In 1997 I had a rough time getting to Tibet. I would take the new train if I went again.
It departs Beijing every night at 9:30 p.m. and arrives in Lhasa just under 48 hours later. Tickets are in high demand, and the Chinese don’t go out of their way to make it easy for foreigners to book. (The return trip is a little easier to book because many visitors fly home. It departs Lhasa daily at 8 a.m.)
The fare for a lower bunk in soft sleeper (highly recommended) is 1,262 yuan (about US$158 US). You must also obtain a separate Tibet travel permit, which costs 700 yuan ($89).
… The Web site www.chinatibettrain.com says it is the official site of the Beijing-Lhasa train, and it has lots of good information on everything but booking tickets.
World’s highest railway is breathtaking feat of engineering — and one hell of a ride
Conditions are harsh. Bring your own TP and bottled water. There’s a good chance of altitude sickness. An oxygen supply is available for each passenger.
Flying, of course, is quite dangerous as well due to rapid elevation gain. Lhasa (3658m), like La Paz, Bolivia (3900m), requires several days acclimatization. Some tourist have to turn around and fly back down closer to sea level.
Things will get better for hikers in future. The longer you wait to visit Tibet, the more regulations will be loosened for tourists.
As it stands now, all our recommended hikes in Tibet are illegal for independent hikers:
Dingri to Mt. Everest Mt. Kailas Circuit Ganden to Samye
more Ganden to Samy photos on flickr - Romana Chapman.
The Qingzang railway is also known as: Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway (Simplified Chinese: 青藏铁路, Traditional Chinese: 青藏鐵路; pinyin: Qīngzàng Tiělù).
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