Why Take Flight to Lhasa from Shanghai

1. Shanghai is one of two most popular international arrival hubs in China (another is Beijing). You can easily get to Shanghai by flight from most global cities, wherever from Europe, Asia, North America or other continents. There are even some international cruises to Shanghai each week.

2. Daily flights are operated to Lhasa at valuable prices with short stopovers at Xian or Chengdu. Much shorter compared with train trip to Lhasa from Shanghai.

3. Shanghai is one of the most popular travel destinations in China. It is an ideal place for a leisure city trip.

Shanghai Lhasa Flights Our dear customers Alexia and Bruno visited the Bund in Shanghai

Shanghai Lhasa Flights Schedules, Airlines and Fares

Currently Shanghai usually operates about 5 flights to Lhasa every day. But due to the long flying distance (3107km), it costs longer time and more money to fly to Lhasa from Shanghai, compared with Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, etc. Only 2 flights are direct flights (usually stop over at Xian or Chengdu). Others are connecting flights which need to transfer at Chongqing, Xian, Dazhou, etc.

Shanghai to Lhasa Flights Timetable

Every day, the Tibet Airlines and China Eastern Airlines run two direct flights to Lhasa - one departing from Pudong Airport in the early morning around 6:45am, and another from Hongqiao Airport around 2:45pm usually. You are suggested to book flight ticket in the morning so that you can have enough time to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude in Lhasa. Check out following latest updated Shanghai to Lhasa flights schedules:

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 Shanghai Lhasa Tours:

>> 4 Days Best of Tibet Tour from Shanghai

>> 7 Days Classic Shanghai Tibet Highlights Tour

>> 8 Days Lifetime Tibet Train Tour from Shanghai

Major Shanghai Airports Operating Flights to Tibet

Please note that there are two airports in Shanghai operating flights to Tibet – Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. So make sure you get to the right airport when you go to take your flight to Tibet.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Shanghai Pudong International Airport is located at No. 300, Qihang Road, Pudong New Area, about 30km(19mi) from city center of Shanghai. It is the third busiest airport in China (after Beijing Capital Airport and Hong Kong Airport). For international travelers, the airport is a great gateway because it has operated air lines to more than 90 international cities. At the same time, it is also connected to most of important cities in China.

Currently Shanghai Pudong International Airport provides only a direct flight to Lhasa in the early morning around 06:45. It takes about 7 hours 55 minutes to get to Lhasa. There are also several connecting flights which need to change planes in Xian. The flying durations are usually over 12 hours. So the connecting flights to Lhasa are not recommended.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is another international airport in Shanghai. It is located in Changning District, about 13 km west to the city center. Compared to Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport plays a more important role as an important aviation hub of domestic flights. It also serves for some regional flights and limited international flights.

Currently Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport has a daily direct flight to Lhasa which departs at around 2pm each day and makes a short stop at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. There are several connecting flights in the afternoon with flying duration over 9 hours to 20 hours.

International Flights to Shanghai

So far travelers can take flights to Shanghai directly from following destinations:

  • 1) Europe: Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Prague, Zurich, London, Amsterdam, Munich, Moscow, Copenhagen, Vienna;
  • 2) America: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, Vancouver, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Minneapolis, Toronto, Montreal, Saipan;
  • 3) Asia: Bali, Delhi, Dacca, Kuala Lumpur, Mandalay, Colombo, Phuket Island, Siem Reap, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nogoya, Niigata, Okayama, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Kagoshima, Komatsu, Toyama, Sendai, Seoul, Busan, Cheongju, Daegu, Gwangju, Cheju, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiengmai, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Bombay, New Delhi, Dubai, Helsinki, Djakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Manila, Doha, Istanbul;
  • 4) Oceania: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland;
  • 5) Africa: Addis Ababa
  • 6) Other regions: Hong Kong, Taipei, Macau, Kaohsiung

Shanghai Lhasa Flights Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Lhasa Flights Pudong Airport Layout(Click to Enlarge) Shanghai Lhasa Flights Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Shanghai Lhasa Flights Hongqiao Airport Location Map

Domestic Flights to Shanghai

Shanghai is one of two most connected cities by flight in China. All the major cities in China has flights to Shanghai, such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xian, Kunming, Chongqing, Wuhan, Guilin, etc. Beijing has more than 46 flights to Shanghai each day, and Hong Kong has more than 33 flights to Shanghai each day. Chengdu also has 29 daily flights to Shanghai each day. Even so, you’d better book the ticket as early as possible because the demands are quite high during peak seasons (May to October)

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 Prefecture. 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 land 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.

Chengdu Lhasa Flights
Lhasa Gonggar 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 checking in and check out the airports, the original Tibet Travel Permit also will be check. (Note: if you take flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu, you only have to have the scanned copy of Tibet Travel Permit.) 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

Shanghai 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 is required to board the plane.

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 re-sellers. 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 usually gets 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 Shanghai, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

Apart from Shanghai, you can also fly to Tibet from Xian, Chongqing, Kunming, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanggri-la, etc.

5. International flights to Lhasa

So far, Kathmandu is the only international city which operates flights to Lhasa. It is only about 375 miles (1.5 hours)’s flying from Kathmandu to Lhasa. During months from May to October, there are usually one or two daily direct flights operated. In the low seasons, there might be less or no daily flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa. To take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, one will need a Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Permit.

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 Chengdu and Chongqing 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 Milin 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 free 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 Free 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 Shanghai with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 3360 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 1680 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 a paper ticket when you checking in your flight at a counter in the airport.

Tibet Flight Routes and Gateway Cities


Airports in Tibet


More Tibet Flight Guide

Recommended Tibet Tour Packages from Shanghai

To make fully use of the convenient flight transfer to Tibet from Shanghai, we have designed some great tour packages which start from Shanghai 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 Shanghai Tibet Tours >>

Prefer to tailor a trip that totally suits your requirements and interests? Our 20+ professional, helpful and friendly travel experts are ready to help! Tell us your needs, and one of our experts will get to you with trip details within 0.5~23.5 hrs. You can also call us at 86-28-85227275 / 86-28-85223672.

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Questions & Discussions

Following are latest questions and answers from our webusers and customers. You can learn many useful information from the discussion and cases. You can also join in the discussions or ask your own question. Our experts will help you ASAP.

Take trip o Tibet and Mongolia
I would like to travel to two destinions on this trip. iI would like to take trip o Tibet and Mongolia Five or six days in Tibet and ten days in Mongolia. I want to know approximate price fron Shanghai Return. Will leave Aug first and return to Shanghai on or about fifteenth.
2016-03-22 01:20
Hi May,

Thanks for your message. Your plan of traveling Tibet with Mongolia together is a great idea because theese two places used to have many connections in the history. As for you plan, one of our travel specialists is working on your plan already, and will send a detailed itinerary and quotation to you as soon as possible.

Best Regards,
Louis at Tibet Discovery 2016-03-22 01:45