Due to the thousands of kilometers between Kathmandu and Beijing, it is a massive task to get to Beijing from Kathmandu, whether you prefer the quickest flight route or the most memorable overland journey through through the Himalayas.

Here is the ultimate guide to different ways to travel from Kathmandu to Beijing, helping you find the best one for your trip from Kathmandu to Beijing.

1. Kathmandu to Beijing Distance: 3,110 km by Air and 4,520 km by Road

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is situated in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal, while Beijing, the capital of China, is located in the northeastern part of the country.

The direct flight distance from Kathmandu to Beijing is about 3,110 kilometers (1932.5 miles). The road distance is much longer and more complex, exceeding 4,520 kilometers (2,809 miles) across the Himalayas and through the vast land of China from the very west to the northern heart.

14 Days Kathmandu-Lhasa-Beijing Tour by Train

Tour Route: Kathmandu-Syabrubesi-Gyirong-Shigatse-Gyantse-Lhasa-Xian-Beijing

Price from USD p.p

2. Kathmandu to Beijing by Flight: 8-9 Hours with 1 Stopover

Although there is currently no direct flight from Kathmandu to Beijing, taking a flight is still the fastest way to travel from Kathmandu to Beijing.

Most connecting flights between Kathmandu and Beijing stop or connect at airports in Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, or Hong Kong. The fastest flights from Kathmandu to Beijing with a stopover at Chengdu take around 8 to 9 hours, while flights that have multiple stops in places like Kunming, and Guangzhou can take over 10 hours. More than 20 connecting flights leave Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport every day of the week, and the majority are only one-stop flights.

Taking flight is the fastest way from Kathmandu to Beijing.

The cost of the Kathmandu to Beijing flights can vary depending on your departure date and where the connecting stop is, with the cheapest flights costing around US$ 314 for a single economy ticket. Prices can also be as much as US$ 700 to US$ 800 for some flights, especially in the summer months or during the first week in October, which is the popular time for the Chinese to take their vacations.

If you are planning on taking flights from Kathmandu to Beijing, it is best to book as early as possible at these times, and the comparison websites are a good source of cheaper and discounted tickets.

3. Most Recommended Way: Overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa, then Fly to Beijing

Traveling from Kathmandu to Beijing is a journey of more than 5,000 kilometers, across the entirety of China, from west to east. This massive endeavor is one of the most spectacular trips in Asia and is worth taking to discover the differences between the two major capitals.

From Kathmandu, you will first cross the Gyirong border to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region. The epic Kathmandu to Lhasa overland tour will take you to see some of the incredible sights of the Tibet Plateau, including the Everest Base Camp in Tibet and the ancient Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

Kathmandu to Lhasa via Tibet Everest Base Camp.

Along the route, which follows the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, you will also get to visit the second city of Tibet, Shigatse, with its stunning Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest incarnation in Tibet. Then, you will pass through the ancient town of Gyantse and visit the turquoise Yamdrok Lake before arriving in Lhasa.

Once in Lhasa, you can spend a few days in Lhasa, exploring landmarks like the famous Potala Palace and the sacred Jokhang Temple, and experiencing the real life of local Tibetans in the city.

You will cross Tibet Plateau by driving to Lhasa from Kathmandu

After you visit Tibet, it is convenient to take a flight from Lhasa to Beijing. The direct flights from Lhasa to Beijing take around 4 hours and cost around USD 450.

The whole journey to Beijing, covering a Kathmandu to Lhasa tour followed by a flight to Beijing, typically takes 8 days. This can be only arranged by a local tour operator as individual travel to Tibet is not available.

8 Days Driving Across Himalaya Overland Adventure from Kathmandu to Lhasa

Tour Route: Kathmandu - Gyirong - Everest Base Camp - Tingri - Shigatse - Gyantse - Lhasa

Price from USD1169 p.p

4. Experience the Tibet Train on Your Journey from Kathmandu to Beijing

A more in-depth overland journey from Kathmandu to Beijing is to take a Tibet train from Lhasa to Beijing after visiting Tibet. The Lhasa to Beijing train leaves daily from Lhasa Railway Station and takes around 40 hours to Beijing West Railway Station. While this may seem like an immense journey, it is one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world and takes you across the vast Tibetan plateau to Qinghai Province, then across eight provinces of China to the capital.

The train from Lhasa to Beijing covers a distance of 3,757 kilometers, more than one thousand of which are on the stunning Qinghai Tibet Railway, the first railway to link the mainland of China with the Tibet Autonomous Region. The highlight of the train journey is the stretch from Lhasa to Golmud, where the train reaches the lower altitudes of the edge of the plateau before heading into Xining.

Taking Tibet train to Beijing will offer you stunning landscape

With so much to see on the train from Lhasa to Xining, there is no better trip to make and no better way to travel across the plateau to the mainland of China. Crossing the vast expanse of the Changtang Prairie, with its wild antelopes and huge herds of yaks, the train also crosses some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. At the Tanggula Pass, the train reaches the highest railway pass in the world, at an altitude of 5,072 meters, almost as high as the Everest Base Camp in western Tibet.

From Tanggula Pass, you will descend to the famous Kekexili Nature Preserve, one of the largest in China, and then drop down from the Kunlun Mountains to pass by Qinghai Lake before entering Xining Station.

As the train continues to travel eastwards, the elevation drops further, and the landscapes outside the windows changes from the Tibet Plateau to the Loess Plateau and then to the North China Plain. The train crosses several provinces including Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei, and finally arrive in Beijing, the capital of China.

Notice: If you’re short on time, you can just take a Lhasa to Xining train, then fly to Beijing from Xining.

14 Days Kathmandu-Lhasa-Beijing Tour by Train

Tour Route: Kathmandu-Syabrubesi-Gyirong-Shigatse-Gyantse-Lhasa-Xian-Beijing

Price from USD p.p

5. Obtain the appropriate Chinese Visa for getting to Beijing from Kathmandu

To travel from Kathmandu to Beijing, you need to get a visa to enter China. The type of Chinese visa required depends on the travel route you choose.

If you fly directly from Kathmandu to Beijing, you only need a general Chinese Visa, which can be obtained through the Chinese Embassy in your home country.

If you get to Beijing after a Kathmandu to Lhasa tour, you will need a special Group Visa through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and a Tibet Travel Permit to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Group Tourist Visa you get in Kathmandu is valid for travel into the mainland of China for a period of up to 30 days in total including your time in Tibet. So pay attention to your travel duration once you get to Beijing from Kathmandu via Tibet.

Notice: With local offices in both Kathmandu and Lhasa, we, at Tibet Vista, provide hassle-free tour packages from Nepal to Lhasa and Beijing, including all necessary travel documents. Feel free to share your travel ideas with us.

We, at Tibet Vista, ensure a hassle-free travel from Kathmandu to Tibet, taking care of all the essential travel documents.

Conclusion

Getting to Beijing from Kathmandu can be done by air and land. As the shortest way is to take the flight within 9 hours, the overland journey takes over weeks.

If your time permits, it is highly recommended to travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa and then get to Beijing either by flight or by train. The lifetime journey across the Tibet Plateau will be a highlight of your trip from Kathmandu to Beijing.

To ensure a seamless travel from Kathmandu to Beijing, make sure you have the necessary travel documents, which vary depending on your chosen route. If you need any help on a Beijing Tibet Nepal tour arrangement, feel free to contact us.