How to Get There?

There are many ways to get Tibet, depending on how quickly you want to get there and how adventurous you choose to be.

Getting to Tibet by Plane

Most tourists will want to go to Tibet by plane. Flights are available to Gongkar airport, 95km (59mi) from Lhasa, from Beijing, Chengdu (with daily departure), Chongqing, Xining, Chamdo, Xi'an, Zhongdian, and Kathmandu. Click on the following link to for full flight timetables (opens a new page):

Full Flight Timetable in and out of Lhasa

Chengdu is the most important hub for flights going to and from Tibet. There are at least two flights form Chengdu to Lhasa EVERYDAY. Flights to Tibet from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, all go through Chengdu. Chengdu offers several tourist attractions, including its world-famous Giant Panda Bears, the Ancient Sanxingdui Ruins, and the "Terracotta Warriors No. 2" (The more well-known Terracotta Warriors are in Xian). We recommend staying overnight in Chengdu to take advantage of these attractions.

Flights going to Lhasa from Chengdu all leave very early in the morning. The planes are all Airbus A340s, so expect a comfortable flight. Remember to look out the window! Along the way you'll be treated to breathtaking views of Tibet's snow-capped mountains.

On the way to Lhasa, the plane flew ever soooo closely to the snow capped mountains, so close that I could almost touch the peaks! Never have I seen so many mountain peaks at an altitude of over 7000 meters concentrated in a single location! Yes, Tibet has numerous of them! It was quite an exhilarating experience even if I only got to see it from the inside of the plane.

-- by Sharrie

Drive to Tibet in 4 Wheel Vehicles!

For the adventurous, driving a 4 wheel-drive vehicle to Tibet provides an incredible experience that you will be remember for the rest of your life. It is a difficult route, not for the faint of heart!

You can drive to Tibet via 5 routes:

Sichuan (Chengdu) to Lhasa : 2159 kilometers to 2407 km
Yunnan (Kunming) to Lhasa: 2317 kilometers
Qinghai (Xining) to Lhasa: 1947 kilometers
Xinjiang (Yecheng) to Lhasa: 2743 kilometers
Kathmandu to Lhasa

The Qinghai and Kathmandu ("friendship highway") routes are the most accessible. We do not recommend any of the other routes unless you are a ‘professional driver’, equipped with all the necessary gear and backup support.

Access Tibet Tour operates 4 wheel driving tours to Tibet. If you would like the real adventure of driving all the way up to the rooftop of the world, please click here to contact us .

Travel to Tibet by Train

A modern train runing on the Qinghai-Tibet railway going to Lhasa

First time for the Tibetans taking a train on the roof of the world

It is now possible to go to Tibet by train via the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world's highest altitude railway. While traveling to Tibet by train takes much longer than by plane, you will be witness to thousands of miles of the most stunning landscapes in the world, rolling by outside your window.

>>> Click here to go to the Train to Tibet page.

An important tip: Buy guide books for Tibet before you go!