Why Take Flight to Lhasa from Shangri-La

1. Diqing Shangri-La Airport provides 3-6 direct flights to Lhasa, including 1 non-stop flight opened by China Easter Airlines and at most 5 connecting flights.

2. You can fly from Yunnan to Lhasa for Tibet tour within 2 hours, which is quite convenient and faster than train. Currently, the Yunnan Tibet Railway, starting from Kunming Railway Station to Lhasa Railway Station, is under construction, so you have to take a train from nearby Chengdu or Chongqing costing over 40 hours.

3. Located in northwest Yunnan Province, Shangri-La is praised as the “Paradise on Earth”, rich in long historical culture and beautiful natural scenery, e.g. Sumtseling Monastery and Meri Snow Mountain.

4. Diqing Airport is a good choice to transfer in southwest China areas, especially for wonderful Yunnan Tour. You can extend your China tour from this famous tourism province - South of the Clouds.

Shangri-La Lhasa Flights Beautiful Scene of Shangri-La

Shangri-La Lhasa Flights Schedules

At present, the China Eastern Airlines offers 1 non-stop Shangri-La to Lhasa flight exclusively. Please note that both the Diqing Shangri-La Airport and Lhasa Gonggar Airport are at high elevation over 3,000 m. Making enough preparation against high altitude sickness is very essential.

Shangri-La to Lhasa Flight Timetable

The flight MU5939 operated by China Eastern Airlines sometime originally departs from Kunming Changshui International Airport and stop in Diqing Shangri-La Airport, and there is only 1 daily direct flight to Lhasa, so the ticket will be very limited. Please buy your air ticket as early as possible since it’s hard to get in every peak season.

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 Diqing Shangri-La Airport

Located in southwest of Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG - 迪庆香格里拉机场, elevation: 3287m) is a civil airport of Yunnan Province. The airport was opened to navigation in 1999 with two terminals and parking facilities for Boeing 767 and Airbus 330. It is 5 kilometers to Zhongdian County, the capital of Diqing, where are connected by China Highway 214 and Kangba Avenue. Operating airlines includes Sichuan Airlines, Lucky Air, China Eastern Airlines and Southern Airlines, etc. Currently, there are 3 domestic regular routes to Kunming, Chengdu, Lhasa from Shangri-La.

Domestic Flights to Shangri-La

1)Tibet: Lhasa

2)Yunnan: Kunming

3)Sichuan: Chengdu

Transfer to/off Diqing Shangri-La Airport

Diqing Shangri-La Airport is about 5 kilometers to the Zhongdian County. There is no bus or airport shuttle available there. Usually, passengers go to the central town by taxi, costing around 30 CNY. Walk out the exit to 50 meters away, you will find the taxi parking area.

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.

Shangri-La Lhasa Flights Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Take Flights to Tibet from Other City in Yunnan Province

Kunming

Located at an altitude of 2102m (6896 ft), 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.

Click here to know more about Kunming Lhasa Flight.

Lijiang

Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (IATA: LJG, 丽江三义国际机场), the second largest airport in Yunnan Province, has 1 direct flight to Lhasa every day. The Airport is 30km to the Lijing City center, about 40-45 mins riding.

Click here to know more about Lijiang Lhasa Flight.

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

Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

Apart from Shangri-La, you can also fly to Tibet from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Kunming, 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 Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass.

6. What else airports 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 Chengdu with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 1680 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 840 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.

Recommended Tibet Tour Packages

To make fully use of the convenient flight transfer to Tibet, 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 Tibet Tours >>

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