Travel to Tibet from South Korea

How to Get to Tibet from South Korea? Multiple ways to travel from Seoul to Tibet.

Travel to Tibet from South Korea can be done using one of two main routes, through China or through Nepal, and there are multiple options for onward travel from both places to get you to Tibet. Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou offer both flights and trains to Lhasa, and you can get a flight from Kathmandu in Nepal, or cross the border overland to get to Lhasa.

By Flight to China

With dozens of daily flights to the major cities in China, getting a flight from Seoul Incheon International Airport is simple, and the prices are relatively low as well, costing from just US$ 200. The average flight times are:

a. Seoul to Beijing: non-stop - 2 hours, one-stop – up to 14 hours 15 minutes (TAO, XMN, NRT)
b. Seoul to Shanghai: non-stop - 1 hour 50 minutes, one-stop – up to 18 hours 25 minutes (WEH, TAO, PUS)
c. Seoul to Guangzhou: non-stop - 3 hours 35 minutes, one-stop – up to 19 hours 10 minutes (HFE, HGH, WEH)
d. Seoul to Chengdu: non-stop - 4 hours 5 minutes, one-stop – up to 15 hours 55 minutes (TAO, NKG, YNT)
e. Seoul to Hong Kong: non-stop - 4 hours, one-stop – up to 17 hours 25 minutes (CEB, MNL, XMN)

After Your Arrival in China

When you arrive in China at your preferred location, your Tibet Travel Permit will be waiting in the hotel reception for you. In some extreme cases, our staff will give it to you in person the railway station or the airport. You will need the permit to get the boarding pass for your flight or to board the train to Lhasa.

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 12:10 pm 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 11:45 am daily, the train from Guangzhou takes over 53 hours to get to Tibet, making it the longest of all the train journeys to Lhasa. So, it’s not recommended to family with small kids or the elderly. Covering almost 5,000 kilometers, the train arrives in the Tibetan capital at around 5:05 pm on the third day.

From Chengdu to Lhasa

By flight
From Chengdu, there are numerous direct flights to Lhasa, which takes 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 9:37 pm, and arrive in Lhasa on the third day at around 9:55 am. 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

While inland China is probably the best option for traveling to Tibet, as it is much closer than Nepal to South Korea, there is an option of traveling to Kathmandu and then either flying to Lhasa or taking an overland tour across the plateau. Flights to Kathmandu take from around 9 hours, as there is no direct flight to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, and the flights all make stops in either Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. The cheapest flights, however, are still as much as US$ 216 per person 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

Having gone to all the trouble of flying all the way to Kathmandu, it makes the flight worth the time and cost if you take an overland tour from Nepal to Lhasa. This journey is an epic adventure that takes you to high mountain passes, vast expansive prairies, shimmering high-altitude lakes, and some of Buddhism’s most revered monasteries and temples. You will get the chance to stand close to Mount Everest, and gaze upon its mighty flanks, all the way to the highest peak on the planet, or travel a little further north to one of the most sacred places in the world for Buddhists and Hindus, holy Mount Kailash. Traveling across the region is another adventure, as you will pass by many amazing sights, experience views that are unseen anywhere else in the world, and finally get to experience the cultural and religious heart of Tibet, the stunning city of Lhasa.

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.