ben

ive been wanting to go to tibet, specifically lhasa, for a religious themed vacation. i was wondering about basic info, i.e., how much airfare would be, good place to stay, etc... but i am more interested in how warmly americans are accepted there. how "open" are the monasteries, would they possibly provide lodging. any info would be greatly appreciated.

Sam

Chinese visa does not mean that you can go to Tibet yet. You must obtain a Tibet Entry Permit that could be very difficult to get by an individual. Even when you obtained the permit, you still cannot go anywhere as you want. You must follow the exact itinerary. If you have an invitation from a monastery, it may improve your chance to get the permit.

Your best bet is to join a package tour originated from North America. The tour operator acts as a guarantor and applies the Tibet permit for the group.

Eunice

You can stay at the Rongphu/Rongbuk monastery near Everest. They have a "guesthouse," dorm rooms with outhouse (gross) and one thermos of hot water per day. My husband visited the monastery and got to see the monks practicing dancing for a festival. I, unfortunately, had altitude sickness and missed the opportunity.

Josh98

We have to disagree with Sam. You may buy a tour package in Chengdu, with the special visa, and then once in Lhasa, most people never go with the tour. It's a legal formality. However, you must do that to get the permit; can't get it on your own. You can also do this via several Shanghai agencies. You don't need to stick to the exact itinerary that you have "bought". Mostly you are buying the permit, which however, is only good for 5 days. We could help you if you wish. We are here in China.
a tip from JC-Tours

Patty

I'm not sure about the 5 day limitation. I've seen many tour packages to Tibet offered that are longer than 5 days in duration.

Lynda Howland

I took an 11 day tour of Tibet in April, going with a tour company out of Kathmandu, Nepal - with a Tibetan guide we picked up at the border (we went overland from Nepal into Tibet). We were told that we needed to sign up for a tour to get our visa - they company in Nepal (Green Hill) will take care of the Chinese visa for you, or will let you know exactly how you can get it on your own. Once you or they get the Chinese visa, the tour company has to get you a special permit to visit Tibet. We met up with people who were there for 3 weeks, but I don't know exactly how long the visa is good for. (I think at least a month) We did run into people who were traveling on their own, also.
We were very warmly accepted by everyone. The monasteries are very open, although some of the more sacred parts of the temples may be off limits. We also stayed at the Rongbuk Monastery at Everest Base Camp. If you are interested, I can give you the name of all the hotels we stayed in during the trip. Just let me know at my e-mail address.
If I can give you other information, please contact me.
Lynda