Sept Lhasa
 

Hi Flyertalk,

Due to time constraints I have a trip plan that brings me into Xian on Tuesday and out of Chengdu on Sunday, but from Wed to Sun I don't have a great plan.

I'm thinking of the following:

Getting on the Shanghai to Lhasa Train at Xian Wed at 1008, arrive next day 1740.

Fly out of LXA into CTU Sunday Morning.

I understand there are permits I will need to procure for foreign citizens, and I may need to stick with local guides while in lhasa, which is fine with me.

I'm asking about the viability of self-booking the train-in and fly out portion and if anyone had any generic advice having done something similar about the the altitude conversion on the train and if the schedule seems sane.

Thanks!

My bold. You must prearrange a tour in Tibet with an authorized agent. There is no "may" about it. The tour agent must procure the Tibet Travel Permit and must get it to you before your transport into Tibet can proceed. Those train tickets will be next to impossible for you to get due to demand, so put that under the purview of the agent as well.

The use of the train to help with altitude acclimatization is a complete myth. It still goes up too high and too fast to really be of use. Many people do just as well flying in. If you had a couple of days to spend in Xining, that would help somewhat, but you don't have the time.

My take: if Tibet is one of your highest priorities to see and you have the cash, then go for it. But cut the train out. Take a nonstop flight XIY-LXA and plan to spend the first day in Lhasa taking it easy. Note that if you try to book a flight into Lhasa yourself, your booking will almost certainly not go through--or will go through then get cancelled. Foreigners need that Tibet Travel Permit in order to book/get on any transport into the T.A.R. Outsource this flight to the Tibet tour agency also--likely you won't get a discount on that flight at that time of year anyway, even if you could book yourself. Flight LXA-CTU you probably can do yourself.

If Tibet is not a particularly high priority for you, there are other suggestions we could make to fill that time at much less cost.

You need to plan this way ahead of time as these train tickets are very hard to get.

Thanks everyone

I planned on an agent already, I will ask the ones i'm researching about having them do the train as well.

Two questions
@JPDM
How does one already know 8 months out that the train is already sold out? I didn't realize you could lookup inventory anywhere.

Also, none of the agents are saying the permitting process for sept is a challenge, does that really take 8 months in advance?

Thanks

Also related:
I'm seriously considering listening to the fly both ways advice, the question then is, is there any ability to leave lhasa on any organized tour that would see the landscape that I would otherwise miss out on having not taken the train.

Thanks

Tickets are released 60 days ahead. You can check out the inventory on the website of just about any ticket agent.
I don't think that you need to do anything now for September. Make sure that you stay clear of the end of September though. I would try to organize things in June.

Only four days to go all the way to Tibet proper seems a bit short, especially given the logistical constraints and the altitude adjustment. If you are interested in Tibetan culture, a much more accessible (and lower-elevation) alternative would be to fly Xi'an to Xining, and visit the Rebgong (Tongren county) area (a 2.5 hr bus ride away), which is a very picturesque valley on a Yellow River highland tributary, with several important monasteries, and is a major center of thanka painting for all of Tibet. The Gannan grasslands and Labrang (Xiahe) monastery are also nearby. No tour guides necessary, no massive bureaucracy, no tourist crowding, and intensive, authentic Tibetan culture.

… and then you can fly easily from Xining to Chengdu.