Overland tour to Tibet

After decades' construction, now there are 5 ways to go to Tibet: the Sichuan-Tibet Highway (Chengdu-Lhasa), the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (Xining-Golmud-Lhasa), the Yunnan-Tibet Highway (Xiaguan-Makam), the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Yecheng-Burang) and Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway (Lhasa-Zhangmu Friendship Bridge-Kathmandu). Due to the great improvement of road conditions, travelling to Tibet by road, especially self-drive tours to Tibet, has become increasingly popular because it is a more authentic way to explore Tibet despite unpaved roads and long drives, dust and danger.

• Sichuan (Chengdu) to Lhasa : 2159 kilometers to 2407 km
• Yunnan (Kunming) to Lhasa: 2317 kilometers
• Qinghai (Xining) to Lhasa: 1947 kilometers
• Xinjiang (Yecheng) to Lhasa: 2743 kilometers
• Kathmandu to Lhasa: 923 kilometers

Among the 5 routes, driving from Kathmandu ("friendship highway") and Xining are is the easiest route and they are the only routes open to foreigners at present.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is the shortest and the safest highway with best road conditions into Tibet, comparing to other highways.

map of qinghai-tibet highway

Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway is the only international highway to Tibet. It starts from Lhasa through Quxu, Shigatse, Lhaze, Tingri, Nyalam and Zhangmu, along the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge, and ends at the defense highway of Kathmandu.

Tibet Friendship Highway

Sightseeing along this Sino-Nepal highway is eye-catching, and the world No. 1 summit Mt, Everest can be seen in its dramatic splendor.