Tibet: Getting There
Lhasa
International Flights
The international airport and train station in Tibet is located in Lhasa (LXA). To get to Lhasa, your international flight must arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) or a major city in China, such as Beijing (PEK) before continuing to Lhasa. If you are flying from North America or Europe, this flight will take 2 days, and you must overnight in Kathmandu or China. Essentially, it will take you a minimum of 3 days to get to Lhasa. Your Tibet permit will be delivered to you at your hotel in Kathmandu or China.
Flying to Lhasa
There are flights into Lhasa from Kathmandu and through Chengdu, China (CTU). Flights from Chengdu to Lhasa fly daily and are around $215/person one-way plus airport tax. There are flights to Chengdu from all major cities in China. Flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa are around $165/person one-way plus airport tax.
Air China Schedule Kathmandu-Lhasa
- May-June: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
- July-October: Every day of the week
- November-April: Tuesday and Saturday
Kathmandu-Lhasa (CA 408):
- Departure time: 10:25am
- Arrival time in Lhasa: 13:45pm (2 hour flight)
Lhasa-Kathmandu (CA 407):
- Departure time: 10:25am
- Arrival time in Kathmandu: 09:25am (2 hour flight)
Prices (subject to change):
- Kathmandu-Lhasa: $400/person one-way (does not include Kathmandu Airport tax)
- Lhasa-Kathmandu: $400/person one-way (includes Lhasa Airport tax)
- Kathmandu-Lhasa-Kathmandu: $750/person round-trip (includes Lhasa Airport tax but not Kathmandu Airport tax)
Luggage:
- They will allow 1 hand bag and baggage up to 20 kg for free. After 20 kg,
there is an additional charge of 1 kg = US$ 3.25 per kg.
Train to Lhasa to Lhasa
The Train to Lhasa is a 2 day / 1 night trip from Beijing including stops in Chengdu, Xining, and Xian. The price from Beijing is $250/person one-way for a soft sleeper. If this interests you, you may want to make the most of your trip with a few days of sightseeing in Bejing. You can also fly to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors or to Xining to see famous Buddhist sites, and then take the train on to Lhasa from there.
AWR can help arrange your local and international flights.
