Four years ago a special permit was compulsory for individual foreigners wishing to travel to Tibet. It was quite a costy one, actually. Has any of you being there in the last year or so? If so, is the rule still the same, or one can now just board a bus (or the train now) to Lhasa hasslefree?
Marco
Reply to this Last I heard, you have to have a permit and to get a permit you have to be part of a group. But a group can mean 2 people. I think the group also has to have a guide.
Reply to this Rightnow, travel in Tibet still have to have a permit. As I know you could travel without a guide, and fee for the permit is a little bit expensive. It's around 500 RMB per permit. And quite few travel services will transact this business.
Reply to this Three of us went to Tibet two year ago, and the three of us are going again in September. Yes, you need a permit to get into Tibet, and yes you might also need other permits for other parts of Tibet. And yes, you need a guide. Now the guide doesn't have to stick to you like glue, he or she must exist however. In Lhasa we wandered on our own sometimes, and we also did the same in other towns/cities of Tibet for periods of time. And our intent is still the same for this trip. We have arranged everything again through a Tibetan agency and our entry permit will be given to us when we arrive in Chengdu and the other permits will be waiting when we get to Lhasa.
Reply to this Tourists to Tibet must be in group leaded by tour guide with a travel permit. You can applied the permit with the local tour agency in China or just take part in the tour group orgonized by china tour operator. For the procedure, you can visit the link below:
How to apply a Tibet Permit Reply to this Mell,
Will you be keeping tabs on the travel permit situation in Tibet for the coming months? I realize that October 1 is the 60th anniversary for the People Republic of China. Will there be a possible lack of permits at that time also?
Reply to this Hello Tony 😊
Will you be keeping tabs on the travel permit situation in Tibet for the coming months?
I just post whatever information I happen to come accross about the various travel questions.
I realize that October 1 is the 60th anniversary for the People Republic of China. Will there be a possible lack of permits at that time also?
If restrictions happen, there will probably be something in the newspapers about it, but cant really predict what the Chinese govenment will decide. If there was political unrest in Tibet in the previous years during anniversaries then they may restrict the permits. And they may also be getting more fearful since the Olympics and may impose more restrictions on Tibet permits because of this.
Mel
Reply to this This blog looks to be good for keeping up to date with the situation in Tibet:
http://kekexili.typepad.com/life_on_the_tibetan_plate/2009/02/tibet-travel-update-2009.html
Reply to this Yes, a permit is necessary for foreigners travelling into
Tibet. But I think it is worthy. Fantanstic view is everywhere in that region. Reply to this 
