Kathmandu to Lhasa Flight

Kathmandu Lhasa Flights - Route, Schedule, Fares, Permit, Ticket Booking 2020/2021

Kathmandu Lhasa Flights Schedules, Airlines and Fares

There are two available flights from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport to Lhasa Gonggar Airport. One is 3U8720 operated by Sichuan Airlines departing from Kathmandu at 12:00 (Kathmandu Time) and arriving at Lhasa at 15:35 (Beijing Time). The other flight – CA408 operated by Air China takes off at 13:20 (Kathmandu Time) and lands on Lhasa at 17:00 (Beijing Time). The fly duration is about 1.5 hours. In the low seasons, there might be less or no daily flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa.

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

Kathmandu to Lhasa Flights Timetable

The non-stop flight MU5281 of China Eastern Airlines departs in the morning and lands about 1h 25mins later. Scheduled date is good for your rest and acclimation to high altitude sickness. Spare enough time to sleep, packing and transport to the Kathmandu Airport. You can have your breakfast before boarding or take some snacks, enjoy your lunch after landing in Lhasa.

Kathmandu to other Destinations in China

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

Tibet Border Pass

When you travel from Kathmandu to Tibet, either by flight or by road, you need to cross the board between China and Nepal. Border Pass, or Frontier Pass, is another must document for everybody who travels the border area between Tibet with other countries. It is issued by Armed Police Tibet Frontier Crops in Lhasa. Just as Tibet Travel Permit, the scanning copy of Tibet Board Pass will be checked before you board the airplane or leave the airport. TibetDiscovery could help you to apply Border Pass as well. Send us your copy of passport, tour itinerary, copy of your China Visa and copy of Tibet Travel Permit 20 days before your Tibet Tour, we can obtain this pass for you and send the scanning copy to you.

Tibet Group Visa

As Chinese immigration regulation ruled, tourists who travel to Tibet from Nepal are required to apply for the Tibet Group Visa at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. It will be checked while you are checking in and checking out at the airports. As a special Chinese Visa, it is also valid to extend your trip to other destinations of China after your Tibet Tour. The Group Visa cannot be applied by travelers in person and you need a travel agency to obtain it on behalf of you. TibetDiscovery offers this service. As you get to Kathmandu, our local driver and travel guide will meet you help you with your Tibet Group Visa.

>> Learn more details about Tibet Group Visa

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.

- Scanned copy of Tibet Travel Permit.

- Original Tibet Group Visa is required if you travel to Tibet from Nepal. It is also valid to extend your trip to other destinations of China after your Tibet Tour.

- Scanning copy of Tibet Border Pass.

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 Beijing 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 Kathmandu, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

Apart from Kathmandu, you can only fly to Tibet from Chinese cities, like Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Shanghai, Kunming, Shanggri-la, etc.

5. International flights to Tibet

So far, Kathmandu-Lhasa flight is the only flight connecting Lhasa.

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

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 Kathmandu with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 4410 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 2205 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.