Tibet Tour From Russia

How to Get to Tibet from Russia? Multiple ways to travel from Moscow to Tibet.

Russian tourists have multiple options for traveling to Tibet, and apart from the direct flights from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, indirect flights also leave from several other airports across Russia, including Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow, Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, and Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.

By Flight to China

Direct flights to China run from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and a number of other Chinese airports on a daily basis, as well as to Hong Kong. With multiple direct and indirect flights every day, it is relatively easy to get a good deal on a flight from Russia to China or Hong Kong using the comparison websites. The average flight times are:

a. Moscow to Beijing: non-stop - 7 hours 25 minutes, one-stop – up to 36 hours 45 minutes (SVX, OVB, GYD)
b. Moscow to Shanghai: non-stop - 8 hours 25 minutes, one-stop – up to 12 hours 25 minutes (PEK, XIY, URC)
c. Moscow to Guangzhou: non-stop - 9 hours 5 minutes, one-stop – up to 13 hours 50 minutes (URC, XIY, PEK)
d. Moscow to Chengdu: non-stop - 10 hours 55 minutes, one-stop – up to 14 hours 25 minutes (URC, PEK, LED)
e. Moscow to Hong Kong: non-stop - 9 hours 15 minutes, one-stop – up to 20 hours 15 minutes (AUH, HEL, ALA)

After Your Arrival in China

When you arrive in China, your Tibet Travel Permit will be waiting at your hotel, ready for you to get your tickets to Tibet, via flight or Train. Tourists are not permitted to board the flights and trains without showing the Tibet Travel Permit. In some rare situations, our staff will deliver your Tibet permit to you in person at the train station or airport. You may choose the following cities for your Tibet entry.

From Beijing to Lhasa

By flight
There is currently only one direct flight per day to Lhasa from Beijing, although there are a larger number of indirect flights that stopover in Chengdu en route to Lhasa. The direct flight takes around 5 hours to get to Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, and costs from around US$ 500 for an economy ticket.

By train
The train from Beijing to Lhasa is the Z21, which leaves daily at around 8:00pm. The journey covers 3,757 kilometers across eight provinces in mainland China as well as Tibet, arriving in Lhasa around 40 hours later at 12:10pm on the third day. However, in the summer season, from May to September, it can be hard to get a ticket for the train from Beijing to Lhasa, due to the huge demand. One option to counter this would be to take a flight to Xining, in Qinghai Province, and then get the train from there, as there are more carriages on the Xining train and a better chance of being able to procure a ticket.

From Shanghai to Lhasa

By flight
Flights from Shanghai leave several times a day, although there is currently no direct flight to Lhasa. The flights stop at Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, or Kunming, and take from around 8 hours to as much as 26 hours for the multiple-stop flights. The cheaper flights start from around US$ 455.

By train
The Z164 leaves Shanghai daily at 8:10pm, and takes around 47 hours to reach Lhasa, as distance of around 4,373 kilometers. The train arrives in Lhasa at around 7:15 in the evening of the third day, and the journey is the second longest of all the routes to Lhasa.

From Guangzhou to Lhasa

By flight
Similar to Shanghai, there are no direct flights to Lhasa from Guangzhou, although there are a number of indirect flights, with stopovers in Chongqing and Chengdu. The average flight takes from 5 hours 55 minutes to 10 hours 30 minutes, and costs from around US$ 455.

By train
Departing at 11:45am daily, the train from Guangzhou takes over 53 hours to get to Tibet, making it the longest of all the train journeys to Lhasa. Covering almost 5,000 kilometers, the train arrives in the Tibetan capital at around 5:05pm on the third day.

From Chengdu to Lhasa

By flight
From Chengdu, there are numerous direct flights to Lhasa, which take around 2 hours 15 minutes on average. With more than 15 flights a day from Chengdu, it is one of the best airports from which to fly to Tibet, and with the short travel time, it is one of the best options for those with time constraints. It is also relatively inexpensive, costing from around US$ 233 for an economy flight.

By train
The trains from Chengdu depart every other day at around 9:37pm, and arrive in Lhasa on the third day at around 9:55am. Covering a distance of 3,070 kilometers across mainland China and Tibet, the journey takes a little over 36 hours, and is one of the more popular gateway cities to travel to Tibet from. Scheduled departures from Chengdu are on odd days of the month (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc) in January, April, May, August, November, and December, and even days of the month for the rest of the year.

From HongKong to Lhasa

Without a direct flight to Lhasa, there are several options for connecting you to the Tibetan capital. Flights to Chengdu from Hong Kong and then on to Lhasa are very popular, as is the flight to Xining via Chengdu, and then taking the train to Lhasa. You can also take the train direct from Chengdu, or for the very adventurous, you can get a train direct to Guangzhou from Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, and then get the train from there to Lhasa, a total journey time of around almost 60 hours, that covers nearly 5,000 kilometers.

By Flight to Kathmandu

There are no direct flights to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport from Russia, and most flights require at least one stopover in either Delhi, Dubai, or Qatar. Flight times start from around 11 hours for the fastest indirect flight, although they can take up to 17 hours to make the journey, with only one stopover. However, flights are relatively inexpensive, and start at around US$ 288 for an economy ticket.

Kathmandu to Tibet

By Kathmandu to Lhasa flight

There are several daily flights from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, provided by Air China, Tibet Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines. The flight normally takes just 90 minutes, and has the added advantage of allowing you a bird’s-eye view of the summit of Mount Everest as the plane flies over the Himalayas. An average economy ticket costs from around US$ 400.

By the Epic Overland Tour from Kathmandu to Lhasa

One of the most amazing adventures of all is the journey across the Himalayas to Lhasa, traveling overland by car across the roof of the world. The journey starts in Kathmandu, and you can take a bus to the border crossing point at Rasuwagadhi Fort, which stops for lunch on the way and takes around 7-8 hours. Private cars can also be arranged for this trip. Once on the other side of the border, at Gyirong Port, you will pass through immigration and your guide and driver will be waiting for you on the other side. You will then be transferred to Gyirong Town to spend your first night on the plateau, before heading off across the region to the stunning capital, Lhasa. The route across the plateau takes in some of the most amazing sights in the world, including the mighty Mount Everest, the holy Lake Yamdrok, And some of the many monasteries and temples of the Tibetan Buddhist religion. In Lhasa, you can experience the heart of Tibetan culture and religion at the Jokhang Temple and the famous Barkhor Street.

The trip is there waiting for you to travel! All you need to do is get in touch with us and tell us your requirements, and we will do most of the work for you, including booking your hotels, train tickets, etc., if you require it. All you need to think about then is enjoying your holiday at the Roof of the World.