The only overland way out of Lhasa is to Golmud in Qinghai Province. The journey takes between 30 to 50 hours, depending on road conditions. Tickets for Golmud can be bought at the main bus station, south of the Lhasa Hotel. Prices are RMB424 for a Japanese sleeper bus or RMB244 for a clapped-out Chinese bus. It is also possible to continue the journey all the way to Xining, the capital of Qinhai Province. Long-distance buses also go to other places in Tibet, such as Shigatse, Tsetang, Chamdo and Bayi, although this can be difficult and expensive for western travelers.
The bus station in Lhasa is located southwest of Barkhor Square and has departures to Medro, and Gungkar to visit Drigung Til Monastery and Lhundrub to visit Talung Monastery.
Thanks to the increasing number of tourists, minibus, as mentioned above, has become a booming industry in Tibet. The area south of Barkhor Square is where minibuses set off for Tsurphu Monastery and Deprung Monastery. Another place to look for a minibus is in front of the Kirey Hotel, where there are daily minibuses to Naqu, Samye and Shigatse.
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