Overland to Tibet
Photo: Jan Reurink, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
It is possible to fly into Tibet, but doing so from near sea level entails a large risk of altitude sickness. For many visitors reaching Tibet by land, as described in this article, will be preferable because it is safer and lets you visit other interesting areas en route.
UnderstandThere are overland routes to Lhasa from the four cardinal directions. The main ones from central China are:
By railThe Qinghai-Tibet railway connects Xining and Golmud to Lhasa. Golmud is in Qinghai, a Chinese province north of Tibet, also located on the Tibetan plateau, with a large part of the population ethnically Tibetan.
By road from XiningIt is also possible to reach Lhasa by road from Golmud by bus or driving.
By road from Kunming or ChengduHere is the route via Western Sichuan, Northwestern Yunnan and Eastern Tibet, starting from either Chengdu or Kunming.
Central China to Kunming or ChengduSee Hong Kong to Kunming overland for one route to Kunming, and Along the Yangtze river for one to Chengdu.
Overland to Zhongdian, then fly to LhasaAn alternative route is to travel overland to Zhongdian via routes given in Hong Kong to Kunming overland and Yunnan tourist trail, then fly to Lhasa.
By road from KathmanduThe overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa or from Lhasa to Kathmandu is probably the best-known overland itinerary.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Overland to Tibet" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Jan Reurink, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons