Though Tibet may seem like a far-flung destination perched on the soaring Tibetan Plateau, it is easily accessible from several nearby Tibet entry cities by flight, train, or road.

Whether you are planning to enter Tibet from Nepal or through inland Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xining, in this travel guide, we will walk you through the top 8 Tibet entry cities to help you pick the best gateways to Tibet that match your interests and budget.

Where Is Tibet Located on a Map and What Makes a Great Tibet-entry City?

Situated on the towering Tibetan plateau in the far west of China, the Tibet Autonomous Region borders India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The northern and eastern parts of Tibet are shared with other Chinese provinces. Yunnan is to the southeast, Sichuan to the east, Qinghai to the northeast, and Xinjiang to the northwest.

For overseas travelers planning to visit Tibet, choosing an ideal city to enter Tibet will be an important part of your overall Tibet travel experience. To our knowledge, a great Tibet-entry city should have easy access to Tibet by road, rail, or flight. It should also be easy to reach from international cities and offer great travel experiences of its own.

(Left-click to enlarge the map)
The location of Tibet on a map.

So, we’ve rounded up a list of the 8 best cities to enter Tibet, each offering rich culture and history, perfect for first-time visitors to China. Please read on to find the one that works best for you.

Kathmandu, Nepal: The Closest Tibet-entry City with International Flights & Epic Overland Route across the Mighty Himalayas

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is the closest entry city to Tibet and the only international city with a direct flight to Lhasa. Visiting Nepal and Tibet together offers you a great chance to see the Himalayas from two sides and learn more about how life has developed in the shadows of the great mountains.

Getting to Kathmandu by plane is straightforward. Most travelers will need to transfer through regional transportation hubs. Cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Bangkok have daily flights to Nepal's capital.

The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa is the fastest way to cross the Himalayas. It takes 90 minutes to cross the 607 km between the two cities. This non-stop flight is currently run by Himalaya Airlines (Mon, Wed, Fri) and passes over Mt. Everest. Make sure, you book the left-window seat for a unique bird's eye view of the world’s highest mountain.

11 Days Kathmandu Lhasa Everest Big Loop Tour (Start & End in Nepal)

Tour Route: Kathmandu - Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - EBC - Gyirong - Kathmandu

Price from USD p.p

For the best travel experience from Kathmandu to Lhasa, our recommendation is to travel by the overland route. Crossing the border into Tibet takes you to Gyirong Town in a beautiful valley. From there, you can drive right to Everest Base Camp at 5,200 meters above sea level. The Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway covers the route from Shigatse to Lhasa. It is an epic trip between two Himalayan capitals and across the great mountains.

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

To enter Tibet from Kathmandu, overseas travelers need to pre-book your Tibet tour via a local Tibet travel agency like us. And we will help you apply for a Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit for Tibet entry from Nepal. You need to set aside 4 to 5 days in Kathmandu to process a Chinese Group Visa at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

A Sample of Tibet Entry Permit.

Chinese Group Visa & Tibet Travel Permit are needed for Tibet entry from Nepal.

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou: Three Major Gateways to Tibet from the Rest of the World

The megacities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are the major gateways to Tibet from the rest of the world. Direct flights arrive from all over the world to these cities, and each place offers great options for reaching Tibet.

From Beijing, you can take a direct flight to Lhasa with a flying time of around 4 hours. For Shanghai and Guangzhou, a connecting flight is needed. Convenient routes are available through various cities such as Chengdu, Kunming, Chongqing, and Diqing. All three cities have direct trains to Lhasa via Xining on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Beijing is the shortest route, taking just under 40 hours. From Shanghai, it is 44.5 hours, and it is 53 hours from Guangzhou.

16 Days Beijing Xian Tibet Everest and Kathmandu Small Group Tour: Exploring Wonders from the Oriental Kingdom’s Capital to best of Mount Everest

Tour Route: Beijing - Xi’an - Xining - Qinghai Tibet Railway - Lhasa - Shigatse - Everest Base Camp - Gyirong - Kathmandu

Price from USD2790 p.p

Chengdu: Top 1 Tibet-entry City from Inland China by Flights, Tibet Train or Road

As the capital city of Sichuan Province to the eastern fringe of the snowy Tibetan Plateau, Chengdu is your top gateway to Tibet in the southwest of China, either by flight, train, or road.

Chengdu has two international airports, i.e. Shuangliu Airport and Tianfu Airport, with direct flights arriving from 15 different countries and over 170 domestic flights daily. You can easily take multiple non-stop flights from Chengdu to Lhasa at around 2hrs 30min.

Apart from Lhasa, it is also convenient to fly directly from Chengdu to Nyingchi in eastern Tibet, known for its “Swiss-style landscape”, dense forests, and rich oxygen level. It’s another perfect choice for gradual acclimatization to Tibet’s high elevation from the Chengdu basin. Check eastern Nyingchi tours in Tibet.

9 Days Nyingchi Bomi Ranwu Draksumtso Lake and Lhasa Monastery Tour

Tour Route: Nyingchi - Bomi- Ranwu Lake - Nyingchi - Draksum Tso Lake - Lhasa - Ganden Monastery - Lhasa

Price from USD p.p

Additionally, you can also board the scenic Chengdu to Lhasa train to reach Tibet. The 3,070 km journey takes 34.3 hours on trains that depart every other day. The best highlights will be traveling from Golmud to Lhasa, with the endless Gobi desert, the snowy Tanggula Mountain, the vast Qiangtang grasslands, and beyond.

11 Days Chengdu to Tibet Train Group Tour with Mt.Everest

Tour Route: Chengdu - Xining - Qinghai Tibet Railway - Lhasa - Shigatse - Everest Base Camp - Shigatse - Lhasa - Chengdu

Price from USD1790 p.p

For avid road trip lovers, don’t miss out on the adventurous overland journey from Chengdu to Lhasa. This legendary overland route traces the 30th parallel north along the breathtaking G318 Highway and is packed with snowy peaks, deep canyons, incredible glaciers, verdant forests, idyllic grasslands, etc.

The classic overland trip from Chengdu takes seven days to drive and travels from the lush valleys and forests in Sichuan to the rugged mountains and picturesque grassland on the imposing Tibetan Plateau. It is an epic adventure across the Hengduan Mountains to the holy Lhasa City on the Tibetan Plateau. Browse through more overland tours in Tibet.

7 Days World-class Overland Route: Chengdu to Lhasa via G318 Highway

Tour Route: Chengdu - Xinduqiao - Litang - Batang - Zogang - Ranwu - Nyingchi - Lhasa

Price from USD1780 p.p

Xining: The Best Tibet-entry City to Ride the World's Highest Train to Tibet

As the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, i.e., Xining is your best Tibet-entry city by the world’s highest train, esp. to the railfans. You can hop on the Xining-to-Lhasa train (Z8991/Z8981), which is air-sealed with an oxygen supply, and enjoy the scenic train to Lhasa.

By train, it is 1,956 km to Lhasa from Xining. A journey that takes around 21:30 hours. The scenery is unbelievable, including snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes, and vast plains. Starting from 2,275, and with a disbursed oxygen system on the train, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway also offers a safe chance to acclimatize on the ascent to the Tibetan Plateau. Discover the best scenery along the Tibet train.

12 Days Travel from Beijing to Kathmandu across Tibet Plateau, traversing the Beijing-Lhasa Train

Tour Route: Beijing - Xining - Qinghai Tibet Railway - Lhasa - Shigatse - Everest Base Camp - Gyirong - Kathmandu

Price from USD1995 p.p

There are no international flights to Xining, but it can be reached from all major cities in China. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu have multiple daily flights to Xining. You can arrive easily, tour Xining's natural scenery, and then board the train to Lhasa.

An overland route along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway offers another exciting and shortest overland route to reach Lhasa from inland China. The highway mostly parallels the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It crosses mountain ranges like the Kunlung and Tangula Mountains and vast rivers, with a slower-paced journey through the breathtaking scenery.

Xi'an: A Perfect Tibet-entry City to Learn Ancient Chinese Culture Before Visiting Tibet

For travelers who are keen to learn more about ancient Chinese history and rich Tibetan Buddhist culture, Xi’an deserves to be your best entry city to Tibet. It is the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals in northwest China and marks the start of the ancient Silk Road that stretched from China to Europe.

Xi’an has convenient routes to Tibet by train and air. Non-stop flights from Xi’an to Lhasa are available daily on China Eastern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Tibet Airlines. Flight times range between 3h10m and 3h35m. Check Xi’an to Lhasa flights in detail.

11 Days Xi’an to Lhasa and EBC Tour

Tour Route: Xian - Flight to Lhasa - Shigatse - Everest Base Camp - Shigatse - Lhasa

Price from USD p.p

You can also easily take the Tibet train from Xi’an to Lhasa. A daily direct train (Z917) departs for Lhasa, traveling on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The journey takes 34:45hrs and travels through 2,864 km of stunning landscapes across China.

10 Days Xian to Lhasa and Heavenly Namtso Tour by Train

Tour Route: Xian - Train to Lhasa - Namtso Lake - Lhasa

Price from USD p.p

Kunming and Kashgar: Off-the-beaten Tibet-entry Cities with Exotic Ethnic Cultures

Kunming and Kashgar are two exotic entry cities to Tibet on off-the-beaten paths. Kunming, the 'City of Eternal Spring,' is home to 25 ethnic minorities and is a place of vibrant folk culture. An ancient gateway city for trade between Tibet, Sichuan, Burma, and India, the city is always blooming with flowers and lush vegetation.

The non-stop flights from Kunming Changshui Airport to Lhasa are around 2:40 hours. Regular flights are offered by China Eastern and Tibet Airlines. Spending some time at Kunming's elevation of 2,100 m is an advantage before traveling to the higher Tibetan Plateau. Acclimatization can be easier, with less risk of experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness.

10 Days Kunming Lhasa Namtso Guangzhou Tour

Tour Route: Kunming - By flight - Lhasa - Namtso - Lhasa - By flight - Guangzhou

Price from USD p.p

An overland journey along the spectacular Yunnan-Tibet Highway is another way to travel to Lhasa from Kunming. The road follows the historic Tea Horse Trading Route through Dali and the UNESCO town of Lijiang with its backdrop of the Jade Dragon Snow mountain. You'll first encounter Tibetan culture in the areas of Zhongdian and Deqin and then pass through the beautiful Nyingchi region of eastern Tibet with its lush fairy-tale-like forests.

Yunnan Tibet Highway Map.

Kashgar is an oasis city in the furthest corner of China. Located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Prefecture, it had a long history as an important trading post along the ancient Silk Road.

To enter Tibet from Kashgar, you can travel overland via the G219 Highway from Yecheng in Xinjiang to Lhatse County in Shigatse. About 1,700 kilometers of the route sits at an altitude above 4,000 meters, making it one of the longest and highest highways in the world. However, currently, it is only available to domestic tourists.

Flights to Lhasa leave the Kashgar Airport daily, usually as a stopover on the flights to Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing. However, flights to Ngari Gunsa Airport only run several times a week.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the best city to enter Tibet is the one you find easy to travel with and offers you the best travel experience. Kathmandu is the best international city to enter Tibet for its proximity. While Chengdu, Xining, Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou offer you easy transportation and diverse cultural experiences. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to email us for the best Tibet travel solutions. Cheers!