Before 1951 traveling in Tibet was done either on foot or on the backs of animals. Coracles (small boats made of wicker and hides) were used to cross the larger rivers. The Tibetan government obstructed the development of modern transportation to make access to the country difficult for outsiders. For trading, the Tibetans relied on the centuries-old caravan routes leading to Lhasa, of which the most important were from Tsinghai (via Na-ch'ü) and Szechwan (via Ch'ang-tu), India (via Kalimpong and Ya-tung); Nepal (via Skyid-grong and Nya-lam rdzong); and Jammu and Kashmir (via Leh and Ka-erh).

Under the Communist Chinese, a network of roads was constructed, notably the Tsinghai and Szechwan highways. Additional trunk roads have been constructed that connect Tibet to Sinkiang, Yunnan, and Nepal.

The first air link between Tibet and Peking was inaugurated in 1956. The first telegraph line was strung between Kalimpong (India) and Chiang-tzu by the British in 1904. In the 1920s another line connecting Chiang-tzu with Lhasa was erected, this being the only telegraph system in use until the Chinese took over in 1951. Postal and telecommunication stations, including mobile units, serve remote border areas and geological, hydrological, and construction teams.