Urumqi Kashgar Ngari Flights - Route, Schedule, Fares, Permit, Ticket Booking 2024

Why take flight to Ngari from Urumqi or Kashgar

1. As the capital of Xinjiang, Urumqi is a big city that can be reached by several international flights from some other countries directly, including Kyrgyzstan, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan etc..

2. Urumqi Ngari Flight with a stopover at Kashgar is the only flight connecting Xinjiang and Tibet. It takes only 4hrs 10mins to Ngari from Urumqi and 1.5hrs from Kashgar, saving much time and money than complicated transfer.

3. Urumqi is a beautiful city with diverse culture, featured architecture of modern & ethnic, frisky dancing party etc. The natural view around Urumqi is also breathtaking, like glittering glacier, pure lakes, and colorful bay and so on.

4. Kashgar Prefecture is worthy of a short sightseeing as well. The old city of Kashgar has been called “the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia”. You can also pay a visit to Id Kah Mosque – the largest mosque in China, Tomb of Afaq Khoja – holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang and Sunday Market – the biggest markdet in central Asia.

Heaven Lake in Urumqi

Id Kah Mosque

Urumqi and Kashgar Ngari Flights Schedules

There are about two flights between Urumqi and Ngari via Kashgari. It takes about 2h to get to Kashgar from Urmqi, and then 1.5 hours to Ngari after 45 minutes’ stop at Kashgar. The whole journey takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes. The two flights are operated by Lucky Air.

Check following table for details about Urumqi Ngari Flight schedules and fares to decide which to choose.

Important Notice: 1) Above flight schedules and fares are only for reference, please contact us to catch up on the latest information. But we usually will keep them updated; 2) The airlines companies usually will cut down the flight schedules during winter and spring seasons. There may be no daily flight in some months.

About Urumqi Diwopu International Airport

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (IATA: URC, 乌鲁木齐地窝堡国际机场) is one of China’s major hub and gateway cities to the Central Asia, West Asia and European. As a 4E-level airport, Urumqi Diwopu has handled over 20 million people and become one of the busiest airports in China in the year of 2016. There are three terminals in Diwopu Airport, and you need to get to the terminal 1 to board the flight to Ngari.

With several times’ extension, Urumqi Diwopu International Airport has been running 99 domestic air routes with 53 cities and 14 international air routes with several foreign countries.

International Flights to Urumqi

So far travelers can take flights to Urumqi directly from following destinations:

1) Europe (Moscow, Novosibrisk, St Pertersburg, Novosibirsk)

2) Middle East (Dubai, Sharjah, Teharan)

3) West Asia (Tbilisi)

4) Central Asia (Almaty, Astana, Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Islamabad)

5) Other region (Taipei)

Domestic Flights to Urumqi

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is connected with many cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Changsha, Wuhan, Xining, Chongqing, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Kunming, Lanzhou, Qingdao, Zhengzhou etc.

Transfer to/off Urumqi Diwopu Airport

Located in the 18km northwest of Urumqi city, the airport can be reached by public bus or driving. Calling a taxi may takes about half an hour and costs nearly 50 CNY. To save your time and energy, we suggest you book a tour from with TibetDiscovery. Our driver and tour guide will accompany you to the airport directly.

About Kashgar Airport

Kashgar Airport (IATA: KHG, 喀什机场) is a 4E - level airport built in 1953. It serves for Boeing 747-400 (or below) typed airbus. Small as it is, Kashgar Airport fully offers flights service as well as food, drinks, accommodation and shopping. There is no international flight connecting Kashi. However, you can take a domestic flight to Kashgar from several Chinese cities, like Chengdu, Xian, Urumqi, Korla, Aksu, Hotan etc.

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport

About Ngari Gunsa Airport

Ngari Gunsa Airport is located in 45km southwest Shiquanhe Town of Ngari. Because of its high altitude of 4,274km, people honored Ngari as the roof of “the Roof of the World”. It was a challenging project to build such an airport and it took about four years to finish it. This airport is one of the high plateau airports which are able to serve the takeoff and landing of the High-plateau-typed airplanes.

Ngari Gunsa Airport cannot be reached by international flights directly, and you have to make a transfer in other cities of China. At present, it is only directly connected with Lhasa and Urumqi (Kashgar). There is daily flight from Lhasa to Ngari, taking about 2 hours. If you want travel from Beijing, Chengdu and Xian to Ngari, you must transfer at Lhasa.

Transfer to/off Ngari Gunsa Airport

Ngari Gunsa Airport is 200km (about 4.5 hours driving) away from Darchen – the starting point of pilgrimage around Mt. Kailash . Since Ngari is still a remote area without convenient transportation, renting a car is always the most popular means for Chinese independent travelers. For foreign friends, you have to travel with a local agency and use a local car.

Ngari Gunsa Airport

Tibet Travel Permit and Flight Travel

A Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit) is the MUST-DOCUMENT to take a flight to Tibet. It is firstly needed to book flight at the airport. When you check in and check out the airports, the original Tibet Travel Permit also will be checked. Please remember to duplicate at least 3 copies of Tibet Travel Permit because the permits are required for many occasions. The permit can only be issued in Tibet by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, and also can be only applied by travel agency behalf of travelers. It needs about 15~20 days to obtain the permit.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit

1. Contact us to work out and confirm an itinerary in Tibet;

2. Send us the scanned copies of your passport, and provide an available address in China(hotel or local agency) to receive your permit;

3. We apply for the Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa;

4. Once the permit is issued, we will send the scanning copy of permit by Email.

>> Learn more detail about Tibet Travel Permit Application

Tibet Border Pass

When you travel to Ngari, either by flight or by road, you need to have Border Pass (also called Frontier Pass) in hands. It is issued by Armed Police Tibet Frontier Crops in Lhasa. Just as Tibet Travel Permit, the scanning copy of Tibet Board Pass will be checked before you board the airplane or leave the airport. TibetDiscovery could help you to apply Border Pass as well. Send us your copy of passport, tour itinerary, copy of your China Visa and copy of Tibet Travel Permit 20 days before your Tibet Tour, we can obtain this pass for you and send the scanning copy to you.

>> Learn more details about Tibet Border Pass

Military Permit

Visiting Ngari (Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Guge kingdom Site and so on), only the Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass are not enough, and Military Permit is also a must. Military Permit is issued by the Military office in Lhasa, and can only be obtained by travel agency as well. Because of the long procedure to get this permit, you should provide your scanning copy of valid passport and visa to us at least 20 days before you leaving for Ngari.

>> Learn more details about Military Permit

Tibet Travel Permit

Tibet Board Pass

Military Permit

Xinjiang Tibet Flight Travel Ideas

Before Ngari Gunsa Airport was opened, it was rather time-consuming and tired to have an Urumqi Ngari tour. Tourists have to take a connected flight to Lhasa from Urumqi with a transfer in China's other regions and then drive at least two days from Lhasa to Ngari. After your Ngari tour, you have to drive back to Lhasa again and leave for your next destination. With the Urumqi Ngari Flight, the Xinjiang Tibet tour becomes much easier. There have two ideas to plan a Xinjiang Tibet Flight.

Route One: Urumqi – Ngari – Lhasa

You can take a direct flight from Urumqi to Ngari first. It is recommended to spend four days on a kora around Mount Kailash and a visit to the holy Lake Manasarovar. Then drive to Lhasa via Shigatse. With a stay in Shigastse, you could visit Tashilhunpo Monastery – the former site of Panchen Lama. After your Lhasa City tour, you could fly to other destination in China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian etc. You can also leave for Kathmandu directly by flight from Lhasa.

Note: This route is for those tourists who have experience on traveling in high plateau and are always free from High Altitude Sickness.

Route Two: Lhasa – Ngari – Urumqi

This tour is suitable for everybody. You can get to Lhasa easily from China's other cities by flight or train. Then drive to Ngari via Shigatse. After that, have a Ngari tour and leave for Urumqi by flight. The average altitude of Lhasa is just 3565m and you will have several days to acclimatitze yourself the higher altitude gradually.

Useful Notes on Tibet Flight Travel

1. Necessary documents required to take a flight to/off Tibet

- Chinese visa is always needed no matter you are taking a flight or a train to Tibet. The office man in the airport will check your Chinese visa when your go to board the plane.

- The passport will be needed for many situations: booking flight ticket, checking in flight, checking in hotel, checking in the Border Station in Tibet, etc. Make sure your passport is valid and original.

- Original Tibet Travel Permit is required to board the plane.

2. How to book flight ticket?

The flight ticket can be booked at online websites, such as Booking.com, Expedia, Ctrip, Qunar, etc. You can also buy the ticket from the airports in China or flight resellers. You are also welcomed to let us book your flight. We are always keeping up with the latest flight news and usually can book the ticket at a cheaper price. During summer and autumn, it is usually difficult to book the flights to Lhasa. While using our booking service, we will not only book the ticket, but also arrange a valuable tour package.

3. When is the best time to fly to Tibet?

Generally speaking, months from April to October are recommended for traveling in Tibet. Other months are usually very cold, and possibly have heavy snow, especially in regions like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Namtso Lake, etc. The flights schedules are also more frequent during April to October. During December to March, the airline companies will cut down the flight schedules, usually from daily weekly, even to none. But top cities like Chengdu and Beijing still operate daily flights during the shoulder season. It is recommended to take the morning flight so that you can get to Lhasa before late afternoon, and have enough time to acclimatize yourself to the altitude and thin air in Lhasa. The morning flights also cut down the risk that your flights would be delayed or canceled.

4. Apart from Urumqi, where can I also take a flight to Tibet?

Apart from Urumqi, you can also fly to Tibet from Chengdu, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai Chongqing, Kunming, Xining, Guangzhou, Shanggri-La etc.

5. International flights to Tibet

So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa Flight. During summer days, there are daily direct flights operated, sometimes two flights and sometimes just one flight. Only Air China and Sichuan Airlines are operating the Kathmandu-Lhasa flights. To take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, one will need a Group Visa , Tibet Travel Permit and Border Pass.

6. What else airport I can fly to except for Ngari Gunsa Airport?

Tibet has five airports in total. Besides Ngari Airport, you can also take a flight to Lhasa, Shigatse, Nyingchi, and Qamdo. But only certain cities in China operate flights to these smaller cities except for Lhasa.

- Lhasa - there are over 20 daily nonstop flights connecting Lhasa with other cities, including Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xian, Xiahe, Yushu etc.

- Shigatse - there is daily flight flying between Chengdu and Shigatse each day. The airport name is Shigatse Peace Airport, which is about 46km from Shigatse city.

- Nyingchi - Chengdu usually offers 4 morning flights to Nyingchi Milin Airport. While its neighboring city Chongqing also has 3 morning flights to Nyingchi each day. If you travel from Nyingchi to Lhasa, you are recommended to take a flight to Nyingchi firstly from Chengdu or Chongqing. It is also available to fly out Tibet directly from Nyingchi.

- Qamdo - Both Chongqing and Chengdu operate a daily flight to Qamdo in Tibet. But there are few travelers have chosen this line because Qamdo is not a popular tourist destination in Tibet.

7. The regulation on the luggage allowance on the plane

8. Will my kids get a discounted flight ticket?

Kids aging 2 to 12 years old (including 12) will get a discount of 50% of the full price of the flight fare. If an adult take a flight to Ngari from Urumqi with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 2590 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 1295 CNY. The child also doesn’t have to pay for Airport Construction Fee while the adult has to. Infant under 2 years old only has to pay 10% of the full price, but the separate seat is not provided.

9. How do I collect (receive) the flight ticket?

Since most flight tickets are booked online, so firstly you will receive an e-ticket. You will change a paper ticket when you check in your flight at a counter in the airport.