Chengdu Travel Forum

Hi! I plan to travel to Lhasa from Chengdu.Is there any bus that I can take besides train? how long is the journey by train/ bus? how much by train/ bus? I'm a shoestring traveler.
Thanks!

No, if you don't take the train or fly, you'll have to go by 4WD which would be a lot of hassle and expensive as well.
Train takes 44h45min, cheapest class would be hard seat for 331 RMB.

Yes, you can.There is an all-sleeper bus departs every other day from Chengdu to Lhasa at Chengdu Gaosuntang Bus Station. RMB500.

I suspect that foreign travellers aren't allowed to take that bus though.

Foreigners may enter Tibet by bus from Zhongdian and Chengdu if they get the permit in advance.

If you take the train, It went around north to Lanzou, west to Xinning Goulmud then clibing south to Lhasa total for 3days. Fantastic sceneries. I did in the opposit way in returning from Lhasa. I went to Lhasa from Ganzi in 4X4 van with 6 other Tibettan passenger, it took 3 days to get to Lhasa (it was fantastic wilderness from one mountain pass after another like went trough in 4seassons scieneries, Snow, Grass, Lush green timbers Crossing makeshift bridges ). We got stop and fined 2 days in a row by Tibetan Police for overloaded pasengers, suppose to be only 6 and we were7. I was scared but they did not know I was foreigner (my looks passed as Chinese or Tibettan). Dont go by bus if you dont have permmit as police check points are all along the road.