Tibet travel guide

Shigatse Peace Airport

Shigatse Peace Airport is Tibet’s second gateway by air, about an hour from Shigatse city and the road to Everest.

Airport Brief Facts

Codes	IATA: RKZ, ICAO: ZURK
Chinese name	日喀则和平机场
Altitude	3,782 m
Distance to Shigatse city	about 45 km
Main connection	Chengdu

Construction History

Shigatse Peace Airport was first built as a military airfield. Work started in 1968, but for many years it was not open to passenger flights. After a large rebuilding project, it opened to civil flights in October 2010, when an Airbus A319 landed at 3,782 m.

Airport Facilities

The airport has a small, modern terminal and a long runway, built long because aircraft need more distance to take off and land in thin air. Flying here is demanding because of the altitude and changing mountain weather, so the airport uses advanced navigation systems.

Location and Transportation

The airport is about 45 km from Shigatse city, about 45 minutes to an hour by car. If you travel with us, your guide and driver meet you at the airport.

Flights

Most flights to Shigatse come from Chengdu, and a few other routes run in some seasons. There are only a few flights a day, and fewer in winter, so most visitors still fly into Lhasa and drive to Shigatse. We check the current schedule when we plan your trip.

Altitude reminder: Shigatse airport is higher than Lhasa. If you fly straight here from a low city, take it very easy on the first day: walk slowly, drink water and rest.