Shanghai to Lhasa Flight

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

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:

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

Most Frequently Asked Questions about Shanghai Lhasa Flight

1. When is the best time to fly from Shanghai to Lhasa?

If you want to buy your Shanghai to Lhasa flight at a lower price, the best choice is to avoid the high tourist season. For Tibet tours, the most popular time is from April to June and September to October. While during the time between July and August, there are still a lot of people rush to Tibet since it is in the summer vacation for students in China. Therefore, try to plan your Tibet trip in low seasons, like winter, then you can book some discount flights.

2. Which airport should I go for taking the flight to Lhasa in Shanghai?

There is only 1 direct flight flying to Lhasa from Shanghai every day, which takes off at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Situated in the Pudong New District of Shanghai, China, Shanghai Pudong International Airport is about 30 kilometers away from the downtown area. As for the airport transfer, tourists can choose to take the airport shuttle bus, which leaves every 15 to 25 minute. The Shanghai Metro Line 2 can also take tourists to the airport, with the first run at 6:00 am and the last run at 22:00. Or, you can just take the taxi to the airport directly from your hotel, in case you are in a hurry.

3. How to get to my hotel after I arrived in Lhasa Airport?

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is about 65 kilometers southwest of Lhasa city, and there are several ways to get to the downtown. First, you can take the shuttle buses, which always wait right at the exit of the airport, and leave every 30 minutes until 21:30 at night. Upon arrival at the terminus, Lhasa Civil Aviation Bureau on Niangre Road 1, you can take other buses to your hotel. Besides, if you miss the shuttle bus, you can also take a taxi. By this way, you can go anywhere you want in Lhasa city, while the price is much higher as you can possibly imagine.

As a better option, you can use our shuttle service between your hotel and the airport for free, as long as you book your Tibet tour with us. In this case, when you arrive in Lhasa, your tour guide will meet you at the exit and transfer you to the reserved hotel.

4. What are the travel documents required when flying to Lhasa from Shanghai?

As a foreign tourist, before boarding your flight to Lhasa from Shanghai, you will need to hand your passport, Chinese Visa and the original Tibet Travel Permit for the check. The passport and Chinese Visa are the primary documents required for traveling to China from abroad. And the original Tibet Travel Permit, also called Tibet Visa, is the required document for all foreign tourists to enter to Lhasa and travel around Tibet. To avoid the troublesome application procedure, we can help to obtain your Tibet travel permit on behalf of you, please feel free to contact us for details.

5. What is the luggage allowance for flights from Shanghai to Lhasa?

Each piece of the check-in luggage should be no more than 50kg within the volume of 40x60x100cm. The free luggage allowance is 40kg for first class, 30 kg for business class, and 20 kg for economic class. It is suggested to attach your personal name or make a special mark on your luggage,

so that it will be easier to find it when disembarking. Besides, the carry-on baggage should be less than 10kg with the volume of 20x40x55cm. Except for first class passengers, each passenger can only take one piece of baggage with them onboard.

6. Will I suffer from altitude sickness when traveling to Tibet by flight?

When taking the flight to Tibet from Shanghai, you will go through dramatic altitude change from almost the sea level to over 3600 meters, in just several hours. Due to its high elevation in Lhasa, tourists may suffer from altitude sickness of different degrees, like headache, chest congestion, polypnea, nausea, emesis, insomnia etc. Usually, the symptoms of altitude sickness as mentioned above will gradually decrease after 1 to 2 days’ acclimation. So take it easy.

It is suggested to take some medicine, like Rhodiola Rosea, several days before you leave for Tibet. Do not get too excited and never rush to visit attractions shortly after your arrival in Lhasa. Stay quietly and drink more water. In this way, you will be less likely to suffer from acute altitude sickness.

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 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 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.