Situated high on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Tibet is not easily accessible. Due to historical and geographic challenges, Tibet had no highways until 1951. With the economic support of the Chinese government and the efforts of Tibetans in the past years, Tibet now owns three airports and several highways that link it with other parts of China. On July 1, 2006, the entire Qinghai-Tibet railway was put into service, which brings Tibet closer to the world and provides much convenience for tourists.


Air
The three airports in Tibet are: Lhasa Gonggar, Chamdo Bamda and Nyingchi.

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is located 100 km south of Lhasa City. Presently, it serves 12 routes, one of which is international, between Lhasa and Katmandu, the capital city of the Kingdom of Nepal. Airplanes shuttle along the domestic routes between Lhasa and Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chongqing, Xian, Xining, Kunming, Chamdo and Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture where the picturesque Shangri-La County lies. Tourists can start from any of these cities to travel to Tibet. Among these routes, flights between Lhasa and Chengdu are the most frequent.

Gonggar Airport is equipped with first-class facilities. Tourists can get necessary luggage service and passenger service at any time. Moreover, when leaving Tibet, in this airport tourists can buy in advance tickets for flights from Chengdu. From the airport, tourists can take either a bus or taxi to Lhasa City.

Chamdo Bamda Airport is a civil airport that has one of the longest runways in the world as well as being the highest airport. There are ten flights every week from Bangda Airport to Lhasa and Chengdu. However, Bamda Airport is located far from cities and is not easy to get to. Because of bad weather conditions, flights are frequently delayed, which is very inconvenient.

Nyingchi, the third airport in Tibet, began operation on September 1st, 2006. At present, a roundtrip flight operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday morning between Nyingchi and Chengdu. In 2007, another three aircrafts will be increased and the flights will be raised to five shifts from the late March. Nyingchi Airport may become many people's first stop in Tibet as it is less than 3,000 meters high, allowing people to prepare themselves gradually for higher altitudes. Meanwhile, the flight makes it possible to enjoy firstly the fantastic scenery of southeastern Tibet prior to the Lhasa tour.


Railway
The "Sky Train", "Lhasa Express", "Rocket to the rooftop of the world", "World's highest railway"; regardless of what its called, This Qinghai-Tibet Railway is truly an engineering wonder.

The Qinghai-Tibet railway is totally 1,956 kilometers (1216 miles) long, consisting of 2 phases: the first phase 814 km (506 miles) from Xining - the capital of Qinghai Province to Golmud opened in 1984; the second phase 1142 km (710 miles) from Golmud to Lhasa. In the following years, the Chinese government is going to extend the railroad to Shigatse (about 300 km west of Lhasa) and Nyingchi regions (about 400 km east of Lhasa).

The Qinghai-Tibet railway boasts 960 km track located 4,000 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level and the highest point at 5,072 meters (15,220 feet). The rail is dubbed "Sky Track" as many international experts hardly believe the people can build a railway in such a challenging area.

Much of the travel involves crossing a massive plateau nicknamed "The Rooftop of the World."  Special diesel engines capable of operating efficiently at 3-mile-high altitudes were designed; an internal garbage disposal system was employed to reduce pollution along the route.


Highway
To get to Tibet, there are five main highways: Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway and China-Nepal Highway.

1)  Sichuan-Tibet Highway (Chengdu-Lhasa):
Sichuan-Tibet Highway runs between Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and Lhasa. Sichuan-Tibet Highway is probably the most dangerous highway in the world. Branching into the North Route of about 2,400 km long and the South Route of about 2,100 km, the road stretches into Lhasa passing Ya'an, Garze, Chamdo. Sichuan-Tibet highway traverses 14 high mountains which average 4,000-5000 meters (Erlang Mtn,Zheduo Mtn and Hengduan Mtn), spans dozens of famous rivers (Daduhe River, Jinshajiang River, Lantsang River, Nujiang River), crosses primeval forest and numerous dangerous sections. Landslides are frequent, trapping tourists for days. However, it is meanwhile the most attractive route to Tibet. Surging rivers, snow-capped peaks, deep valleys and vast grassland are common along the road. It crosses as well the southeast Tibet, which is famous for its unique scenery. This route is a good choice for adventurers and devoted photographers.

2)  Qinghai-Tibet Highway (Xining-Ge'ermu-Lhasa):
The highway was first built in 1950 to support the Chinese People's Liberation Army when they marched into Tibet peacefully, and was open on December 25, 1954. Being one of the highest highways in the world, Qinghai-Tibet highway starts from Xining, Qinghai Province. The highway crosses four mountains, namely Kunlun Mountain (4,700 meters), Fenghuo Mountain (4,800 meters), Tangula Mountain ( 5,150 meters at the mountain pass), and Nyainqentanglha Mountain. It spans three rivers, Tongtian River, Tuotuo River and Chuma'er River, averaging 4,500 meters. The Tibetan part of the highway is 544 km, and traverses the Changtang Plain in the north, and converges with the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in Lhasa. Though it is high, it has few steep slopes and most of the road is of high quality, so generally speaking it is the safest road to Tibet. It runs across grassland, deserts, the Gobi desert, mountains, and saline plains. Scenery along the road is rather appealing.

3)  Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Yecheng-Burang):
Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Yecheng-Burang) is also called the national highway 219, with a total distance of 2,743 km. It is the highway with the highest altitude in the world. The highway starts from Yecheng, a city in southern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, passes by Gar county in Tibet and reaches Shiquanhe town, which is located in Ngari prefecture, Tibet, then the highway winds south to Burang county, where China borders India and Nepal. The highway turns east to converge with the China-Nepal Highway, and then extends to Shigatse and finally stretches into Lhasa. On its way the highway winds its way among several mountains, five of which soaring more than 5000 meters (16400 feet) high above the sea level. Among them the highest is Jieshan Daban Mountain, which is at an altitude of 6,035 meters. When you cross over the mountains, you can sense the grandness as you see the great mountains dwarf the surrounding ones. And it is easy to appreciate the spectacular view of the heavenly holy mountain Kailash, which is also called the "center of the world", and to feel the overwhelming charm of the holy lake Manasarovar.

4)  Yunnan-Tibet Highway (Xiaguan-Makam):
(It is also known as Dian-Zang Road as Dian is the abbreviation for Yunnan Province and Zang is for Tibet)
Dian-Zang Road was built and opened to traffic in 1974. It starts from Xiaguan of Yunnan in the south, traverses Jianchuan, Zhongdian and Dechen to Zhikang of Tibet in the north and covers a distance of 714 km. It joins the south part of Sichuan-Tibet Road in the north. Among the four roads leading into Tibet, it's the highest above sea level, which is a less beaten track by travelers. This highway was built along the "Tea-Horse Ancient Road" which the businessmen and tourists frequented in the ancient times. The whole road runs through the China-Burma Basin and the Hengduan Mountain Range with the highest point-the pass of Hongla Snow Mountain at 4,300 meters above sea level. The road leads through spectacular landscape, with thick forests and mild and humid climate on the way. As the Hengduan Mountain Range is cut by Lantsang River and Jinsha River with many high mountains and deep valleys, and the road goes up and down in elevations through the mountains and valleys, you can experience different kinds of climates and landscapes on the way.

5)  Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway (Lhasa--Zhangmu Friendship Bridge-Kathmandu):
The Friendship Highway starts from the capital of Nepal-Kathmandu, traverses Hangmu Friendship Bridge (SinoNepal Friendship Bridge) at Kodari to Neyalamu County in Tibet and crosses Shigatse-- the second largest city of Tibet to the capital of Tibet-Lhasa. It covers a distance of more than 900 km. After entering the border at Zhangmu, passing Neyalamu and Tingri, enjoying the grand Himalayas and driving another 75 km, you'll reach Lhase. Lhasa is in the east while passing Samsang, Zhongba or Cuoqing and Gaize ,in the west is Ali. Most tourists will choose Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Road as the main road into Tibet.

No matter which road you choose, remember that the condition of most of these roads is bad. It is advisable to make careful preparation before departure. Take enough clothes, medicines for mountain sickness, and enough food, as food along these roads is often bland and sometimes unavailable. To avoid mountain sickness, do not undertake too many activities.