How to Get to Tibet

A traveler can get to Tibet by several means and routes from China or Nepal.

Located at the roof of the world, Tibet seems to be unreachable and mysterious for many tourists from afar. In fact,it is not difficult at all to get to Tibet either from mainland of China or Nepal. Getting to Tibet is not a legend any more. There are more 20 flights flying to Lhasa,Shigatse or Nyingchi every day, five direct trains over the world's highest railway carrying tourists to Tibet,and five highways leading to Lhasa from different directions.

The cheapest way is by train to Tibet from China.It only costs USD 70 for a seat ticket to Lhasa which is the cheapest train ticket to Tibet.However,as it will take over 40 hours to get to Tibet by train from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and other cities of China, you'd better choose a sleeper that will cost you USD 120 to USD150. Compared with flying to Tibet, taking a train to Tibet will save as much as 3/5. What's more, going to Tibet by train visa the world's highest railway is also the most popular way for the train journey itself is a wonderful trip full of countless scenic wonder, such as snow-capped mountains, boundless grassland, beautiful lakes, flock of sheep, various wildlife,vast gobi and desert. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway that is reputed as an engineering miracle by Forbes has attracted over 10 million tourists since this railway went into operation on July 1,2006. Thousands of international tourists are arranged by CITS Tibettravel.Org which has abundant experience of successfully help foreign tourists to arrange their Tibet train tour. Please see our Tibet train travel routes recommended.

However, if you just want to get to Tibet in the easiest way, taking a flight to Tibet is advisable. You can fly to Tibet from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu or Kathmandu within 2 or 3 hours. Even in the low season of Tibet tourism, there are still a lot of flights flying to Tibet. Besides, many airlines offer great discount in winter, especially flight from Chengdu to Lhasa. But flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa only departs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, without any discount in off-season. If you only get a short holiday, like a week, we recommend you to get in and out Tibet by flight. A Tibet tour only takes you 3 or 4 days if you fly to Tibet from mainland of China or Kathmandu. At present, there are direct flights to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shangri-la, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xian, Xining and Kathmandu. There are also seasonal flights from Chengdu to Shigatse, Nyingchi and Ngari in Tibet.

In addition,you can get to Tibet via one of the five highways to Tibet,namely Qinghai-Tibet Highway,Xinjiang-Tibet Highway,Sichuan-Tibet Highway,Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Sino-Nepal Highway connecting Kathmandu and Lhasa.but it takes at least a week and a big sum of expense.

Index

·Top 5 Popular Routes to Tibet

    ·Beijing to Tibet by Train (30% like)
    ·Xining to Tibet by Train (20% like)
    ·Shanghai to Tibet by Train(10% like)
    ·Chengdu to Tibet by Air(20% like)

·Find Information by Map

·Find Information by Transportation Options

     ·All Trains to Tibet
     ·All Flights to Tibet
     ·All Highways to Tibet

·Documents for getting to Tibet

·What is Tibet Visa & How to get it?
·Get Tibet Visa for free
·Get Tibet Visa in Nepal

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Transportation Options

Get to Tibet by Air

From China mainland, most travelers fly to Lhasa (Tibet's main airport) from Chengdu but it is also possible from Kunming,Beijing,Shanghai,Shangrila,Xian and Chongqing. Read more about Flights to Tibet

From outside China, it is only possible from Kathmandu, Nepal. Tickets can be booked through internet, local travel agencies or Air China.

When boarding airplane to Tibet, travelers must show originally valid travel document, including the valid passport, Chinese Visa and Tibet Travel Permit. Read more about Tibet Travel Permits.

Get to Tibet by Train

The world famous Qinghai-Tibet railway was completed in 2006 and become the most popular means of transportation of getting into Tibet. If traveling to Lhasa from China Mainland by train, it might help you acclimatize to the altitude a bit better. The train journey takes 2 nights and 2 nights from Beijing or Shanghai, if you do not want to waste two much time on the train ride, you may fly to Xining to start the train journey, where is only 24 hours train ride to Lhasa.

Now, Beijing,Shanghai,Xian,Xining,Chengdu,Chongqing,Guangzhou can access to Tibet by rail. Most of the travelers start the train journey from Beijing and Shanghai. Most of the trains make a stop in Xian, it is a good option to stop there and spend one day in Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors. Read more about the Tibet Train and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Get to Tibet by overland to Lhasa

While there are a number of routes connect Tibet within China, but officially two allow foreign travelers.

The first is international route via Nepal, officially called Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, as many travelers practice Nepal and Tibet trip together; the Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland tour becomes very hot in recent years. The 920km (570 miles) trip is spectacular because there are a great number of tourist attritions worth to be visited on the way, the Everest Base Camp is the must visit site among them. It usually takes three to five days with stops at tourists sights along the way.

The second route is from Golmud to Lhasa. Golmud is between Xining and Lhasa, actually the beginning point of Qinghai-Tibet-Railway sightseeing and only takes 14 hours directs to Lhasa, as it is very remote and poor, travelers are not recommend to find their own way there, while most of the travelers starts the journey from Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province.

For other 2 routes which begin from Chengdu and Kunming require a series of complicated documents issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, Military Administration, and Foreign Affairs Administration. But no longer open for foreign travelers since the Riot in March 2008. Read more about All Overland Routes to Tibet

Travel from Different Gateway Cities to Tibet

Guide of how to travel from available gate way city to Tibet, find the train, tours,flights information and trip suggestion.

Travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Kathmandu is capital of Nepal and thought to be the inaccessible Shangri-La, Kathmandu is now a growing vacation spot and a hub for travelers which can fit to all budgets,Not only has dierect flights to Lhasa,but also a famous sightseeing overland routes connects to Lhasa...Read More

Travel from Chengdu to Tibet
Chengdu is the biggest hub in southwest China, with about 10 flights to Tibet daily, From Chengdu, every other day there is a train departing to Lhasa via the Qinghai-Tibet railway. Chengdu is also the starting point of the world-famous Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Driving to Lhasa from here you will see spectacular gorges and the best reserved Tibetan customs.... Read More

Travel from Kunming to Tibet
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province, and Yunnan is recommended by Lonely Planet as the most worthy tourist destination, many foreign tourists put Yunnan and Tibet into their travel plan together, Kunming and Shangrila have daily flight to Lhasa.... Read More

Travel from Beijing to Tibet
Beijing is one of the most popular gateway city to Lhasa. Many tourists to Lhasa always make Beijing as the first station for them to have an overview of the imperial history and culture of China and then travel from Beijing to Lhasa by train or by plane.... Read More

Travel from Shanghai to Tibet
Lhasa becomes more and more popular among domestic and foreign travellers, while Shanghai is one of the most popular gateway city to Lhasa. Shanghai, the thriving and bustling metropolis situated on China's east coast, is known as the biggest city of China and among the biggest cities in the world, both by population and area. Shanghai has daily train and flight to Lhasa... Read More

Travel from Xining to Tibet
Xining is the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet railway,1960km away from Lhasa, with only 24 hours journey to Lhasa. is the nearest city to Lhasa by train,Xining itself is famous for Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake...Read More

Travel from Xian to Tibet
Most of the trains make a stop in Xian, it is a good option to stop there and spend one day in Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors, Xian also has daily flights to Lhasa.... Read More

Travel from Guangzhou to Tibet
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the southern gateway of China, bordering on the South China Sea, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao. This prosperous metropolis full of vigor and the third largest city in China is the gateway hubs of airports, railways and ports and home to 39 foreign consulates. Guangzhou has a train to Lhasa every other day and many flights connects to Lhasa.... Read More

How to Get to Tibet

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