Lhasa Transportation Information

Lhasa Transportation Information – Air Transportation

To save more time in Lhasa rather than on the train, a large number of tourists planning a Tibet tour would like to enter into Tibet by air. Chengdu is one of the most popular entry cities of Tibet for it is relatively closer to Tibet. The direct flight between Chengdu and Lhasa is available everyday. Recently, the Lhasa-Chengdu-Shenzhen flight is opened and tourists planning to enter into Tibet from Chengdu have one more choice. In addition, the direct flight between Lhasa and Guangzhou, Xining, Chongqing, XiAn, Shanghai and Beijing are also available.

Lhasa Gonggar Airport is located in Gonggar County, about 98 kilometers away from Lhasa City. The shuttle bus between the airport and Lhasa City is available. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the downtown from the airport. Tourists making a Tibet tour should note that the shuttle bus is only available during 6:30-7:30 a.m., 8:00-8:30 a.m., 9:30-10:30 a.m., and 13:00-13:30 a.m.

Lhasa Transportation Information – Railway Transportation

Railway transportation has been the choice for a large quantity of tourists making a Tibet tour after the opening of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Though it is pretty time consuming to enter into Tibet by train from other domestic cities of China, tourists would have the chance to enjoy the fascinating natural landscapes along the railway. The direct trains between Lhasa and Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Lanzhou and XiAn have been opened.

With an altitude of more than 3600 meters, Lhasa Railway Station is located in Duilong Deqen County, about 20 kilometers away from Lhasa City. It takes less than half an hour to get to the downtown from the railway station since the road condition is pretty good.

Lhasa Transportation Information – Highway Transportation

Currently, there are totally four highways heading toward Lhasa, including the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. Besides, there is an international highway heading toward Nepal called Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway.

Tourists planning a Tibet tour through Qinghai-Tibet Highway could enjoy a series of amazing natural sceneries, such as the endless prairie, salt lake, gobi desert and high mountains. But the high altitude at Kunlun Mountain Pass and Tanggula Mountain Pass require tourists to make a good preparation to deal with the possible altitude sickness.

Sichuan-Tibet Highway enjoys magnificent natural landscapes and mountains and rivers. The picturesque snow mountains and primitive forests would always leave tourists deep impression. But the road condition is pretty limited and challenging. Tourists planning to enter into Tibet through this highway have to conquer numerous dangerous big turns. Sichuan-Tibet Highway has been the choice for tourists especially interested in adventure.

The period between August and October is the best season to drive a vehicle along Yunnan-Tibet Highway. Some sections on this highway would always blocked by various natural disasters, such as collapse and debris flow in the rainy season. It is hard to travel along Xinjiang-Tibet Highway in spring and winter for the road is always blocked by the heavy snow or frozen. The period between May and October is the best season to make a Tibet tour through the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. Cold-proof clothes, solid food and commonly used medicines should always be prepared to deal with the limited condition along the highway.