Is it recommended to travel to Tibet (Lhasa) for just under 20 days and with a low budget?
Me and my fiancée are researching travelling to Tibet next summer, however we have a limited amount of time (17 days to be exact), limited budget and we aren't really interested in hiking, we are more interested in getting to know the Tibetan culture.
With this background in mind and by the information we have found online, mainly posted in Wikitravel, Quora and TibetTravel.org we are wondering if this is really a good idea to pursue since we have found that:
- We would travel from North America to Nepal/China (2 days lost to get there/come back + advance $$$ for visas)
- Wait there for special permits to Tibet ($$$ + n days lost)
- Obtain some sort of tour guide ($$$ + limited options on what to do?)
- Travel to Tibet (another 2 days lost - 4 days if we move by train from Shangai, to choose whether to spend lots of cash on airplane or lots of time on train)
- Have some sort of quick tour of Lhasa only - since apparently it's not easy to move around to other parts of the Tibet?.
So we are talking roughly about no more than 10 days to be just in Lhasa and a whole lot of paperwork hassle and lots of time and money spent trying to actually get to Tibet, so for seasoned travellers of the area - does this sound like an effort worth doing to actually get there for a small amount of time and is the information we have collected accurate?
Best Answer
From personal experience, for easy access to Tibetan culture, as you describe, it is more convenient to travel to Kathmandu and Dharamsala.
Alternatively, you could visit the Tibetan cultural areas within provinces of China that are not the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Specifically, I would recommend Western Sichuan (known in Tibetan as Kham). Fly into Chengdu and stay in the Tibetan quarter there. Then travel up through Kangding and Garze to Dege and as far north from there as your time and budget allow.
Pictures about "Is it recommended to travel to Tibet (Lhasa) for just under 20 days and with a low budget?"
How many days should I spend in Tibet?
The Tibet Autonomous Region is too huge to visit all attractions within a short time. You need at least 4 days to tour Tibet, but you can only experience Lhasa within such a period. Therefore spending 7 days and 10 days enjoying a Tibet tour is more suitable.Is Tibet cheap to travel?
Well, Tibet isn't a cheap place to visit, but it can be affordable if you want it to be. In fact, the Tibet trip cost varies greatly according to your travel itinerary, your travel time, and other spending like the transfer, the accommodation, etc.Can you visit Lhasa without a guide?
Presently, you can't visit or roam around Lhasa city by yourself, especially heading to any of the tourist sites, like Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, etc. You must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide.Is Lhasa expensive?
Visiting Lhasa Is Extremely Affordable and Easy to All Travelers. Unlike the high expenses for visiting ultra-modern Asian cities like Tokyo and Hongkong or Seoul, it's very affordable for travelers of all pockets to visit Lhasa.Things you need to know before visiting Tibet | Tibet Travel Tips
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