Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Travel in Lhasa prefecture (central and northern Ü) requires only the standard Tibet Tour-
ism Bureau (TTB) permit but you still need to prearrange a guide and transport to receive
this. Most of the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley (Shānnán prefecture) requires an additional ali-
en's travel permit, which your agency will need to arrange in Lhasa or Tsetang. Lhamo La-
tso requires five permits which need to be organised at least 15 days in advance of your
trip.
Itineraries
Ü is a relatively small region compared to other areas of Tibet, resulting in shorter drives
and fewer days on the road. The exception is Lhamo La-tso - well off the beaten track.
Some sights, including Tsurphu Monastery and Lhundrub, could be visited as day trips
from Lhasa, although spending nights out of the city allows for a slower pace and reduces
backtracking.
Ü is tackled in three stages, usually broken up with stops in Lhasa. If time is short your
priority should be the Yarlung Valley (four to six days), which houses the highest concen-
tration of historic and religious sites.
With two or three more days at your disposal, head north of Lhasa to Drigung Til
Monastery and Tidrum Nunnery for an overnight trip, or continue along the back roads to
overnight at Reting, Nam-tso and Tsurphu Monastery, before heading back to Lhasa.
Keep in mind that at no part of this journey do you actually have to go back to Lhasa -
roads from Ü connect with Tsang and eastern Tibet. From Nam-tso you can connect with
the Friendship Hwy via the Shoggu-la or Margyang-la. From Drigung Til you can head
back to Medro Gongkar and then continue east to Draksum-tso before returning via Samye
Monastery. From Gongkar (the airport), you can get onto the southern Friendship Hwy and
head west to Gyantse. For more itineraries in this area, see (
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)
and (
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)
.
NORTHERN Ü
The featured sights in this section are best visited as part of a loop; first north to Tsurphu
and the Nam-tso, then east to Reting and Talung and then further east to Drigung Til. Dri-
gung, Reting and Lhundrub can also be broken off to make a separate four-day trip. If you
are not acclimatised, consider first exploring the Yarlung Valley, which is at a lower eleva-
tion.
