Tibet Travel Forum

i recently saw a documentary on Tibet and i want to ask some questions about entering and travelling inside Tibet

According to the documentary it is not premitted for foreigners to travel into Tibet. Also i heard another story saying that you can travel there, but only by special permission of the Chinese governmen. Is this true? you cant just on your owm travel into Tibet by your self?
According to the documentary it is not allowed to travel around in Tibet by your slef. You need special permission and guides to travel and trekking in the country. Is that true?

Foreigners need a TTB permit to travel in Tibet Autonomous Region. Do some searching on here or on the Lonely Planet ThornTree forums, this is a FAQ.

"Tibet permit": http://www.tibettravel.com/en/Travel-Documents/Tibet-Permits/Tibet-Permit-358.html

You actually need a permit from the Chinese government to enter Tibet. However first you need to get a visa to enter China before anything else. You must arrange this with the nearest Chinese consulate in your area. And then you must do your own due dilligence on finding the best tour to get you from Beijing to Tibet.

My strong recommendation is to NOT PICK HEIAN TREKS. The mismanagement and disorganization and serious overpriced trip was a regretful decision for the 3 of us. Our tour guide was merely a chaperone. However, the Tibet is necessary cause all throughout the overland tour you go through Chinese checkpoints and the permit specifies exactly where you are supposed to be. Do your homework with the tours and find something reasonable where you should be paying like 500 per person to get you from Lhasa to Kathmandu (excluding airfare). Bargain like crazy. Since 2006 there is a train that runs from Beijing to Lhasa and 4 people bunks go for 150 a person. It's a great way to gradually acclimate to the high altitudes - plus being on a train for 48 hours is a fun experience in itself.

Just do your homework and you should be cool.