It is safe to travel to Tibet after Yaan Quake

Some travelers who have a Tibet tour plan in 2013 may be wondering whether it is safe to travel to Tibet after Yaan Quake. The answer is absolutely YES. All areas in Tibet Autonomous Region are not affected by the earthquake. The transportation to Tibet, including flights and trains to Tibet, is also not affected by the Yaan earthquake.   

 

Yaan is located at the border between Chengdu Plain and Tibetan Border and works as an important gateway city for travelers who travel to Tibet by Sichuan-Tibet Highway which is not open to foreign travelers. At present, only Chinese citizens are allowed to travel to Tibet by Sichuan-Tibet Highway which is a scenic road popular among Chinese travelers who travel to Tibet by car or by bike. If travelers want to travel to Tibet by overland, they can choose Qinghai-Tibet Highway instead of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.  

 

For foreign travelers, travelling to Tibet by train or flight from mainland China and by overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa are the most common ways. After the earthquake, all the trains and flights to Tibet are in normal operation.

 

At present, Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world’s highest railway, is the only rail to Tibet. Tourists can take a train to Tibet from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xining, Lanzhou, Xian, etc. The Beijing to Lhasa train, Chengdu to Lhasa train, Shanghai to Lhasa train and Xining to Lhasa train are the most popular trains to Tibet among foreign tourists for Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu are famous international metropolises in mainland China, while Xining is the starting point of the famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

 

Accordingly, the train tickets to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu are in great demand and usually sold out several days before departure, especially the sleeper train tickets. As it takes a very long time to travel to Tibet by train, most travelers prefer sleeper berth. It is easier for travelers to book train tickets from Xining to Lhasa for all trains to Tibet make stopover at Xining.

 

There are three kinds of Tibet train tickets, soft-sleeper, hard-sleeper and seat tickets. In fact, the hard-sleeper berth is also soft, not hard. One difference between the soft-sleeper and hard sleeper is that four passengers share one soft-sleeper compartment, while six passengers share one hard-sleeper compartment. Therefore, there is more private room in a soft-sleeper compartment. Another difference is that there is a door for each soft-sleeper compartment and no door for hard-sleeper compartment.

 

After the Qinghai-Tibet Railway put in operation in July, 2006, going to Tibet by train prevails among both domestic and overseas travelers. But travelling to Tibet by air is still an easy way. On one hand, it is fastest way to Tibet. One the other hand, it is easier to book an air ticket to Tibet than train tickets because there are more options on flights to Tibet.  

 

Currently, tourists can fly to Lhasa directly from major cities of mainland China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xining, Xi'an, Kunming, Zhongdian, Xiamen, etc. There are also flights from Chengdu to Nyingchi, southeast Tibet and from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

 

Another popular way to Tibet among foreigners is travelling from Kathmandu to Lhasa by overland via Friendship Highway. The road condition of the Friendship Hwy is quite good. Besides, travelers can visit many famous tourist sites en route, such as Mt. Everest, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Yamdrok Lake and so on.

 

After the Yaan Earthquake, it is not only safe to travel to Tibet, but very easy to travel to Tibet due to the easy application for Tibet permits. According to the policy on Tibet permit 2013, even solo travelers can get Tibet permit easily so that travelers enjoy more flexibility on Tibet tour.