Transportation in Ali & Western Tibet

By Land Cruiser:
When venturing out of Lhasa to the west of Tibet, foreign travelers should keep in mind that the only legal way ) to travel west and anywhere outside of Lhasa is to submit an itinerary to the Lhasa Public Security Bureau and acquire permission (and pay the permit fees) to travel to the specific sites you wish to visit.

Also, as a foreigner, you may be required by law to arrange transport through travel agencies in Lhasa and to use Land Cruisers to get around. The total cost of this can come to a five figure number somewhere between RMB15,000-RMB23,000. This is quite an expense, but keep in mind that such a trip might take as long as three to four weeks.

There are two routes from Lhasa to Ali--the 1760-km-long northern route and the 1190-km-long southern route. As the southern route is shorter and has more well known attractions,this is by far the most popular trip.

The southern route:
Travelers spend the first night (RMB15 per person and possible showers) in Saga. The 145-km-long road from Saga to Zhongba is fairly good and can be covered within 4 hours. However, the road on from here to Paryang (110km) gets worse, and many buses and trucks get stuck on the rough road. From Paryang to Darchen is a distance of about 300km. Darchen is a great place to base yourself if you wish to visit Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarova, and the Tirthapuri Hot Springs, three of the holiest sites in western Tibet and the main attractions of the region. ( Source: Tibet Tour Bureau)