Our Recent Tour to Tibet

We recently went to Tibet. We first picked our dates, then contacted the tour people; got our own flights through the web site. couriered TBB to Xian hotel. wanted to verify our TTB (Tibet travel permit) before allowing us to book a flight into Lhasa (leaving was no problem). I emailed them the details of the tour we arranged, and there was OK. It's kind of scary, because it was an eticket but not with the usual western 6-character number, but flights in China can be very cheap compared to the west.

We flew from Xian direct to Lhasa, arriving about 2PM and left 4 days later at about 3PM. This gave is 2 full days in Lhasa and one morning we spent in the Tibet Museum (nothing spectacular, but interesting). Since it's over an hour to and from the airport, things close around 5PM often, and you don't want to cut the time too short (we were there 2 hours early for our flights) this is probably the shortest Tibet tour you'll do. By the time we checked in first day it was about 4PM. The first full day was Potala Palace in the morning and Jokhang Temple (sorry, I'm going from memory) in the Barkhor market street. The next day we did 3 monasteries; Drepung, Sera, and some monastery north of Jokhang that unfortunately was mainly closed; and a nunnery south of Barkhor street. I'm 40lb overweight and the Potala climb was not that bad. The last day we did the museum for an hour and a half and left at noon for our 3PM flight. Total cost was about $1500US, (9000Y) which included 3 nights and breakfast at the 4-points Sheraton, all entry fees, our own car w/ driver, and a very good guide; he was Tibetan and could explain a lot of the history and Buddhist symbolism (which is quite complex). Our main out-of-pocket expense was dinner each night at the hote Most monasteries will charge an additional between 10 and 50 Yuan for photos, but in some places (esp. Potala) it is forbidden.