Travel to Tibet

[xuechengfeng]

Anybody have good information on this? I look all over google and find conflicting information. I've heard anything from the Tibet Travel Permit is anywhere from $100 US to absolutely free as of the past month or so. I've heard you cannot independently travel there and I've heard you can. I'm planning on going from Beijing to Lhasa via train, then from Lhasa to Chengdu via plane. Is is possible for me to get the Tibet Travel Permit in Beijing? If so, where? Or is Chengdu the only place you can get it? How long does it take to get the permit? And any other relevant info... thanks to anyone that can help.

[skylee]

I hope you could find good information on thorntree -> http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=19&iCountryId=90

Also see this thread -> http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messagepost.cfm?postaction=reply&catid=19&threadid=504236&messid=4216923&STARTPAGE=1&parentid=0&from=1

[gamequeen]

when you come back. don't forget tell us what do like mostly in there

[wushijiao]

If I'm not mistaken, you can get a travel permit to Tibet on one's day notice at a hostel in Chengdu, but that can depend on the political situation.

When I went to Tibet last summer, I just took a flight from Chengdu through our hostel- Dragon Town Hostel, which was really nice.

[xuechengfeng]

how did u do with the altitude shift flying from chengdu to lhasa?

[wushijiao]

I didn't have any problems with altitude at all, although, my house that I grew up in in the US was at over 7,400 feet. Also, I did quite a bit of running before going.

Nonetheless, it is best to probably take a day or two in Lhasa to get adjusted. Even if you don't feel any symptoms of altitude sickness, and you think you might be fine to start traveling around, it's worth pointing out that many or most of the main things that people do in Tibet are at an altitude that is much higher than Lhasa's.