Planning a Trip

Getting There

The airport is 20km (12 miles) west of Golmud. A bus making the 30-minute trip for ¥10 ($1.30/65p) connects with the CAAC office, just east of the PSB, at Chasidim Lu 66 (tel. 0979/842-3333, ext. 8808). There are daily flights to Xining and three weekly connections with Xi'an (Tues, Thurs, and Sat). Golmud is connected by rail to Lhasa (K917; 7:33am; 27 hr.), Xining (12 1/2 hr., N904, 9:05pm; N910, 6:24pm) and Lanzhou (14 hr.) by the T221, which leaves at 12:39am. Golmud has a relatively small sleeper ticket allocation for Lhasa-bound trains; nevertheless, you should be able to get a berth within a couple of days, and seat tickets are readily available. The left-luggage room is to the right (east). The Golmud Bus Station (tel. 0979/845-3688) is directly opposite the train station, with buses to Dunhuang (8 hr.; ¥88/$11/£5.70 seat, ¥100/$13/£6.50 sleeper) at 9am and 6pm; and to Xining (10 hr.; ¥150/$20/£9.75) at 9am and 11am.

Heading to Lhasa, a Tibet Travel Permit is required, although a few wily travelers have managed to take the bus or train without one. Travel permits can be arranged through the Tibet Tourism Bureau at Yanqiao Lu 79 (tel. 0979-848-3532).

Getting Around

Taxis charge ¥5 to ¥6 (65¢-80¢/35p-40p). Buses cost ¥1 (15¢/5p), paid to the conductor. The key bus is no. 2, which runs from the railway station to the center of town.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The Bank of China (Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm; Sat-Sun 9:30am-4pm), Chaidamu Lu 19, changes cash and traveler's checks only.

Internet Access -- "Ai wo ba" Wangba (open 9am-midnight) is above a grocery store, on the corner of Xi Shichang San Lu and Zhanqian Er Lu. Dial-up is tel. 165.

Post Office -- The main post office (open 9am-6pm summer; 9am-5pm winter) is on the northeast corner of Kunlun Lu and Chaidamu Lu.

Visa Extensions -- The PSB (open Mon-Fri, 8:30am-noon and 2:30-6pm) at Chaidamu Lu 68 (tel. 0979/844-2550) grants 1-month extensions in 2 days. Permits for closed areas of the Tsaidam Basin are arranged here.