Flights from Shanghai to Lhasa and Lhasa to Shanghai

Most Frequently Asked Questions about Shanghai Lhasa Flight

1. When is the best time to fly from Shanghai to Lhasa?

If you want to buy your Shanghai to Lhasa flight at a lower price, the best choice is to avoid the high tourist season. For Tibet tours, the most popular time is from April to June and September to October. While during the time between July and August, there are still a lot of people rush to Tibet since it is in the summer vacation for students in China. Therefore, try to plan your Tibet trip in low seasons, like winter, then you can book some discount flights.

2. Which airport should I go for taking the flight to Lhasa in Shanghai?

There are no direct flights from Shanghai to Lhasa. There is a flight from Shanghai to Lhasa every day, stopping in Xi'an, which takes off at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. There are also three flights from Shanghai to Lhasa, stopping in Chengdu, which takes off at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is at the junction of Changning District and Minhang District in Shanghai. You can take Metro Line 10 and Metro Line 2 from downtown Shanghai to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

Situated in the Pudong New District of Shanghai, China, Shanghai Pudong International Airport is about 30 kilometers away from the downtown area. As for the airport transfer, tourists can choose to take the airport shuttle bus, which leaves every 15 to 25 minute. The Shanghai Metro Line 2 can also take tourists to the airport, with the first run at 6:00 am and the last run at 22:00. Or, you can just take the taxi to the airport directly from your hotel, in case you are in a hurry.

3. How to get to my hotel after I arrived in Lhasa Airport?

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is about 65 kilometers southwest of Lhasa city, and there are several ways to get to the downtown. First, you can take the shuttle buses, which always wait right at the exit of the airport, and leave every 30 minutes until 21:30 at night. Upon arrival at the terminus, Lhasa Civil Aviation Bureau on Niangre Road 1, you can take other buses to your hotel. Besides, if you miss the shuttle bus, you can also take a taxi. By this way, you can go anywhere you want in Lhasa city, while the price is much higher as you can possibly imagine.

As a better option, you can use our shuttle service between your hotel and the airport for free, as long as you book your Tibet tour with us. In this case, when you arrive in Lhasa, your tour guide will meet you at the exit and transfer you to the reserved hotel.

4. What are the travel documents required when flying to Lhasa from Shanghai?

As a foreign tourist, before boarding your flight to Lhasa from Shanghai, you will need to hand your passport, Chinese Visa and the original Tibet Travel Permit for the check. The passport and Chinese Visa are the primary documents required for traveling to China from abroad. And the original Tibet Travel Permit, also called Tibet Visa, is the required document for all foreign tourists to enter to Lhasa and travel around Tibet. To avoid the troublesome application procedure, we can help to obtain your Tibet travel permit on behalf of you, please feel free to contact us for details.

5. What is the luggage allowance for flights from Shanghai to Lhasa?

Each piece of the check-in luggage should be no more than 50kg within the volume of 40x60x100cm. The free luggage allowance is 40kg for first class, 30 kg for business class, and 20 kg for economic class. It is suggested to attach your personal name or make a special mark on your luggage, so that it will be easier to find it when disembarking. Besides, the carry-on baggage should be less than 10kg with the volume of 20x40x55cm. Except for first class passengers, each passenger can only take one piece of baggage with them onboard.

6. Will I suffer from altitude sickness when traveling to Tibet by flight?

When taking the flight to Tibet from Shanghai, you will go through dramatic altitude change from almost the sea level to over 3600 meters, in just several hours. Due to its high elevation in Lhasa, tourists may suffer from altitude sickness of different degrees, like headache, chest congestion, polypnea, nausea, emesis, insomnia etc. Usually, the symptoms of altitude sickness as mentioned above will gradually decrease after 1 to 2 days’ acclimation. So take it easy.

It is suggested to take some medicine, like Rhodiola Rosea, several days before you leave for Tibet. Do not get too excited and never rush to visit attractions shortly after your arrival in Lhasa. Stay quietly and drink more water. In this way, you will be less likely to suffer from acute altitude sickness.