We would recognize these three cities as the most accessible gateway city to reach Lhasa; Xining in Qinghai province, Chengdu in Sichuan and Kathmandu in Nepal. Each one of these cities is different and offers different means of transportation to reach Lhasa.
1) Xining
Xining is the largest city on the Qinghai Tibetan plateau. It is one of the gateway cities to Tibet. Xining is located 1916 kilometres northeast of Lhasa city, on the edge of the plateau. Right now, all the trains to Tibet get funnelled in Xining to Qinghai Tibet Railway line. This makes Xining a significant hub for travellers travelling to Tibet on Train. Therefore, there is a lot of train per day from Xining to Lhasa. Yet, the city has only one flight a day to Lhasa city. Therefore, staying in Xining for two days before coming to Lhasa is highly recommended for visiting Tibet. It gives them a better opportunity for acclimatization in Tibet ahead of reaching Lhasa.
2) Chengdu
Chengdu is the largest city near the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is the biggest gateway city to Tibet. It is located 2040 kilometres east of Lhasa. There is one train every two days from Chengdu to Lhasa. Yet, there are over ten flights a day from Chengdu to Lhasa. Making it most flight to Lhasa. Most international travellers prefer to change their flight to Lhasa at Chengdu for more frequent and Convenient. You can also take one of the most beautiful overland journeys between Lhasa and Chengdu.
If you take a flight from Chengdu to Lhasa, we will send you the original permit to your hotel in the city. Also, we can make an arrangement to send your Tibet travel permit to you at the airport.
3) Kathmandu
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is a great gateway city to Tibet. There is a daily flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa. You can also prefer to travel overland to Tibet via a border port in Kyirong. Unfortunately, right now, there is no train between Lhasa and Kathmandu.
Suppose you are travelling to Tibet from Kathmandu. Please remember you will need to get the Chinese Group Visa from Kathmandu. It will take about three days to get the visa. Once you arrive on the China side of the border, you will meet your tour guide with your Tibet travel permit.
Conclusion on gateway city to Tibet
Above are the three best gateway cities to Tibet. Each one with its benefit in choosing. If you have more questions about Traveling to Tibet. Please do let us know at info@itibettravel.com
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