Why Take Flight to Lhasa from Xian

1. Xian is a major transportation junction in China, and it can be reached easily by flights or high speed trains after your tour in other cities, like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin etc.

2. There are about 5 one-way daily flights available to Lhasa Gonggar Airport from Xian Xianyang International Airport, much more than some other cities.

3. Xian is an ancient capital of thirteen dynasties with long history and rich culture, attracting numerous tourists to discover its charm. The world-famous Terracotta Warriors, which have silently stood guard over the soul of China’s first unifier for over two millennia, is a real miracle.

Xian Lhasa FlightsOur dear customer Lucia and her family visited Terracotta Warriors in Xian

Xian Lhasa Flights Schedules

There are several flights connecting Xian and Lhasa, including 5 nonstop flights and 2 direct flights with a stop at Xiahe or Xining. These flights are operated by Tibet Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Eastern Airlines which are all experienced airlines to operate flights on high plateau area. The earliest flight takeS off from Xian Xianyang Airport at 6:20 and the last flight departs at 20:25. The fly duration is about 3.5 hours. Because the altitude of Tibet is really high, you need more time to acclimatize to the altitude. It is recommended to take a morning flight, like TV9904, 3U8753 and MU2333.

Check following table for details about Xian Lhasa Flight Schedules and Fares to decide which to choose.

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 Xian Lhasa tours:

>> 9 Days Wonderful Shanghai Xian Lhasa Contrast Tour

>> 10 Days Beijing Xian Lhasa Memory Tour by Train

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.

About Xian Xianyang International Airport

Occupying an area of 5 square kilometers Xian Xianyang International Airport (IATA: XIY, 西安咸阳国际机场) is the largest air traffic hub in northwest China and one of China’s ten greatest airports. In 2015, Xianyang International Airport had handled about 33 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in China. It is a 4F level airport with three terminals, two runways, 127 aircraft stands and 44 boarding bridges.

At present, Xianyang International Airport has cooperated with 62 international and domestic airlines and operated 313 flight routes to 171 destinations.

International Flights to Xian

So far travelers can take nonstop and direct flights to Xian from following destinations:

1) Europe (Amsterdam, London, Manchester, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Mosco, Novosibirsk, Paris)

2) Australia (Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne)

3) North America (San-Francisco, Boston, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Austin, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal etc.)

4) Africa (Johanesburg)

5) Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Dubai etc.)

6) East Asia (Seoul, Busan, Cheongju, Jequ, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, Phuket Island etc.)

7) Southeast Asia (Kathmandu, Colombo, Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya etc.)

8) Other regions (Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Taichung etc.) can reach Xian directly by flight.

Domestic Flights to Xian

Xian Xianyang International Airport operates both many international flights and frequent domestic flights. The popular destinations connected with Xian by flights include the following cities.

Eastern China - Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Nanjing, Huangshan etc.;

Northern China - Beijing, Hohhot, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Xining, Yinchuan etc.;

Southern China - Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guilin, Sanya, Kunming, Guiyang, Yichang, etc.;

Western China - Chengdu, Lhasa, Lijiang, Urumqi, etc..

Transfer to/off Xian Xianyang International Airport

Xian Xianyang International Airport is located in the northeast of Xianyang City, which gives the airport its name. It is about 41km from Xian’s downtown area and 12km from Xianyang’s downtown area. There are frequent shuttle buses commuting between Xian City and Xian Xianyang International Airport. Taking a shuttle bus, you can get to Xianyang International Airport from some big hotels ( Konggang Hotel, Zhicheng Libo Hotel, Longhai Hotel, Xian Hotel, Grand Metropark Resort, Jiyuan International Hotel Hilton Garden Inn etc.), Xian Railway Station and several bus stations. It takes about 70 minutes to get to the airport from the city.

Xian Lhasa Flights Xian Xianyang Airport Xian Lhasa Flights Location Map of Xian Xianyang Airport Xian Lhasa Flights Layout Map of Xian Xianyang 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 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.

B-plan for Xian Lhasa Flights

Besides taking a flight to Lhasa from Xian, it’s also available to travel to Tibet by train. There are daily two trains to Lhasa through Xian, Z264 from Guangzhou and Z164 from Shanghai. On your journey, you can feast your eyes on the amazing landscape along Qinghai Tibet Railway, like vast grassland, bright snow-capped peaks, azure lakes and rare animals. The whole journey takes about 31 hours and you need to stay one night on the train. In order to have a good rest, we suggest you book a Soft Sleeper ticket.

>> Learn more about Xian Lhasa Trains

Xian Lhasa Flights Great Views along Qinghai-Tibet Railway

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 from the airport or ticket agent. When you check in and check out the airports, the original Tibet Travel Permit also will be checked. (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

Xian 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 Xian, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

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

5. International flights to Tibet

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 and Tibet Travel 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 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 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 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 Xian with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 2280 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 1140 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 check 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

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