Tibet trip advice / recommendation ?

Hi,


I am planning to trip to Tibet for this coming Easter holiday, and I am soliciting advice and/or recommendation from this forum, here are some of my questions:


1) Go alone or with a tour group ? (I am used to go it alone whenever I travel, but for China/Lhasa I have some reservation, even though I am from HK)

2) Language barrier in Lhasa ?

3) Has anyone taken the train ride on Qinghai-Tibet railway ?

4) Hotel recommendation in Lhasa ?

5) How long should the trip be ? I am planning at least 10 days ...


Clarence

I went to Tibet last Easter with 3 other people and we had a 'private tour', ie a guide and driver for the 4 of us. Without this, you may have trouble getting around outside Lhasa. Of course if you speak Putonghua you may be able to just hire a vehicle with driver to travel outside Lhasa (but many people may only speak Tibetan). I hate group tours myself so I would avoid this option if at all possible.

Don't know about the language barrier as we had an English-speaking guide. I suspect that many but not all people speak some Putonghua, at least in Lhasa, and people in 'tourist places' speak some English also.

In Lhasa, I would really recommend the Dhod Ghu Hotel (might be spelled differently). It's very close to the Barkhor Square and Jokhang Temple, and beautifully decorated inside and out. The only disadvantage is that you have to climb stairs to the rooms - quite a challenge when you're adapting to the altitude.

10 days would be a good length of time to spend. You could spend a few days in and around Lhasa, then go out to Shigatse and some places in that direction. There's also a lake north of Lhasa that is supposed to be nice, although I haven't been there. Another possibility is to try and organise to go overland to Kathmandu, but if you do this you will need to change vehicles at the border.


Hope this is useful.

1) Go alone or with a tour group ?

do you have Chinese nationality? if yes,you can travel alone and also join a tour,but if you are non-Chinese, according to the current Tibet travel policy, foreigners can't travel in Tibet without joining a tour since the riot of 2008,March in Lhasa .

but my suggestion is to join a tour because for many places you just see the scenery but know little about it without a tour guide's explanation. like many history in the temples

2) Language barrier in Lhasa ?

most of people can speak putonghua in Lhasa

3) Has anyone taken the train ride on Qinghai-Tibet railway ?

yes, that is a very beautiful train scenery. you may take a flight from Hongkong-Qinghai, Xining, and then take a train from Xining-Lhasa, you will see snow moutains and Qinghai Lake, a lot of amazing sceneries.

4) Hotel recommendation in Lhasa ?

Lhasa Xinding Hotel 5*, Lhasa Jardin Secret Hotel 5*

Thangka hotel 4* ,Jingu Hotel 4*

New Mandala Hotel 3* , Kailash Hotel3*

5) How long should the trip be ? I am planning at least 10 days ...

----it depends on what places you would like to go , if main in Lhasa, 7days is enough, 1o days is ecough to go to Nyinchi and Shagatse. and Holy Lake Namtso which is mentioned by hkkm, on the north of Lhasa. you may send my email: sonia@windhorsetour.com.cn , I would like to answer you any of the question for Tibet travel

----------------all the inf. from :www.windhorsetour.com

Sagar Dawa Festival is hold in April. If you want to travel in April, maybe you can see this. More here: http://www.accesstibettour.com/sagar-dawa-festival.html

I have finally booked our long talked about trip to Tibet. Below is our inteniary as described by our Chinese travel agent in Lhasa.

More here:http://www.traveltibetguide.com/Group_6nights_7days_Tibet_Mt_Everest_tour.html

i prefer to have a overland tour with youth hostel. one of my friend from Europe had ever tour to tibet. and i think it was very nice. here is some information about his tour.

D1 Kathmandu/Chengdu/Beijing-Lhasa


D2 Lhasa sightseeing ( Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor)


D3 Lhasa sightseeing (Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Norbulingka)


D4 Lhasa –Yamdrok Lake-- Gyantse--Shigatse


D5 Shigatse- Tingri


D6 Tingri-Everest Base Camp-Old Tingri


D7 Old Tingri –Nyalam –Zhangmu(Nepal border)


D8 Zhangmu--Kodari-Kathmandu

more here: http://www.headforchina.com/western_tour_info.php?pro_id=34&p_id=2#

If you have the Hongkong Citizen ID, you do not need to apply for the Tibet Tour Permit as foreign tourists. You can buy a flight or Train ticket yourself. Then you can try to join the local tour group (if you can speak Mandarin) in Tibet to tour to Yamdrok Lake, Namtso Lake, even the Base Camp of the Mt.Everest.

This is the typical Tibet Tour itinerary,

Day 1 Shanghai/Xining flight, Board the train in Xining in the afternoon

Day 2 Arrive at Lhasa at night ,

Day 3 Visit the Potala Palace, JokhangTemple, Barkhor Street, Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 4 Visit the Drepung Monastery，Sera Monastery,Tibet Museum Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 5 Lhasa - Yamdrok lake - Gyantse(Kumbum, Palcho Monastery)-Shigatse, Overnight in Shigatse

Day 6 Shigatse-Rombuk Monastery-Base Camp of the Mt.Everest. Overnight in Rombuk Monastery.

Day 7 Rombuk Monastery-Shigatse. Overnight at Shigatse

Day 8 Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.

Shigatse - Lhasa, along the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 9 One day tour to Namutso Lake, Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 10 Get to the Lhasa Airport on bus. Enjoy the beautiful Lhasa River on the way. Flight back to Shanghai (via Xi'an)