Tibet has been a very special and unique destination for most religious people, ranging from Hinduism and Jainism to Buddhism for thousands of years. As a result, lots of people come to Tibet because it’s the place where their shared religion once originates from. In a word, they come to Tibet to get closer to their spirituality.
Many Indian pilgrims fly to Tibet because of their religious faiths. You can take the flight to Tibet from Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport and reach Lhasa Gonggar Airport in this way if you want to fly to Tibet from India. The fight cost from Delhi to Lhasa is 67,725 Indian Rupees or 7,187 CNY on average. There are currently no direct flights from India to Tibet. You can fly to Lhasa via Kathmandu or via major cities in mainland China.
India to Tibet via Nepal
From India to Kathmandu, then get to Lhasa from Kathmandu is another way to fly to Tibet from India which is quite an easy and popular travel route. Because India and Nepal borders on land and the flight route are short, Indian travelers have a lower flying cost. Also because there is a visa-free travel policy between the two countries, Indian citizens can enter Nepal by holding their ID cards. Therefore, Nepal is the preferred gateway for Indian passport holders to enter Tibet. You can reach Kathmandu in two ways – either by flight or by road.
Delhi and Other Cities to Kathmandu
There are seven direct flights from Delhi to Kathmandu. The time that is taken to reach Kathmandu by plane is about one hour and forty-five minutes. The cost is approximately US$90, which is approximately 6,538 Rupees. However, the connecting flights are going to cost you nearly 6 hours and 40 minutes.
Besides Delhi, Kathmandu can also be reached from Ahmadabad, Goa, Bengaluru Varanasi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. But direct flights are only available from Varanasi, and Mumbai to Kathmandu. The average cost of flights from Mumbai to Kathmandu is 10,240 rupees or 1,086 CNY while that from Delhi is 6,538 rupees or 693 CNY. What makes the price so different? The flight distance from Mumbai to Kathmandu is 1,590km, while the flight distance from Delhi to Kathmandu is just 813km.
And there’re high-frequency direct/connecting flights from the above cities to Kathmandu, among which most of the connecting flights have a layover in Delhi. Here’re the details from India to Kathmandu by road or by flight.
- Delhi(DEL): 1,174.4km by road; Non-stop flight for 1hr 45min;
- Ahmedabad (AMD): 1,871.9 km by road; 5h 50m duration by flight, 1 stop;
- Goa (GOI): 2,348.1 km by road; 7h 35m duration by flight, 2 stops;
- Bengaluru (BLR): 2,383.7 km by road; 6h 15m duration by flight, 1 stop;
- Varanasi (VNS): 498.9 km by road; Non-stop flying time is 55 minutes;
- Mumbai(BOM): 1,999.6 km by road; Non-stop flight duration is 2 hours 35 minutes; the average cost is 10,240 Rupees or 1,086 CNY; flights are available every day;
- Hyderabad(HYD): 1,792.4 km by road; 5h 55m duration by flight, 1 stop at DEL;
- Kolkata(CCU): 875.9 km by road; 24h 40min duration by flight, 1 stop at DEL;
So if possible, you are suggested to fly to Delhi first as there’re multiple planes to Kathmandu almost every single day. In addition, the services of the flights are extremely fantastic, offering different kinds of mocktails and delicacies for your choice. The flight tickets can be booked from online websites of tourism or ask us for help.
Kathmandu – Tibet
Nepal is the only country that operates direct flights to Lhasa. There are two direct flights, namely, CA408 (12:10-16:00) operated by China Airlines and 3U8720 (11:30-15:10) operated by Sichuan Airlines. Each flight runs every other day. If you want to specify an airline, please check in advance.
The cost is about US$300 or 22,069 Rupees. The flight time is about one and a half hours for a 570km journey. It is said that the best days to book a plane ticket from Kathmandu to Lhasa are Tuesdays and Saturdays because of the lower fare. >>Check more about Kathmandu to Lhasa flights
Delhi to Tibet via Major Chinese Cities
It is feasible to travel from Delhi to Tibet by flight through mainland Chinese cities. There are frequent flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to the major Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. At the same time, there’re connecting flights that are operated by several different airlines to more than 100 different airports across China. Some airfare comparison websites provide competitive prices for your choice. So it’s better to choose your most suitable departure airport.
Delhi to Tibet via Chengdu
Delhi – Chengdu
Distance: 2600 kilometers / 1616 miles.
Average flight time: 4 hours 45 minutes/direct flight – 18 hours 10 minutes/transfer
The recommended flight is IndiGo Airlines (21:40-04:55). The flight costs about US$232 and takes about 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Chengdu – Lhasa
For the second half of the flight journey, you have multiple choices as there’re more than 15 daily flights from Chengdu to Lhasa. Almost all depart from Sichuan Shuangliu International Airport and land in Lhasa Gonggar Airport after 2 hours 20 minutes.
The cheapest flight is Air China CA4405 (06:15-08:40). The full fare is 1400 CNY or 15,650 Rupees per way, plus the airport construction fee of 60 CNY, the total fare is 1,460 CNY or 16,320 Rupees. >>Check more about Chengdu-Lhasa flights
Delhi to Tibet via Beijing
Delhi – Beijing
Distance: 3775.56 kilometers / 2346.02 miles.
Average flight time: 10 hours 30 minutes / direct flight) – 32 hours 40 minutes / transfer:
The recommended flight is Air China CA948 (22:40-11:40). The flight costs about US$580 and takes about 10 hours and 30 minutes.
Beijing – Lhasa
For the second half of the flight journey, you have three choices. They all depart from Beijing Capital International Airport T3. The departure times are 07:35, 08:15, and 14:50 respectively.
The full fare is 3,260 CNY or 36,658 Rupees per way, plus the airport construction fee and fuel cost of 60 CNY, the total fare is 3,320 CNY or 37,332 Rupees, and the annual discount is very small. >>Check more about Beijing-Lhasa flights
Delhi to Tibet via Shanghai
New Delhi – Shanghai
Distance: 4,245.53 kilometers / 2,638.05 miles.
Average flight time: 6 hours 10 minutes/direct flight – 24 hours 55 minutes/transfer:
The recommended flight is Air India AI348 (11:55-20:20). The flight cost is about US$400 and it takes about 6 hours.
Shanghai – Lhasa
For the second half of your flight journey, there are two choices, one flight MU2335 (06:45-14:40) in the morning takes off from Pudong Airport T1, and the afternoon flight (TV9882 16:45-23:25) from Hongqiao Airport T2 terminal take off.
The price of each one-way ticket is 3,360 CNY, and the airport construction fee and fuel cost are 60 CNY, totaling 3,420 CNY per ticket. >>Check more about Shanghai to Lhasa flights
Delhi to Tibet via Guangzhou
Delhi – Guangzhou
Distance: 3,640.84 kilometers / 2262.31 miles.
Average flight time: 5 hours 5 minutes/direct flight – 27 hours 30 minutes/transfer
The recommended flight is China Southern Airlines CZ360 (00:05-07:15), the flight cost is about US$520 or 38,246 Rupees, and it takes about 5 hours and 5 minutes.
Guangzhou – Lhasa
There is only one flight from Guangzhou to Lhasa a day. China Southern Airlines CZ3463 (08:25-14:40) takes off from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport T2.
The face price of each one-way ticket is 2,930 CNY, and the airport construction fee is 60 CNY, totaling 2,990 CNY. >>Check more about Guangzhou to Lhasa flights
Tibet Visa/Permit for Indian People
To take the flight from India to Tibet, it is necessary to prepare some entry documents in advance, like a China Visa, China Group Visa, and Tibet Travel Permit, etc. It depends on the situation.
