Nepal is now the only nation with global air links to Tibet, for being Tibet's nearest neighbor. Taking a Flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa is absolutely a good option for you which gives you a chance to see the great aerial views of Mt. Everest as you pass over it and it is advisable to choose your seats on the left side of the plane to enjoy the summit of Mt. Everest.
Overview of Kathmandu to Lhasa Flight
The only terminal that runs flights to and from Lhasa is the Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu. If you are traveling in a group, please book your Kathmandu to Lhasa flight together since you will share a document called China Group Visa.
In the past, two airlines offered non-stop flights. Generally, one-way costs USD 400 per individual. It ordinarily takes 90 minutes, for a flight distance of 600km. And now, the flights have not yet fully resumed. Three direct flights are available between Kathmandu and Lhasa on Mon/Wed/Fri per week. For other days, you may need to transit a flight in Chengdu. In that case, you'd better apply for a China visa in advance.
There's no train available between Kathmandu and Lhasa. Or you can opt for an overland tour that is a 1300km journey to Lhasa via Gyirong Port. It typically takes 7-8 days. If you want a quicker and more convenient way, go for the flights.
Kathmandu to Lhasa Flight Schedule and Price
If you don't wanna transfer to other cities, taking direct flights is best for you. Flying from Tribhuvan International Airport, the sole international airport in Nepal, to Lhasa Gonggar Airport will take about one and a half hours. Presently, there are three flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa per week, and vice versa. Besides, there are also some connecting flights between Lhasa and Kathmandu, with a stopover in Chengdu, Kunming, or Chongqing. Due to the large number of passengers in the peak tourism season(from July to September), booking flight tickets in advance(at least 20 days) is necessary. As soon as you arrive at the Lhasa Gonnggar Airport, your tour guide, private vehicle, and driver will greet you. Then, you can start your Tibet travel according to your pre-arranged itinerary.
Kathmandu to Lhasa flight route on Google map
Himalayan Airlines is the only flight operator at present. They execute 3 flights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Here are the latest flight schedules for 2024.
The Time Schedule of Flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Flight No.
Departure---Arrival
Duration
Frequency
Price
H9-774
09:55--13:30
KTM - LXA
1h 20m
Every alternate weekday
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
USD486
Economy Class
The Time Schedule of Flights from Lhasa to Kathmandu
Flight No.
Departure---Arrival
Duration
Frequency
Price
H9-775
14:15--13:35
LXA - KTM
1h 35m
Every alternate weekday
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
USD395
Economy Class
Discounted Flight Tickets from Kathmandu to Lhasa
In fact, flying to Lhasa from Kathmandu is not very cheap. But how can get a discounted flight ticket from Kathmandu to Lhasa? You’d better know about the following two ways. The first way is to plan a Tibet tour in the slack tourist season, nearly from November to April. During the low season, the price of the air ticket will be lower than the peak tourist season. The second way is to book your air ticket in advance. According to the survey, travelers who book the air ticket tens of days in advance can enjoy a favorable price than those who book the air ticket close to the departure.
View magnificent Mt.Everest on the flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Necessary Documents
The document you require to enter Tibet is different from mainland China. Instead of a normal Chinese Tourist Visa, you need to apply for a Group Chinese Tourist Visa, which requires an invitation letter from the Tibet Tourism Bureau. But now the Group Chinese Visa can't be issued to the solo traveler for the stipulation of participants of 4. And it takes 3 working days to process your China group visa application. So you need to have 4 travelers going together and stay 3 working days in Kathmandu for your group visa.
In addition, all travelers should get Tibet Entry Permits to enter Tibet and check in the hotel. If you sign up with a Travel Agency, they will take care of both your invitation letter and Tibet Entry Permit.
Getting to the Kathmandu Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport is about six kilometers away from Kathmandu. With normal traffic, it takes 15-20 min. by road. It is advisable to leave with a margin of at least an hour to reach the airport in case of unexpected incidents. There are two means of transportation that you can utilize. One is to take the shuttle bus. You can find it about 300 meters from the terminal outside of the airport. But it's not recommended unless you have very little luggage.
Then there are local taxis, which are barely managed and can be hailed from the street. They’re less comfortable, run without a meter and you should probably settle on a price beforehand. You can always bargain with them. As there are no adequately regulated prices or meters calculating the price, you might get charged hefty amounts. Usually, a taxi from the airport to Kathmandu city center costs about 200 rupees. At night, the cost of a taxi is more expensive than that during the day, and it is generally one-third or two-thirds more expensive. However, local taxi drivers are extremely cheerful and outgoing. Though not many of them speak English, they try their best to be chatty and interactive during the trip.
Conclusion
To sum up, you must be arranged in advance, either traveling from Kathmandu to Tibet or Mainland China to Tibet. As is known to us traveling by air is the most convenient and comfortable way of getting from Kathmandu to Tibet while the procedure of booking air tickets is not always straightforward. Choosing a reliable local travel agency is definitely a good idea by which you can ensure booking the tickets easily and fast. Great Tibet Tour, one of the leading local travel agencies in Tibet may meet your demand. We can provide you with excellent touring service and ticket booking as well as all supporting documents.
Hi, I am interested in processing Group Chinese Tourist visa for visiting Tibet in January 2025 from 22.1.2025 to 25.1.2025. We are 2 Indian citizens, 1 US, 1 UK and 1 Swiss.
Could you please send me the details.
Dear Vinu****,
Regarding the China Group Visa, tourists should book a Tibet tour with a local Tibet travel agency like us. We will prepare an official Invitation Letter and the tour itinerary for you. After you arrive in Kathmandu, you can apply for your China group visa with your ORIGINAL PASSPORT + 1 HEADSHOT, along with the Invitation Letter and tour itinerary at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Alternatively, you can entrust this process to our Nepali partner, who can take your passport and photo at your hotel and send back your China group visa with your passport at a service fee of USD15-20 p.p.
China Group visa application time is from 9:00-11:00 am on working days. It usually takes 3 working days which means you should stay in Kathmandu for at least three working days.
Up to now, the direct flight between Kathmandu and Lhasa departs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Hello,
we are Hungarian citizens and we would like to fly, 6 persons, direct from Katmandu to Lhasa. 15-day China visa-free policy applies to Hungarian tourists, too. The news, that we don't need group visa in Tibet, only the Tibet Permit is very recent. Can you confirm this news, please?
Thank you in advance!
Dear Mart****,
Regarding this news, the Tibet Tourism Bureau says tourists from Kathmandu to Tibet by direct flight or by road are required to apply for a China Group Visa including the 15/30 days China visa-free tourists.
Diana Verboom
Hi! We are going to hike in nepal in May and want to visit China in June. We arrive the 3rd of May in Kathmandu. We are looking for a way to tour through tibet and take the train in lhasa to further visit mainland china, is this possible in your opinion with an tour of yours to start with?
Dear Dian****,
We can arrange a Tibet tour in June for you. You can take a connecting flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa via Chengdu. After the Tibet tour, you can take a train to visit mainland China.
Paul Berger
I am in Kathmandu for next few months. I was interested in a trip to Tibet. Are flights running between Nepal and Tibet? I would like a custom tour to see Buddhist monasteries.
Now, the direct flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa has not resumed yet but the connected flights via Chengdu are available. If the direct flight is resumed, I'll let you know.
Jose Pacheco
Hi. I am planning to be in Kathmandu next year (possibly December) and would like to visit Tibet. Ideally, I would be taking a flight to Lhasa and then taking your tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu, or viceversa, taking the tour to Lhasa and then flying back to Kathmandu. I have searched for flights to/from Lhasa and Kathmandu and have found nothing. Could you advise? I've seen several articles saying there are direct flights that take 1.5hrs, but have not been able to find those anywhere.
Dear Jose****,
As per your request, we can arrange a Tibet-Kathmandu tour for you in Dec. 2024.
The direct flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa hasn't resumed yet, but connecting flights via mainland China are available. What's your idea? I can recommend the tour accordingly!
Soheil khodadadfar
Hello
We are 2 person
We want visiting lhasa between 8 to 11 of July
Katmandu to lhasa and return
Dear Soheil, Currently, Tibet has not yet opened to international tourists living outside of China. So I'm afraid the visit this July is not applicable. When Tibet opens, we can arrange your flights, as well as your trip if you want.
Y k chandra
I am planning Lhasa and base camp tour , is lot of trekking involved as I am 62 years, and how much it costs. And request itinerary for this tour
Dear Y k Chandra, Thank you for sending us an inquiry! This is Catherine from Great Tibet Tour at your service. Great Tibet Tour is a local tour operator based in Lhasa, Tibet. It was founded in 2005 and recommended by Lonely Planet as one of the best reputed local Tibet travel agencies. We specialize in arranging Tibet travel for foreigners, as well as other parts of China & Nepal. In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have Lhasa and Base Camp Tour. I would suggest 8 Days Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Group Tour for you. All attractions can be reached by car, thus, you don't have to do trekking. Here is the itinerary. If you like this itinerary, I will provide a quotation in my next email. By the way, when do you prefer to have this tour? Because the tour price varies over time.
Renu Bahadur Thapa
Hi,
When will direct to and fro flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa likely to resume.
Thank you
RB Thapa
Dear RB Thapa, The flights might resume next spring, as China-Nepal border will open to tourists at that time. By the way, due to Tibet's unique background, apart from your Passports, all foreign tourists allowed to enter Tibet from Kathmandu must have a China Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit, which means every group, even a one-participant one, must be accompanied by a travel-licensed guide & vehicle touring along with the prearranged time & route. As a local Tibet travel agency, we can help you handle both of the documents.
Migle Abromaviciute
Dear Great TIbet Tour Team, I'm planning to travel to TIbet in June 2022 for around 10 days with my boyfriend. However I can't find any flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa. I don't mind which airline to choose - would you able to guide me how to find these flights? Best wishes, Migle
Dear Migle, Usually there's one flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa operated by Sichuan Airline or Air China. But the China border has not yet opened, so this flight route is not applicable for the time being. When it gets back to normal, you can choose the daily flight. By the way, due to Tibet's unique background, apart from your Passports, all foreign tourists allowed to enter Tibet from Kathmandu must have a China Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit, which means every group, even a one-participant one, must be accompanied by a travel-licensed guide & vehicle touring along with the prearranged time & route. As a local Tibet travel agency, we can help you handle both of the documents.
Austin Ohnmacht
I'm looking for a round trip flight from kathmandu to lhasa in june. Please let me know
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have a round trip flying from Kathmandu to Lhasa in June. I recommend the 8 Days Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Group Tour for you, which is the most popular tour. You can take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa and then join the tour. The flights are easy to book at booking.com, so you can book them by yourself, or we can book them for you.
However, Tibet is still temporarily closed to foreign travelers due to the current health crisis. The flight is also halted. It would probably open in the second half of the year. Yet, the Tibet tour booking is open. Travelers can pre-plan their Tibet tour for a later date, and enjoy a price reduction of early booking.