China - Tibet tour August 9th-August13th

Folks,

I have my flights booked (Aeroplan award mini-RTW) and in order to get the Tibet Travel Permission I'm looking into booking a 'tour'.

I was planning to use Tibet Highland Tours which get a good rep at the Lonely Planet Forums. The way it works in Tibet AFAIKI, is that you need to have a tour booked to get the travel permission but often you are the only traveler showing up so they impose the whole group charge on you.

Therefore maybe someone wants to join me? There is plenty of availability on awards around those dates (Air China from PEK direct or via CTU). PEK is a *Alliance hub so almost every * airline flies there. Starwood has a St. Regis and Four Seasons in Lhasa (both have very good C+P availability).

I'm not sure what the maximum group size is. I'm guessing 9?

The price you see below will be shared among all participants.

Interested?

LHASA - NAMTSO LAKE - LHASA

5-DAY TRIP

Price Includes:

Price for the Tibet permit (200 yuan per person)
Price for the Guide (250 yuan per day x 5 days = 1250 yuan) (For Group )
Price for the car transportation, day trip to Namsto Lake (1,500 yuan) (For Group )
Price for Service fee (1000 yuan) (For Group )
Tour Driver and Tour Guide meals （Included）
Vehicle tolls and vehicle repairs (if necessary) （Included）

Price Excludes:

1. Lhasa airport pickup and drop off (300 yuan per trip)
2. Lhasa train station pickup and drop off (100 yuan per trip)
3. Client meals and accommodation
4. Mailing permit fee (180 Yuan to 550 yuan depends on urgency for client entering Tibet via
flight.)
5. All monastery entrance fees
6. Namsto Lake entrance fee (120 yuan per person)
7.Taxi inside Lhasa
8. Personal expenses of clients (water, oxygen, flight ticket or train ticket etc.)
9. Driver and Guide gratuities (The recommended tip for a Tour Driver is 200 yuan and for a
Tour Guide is 300 yuan, depending on their performance. If you are not satisfied with their
performance, you may give them a lower amount or no tips at all.)

I am not joining you and have no comment on the price, but if you're going to Namtso on a private tour, you should definitely stay overnight at a cabin by lakeside. They are very primitive, with only outhouses; but it's a total waste to go to Namtso during midday with bus loads of Chinese tourists there, and pushy vendors trying to get you to take pictures with their yaks.

On the other hand, it's magical in the evening and early morning. So, stay overnight, or don't go at all.

Check out days 18-19:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/tibet0610

Thanks that's good advice!

Check out days 18-19:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/tibet0610

Thanks for sharing your photos in Tibet. They are wonderful and Tibet is really really beautiful! How I wish I can just visit tibet without the need of the Tibet permit....

Thanks for sharing your photos in Tibet. They are wonderful and Tibet is really really beautiful! How I wish I can just visit tibet without the need of the Tibet permit....

Just for the record, I visited Tibet as an American citizen, WITH a TTB permit. It can be worth it if the trip is long enough (not just a few days in and around Lhasa), especially if you can find a agent that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, and you can communicate with them (and their guide) in whatever language that works.

Just for the record, I visited Tibet as an American citizen, WITH a TTB permit. It can be worth it if the trip is long enough (not just a few days in and around Lhasa), especially if you can find a agent that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, and you can communicate with them (and their guide) in whatever language that works.

As far as I know only Tibetan and Chinese would work.

rkkwan can you recommend a travel agent who is reliable and does not try to overcharge tourists?

Would be much appreciated!

rkkwan can you recommend a travel agent who is reliable and does not try to overcharge tourists?

Would be much appreciated!

Try this guy. Tell him I referred you and ask for similar rates. Should be about 250 rmb for guides, 1250 for 4WD, 400 for TTB incl delivery to hotel in PRC.

http://tibetanshamantour.com/about.html

Thanks mlasser! Just did.

This is the agent that organize our tour in 2010. They cater mostly to Taiwanese, but they claim their English is okay. Good luck:

http://www.findchina.tw/