Airport Transfer in Lhasa

As one of the most important sites in the Tibet tour, Lhasa boasts a great many famed tour sights, like Potala Palace, the religious center of Tibet; Jokhang Temple, the oldest temple revered by all Tibetans; Barkhor Street, the most famous bazaar in Lhasa. Whereas, before taking in the beauty of this holy city, one significant issue is to know about the transfer between Lhasa Gonggar Airport and the metropolitan downtown area.

Transfer from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to Downtown

Situated in the Gonggar County of Sannan, Lhasa Gonggar Airport is about 65 kilometers southwest of Lhasa city. At an elevation of 3,600 meters above sea level, it is one of the highest airports in the world. Since its building in 1965, Lhasa Gonggar Airport has increasingly developed into the major air hub to enter into and exit from Tibet, for tourists from both mainland China and overseas countries.

You can take the shuttle buses to the downtown from the airport

Tourists who fly to Lhasa for the first time need not bother too much of the transfer from the airport to the downtown, since there are several well-developed and simple ways to choose from. As an economical option, you can take the shuttle buses to the downtown from the airport. For the convenience of passengers, the buses are waiting right at the exit of the airport, with the frequency of about 30 minutes per shift, available all the day until 21:30 at night. The ticket price is CNY 25 per person. It takes about 1 hour to arrive at the destination, Lhasa Civil Aviation Bureau on Niangre Road 1.

If you miss the shuttle bus, you can also take a taxi. By this way, you can go to anywhere you want in Lhasa city, while the price is much higher as you can possibly imagine. Normally, it costs about CNY 130 -150 per person and it takes about 45 minutes to the Potala Palace from the airport. While in peak travel season, the price may rise to CNY 250 per person. So it is suggested to choose carpooling if condition allowed, so as to share your burden on the cost.

Besides, you can also choose to take a chartered bus, if you want to enjoy a much more comfortable transfer, after a tired flight journey. The chartered bus may cost CNY 250, usually capable of accommodating 4 passengers.

Use Our Shuttle Service between Your Hotel and Airport for Free by Booking a Tibet Tour with Us

As a pioneer of the Tibet toursim for foreign travellers, we provide the free shuttle service between Lhasa Gonggar Airport and hotels for our clients, as long as you book your Tibet tour with us. With pick-up and drop-off by our considerate guide, you can be much rest assured that you will enjoy your lifetime Tibet tour much more smoothly.

Our tour guide is meeting tourists at Lhasa Gonggar Airport

Since Lhasa Gonggar Airport is 70 km from the downtown, it is difficult for us to arrange free shuttled service at any given time. Therefore, we offer free shuttle service to pick up/drop off tourists between hotels and Gonggar Airport twice a day at a designated time. Some of the tourists may have to wait for others for a longtime beyond our designated time, so we advise that our clients book the flights to match our shuttle service time.

The free airport pick-up time is as follows on the day the itinerary begins (From airport to hotel, Fixed departure):
Pick up tourists at 09:30 am; 13:30 pm; 16:30 pm

The free airport drop time is as follows on the day the itinerary closes (From hotel to airport, Fixed departure):
Pick up tourists at 06:30 am; 08:30 am; 12:30 pm

All the shuttle service from/to the train station on the date of tourists' arrival and departure would be free.

Transfer from Downtown to Lhasa Gonggar Airport

The case the other way around is similar and easy to understand. When taking the shuttle bus to the airport, you need to firstly arrive at Civil Aviation Ticket Office for the pickup. The bus leaves every hour from 6:30 am to 19:30 pm, with proper adjustment according to the departure time of the flights. The ticket price remains unchanged at CNY 25 per person. It is suggested to take the bus 2.5 hours in advance, for there will be a series of checking procedures before your boarding.

In cases when your flight leaves early in the morning, you may only have to take the taxi to the airport. Or you can take the shuttle bus to the airport in the afternoon the day before, and then stay one night at the Airport Hotel. On this occasion, you will pay much more on your transfer, while you won’t be jammed of the time and face fewer ricks on missing the flight.

No matter which way you choose to transfer, the primary thing is to ensure your own safety. And when you are planning your tour in Lhasa, you need to ensure that you have set aside enough time for the transfer bewteen the airport and the city. Aslo, remember that you may face various challenges when you are travelling to the airport.