Why Take Flight to Lhasa from Lijiang

1. The Lijiang Sanyi International Airport offers a non-stop flight to Lhasa from Lijiang every day. If you happen to be in Lijiang and plan to Tibet, the daily morning flight can take you directly to Lhasa.

2. Being the third international airport and the second largest airport in Yunnan, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport is well linked to Kunming and Sipsongpanna through many direct flights. Transfer in internal Yunnan Province from Lijiang is a good choice.

3. For now, the Yunnan Tibet Railway, departing from Kunming Railway Station to Lhasa Railway Station, is under construction. Tourists who expect a train travel have to take trains from nearby Chengdu or Chongqing costing over 40 hrs. Non-stop flight only takes about 2hrs on the way.

4. Lijiang sits in northwest Yunnan Province. The Lijiang Old Town District, build in the Southern Song Dynasty, is a rare well-reserved minority’s ancient city. Together with two famous mountains, the Lugu Lake, Naxi Dongba Culture and so on, the ancient town represents a distinctive Yunnan minority’s feature.

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Dazzling Lijiang Old Town under Sunset Local Celebration under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Schedules

There are up to 12 flights from Lijiang to Lhasa occasionally, while most of them are connecting flights, only 1 direct flight operated by Sichuan Airlines running every day. It takes about 2h 15mins flying to Lhasa from Lijiang without any stop. On the average, if you take the morning plane in Lijiang, you will arrive in Lhasa before midday, so you will have enough time for rest and acclimation to high altitude sickness.

Lijiang to Lhasa Flight Timetable

The Sichuan Airlines provides only 1 non-stop flight to Lhasa from Lijiang. The 3U8817 flight takes off in the morning, not early but spare sufficient time for your sleep, packing and transportation to the Sanyi Airport. And have a perfect timing for your lunch after you landed.

Important Notice: 1) Above flight schedules and fares are only for reference, please contact us to catch up on the latest information. But we usually will keep them updated; 2) The airlines companies usually will cut down the flight schedules during winter and spring seasons. There may be no daily flight in some months.

Our top Yunnan Tibet tours:

☞ 10 Days Yunnan Tibet Highlights Tour

☞ 12 Days Lijiang Shangri-la Tibet Essence Tour

About Lijiang Sanyi International Airport

Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (LJG - 丽江三义国际机场) is the second largest and the third international airport in Yunnan Province. Located in the South Lijiang City at an elevation of 2,243 m, the airport was completed in 1995 and had two reconstructions and expansions before. Late last year, the third expansion with new terminal, parking area and airport facilities officially started.

According to reports in April 2019, the Lijiang Airport has navigation cities up to 50, including 47 domestic cities and 3 international destinations. Flights from Lijiang to Beijing, Lhasa, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian, Lanzhou etc. are available. Connecting flights to South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and other overseas countries have to transfer in main hub airports in cities like Chengdu and Shanghai.

Besides, Lijiang has many short distance flights to Kunming and Sipsongpanna every day.

International Flights to Lijiang

So far, there is no non-stop international flight to Lijiang, tourists have to take connecting flights and transfer in major gateway airports, like Chengdu or Kunming Airport where have more convenient and frequent international routes.

Domestic Flights to Lijiang

Since the Lijiang City of Yunnan Province is a popular destination in southwest China, tourists from far and the near pour into this place. The airport offers much convenience for transportation in all domestic directions. You can take round trip planes between Lijiang and many main cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Lhasa, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing, etc.

1) Middle China: Changsha, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, etc.

2) North China: Beijing, Shandong, Shenyang, Tianjin, Lanzhou, etc.

3) Eastern China: Nanjing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Fuzhou (Fujian Province), Jieyang (Guangdong), Nanchang, etc.

4) Southern China: Lhasa, Chengdu, Chongqing, Mianyang, Bijie (Guizhou Province), Sipsongpanna, Zunyi, Kunming, etc.

Transfer to/off Lijiang Sanyi International Airport

The Sanyi International Airport is about 30km to the central Lijiang City, around 40-45 mins riding. Tourist can take the Airport Shuttle Bus to terminal station - Blue Sky Hotel, where is only 1km to Lijiang Old Town District. The bus departs mainly depending on the arrival time of flights. Ticket price is around 20 CNY per person. It takes about half an hour to the downtown by taxi costing nearly 100CNY.

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Lijiang Sanyi International Airport Lijing Lhasa Flights Location Map of Lijiang Airport

About Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Lhasa Gonggar International Airport (LXA - 拉萨贡嘎国际机场) is the largest and most important airport in Tibet Autonomous Region. In 2016, the airport has greeted more than 3 million passengers, most of whom are travelers, including thousands of foreigner travelers. The airport is about 62 kilometers (39 mi) southwest of the city in Gonggar County of Shannan. The airport is one of the highest airports in the world with an elevation of 3,570 meters (11,710 ft). Airbus A340 and Boeing 757 aircrafts are allowed to park in the airport.

International Flights to Lhasa

So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa. During summer days, there are daily direct flights operated, sometimes two flights and sometimes just one flight. Only Air China and Sichuan Airlines are operating the Kathmandu - Lhasa flights. To take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, one will need a Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass.

Domestic Flights to Lhasa

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is well connected to many cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Kunming, Chongqing, Xining, Shangri-La, etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu is the most popular hub for taking flights/off Tibet. There are more than 20 flights flying between Chengdu and Lhasa each day. Xian also operates about 4~6 flights to Lhasa each day.

Transfer to/off Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is about 60km from Lhasa downtown. It costs about 100~200 CNY to the Barkhor Street area of Lhasa city. Airport shuttle bus is also available, and costs only about 25 CNY. It usually takes about 1~1.5 hours to transfer between the airport and Lhasa downtown.

Tibet Discovery also provides you convenient and comfortable airport pick-up and drop-off services which are usually included in our Tibet tour packages. If you take our group tours, you will enjoy our free airport pick-up and drop-off services which are offered at contain hours:

Free Airport Transfer to Hotel in Lhasa

  • - Around 10:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 09:30 AM;
  • - Around 14:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 13:30 PM;
  • - Around 17:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 16:30 PM.

Free Transfer to Airport from Hotel in Lhasa

  • - Around 07:00 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport between 09:00 ~ 11:30 AM;
  • - Around 09:30 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport between 11:30 AM ~ 14:30 PM;
  • - Around 12:30 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport after 14:30 PM.

- Learn more about Lhasa Gonggar International Airport.

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Flights from Lijiang to Other Prefectures in Tibet

Currently, there is no direct flight between Lijiang and Shigatse, Nyingchi, Qamdo, Ngari and Shannan prefectures. If you want to tour the above destinations in Tibet, you have to take the connecting flights which will transfer in Chengdu or Chongqing Airport. Generally those transfer flights are about to get to Lhasa the next day.

Take Flights to Tibet from Other Cities in Yunnan Province

Kunming

Located at an altitude of 2102m ( 6896ft), Kunming Changshui International Airport (IATA: KMG, 昆明长水国际机场) in Kunming City of Yunnan Province runs up to 4 daily flights to Lhasa each day. The airport is one of the world’s top 100 airports with 387 flight routes, including 64 international (reginal) routes to Paris, Sydney, San Francisco and many Asia destinations and 323 domestic routes. It is 24.5 kilometers to northwest Kunming city about a 45 minutes ride into town.

Check more about Kunming Lhasa Flight.

Diqing Shangri-La

Diqing Shangri-La Airport (IATA: DIG, 迪庆香格里拉机场) is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province at an altitude of 3287m. It is about 5 km to the Zhongdian County by taxi. Please do enough preparation against the high altitude sickness once you happen to take the daily one plane to Lhasa from Shangri-La Airport.

Check more about Diqing Shangri-La Lhasa Flight.

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Kunming Changshui International Airport

Tibet Travel Permit and Flight Travel

A Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit) is the MUST-DOCUMENT to take a flight to Tibet. It is firstly needed to book flight at the airport. When you check in and check out the airports, the original Tibet Travel Permit also will be checked. Please remember to duplicate at least 3 copies of Tibet Travel Permit because the permits are required for many occasions. The permit can only be issued in Tibet by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, and also can be only applied by travel agency behalf of travelers. It needs about 15~20 days to obtain the permit.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit

1. Contact us to work out and confirm an itinerary in Tibet;

2. Send us the scanned copies of your passport, and provide an available address in China(hotel or local agency) to receive your permit;

3. We apply for the Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa;

4. Once the permit is issued, we will send the original permit to you by post.

> Learn more detail about Tibet Travel Permit Application

Lijiang Lhasa Flights Tibet Travel Permit

Useful Notes on Tibet Flight Travel

1. Necessary documents required to take a flight to/off Tibet

- Chinese Visa is always needed no matter you are taking a flight or a train to Tibet. The office man in the airport will check your Chinese visa when your go to board the plane.

- The passport will be needed for many situations: booking flight ticket, checking in flight, checking in hotel, checking in the Border Station in Tibet, etc. Make sure your passport is valid and original.

- Original Tibet Travel Permit will be checked when you board your plane at the airports.

2. How to book flight ticket?

The flight ticket can be booked at online websites, such as Booking.com, Expedia, Ctrip, Qunar, etc. You can also buy the ticket from the airports in China or flight resellers. You are also welcomed to let us book your flight. We are always keeping up with the latest flight news and usually can book the ticket at a cheaper price. During summer and autumn, it is usually difficult to book the flights to Lhasa. While using our booking service, we will not only book the ticket, but also arrange a valuable tour package.

3. When is the best time to fly to Tibet?

Generally speaking, months from April to October are recommended for traveling in Tibet. Other months are usually very cold, and possibly have heavy snow, especially in regions like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Namtso Lake, etc. The flights schedules are also more frequent during April to October. During December to March, the airline companies will cut down the flight schedules, usually from daily weekly, even to none. But top cities like Chengdu and Xian still operate daily flights during the shoulder season. It is recommended to take the morning flight so that you can get to Lhasa before late afternoon, and have enough time to acclimatize yourself to the altitude and thin air in Lhasa. The morning flights also cut down the risk that your flights would be delayed or canceled.

4. Apart from Lijiang, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

Apart from Lijiang, you can also fly to Tibet from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Kunming, Shangri-La, etc.

5. International flights to Lhasa

So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa. During summer days, there are daily direct flights operated, sometimes two flights and sometimes just one flight. Only Air China and Sichuan Airlines are operating the Kathmandu - Lhasa flights. To take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, one will need a a Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass.

6. What else airport I can fly to except for Lhasa Gonggar International Airport?

Tibet has five airports in total. Besides Lhasa Gonggar Airport, you can also take a flight to Shigatse, Nyingchi, Ngari and Qamdo. But only certain cities in China operate flights to these smaller cities.

- Shigatse - there is daily flight flying between Chengdu and Shigatse each day. The airport name is Shigatse Peace Airport, which is about 46km from Shigatse city.

- Nyingchi - Chengdu usually offers 4 morning flights to Nyingchi Mainling Airport. While its neighboring city Chongqing also has 3 morning flights to Nyingchi each day. If you travel from Nyingchi to Lhasa, you are recommended to take a flight to Nyingchi firstly from Chengdu or Chongqing. It is also available to fly out Tibet directly from Nyingchi.

- Qamdo - Both Chongqing and Chengdu operate a daily flight to Qamdo in Tibet. But there are few travelers have chosen this line because Qamdo is not a popular tourist destination in Tibet.

- Ngari - Urumqi (capital of Xinjiang) offers a daily direct flight to Ngari with a stop at Kashgar on every Tuesday and Friday. Taking this flight, passengers need Military Permit and Border Pass as well as Tibet Travel Permit.

7. The regulation on the luggage allowance on the plane

Luggage Type First Class Business Class Economy Class Allowed Baggage Size
Allowed Carry-on Baggage 5kg * 2 pieces 5kg 5kg 55cm/20cm/40cm(L/B/H)
Allowed Checked-in Baggage 40kg 30kg 20kg 100cm/60cm/40cm(L/B/H)

8. Will my kids get a discounted flight ticket?

Kids aging 2 to 12 years old (including 12) will get a discount of 50% of the full price of the flight fare. If an adult take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 3260 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 1630 CNY. The child also doesn’t have to pay for Airport Construction Fee while the adult has to. Infant under 2 years old only has to pay 10% of the full price, but the separate seat is not provided.

9. How do I collect (receive) the flight ticket?

Since most flight tickets are booked online, so firstly you will receive an e-ticket. You will change it to a paper ticket when you check in your flight at a counter in the airport.

Recommended Tibet Tour Packages

To make fully use of the convenient flight transfer to Tibet from Yunnan, we have designed some great tour packages which start from Yunnan to Lhasa and other popular destinations in Tibet to explore the best essence of Tibet, with loads of options, freedom & flexibility. You can choose from the following hand-picked tour packages , or go to check more tour packages at China Tours >>

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