Planning your trip to Lhasa, Tibet

By Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
03:43 PM PDT, August 17, 2007

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THE BEST WAY

From LAX, connecting service (change of plane) to Lhasa is offered on Air China and China Eastern. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,436.

TAKING THE TRAIN

Trains leave from Beijing at 9:30 p.m. daily and from Lhasa at 8 a.m.; the trip is about 48 hours. One-way hard seats, $49; hard sleeper, $102; soft sleeper, $158, not including Tibet travel permit. Tickets can be purchased at Beijing West or Lhasa stations or through a travel agent. www.chinatibettrain.com.

TELEPHONES

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (international calling code), 86 (code for China), 891 (code for Lhasa), then the local number.

WHERE TO STAY

House of Shambhala, 7 Jiri Erxiang, 632-6533, www.houseofshambhala.com, is a 10-room guesthouse with stylish Tibetan décor; doubles $60 to $90.

Kyichu Hotel, 149 Beijing East Road, 633-1541, www.kyichuhotel.com, is a well-run, 52-room hotel; doubles start at $60.

Tibet Gorkha Hotel, 45 S. Lingkor Road, 627-1991, is an amiable Tibetan hotel with a rooftop restaurant; doubles start around $44, with breakfast; suites start around $100, with breakfast.

Brahmaputra Grand Hotel, Yangcheng Plaza, Gonghutang Road, 630-9999, www.tibethotel.cn, and the Lhasa Manasarovar (same address), 630-6888, are about a 10-minute drive east of Barkhor Square. Doubles start about $225 at the Brahmaputra, $245 at the Manasarovar.

Gyantse Hotel, 2 Shanghai Donglu, (instead of 891, dial 892) 817-2222, large, modern hotel near the business district; doubles start around $40.

WHERE TO EAT

In Lhasa, the New Mandala, 634-2235, has rooftop dining on Barkhor Square, and the first-floor restaurant in the Snow Land Hotel, 4 Tibetan Hospital Road, 632-3687, serves Tibetan, Chinese, Western and Indian dishes. House of Shambhala (above) is the most sophisticated place in the old city, serving westernized Chinese and Tibetan fare. Meals $5 to $10.

Gyantse Kitchen, on Shanghai Donglu near the Gyantse Hotel, (instead of 891, dial 892) 817-6777, serves delicious Indian food, as does the Tenzin Hotel restaurant, on Tomzigang Road, (dial 892) 882-2018. Meals $5 to $10 at both.

TO LEARN MORE

China National Tourist Office, (818) 545-7507, www.cnto.org.

Editor's note: L.A. Times staff writer Susan Spano recently spent four months exploring China. As the countdown to the 2008 Summer Olympics begins, Susan will take us behind the scenes in Beijing, from its hutongs to its luxury hotels. She will also explore lesser-known corners of China that are made for the cultural and adventure traveler.

Where should we send Susan next? Comments or suggestions? Email travel-feedback@latimes.com or post your feedback on our Travel Message Boards.