What kind of vehicles are used in the Tibet? Can I travel by bus?

Generally, the most common vehicle used in the TAR is the Toyota Land Cruiser. These have been used since Tibet was opened to foreign tourists in the early 1980's. However, in the past 5 years many of the roads in the TAR have been improved dramatically so that full-sized vans are also commonly used. Most of the roads in the Yarlung Valley as well as the Friendship Highway are now entirely paved. Even the road to Mt. Kailash is now paved over 75% of the way. While Toyota Land Cruisers are still the best option to use if going to Everest Base Camp (the 100km cut-off road from Baber to EBC and the 70kms from EBC to Old Tingri are still dirt roads) or through far western Tibet, many areas can now be accessed using a van.

Public bus is not allowed for non-Chinese tourist in Tibet.

And even no public bus driver would like to let you get on board as they will be fined if caught. Private vehicle rental in Tibet is expensive as most time your tour agent has to use a land cruiser for you due to the poor road condition; while in Lhasa, you can choose not to use a private vehicle as Lhasa city is really small, from Potala to Johkang Temple, it only costs 15 minute by walking. And if you want to travel to a certain monastery that is located on the outskirt of the city, a taxi costing USD 3-10 is pretty enough. So if you are just staying a few days in Lhasa, you can choose not to rent vehicle in order to save some money.