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Can I go to Lhasa from Kham?
Tibet Autonomous Region is not open, so you need a permit to cross the river from Sichuan. This is obtained by booking through a travel agent, which will provide a guide, car, and driver. Only companies run by the army are allowed to operate tours that cross the border. That would be Golden Bridge Travel, which has many arms and independent franchisees, such as Gao Liqiang ttrekking@hotmail.com, mobile phone number [86] 1360 808 5229, or Michael Tan miketan696@yahoo.com [86] 1380 819 1454. Both speak excellent English. Other companies will hand you off to a partner at the border, and this may be a good thing if you want to save money to traveling independently on the (open) Sichuan side..
More outfitters are listed here.
The illegal way
It is possible to "sneak" to Lhasa without a permit if you are determined enough. We don't recommend this. You can get into bad trouble this way. Worse yet, you can get the people who help you -- drivers, hotel operators, and so on - in even worse trouble.
Some other legal ways
By air. Go to Chengdu and book a tour and fly to Lhasa. Often, they can have you on your way within a day or two. How tightly organized these "tours" are changes almost weekly. Contact an agent to check. One company we've worked with is CITS Shigatse (despite the name, they are in Lhasa). Their prices are quite competitive. Contact name: Kunga skunga@hotmail.com. If he is traveling he may not answer your email for a while. There are many other companies in Lhasa.
By bus. From Kham, go via the Sichuan Qinghai road (thru some interesting Tibetan areas) up to Golmud, then join a bus "tour" that will bring you down to Lhasa. This trip can probably be done in about ten days at a moderate pace, starting from Kangding, not counting time actually IN Lhasa. The Sichuan and Qinghai portions of this route are open.