency a week to 10 days to arrange your permits, and three weeks if military or other permits are required. The authorities generally won’t issue permits more than 15 days in advance. Local Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers often make the ultimate decision on whether you can visit a site, so you’ll need a certain flexibility if you're headed off the beaten track.
TOUR AGENCIES IN TIBET
In general, Tibetan tour agencies are not as professional as agencies in neighbouring Nepal or Bhutan. The following companies in Lhasa are experienced in arranging customised trips.
For good information on responsible tour companies and ecotourism initiatives in Tibet, visit www.tibetecotravel.com and www.tibetgreenmap.
Explore Tibet (%158 8909 0408, 0891-632 9441; www.tibetexploretour.com; 4-5 House, Namsel No 3, Doudi Rd) Contact Jamphel.
Namchen Tours ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0891-633 0823; www.tibetnamchen.com; 2 Barkhor North St) At Barkhor Namchen Guest House. Contact Dhoko.
Road to Tibet (%133 0898 1522; www.roadtotibet.com; Jinzhu Xilu 8-5) Contact Woeser Phel.
Shigatse Travels ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0891-633 0489; www.shigatsetravels.com; Yak Hotel, 100 Beijing Donglu) Top-end tours from a large agency that uses European trip managers.
Spinn Café ( GOOGLE MAP ; %136 5952 3997; www.cafespinn.com; 135 Beijing Donglu) Contact Kong/Pazu.
Tibet Highland Tours ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %139 0898 5060, 0891-634 8144; www.tibethighlandtours.com; Danjielin Lu) Contact Tenzin or Dechen.
Tibet Roof of World International Travel ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0891-679 1995; www.budgettibettour.com; Kailash Hotel, 143 Beijing Donglu) Offers scheduled budget tours across Tibet.
Tibet Songtsan International Travel Company ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0891-636 4414; www.songtsantravel.com; 2nd fl, Barkhor Sq; W) Run by Tenzin, this up-and-coming outfit is eager to serve new clients.
Tibet Tsolha Garbo Travel (%0891-633 3871, mobile 139 0891 5618; www.dmigmar.wix.com/tibet-tsolha-garbo) Contact David Migmar or Sonam Yergye.
Tibet Wind Horse Adventure ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0891-683 3009; www.windhorsetibet.com; B32 Shenzheng Huayuan, Sera Beilu) Top-end trips, strong on trekking and rafting.
Tibetan Guide (%136 2898 0074, 0891-635 1657; www.tibetanguide.com) Contact Mima Dhondup.
Visit Tibet Travel and Tours (%028-8325 7742; www.visittibet.com; Jiaji Lu) Can arrange Nepal add-ons.
TOUR AGENCIES ELSEWHERE IN CHINA
There are several good companies outside the TAR that can arrange tours in Tibet. Many are based in the Tibetan areas of China and operate through local contacts in Lhasa. Depending on your itinerary it can be useful to arrange your tour through one of these outfits; if catching the train from Xīníng, for example, it’s handy to use an agency there to help arrange hard-to-find train tickets and permit pickup.
Access Tibet (www.accesstibettour.com; Room 8110, Lhasa Chaoyang Grand Hotel, 81 Beijing Xilu) Also with an office in Lhasa.
China Yak (%135 5126 4372; www.chinayak.com; 14th fl, TAR Department of Commerce, Jinzhu Donglu) Part of China International Travel Service (CITS), with an office in Lhasa.
Extravagant Yak Foreign-owned company that runs tours in both Tibet and Tibetan areas of surrounding provinces.
Gesartour Strong on tours to Amdo.
Khampa Caravan Overland trips from Yúnnán to Lhasa when possible, and strong on Kham, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism and local communities. Contact Dakpa.
Leo Hostel (广聚园宾馆; Guǎngjùyuán Bīnguǎn GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6303 1595, 010 6303 3318; www.leohostel.com; 52 Dazhalan Xijie; 大栅栏西街 52号 dm ¥50-90, r ¥300-380; aiW; bLine 2 to Qianmen, exit B or C) Popular backpacker hostel that books tours through an agency in Tibet.
Mix Hostel Books standard tours and can help find other backpackers to share the cost.
Snow Lion Tours Contact Wangden Tsering.
Tibetan Connections This friendly tour company focuses on remoter parts of Amdo and Kham but can arrange trips into Tibet. Prices may be a little higher than those of local travel agencies, but staff members speak English and are good to deal with.
Tibetan Trekking Contact Gao Liqiang for treks and 4WD trips, especially in Tibetan areas of western Sìchuān.
Wild China ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %010-6465 6602; www.wildchina.com; Room 803, Oriental Place, 9 Dongfang Donglu, North Dongsanhuan Rd; 东三环北路东方东路9号东方国际大厦803室 h9am-6pm Mon-Fri; bLine 10 to Liangmaqiao, exit B) Professio
nally run and top-end private trips.
Windhorse Tour Chinese agency, not connected to Wind Horse Adventure in Lhasa. Contact Helen.
Lhasa ལྷ་ས་ 拉萨
%0891 / Elev 3650m / Pop 257,000
The centre of the Tibetan Buddhist world for over a millennium, Lhasa (ལྷ་ས་; 拉萨; Lāsà; literally the 'Place of the Gods') remains largely a city of wonders. Your first view of the red and white Potala Palace soaring above the Holy City raises goosebumps and the charming whitewashed old Tibetan quarter continues to preserve the essence of traditional Tibetan life. It is here in the Jokhang, an other-worldly mix of flickering butter lamps, wafting incense and prostrating pilgrims, and the encircling Barkhor pilgrim circuit, that most visitors first fall in love with Tibet.
These days the booming boulevards of the modern Chinese city threaten to overwhelm the winding alleyways and backstreet temples of the Tibetan old town, but it is in the latter that you should focus your time. If possible, budget a week to acclimatise, see the sights and roam the fascinating back streets before heading off on a grand overland adventure.
Lhasa
1Top Sights
1Chagpo Ri Rock CarvingsB2
2Potala PalaceC2
1Sights
3Ramoche TempleD1
Red PalaceC2
4Tibet MuseumA2
White PalaceC2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
5Potala KoraC2
5Eating
Seyzhong Nongze Bösey RestaurantD1
6Drinking & Nightlife
6Dzongyab Lukhang Park Teahouse EastC1
8Information
7China PostC2
8Nepalese Consulate-GeneralA2
9Norbulingka Ticket OfficeA2
10Tibet Tourism BureauB2
11Tibet Wind Horse AdventureC1
Transport
12Air ChinaB1
13Airport BusesC2
China SouthernC2
City Train Ticket OfficeC2
Civil Aviation Authority of China OfficeC2
14Sichuan AirlinesC2
15Tibet AirlinesA2
16Western Bus StationA2
1Sights
oPotala PalacePALACE
(པོ་ཏ་ལ་; 布达拉宫; Bùdálā Gōng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; May-Oct ¥200, Nov-Apr ¥100; h9.30am-3pm Nov-Apr, 9am-3.30pm May-Oct, interior chapels close 4.30pm)
The magnificent Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Your first sight of its towering, fortress-like walls is a moment you'll remember for years. An architectural wonder even by modern standards, the palace rises 13 storeys from 130m-high Marpo Ri (Red Hill) and contains more than 1000 rooms. Pilgrims and tourists alike shuffle open-mouthed through the three storeys, past the dozens of magnificent chapels, golden stupas and prayer halls.
The first recorded use of the site was in the 7th century AD, when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. Construction of the present structure began during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 and took divisions of labourers and artisans more than 50 years to complete. It is impressive enough to have caused Chinese premier Zhou Enlai to send his own troops to protect it from the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
The layout of the Potala Palace includes the rooftop White Palace ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) (the eastern part of the building), used for the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, and the central Red Palace ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), used for religious functions. The most stunning chapels of the Red Palace house the jewel-bedecked golden chörten (Tibetan stupa) tombs of several previous Dalai Lamas. The apartments of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas, in the White Palace, offer a more personal insight into palace life.
Tickets for the Potala are limited and your guide will need to book a time slot several days in advance. Arrive at the palace an hour or so before your allotted time. After a security check (no water or lighters allowed), follow the other visitors to the stairs up into the palace. Halfway up you'll pass the ticket booth, where you'll buy your ticket. Note that if you arrive later than the time on your voucher (or if you forget your voucher) you can be refused a ticket. Photography isn't allowed inside the chapels.
oJokhang TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(ཇོ་ཁང༌, 大昭寺, Dàzhāo Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; adult ¥85; h8.30-6.30pm, most chapels closed after noon)
The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet: the continuous waves of awestruck pilgrims prostrating themselves outside are a testament to its timeless allure. The central golden Buddha image here is the most revered in all of Tibet.
The Jokhang was originally built to house an image of Buddha brought to Tibet by King Songtsen Gampo's Nepalese wife. However, another image, the Jowa Sakyamuni, was later moved here by the king's other wife (the Chinese Princess Wencheng), and it is this image that gives the Jokhang both its name and its spiritual potency: Jokhang means 'chapel of the Jowo'.
The two-storeyed Jokhang is best visited in the morning, though the crowds of yak-butter-spooning pilgrims can be thick. Access is possible in the afternoon through a side entrance, but only the ground-floor chapels can be viewed (and then only through a grille) and there are no pilgrims.
oBarkhor CircuitPILGRIMAGE
(བར་འཁོར་, 八廓, Bākuò MAP GOOGLE MAP )F
It's impossible not to be swept up in the wondrous tide of humanity that is the Barkhor, a kora (pilgrim circuit) that winds clockwise around the periphery of the Jokhang Temple. You'll swear it possesses some spiritual centrifugal force, as every time you approach within 50m, you somehow get sucked right in and gladly wind up making the whole circuit again! It's the place to start exploring Lhasa and the last spot you'll want to see before you bid the city farewell.
As you follow the flow of pilgrims past sellers of religious photos, felt cowboy hats and electric blenders (for yak-butter tea), you’ll soon see a small building on the right, set off from the main path. This is the charming Mani Lhakhang ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), a small chapel that houses a huge prayer wheel set almost continuously in motion. To the right of the building is the grandiose entrance of the former city jail and dungeons, known as the Nangtse Shar.
If you head south from here, after about 10m you will see the entrance to the Jampa Lhakhang ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) (also known as Jamkhang or Water Blessing Temple) on the right. The ground floor of this small temple has a huge two-storey statue of Miwang Jampa, the Future Buddha, flanked by rows of various protector gods and the meditation cave of the chapel’s founder. Join the queue of pilgrims shuffling up to the upper floor to be blessed with a sprinkling of holy water and the touch of a holy dorje (thunderbolt).
Continue down the alley following the prayer wheels, then pass through a doorway into the old Meru Nyingba Monastery ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ). This small but active monastery is a real delight and is invariably crowded with Tibetans thumbing prayer beads or lazily swinging prayer wheels and chanting under their breath. The chapel itself is administered by Nechung Monastery, which accounts for the many images of the Nechung oracle inside. The building, like the adjoining Jokhang, dates back to the 7th century, though most of what you see today is recently constructed.
On the western side of the courtyard, up some narrow stairs, is the small Sakyapa-school Gongkar Chöde chapel ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ). Below is the Zhambhala Lhakhang ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), with a central image of Marmedze (Dipamkara), the Past Buddha, and a small inner kora path. Both are dark, moody places that resonate with the sounds of Tantric drumming. From here you can return north or head east to join up with the Barkhor circuit.
The eastern side of the circuit has more shops and even a couple of small department stores that specialise in turquoise. In the southeastern corner is a wall shrine and a darchen ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) (prayer pole), which mark the spot where Tsongkhapa planted his walking stick in 1409.
On the southern side of the circuit, look out for the Gendun Choephel Memorial Hall (根�
�群培纪念馆, Gēndūn Qúnpéi Jìniànguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.gdqpzhx.com; h9.30am-6.30pm), a dull museum on a particularly fascinating character. Choephel (1903–51) was a monk, poet, translator, scientist, travel writer, painter, linguist, medic, sexologist, scholar of Sanskrit and all-round nonconformist. The museum suffers from a dogmatic note in its commentary; you may find your eyes glazing over when text expounds on the 'caesaropapist feudal serf system'. This building, the Garushag, was Choephel's last residence and the place in which he died.
The empty southern square of the Jokhang used to host annual teachings by the Dalai Lama during the Mönlam festival. The circuit finally swings north by a police station back to Barkhor Sq.
Barkhor Area
1Top Sights
1Jokhang TempleB2
1Sights
2Barkhor SquareB2
3DarchenC3
4Gendun Choephel Memorial HallB2
Gongkar Chöde ChapelB2
5Jampa LhakhangB2
6Mani LhakhangB2
Meru Nyingba MonasteryB2
7Zhambhala LhakhangB2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
8Barkhor CircuitB2
4Sleeping
9Banak SholD1
10Bike HostelB1
11Dōngcuò International Youth HostelD1
12House of ShambhalaC1
13Kyichu HotelA1
14Shambhala PalaceD2
15Shangbala HotelA2
16Tashi Choeta Tibetan Folk HotelB1
17Trichang Labrang HotelB3
18Yak HotelB1
5Eating
19Father Vegetarian RestaurantB1
20Lhasa KitchenA2
Lhasa Namaste RestaurantB3
21Snowland RestaurantB2
22Tibetan Family KitchenB2
Lonely Planet China Page 191
