Tibet Tour From Spain

How to Get to Tibet from Spain? Multiple ways to travel from Madrid or Barcelona to Tibet.

Flights to China or Kathmandu run from several airports in Spain, including Madrid International Airport, Barcelona International Airport, and the Palma de Mallorca International Airport, although not all of them have direct flights to all locations in China and Nepal.

By Flight to China

Direct flights run from Madrid to Shanghai and Hong Kong and from Barcelona to Beijing. There are no direct flights from Barcelona to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou, and no direct flight from Madrid to Beijing, Chengdu, or Guangzhou. These indirect flights are a little less costly than the direct flights, but can take up to 38 hours, including stopovers. The average flight times are:

a. Barcelona to Beijing: non-stop - 10 hours 50 minutes, one-stop – up to 29 hours 40 minutes (KBP, MOW, BRU)
b. Madrid to Shanghai: non-stop - 12 hours 45 minutes, one-stop – up to 32 hours 45 minutes (CDG, MUC, HEL)
c. Madrid or Barcelona to Guangzhou: non-stop – no direct flights, one-stop – up to 37 hours 45 minutes (CDG, SVO, IST)
d. Madrid or Barcelona to Chengdu: non-stop - no direct flights, one-stop – up to 27 hours 45 minutes (AMS, CDG, DOH)
e. Madrid to Hong Kong: non-stop - 12 hours 35 minutes, one-stop – up to 28 hours 30 minutes (MUC, HEL, ZRH)

After Your Arrival in China

Once you arrive in China, you will have chance to see the sights you want to visit in the Chinese cities of your choice before heading off to Tibet. Your Tibet Travel Permit will be delivered to your hotel ready for your arrival, and is needed to board the flights or trains to Lhasa. In some extreme cases, our staff will give the Tibet permit to you in person at the railway station or airport.

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 from either Madrid or Barcelona, although most flights have just one stopover in Istanbul, Dubai, or Qatar. Flights take from as little as 12 hours to as much as 22 hours, and cost from around US$ 500 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

The epic overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes you across the mighty Himalayas, as you travel by bus to the Nepal border checkpoint at Rasuwagadhi Fort. From there, you will cross the Resuo Bridge, which spans the Trishuli River Gorge, to the Tibetan side, where you will proceed through Chinese customs. Once across, you will be met by your tour guide and taken to Gyirong Town for your first night. From Gyirong, your truly awesome tour will begin, taking you to all of the sights you requested for on your itinerary, as you travel across the stunning landscape of the plateau. The journey to Lhasa takes you over high mountain passes, over vast green prairies, and you will get to visit some of the many monasteries that dot this sacred land, as well as the stunning lakes that can be found all over Tibet, including the holy Lake Yamdrok, one of the Great Three Lakes. The long drive ends in Lhasa, where you can experience Tibetan culture and religion at its best, and see some of the many sights of this ancient city.

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.