Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
not only for the scenery en route but also because it can help spread the altitude gain over
a few days.
Road
In theory there are several land routes into Tibet. The bulk of overland travellers take the
Friendship Hwy between Kathmandu and Lhasa.
In the current climate it's most unwise to try any route on your own (ie not in a 4WD or
cycling tour) - you have a very good chance of being caught and fined and dragging any
Tibetan who has helped you into your troubles.
Other possible routes (though in recent years these have been officially closed to foreign
travellers) are the Sìchuān-Tibet Hwy and the Yúnnán-Tibet Hwy (see Overland Routes
From Sichuan & Yunnan,
Click here
). The Qīnghǎi-Tibet Hwy(see Northern Routes of
Kham,
Click here
)
and the Xīnjiāng-Tibet Hwy (see the Atop the World: Qingh-Tibet High-
way box,
Click here
) are possible on a 4WD tour with all the proper permits. The
Qīnghǎi-Tibet Hwy is also possible on an organised cycling tour.
FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY (NEPAL TO TIBET)
The 865km stretch of road between Kathmandu and Lhasa is known as the Friendship
Hwy. The journey is without a doubt one of the most spectacular in the world.
From Kathmandu (elevation 1300m) the road travels gently up to Kodari (1873m), before
leaving Nepal to make a steep switchback ascent to Zhāngmù (2250m), the Tibetan border
town, and then Nyalam (3750m), where most people spend their first night. The road then
climbs to the top of the Tong-la (4950m), continuing to Tingri (4250m) for the second night.
The road is paved the whole way.
It is essential to watch out for the effects of altitude sickness during the early stages of
this trip. If you intend to head up to Everest Base Camp (5150m) you really need to slip in a
rest day at Tingri or Nyalam.
China is 2¼ hours ahead of Nepali time.
OTHER ROUTES INTO TIBET
Another route into Tibet, for trekking groups only, passes through Purang (Taklakot in Ne-
pali). Special visas are required for this trip. Trekkers start by travelling by road or flying
from Kathmandu to Nepalganj, then flying from there to Simikot in the far west of Nepal.
From Simikot it's a five- or six-day walk to the Tibetan border, crossing the Humla Karnali.
You can then drive the 28km to Purang and the further 107km to the Mt Kailash area via
Lake Manasarovar. See Lonely Planet's
Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya
for details of the
trek.
