Chengdu-Tibet-Nepal: Budgeting Recap, Documents, Tips & Trick

Read the previous post 
Overland Trip from China to Nepal (Chengdu - Tibet - Kathmandu)

Yamdrok Lake, Tibet, China

Speaking about my Chengdu-Tibet-Nepal trip, some of you requested the details on the budgeting. So, here it is and some tips on reducing the budget.

Chinese Visa

Tibet Permit

1. First thing first, to travel to Tibet we must join one tour operator available from Tibet, we can not do solo travel. So, to join an open trip available is the easy choice. I was joining an open trip from Stalkingnina, how much did it cost? What was included? 

It costs USD 1150. Including:

• 3 stars accomodation.
• Meals (breakfast and one dinner time each in Tibet and Nepal, bottled water everyday).
• Bus for accomodation while on tour including 4 WD car which take us from China border to Kathmandu (the actual price is about USD 32).
• All permit needed in Tibet (Tibet travel permit and alien's travel permit were included).

2.What kind of documents are needed for a trip to downtown Tibet and Everest Base Camp (EBC)?

• Chinese Visa: IDR 650.000 (USD 42). Our group asked for help from a tour operator to take care of our visas, it was simpler that way. You could choose any tour operator you trust. 
• Tibet Travel Permit by Tibet Tourism Bureau. It was included in the open trip payment. 
• Alien's Travel Permit (could be taken care of once we arrived there, mine was taken care of in Shigatse). Also included in the open trip payment. 
• Frontier pass needed to travel to border areas, such as Tibet-Nepal border and Mount Everest area. Also included in the open trip payment. 

3. How to approach Lhasa, Tibet?

First thing first, there are several options to approach Tibet. By domestic flight to Lhasa Airport from several Chinese hub cities like Chengdu, Beijing, or Shanghai. So you have to fly to these cities first.  Or by international flight from Kathmandu, Nepal (cost around USD 400) which is the only availabe international flight to Lhasa. Or by train from Chengdu. 

Pros of Each Choices
Chengdu - Lhasa Flight: If you looking for a convenience and fast journey you could choose the   flight // Chengdu - Lhasa Train: If you looking for a once in a lifetime journey with breathtaking view which is operated on the highest railway in the world, then train is the perfect choice.  Moreover, the slow ascent give our bodies time to adjust to the altitude hence the chance of getting accute mountain sickness (AMS) is lower.  
Cons of Each Choices

Chengdu - Lhasa Flight: But it means an immediate ascent which can cause accute mountain sickness (AMS). // Chengdu - Lhasa Train: Even in the soft sleeper compartment you might find it uncomfortable for a 36+ hours journey, not to mention the public toilets which will get dirty and stink overtime. 

My choice
I fly budget airline AirAsia from Lombok to Chengdu (cost USD 204) then continue the journey with Chengdu-Lhasa train. The Chengdu-Lhasa flight and Chengdu - Lhasa train have a similar price, around USD 190. And I take the train (the hard sleeper one) for the sake of the experience. 
Ps. This choice is more budget friendly than flying Lombok-Nepal-Lhasa (which will cost me around USD 470) and I love to explore Chengdu first :)
As for the flight back to Indonesia, I fly Malindo air to Kuala Lumpur (cost USD 165) and continue with AirAsia to Lombok (cost USD 69)

4. What insurance did I use during the trip?

It was not easy finding insurance which covers trip to a a high altitude (more than 3000 m), moreover it was a trip to Everest Base Camp, where the health and safety risk were no kidding. But luckily,  after searching here and there, I found Zurich Passport Worlwide (cost USD 58) and it covers everything. So, next time you need travel insurance, I guess Zurich could be a choice. 

5. What are other expenses along the trip?

• Nepal Visa. In this trip we went back to Indonesia via Nepal rather than going back to Chengdu. So, a Nepal Visa is needed. A visa on arrival cost USD 25.
• Hotel while in Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu and Nepal will be shown at detail below.
• Transportation while in Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu, Nepal will be shown at detail below.
• KLIA Express while in Kuala Lumpur will be shown at detail below.
• Entry tickets will be shown at detail below.
• Souvenirs budget will be shown at detail below. 
• Culinary delights budget will be shown at detail below. 

I really do hope this post will give you some insight on the important matters on traveling to Tibet. As always if you have any questions feel free to comment below or email me :)