Lhasa travel guide

Among the means of transport, flying in and out of Lhasa may be the most suitable, as it saves time; yet it is also the least suitable, because it shortens the process of adapting to the altitude.

1. When first arriving on the plateau, do not make overly rigid plans, as your physical condition cannot be guaranteed. Moreover, in Lhasa people naturally become languid; even sitting in a hotel corridor and sunbathing is a pleasure.

2. July and August are the peak tourist season in Tibet. During this period, hotel and vehicle prices rise, and flight tickets are also harder to get.

The air in Tibet is extremely dry, so travelers who are nearsighted should avoid wearing contact lenses. Pharmacies throughout Tibet stock rhodiola; taking it starting two weeks before entering Tibet can help prevent altitude sickness, but it cannot cure it.

1. To minimize the impact on the original habitat of wildlife such as Tibetan antelopes, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has a total of 33 wildlife crossings along the entire line, with a cumulative width of nearly 60 kilometers. Along the line there are also many bridges, low embankments and livestock passages for wildlife to cross.

2. Because trains on the Qinghai-Tibet Line are fully enclosed and supplied with oxygen after entering Tibet, passengers cannot open the windows, so littering does not occur. Every station along the railway has a waste collection point, and all rubbish is transported to Golmud for disposal.

3. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway can bring more employment opportunities to Tibetan farmers and herders.

Travelers heading onto the plateau are advised to consider taking a sleeper train from Golmud. You can also charter a vehicle; there is no standard price, but a one-way trip can generally be arranged for around ¥200. Sometimes you can also catch a new vehicle heading to Lhasa for just over ¥100 per person, but the safety level is not high.

Gonggar Airport is located in Jiazhulin Town, Gonggar County, Shannan City, about 60 kilometers from downtown Lhasa. Airport buses run to downtown Lhasa, with a fare of about ¥25 and a journey of about 1 hour. The bus terminal is at the Niangre Road CAAC Hotel beside the Potala Palace. A taxi from downtown to the airport costs about ¥200.

Travelling to Tibet by train has outstanding advantages. First, the altitude of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway rises gradually as the train advances, which helps your body adapt step by step to the plateau. Second, you can enjoy scenery unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Line that cannot be seen by air, such as the source of the Yangtze River, the Tuotuo River, the Tanggula Pass at an altitude of 5,231 metres, the Qingshui River Bridge where Tibetan antelopes often cross, and the mysterious uninhabited region. Oxygen supply in the carriages starts from the Golmud section, and the journey from Golmud to Lhasa takes only about 12 hours. The trains run during the day, so passengers can enjoy all of these sights.

From downtown, you can take Bus No. 1, 9, 10, 14 or 30 to Lhasa Railway Station. Trains to Lhasa currently run from cities including Beijing, Lanzhou, Xining, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shigatse.

The highways into Tibet include the Qinghai-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet, Xinjiang-Tibet and China-Nepal Highways. The Yunnan-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet Highways may be cut off by landslides during the rainy season each year, while the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway does not even have regular bus services. The China-Nepal Highway is an important route for foreign travellers entering Tibet.

The Qinghai-Tibet Highway runs 1,164 kilometres from Golmud in Qinghai to Lhasa. Its road conditions are the best of the five highways into Tibet, it carries 80% of the freight transported into Tibet each year, and it is the preferred overland route for independent travellers. The route crosses Tanggula Pass, and long-distance sleeper buses take 24 to 36 hours. Because the journey is so long, tyre blowouts and bad weather may occur along the way, so punctual arrival cannot be guaranteed. The two major long-distance bus stations in Lhasa are the North Suburb Bus Station and the Liuwu Bus Station.

Taxis in Lhasa now run on metered fares, with a flag-fall of ¥10 for the first 3 kilometres and ¥2 per kilometre thereafter. Because the urban area of Lhasa is quite small, most trips can be completed within the flag-fall fare. However, trips to suburban sites such as Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery will exceed the flag-fall fare. Pedicabs, which charge by distance, generally have a flag-fall fare of ¥3. Minibuses and buses are also the main means of transport in Lhasa; city buses cost ¥1 and minibuses cost ¥2.

Milk tea and highland barley wine are foods you will encounter throughout a trip to Tibet. However, compared with other areas, Lhasa is the most bustling city, offering very good Tibetan-style dishes as well as a wide range of other cuisines. If you have the budget, you can enjoy excellent food here.

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Lhasa offers food from many regions, including Tibetan cuisine, Cantonese, northern Chinese and Hunan dishes. Sichuan cuisine is the most common and is very popular with both visitors and locals. Deji Road and Beijing Road bring together food from across China, with Sichuan dishes, hotpot, a variety of snacks, and even Western food and bars. Many visitors to Lhasa make a point of trying them.

Lhasa is Tibet's largest city and the tourism hub of the entire Tibetan region, so accommodation is no worry. There are luxurious, comfortable hotels, such as the Lhasa Hotel, which has oxygen supply equipment like a large hospital. There are also plain collective hostels that offer nothing beyond a bed and a TV. Travelers are best off staying at a few well-known traveler hubs, where it's easy to find fellow travelers to share a car rental and exchange information.

Many backpackers prefer small guesthouses similar to youth hostels, which are generally located near Barkhor Street.

Most youth hostels have a public message board covered with travel information, most of which is about chartering vehicles. Chartering through these boards can be 10%–50% cheaper than through a travel agency, and you can also find fellow travelers heading to more remote routes such as Medog and Ngari.

No one can resist the lure of Barkhor Street. It is a street encircling the Jokhang Temple, where thousands of vendors call out to you in a variety of languages.

Most of what's sold here is Tibetan accessories: earrings, necklaces, bangles, rings, and all sorts of curious and quirky items. Street stalls rarely sell genuine gold or silver, and the gemstones are even less likely to be real. The craftsmanship is rough, but the colors and styles are distinctly Tibetan and hard to find elsewhere. That makes them ideal for buying in bulk as gifts for friends and colleagues, priced from a few yuan to over ¥10. On the streets behind the Jokhang Temple, some small shops sell genuine silver jewelry, weighed on electronic scales at about ¥25 per gram.

Lhasa has many entertainment and leisure venues, including cinemas, karaoke lounges, dance halls, bars, nightclubs, teahouses and bowling alleys. Along the streets you will also find simple bars run by Tibetan locals, such as sweet tea houses, Tibetan restaurants and hot springs. Many restaurants in the city also offer colourful ethnic song and dance performances.

Viva Villa: Sipping a cocktail while looking at the Potala Palace at night and listening to lovely folk music is one of the best ways to unwind. It is definitely worth a visit.