Getting around Lhasa: city bus, taxi, rental car, bicycle, pedicab

For transportation within Lhasa city, you have several options. You can take a public bus, which is the cheapest way of hanging around, or rent a car. Taxi and pedicab are easy to find on the street of Lhasa city. Additionally, renting a bicycle to tour this Sunlight City off the beaten path is also very popular.

However, you can’t expect the transportation services in Lhasa are as good as the conditions at home or even as in other cities in China hinterland. The truth is that the road condition and transportation service in Lhasa City is much better than other remote areas of Tibet.

City Bus

If you are planning to have an economic tour in Lhasa, public city bus is the best choice. So far, there are more than 20 routes at your service. The fare is from RMB 1 to 2 yuan and the frequency is from 10 to 20 minutes.

However, the city bus can be confusing and frustrating sometimes because the bus stops are hard to find and the stop boards are not showing all the stops. Furthermore, they are not in English! So, if you really want to travel around Lhasa by bus, you have much work to do before boarding.

• Lhasa City Bus

You can also choose private run mini-bus or jeeps with certain fixed routes heading for the main tourist spots of Lhasa. Most of them start from Tibet Medical Hospital in front of the Square of Jokhang Temple and the fare is RMB 2 yuan. Since there are no bus stops, just wave your hand anywhere on streets and they will stop in front of you. Normally, they start operation late in the morning and stops early at night because of the temperatures.

For your convenience, we provide information of certain buses as follows:
Bus No. 1 and 2 goes through the Norbulingka to Lhasa Coach Station.
Bus No. 3 and 5 go to the Drepung Monastery.
Bus No. 4 runs to the Sera Monastery.
Bus No. 91 runs between the city center and the Lhasa Railway Station.

Taxi

It is pretty easy to hail a taxi on the city street of downtown Lhasa. If you only travel within the city, the taxi drivers usually charge RMB 10 yuan. For the remote areas, you’d better require the driver to use the meter. The taximeter calculates as this: RMB 5 for the first 2 kilometers, and RMB 1.5 more for every another kilometer.

Or you need to negotiate with the driver over the price beforehand. A single journey to Drepung Monastery usually costs about RMB 20 while to Sera Monastery RMB 15. A whole day rental will be RMB 200 to 300.

• Taxi in Lhasa City

Pedicab/Rickshaw

Tour around the city of Lhasa by pedicab can be fun. It's a casual way to enjoy the appearance of the city and the daily life of Tibetan people. If you want a try, just wave your hand. Each pedicab usually takes 2 persons and cost RMB 3 to 7 yuan. Please remember to negotiate the price before getting on it! By the way, it only runs within the city.

• Tour Lhasa by Pedicab

Bicycle

Touring around Lhasa City by bike is another pleasurable way to explore the Tibetan culture and enjoy charming scenery as long as your health and schedule permit. You can rent a bicycle from hotels and hostels along the Barkhor Street. Normally, the rental fee for an ordinary bicycle is RMB 2 per hour and RMB 20 per day while for a mountain bike it is RMB 3 per hour and RMB 30 per day.

Test the brakes and tyres before taking the bike. It is advisable to have an extra padlock, as there is a problem with bicycle theft in Lhasa. Please remember to take it easy and avoid overstrain; otherwise the altitude may hit you pretty hard.

• Explore Lhasa by Bicycle

Car Rental

There are cars for rental in many automobile companies and travel agencies at Lhasa. They usually charge for the number of days and kilometers within the city, about RMB 250 to 300 per day. If you are going out of the urban area, they will charge for kilometers with an additional 50% fee for returning with empty fuel.

A local driver who is familiar with Chinese or Tibetan language is recommended when using the vehicle, in case you become lost or encounter an emergency. And it is important to choose a reliable car rental company and sign an agreement in case problems occur.