International Flights to Tibet
The only international flight route to Tibet is between Kathmandu in Nepal and Lhasa. All other flights to Tibet’s airports come from cities in China. The Kathmandu–Lhasa flight takes about an hour and a half, and there are one or two flights a day in the busy season.
If you are not starting in Nepal, fly to a major Chinese city such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, and take a domestic flight or the train to Lhasa from there.
Kathmandu to Lhasa
Air China and Sichuan Airlines fly from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport to Lhasa Gonggar Airport. The flight crosses the Himalayas, and on a clear day you can see Everest and other great peaks from the left side of the plane.
Flights usually leave Kathmandu around midday and arrive in Lhasa in the afternoon. Remember that Lhasa is 2 hours 15 minutes ahead of Kathmandu.
Lhasa to Kathmandu
Flights from Lhasa to Kathmandu usually leave in the late morning. Because the flight is so short, many travellers end a Tibet tour in Kathmandu, or begin a Tibet and Nepal tour there.
Documents for this route: to fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa you need a Chinese Group Visa, issued by the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu, and a Tibet Travel Permit. A Chinese visa from your home country cannot be used on this route. We arrange both documents with our partner in Kathmandu. Allow several working days in Kathmandu for the Group Visa.
Schedules: flight days and times change by season. We check the current flights when we plan your trip.
About Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport (KTM)
Tribhuvan International Airport is Nepal’s main international airport, about 6 km east of central Kathmandu. It has separate domestic and international terminals and flights to many cities in Asia and the Middle East. Taxis to Thamel take about 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
We answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday.