Flying to Tibet is the most convenient way of getting to Tibet. Out of all cities in China, Taking a flight from Chengdu to Lhasa and Kathmandu to Lhasa is the easiest. Majority of the Chinese domestic Airlines Operates flight to Lhasa from different cities in China.
Currently, the only international flight to Lhasa is from the Kathmandu. There are no direct flights to Lhasa from any international destinations. If you are flying to Lhasa, you will need to either fly from the following cities in China or from Nepal.
The flight Ticket price to Tibet is substantially costlier than comparing with the rest of China. Due to the popularity of Tibet as the International and Domestic tourist destination. It is often very hard the get the ticket in the last minutes. So it is advisable to book the flight ticket well in advance.
If you are taking flight from any other cities in China, you will need the original Tibet travel permit to broad in the plane. So all the travel agency will need to send the permit to your hotel in Other cities in China. Read more about coming to Tibet from other parts of China here.
If you are flying to Lhasa from Nepal, You will need to get the Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal. So you will have to stay in Kathmandu for at least five days including the departing date. Read more about coming to Tibet from Nepal here.
The excellent transit point for Tibet are; Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian, Kunming, Shangri-La, Xining, Nanjing, or Xiamen.
Lhasa Airport Guide
At Lhasa airport, there is a different terminal for domestic and international flights.
If you are taking flights from other cities of China to Lhasa, when you arrive at Lhasa airport, you can follow the domestic passengers out of the airport. The main exit you will find the officer checking for your Tibet travel permit.
As you exit the main building of the airport, you will find a lot of buses right near the gate. Those are the shuttle Bus parked at its station. You will have to come directly to the waiting area on the main road to see your tour guide ( Refer to the image on the left). Please do not wait for your tour guide in the airport building.
If you are taking a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, you will be coming out of the international terminal. At this terminal, you will check out of the Chinese Custom on the first floor. As you proceed to the ground floor, You will find your Tour guide waiting for you at another checkpoint with your Tibet travel permit and the border permit.
As you are present, the white scarf – Khata ( for the welcome ceremony). You will have hand over the original Tibet Travel permit to your guide. The journey from Lhasa Airport to the Main Lhasa city is about 60 Kilometers and would take about an hour. Please keep your passport handy on this journey.
Conclusion of flights to Tibet
Thought taking the train to Lhasa is a very convenient way of Traveling to Tibet from China. But all travellers must keep in mind, Traveling to Tibet requires a tour organized with a local Travel agency in Tibet with Tibet travel permit, Tour Guide, and Private vehicle. Please find more about Tibet travel Regulations here.
At the airport in major Chinese cities, you will need to produce an original copy of your Tibet travel permit while boarding the flights. A travel agency in Lhasa can deliver your permit to your hotel in China. Or arrange for someone to give it to you at the airport. Make sure you have access to your email in China. Also, take preventive measures like; Giving your Alternative email to Your travel in Lhasa, Signing up on Wechat to chat with your travel agent, and Getting your agent phone number to call.
FAQ about Flights to Tibet
Discount on Tibet Fight Tickets depends on the season and time of booking. During the low season, we might find you a discount on Tibet flight. The low season is from November to March. But only if you would give us confirmation to book your ticket two months before the travel date.
During the high season, which is from April to October, there is little chance for us to find you the discount on Tibet flight, as it is a peak season and there are millions of domestic tourists making it to Tibet.
Usually, the price is higher during public holidays in China. So book your flight ticket about two months earlier for a discount after booking your Tibet tour and getting all the Tibet travel information.
You might also want to get a Chinese Visa before buying the Tickets for flights to Tibet. Once you have the Visa physically on your passport, We will start making your Tibet travel permit. So it is best to buy the flight ticket after the Tibet tourism bureau accepts our Tibet Permit application after booking your tibet tour packages.
The above-stated points are based on our experiences, but we will know for sure when we book your ticket.
Suppose you have further questions similar to this question. Please do contact us for a free travel consultancy for visiting Tibet. Write to us at info@itibettravel.com
Suppose you book your Tibet flight ticket with us. We will send you a photo of the e-ticket of your Tibet flight ticket. You will have to print it out and bring it to the counter at the Airport. Or you can take show your passport at the counter, and they will print out your ticket at any Chinese Airport or Kathmandu airport.
But please remember for those flying to Lhasa from other cities in China. You will need to have the original signed and stamped copy of your Tibet travel permit. There will check for your Tibet travel permit before giving your boarding pass and before getting on the plane.
Suppose you are coming to Lhasa from Kathmandu on the flight. Please remember to bring both copies of your Chinese Group Visa to the Lhasa airport. Please do not leave them at the Kathmandu airport. Without both on arrival in Lhasa, you will be deported back to Nepal. Read more about the Chinese Group Visa here.
It is straightforward in getting a flight ticket if you book your flight ticket with us.
Suppose you have further questions similar to this question. Then, please do contact us for a free travel consultancy for visiting Tibet. Please write to us at info@itibettravel.com.
To answer the question, What documents do I need to board the flights to Tibet? We will have to see it from two scenarios. One is while coming to Tibet from the other parts of China, and the Other is while coming to Tibet from Nepal.
- The first scenario is when you fly to Lhasa from other cities in China. Here you should have the original copy of your Tibet Travel Permit. They will not allow you to board the flight without it. In such a case, we will have to either send you the permit to your address in China or have someone meet you at the airport.
- If you are staying overnight anywhere in China, we can send the permit to your that hotel. Thus you will have to send us your hotel address in both English and Mandarin, phone number, and your booking number.
- Many travellers often would not choose to spend a night in transit cities and take a consecutive flight to Lhasa. Therefore, we would strongly recommend you to change your flight to Tibet at the Chengdu airport. The first reason is there is more flight to Lhasa than compared with any other city in China. The second reason is it is easier for us to arrange some to go to the airport in Chengdu.
- The second scenario is when you fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu. First of all, when you travel to Tibet from Kathmandu, please remember, you will need to get a special Visa called a Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal. So don’t apply it from home. This visa is a two A4 paper visa. One is for your arrival at the Lhasa airport, and Another one is for your departure. So you must have both paper visas upon arrival in Lhasa. So please do not leave it at Kathmandu Airport. Your Tibet travel permits await you at the Lhasa airport with your guide. She will meet you at the airport and help you proceed with the permit checkpoint before exiting from the airport.
If you have further questions similar to, What documents do I need to board a flight to Tibet? Please do contact us for a free travel consultancy for visiting Tibet. Would you mind writing to us at info@itibettravel.com?
Some years ago, many travellers booking Tibet flight tickets from home often couldn’t complete the purchase. Those flight booking websites would usually ask you to submit your Tibet travel permit. The Tibet travel permit is only available a week before you arrive in Lhasa.
When such a thing happens, we would recommend you in trying a different booking agency. Preferably those based in China. Most Travel agencies in Tibet can help you book a ticket.
Now, It is not a problem. You can book a Tibet flight from home on all the primary ticketing websites. Many ticketing platforms has stopped asking for a copy of the Tibet Permit. But, If you face an issue in booking the ticket. Then it tries an alternative booking platform. We can also help you book the ticket to Tibet.
On additionally. Please book your flight ticket well in advance. The ticket price is always high if you book near your departure date.
In the winter the ticket price is much cheaper as compared to the train ticket price.
Please let us know how is your process for booking a Tibet flight ticket from home. We will be glad to hear about your experiences.
If you are having issue in Booking flights to Tibet, Please do connect us for recommending you a flight booking agency in Lhasa.
Lhasa Airport is located 65 kms southwest of Lhasa city. the journey from Lhasa Airport to Lhasa could take one and a half hours.
You can either take shelter bus service to the Airport or Use the private car booked with your travel agency.
Yes, there is an increasing number of international tourist flying to Nyintri first and then proceed with the other places. Especially travellers coming to Tibet from Southeastern Asia like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Currently, there are five airports in Tibet Autonomous Region. Following are;
- Lhasa Gonga Airport
- Nyingtri (Linzhi) Airport
- Shigatse airport
- Chamdo Bangda Airport
- Ali Airport ( Near Mount Kailash)
Chamdo, Nyintri and Lhasa Airport has regular flights from Chengdu. For the flight to other airports, you will need to take a flight from Lhasa.
Following is the luggage weight allowance for a domestic flight in China.
| Luggage Type | First Class | Business Class | Economic Class | Baggage Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on baggage | 5kg * 2 pieces | 5kg | 5kg | 55cm/20cm/40cm(L/B/H) |
| Checked-in baggage | 40kg | 30kg | 20kg | 100cm/60cm/40cm(L/B/H) |
The Maximum Weight for carrying in baggage is 5Kg, first-class passengers can have 2 carry bag but the passengers in other class can have on one. there will be the extra charge for access weight.
The maximum weight for check-in baggage is 40 Kg for the passenger in first class, 30 Kg for passengers in business class, and 20 Kg for the passenger in Economic Class. Passenger traveling with an infant is allowed with extra 10 Kg.
Tibet is also known as one of the world’s most remote regions. Due to its remoteness, there is no international flight from most countries in the world. So, You cant fly to Tibet directly from home. Instead, you will have to either fly to Tibet from Kathmandu or Tibet from Other cities in China.
The only International flight to Lhasa in Tibet is from Kathmandu in Nepal. Besides this, all the flights to Tibet are domestic flights in China. So it is either you fly to Kathmandu and flight to Lhasa or Fly anywhere in China and then take a flight to Tibet.
There is a regular flight to Tibet from all the major cities in China. In some cities, the flights are more prolonged and need to change to a connecting flight before arriving in Lhasa. The most common and recommended flight to Tibet is from Chengdu. From the city, there are more than a dozen flights to Lhasa each day.
The permit policy is different in both cases.
- If you are flying to Tibet from Nepal, your permit waits for you in Tibet. Read more about travelling to Tibet from Nepal.
- If you are flying from other cities in China to Tibet, we will have to send your permit to your hotel in that city. Read more about travel to Tibet from China.
For the domestic flights to Tibet, the fare for children is half for children from two years of age to twelve years of age. For international flights, the cost for children’s flight fare is seventy-five per cent of that is for the adult. For infant child, the cost for the flight fare is ten per cent of the adult fare, but the child is not allowed to occupy a seat.
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