Travelers can take a flight to Lhasa from Xing. There are usually two flights each day. It takes only about 2.5 hours to get to the holy city Lhasa. We suggest you take morning flight so that you can get to Lhasa in the afternoon, and have enough time to adjust yourself to the high altitude and air pressure.
| Flight Number | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3U8687 | 09:45am | 12:10am | 3hrs 25mins |
| 3U8901 | 11:50am | 14:25pm | 2hrs 35mins |
The above flight info is just for reference only. You can contact us for the updated flight schedules, ticket availabilities, price and other info.
Xining is the closest inner mainland China city to Tibet as well as known as the starting point of the world’s highest railway – Qinghai Tibet Railway. It is the most important transfer hub for train travel to Tibet because there are many transfers from other cities, such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou, usually get to Xining first for a short visit and acclimation, then board a train to Tibet.
As all the trains to Tibet will join together at Xining, travelers always have a flexible choice of train schedules. Currently, there are 5 trains which depart from Xining or run passing by Xining to Lhasa. Z21 from Beijing, Z164 from Shanghai and Z264 from Guangzhou collect passengers at Xing Railway Station every day in a stop time of around 15 minutes. The rest 2 available trains may from Chengdu (Z322), Chongqing (Z223), Lanzhou (Z917) and Xining (Z6801) which all only depart at every other day.
| Train Number | Departure | Arrival | Duration | Riding Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z6801(Xining-Lhasa) | 14:01 | 11:20 | 21hrs 19mins | every other day |
| Z917(Lanzhou-Lhasa) | 14:01 | 11:20 | 21hrs 19mins | every other day |
| Z21(Beijing-Lhasa) | 15:21 | 12:26 | 21hrs 5mins | daily |
| Z165(Shanghai-Lhasa) | 21:27 | 19:30 | 21hrs 15mins | daily |
| Z323(Chengdu-Lhasa) | 12:26 | 09:55 | 21hrs 29mins | every other day |
| Z223(Chongqing-Lhasa) | 12:27 | 9:55 | 21hrs 28mins | every other day |
| Z265(Guangzhou-Lhasa) | 19:31 | 16:19 | 21hrs 48mins | every other day |
Note:
1. Due to the limited supply of Tibet train ticket, we are sorry about not offering the ticket-only service.
2. Because the Tibet train tickets are quite popular, especially in peak seasons (from July to October), please make your enquiry at least 3-6 months before your departure date.
As a common practice, we will deliver your Tibet travel permit to your hotel in Xining by express, 1-7 days prior to your departure for Lhasa. It is common to get the permit even the night or a couple of hours before your departure to Tibet. In some extreme cases, our staff in Xining will deliver it to your hand before departure at airport or railway station. As a Tibet travel agency, we have never failed to get and deliver the Tibet travel permit to our clients. Please feel rest-assured.
If you take a flight to Lhasa from Xining, the original copy is required, while if getting to Lhasa from Xining by train, a printed copy is enough. Your travel consultant will handle with it perfectly according to the situation.
The Tourism Bureau only accepts the permit application that is used to arrive in Tibet within 20 days. Generally, it takes 6-12 working days to issue the permit after we get the photo copy of your passport and Chinese visa. The application time depends on where you travel in Tibet, about 8-12 days to get the permit if heading to Mt.Everest and Mount Kailash, and just 6-8 days if you only travel in Lhasa City.
After we get the permit in Lhasa, we will deliever the permit to you immediately by express, and it takes at least 3 days to arrive in Xining. Therefore, you will only be able to get the permit within 1 to 7 days before your departure for Lhasa.
However, your personal consultant usually ask you to confirm the tour much earlier, because the earlier you provide all the required documents, the earlier we can submit to Tibet Tourism Bureau and wait for your turn.