Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Stay Up to Date
All of these rules have exceptions and by the time you have finished reading this list,
all of them will probably have changed.
The Lay of the Land
The bottom line is that travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is radically different
from the rest of China and a valid Chinese visa is not enough to visit Tibet. You'll also
need several permits, foremost of which is a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit, and to
get these you have to book some kind of tour. Requirements change frequently. Currently,
and for the last seven years or so, at a minimum you need to arrange a guide for your en-
tire stay and hired transportation for any travel outside Lhasa.
Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit
Without a TTB permit you will not be able to board a flight or train to Tibet or cross over-
land from Nepal and will not be able to secure the other permits you need to continue trav-
elling throughout Tibet.
How these rules are interpreted depends on the political climate in Tibet. These days
you can only get a TTB permit through a tour agency in Tibet (agencies outside Tibet can
arrange trips, but ultimately they book through a Tibetan-based agency). You can no
longer travel to Lhasa and organise a tour there. Everything must be arranged beforehand,
including any trekking.
To get a permit you need to:
Work out an itinerary detailing exactly where you want to go in Tibet.
Pay for a guide for every day of your tour, including arrival and departure days, at a rate of
around ¥250 per day.
Hire a vehicle (often a 4WD Land Cruiser) for all transportation outside Lhasa.
