Why Take Flight to Lhasa from Yushu (玉树)
1. Yushu Batang Airport(玉树巴塘机场)provides 3-6 flights to Lhasa every day. Most of the flights are connected by different airlines which means one needs to transfer in Chengdu or Xining. There is only 1 non-stop flight running from Yushu to Lhasa on each Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun. Basically, the Yushu (玉树) to Lhasa air ticket is cheaper than Xining.
2. It costs about 21 hrs for tourist in Qinghai Province to Lhasa by taking the Qinghai Tibet Trains. Besides, extra transfer and journey time to Xining from Yushu are needed. But the time spent on direct flight is 1h 25mins only.
3. Yushu (玉树) is well connected with several popular destinations in China. Tourist in Lhasa, Beijing, Chengdu, Xian and Xining have accessible flights can take. You can link all the destinations of China in a much better convenient route.
4. Located in the east part of Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Qinghai Yushu was an important city of Tang Tibet Ancient Road. The local Tibetan customs, attractions, art and culture make Yushu another special sightseeing place similar to Tibet regions.
5. If you plan to have a further travel in Qinghai Province, many direct flights between Xining and Yushu (玉树) offer much convenience for you. Since Xining is a portal point, later you can start from Xining to Lhasa by train/flight straightly or to any major cities in China
Yushu (玉树) Lhasa Flights Schedules
Totally, there are around 3 to 6 flights from Yushu to Lhasa regularly. The only 1 nonstop flight operated by China Eastern Airlines runs four days every week, no flights are scheduled on each Tus, Thu and Sat. Tourist will just spend 1h 25mins on flying to Lhasa Tibet. Nearly all the connecting flights need to transfer in main hub airports in Chengdu or Xian, and some flights will arrive in Lhasa in the late evening, even the second day.
Yushu (玉树) to Lhasa Flight Timetable
The non-stop flight MU5281 of China Eastern Airlines departs in the morning and lands about 1h 25mins later. Scheduled date is good for your rest and acclimation to high altitude sickness. Spare enough time to sleep, packing and transport to the Yushu Airport. You can have your breakfast before boarding or take some snacks, enjoy your lunch after landing in Lhasa.
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 Yushu Batang Airport
Yushu Batang Airport (YUS—玉树巴塘机场), also called Yushu Airport (玉树机场) , is a domestic feeder airport located in Batang Grassland Yushu City Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest of Qinghai Province. The airport is the third civil aviation airport in Qinghai after Xining and Golmud Airports. Because its location in Qinghai Tibet Plateau, the Yushu Airport at the elevation of 3,950m (12,959 ft) becomes the 4th highest civil airport in China. The Yushu Airport is about 23 km to the down town area. Airport bus and taxi are both available.
Until now, the Yushu Airport has opened domestic flight routes to Beijing, Lhasa, Chengdu, Xian and Xining. Tourist originating from those cities can take direct flights to proceed your China tour. Compared with Xining, Yushu Airport owns less frequent flights, but with lower ticket price. Flying from Yushu to Lhasa can be your alternative choice in Qinghai if you happen to be in Yushu.
Domestic Flights to Yushu (玉树)
Yushu is the most concentrated Tibetan area in Qinghai Province with about 93% population of Tibetan. Its shares similar Tibetan culture, but is barely known to outside world. Thus, only very few people go to tour Yushu when compared to Xining, capital of Qinghai Province. So there are just several domestic flight routes to some southern and western cities in China.
If you are interested in Yushu, you can take the direct flights from the following cities:
Lhasa: 1 direct flight of China Eastern Airlines on odd day(SM-W-F-) every week
Xining: 2-4 nonstop flights every day
Chengdu: 1-2 direct flights every day
Xian: 1 direct flight of China Eastern Airlines every day
Beijing: 1 direct flight of Beijing Capital Airlines on every Tue and Sat.
Transfer to/off Yushu Batang Airport
The Yushu Batang Airport is about 18km to the south of city center - Gyegu Town. You can take the airport bus which departs to airport 1h in advance before flying and go to center area half an hour later after landing. Also you can take a taxi to Gyegu Town costing about 80 CNY and over 10 mins ride.
About Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Lhasa Gonggar International Airport (LXA - 拉萨贡嘎国际机场) is the largest and most important airport in Tibet Autonomous Region. In 2016, the airport has greeted more than 3 million passengers, most of whom are travelers, including thousands of foreigner travelers. The airport is about 62 kilometers (39 mi) southwest of the city in Gonggar County of Shannan, and . The airport is one of the highest airports in the world with an elevation of 3,570 meters (11,710 ft). Airbus A340 and Boeing 757 aircrafts are allowed to park in the airport.
International Flights to Lhasa
So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa. 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 Tibet Border Pass.
Domestic Flights to Lhasa
Lhasa Gonggar Airport is well connected to many cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Kunming, Chongqing, Xining, Shangri-La, etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu is the most popular hub for taking flights/off Tibet. There are more than 20 flights flying between Chengdu and Lhasa each day. Xian also operates about 4~6 flights to Lhasa each day.
Transfer to/off Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport is about 60km from Lhasa downtown. It costs about 100~200 CNY to the Barkhor Street area of Lhasa city. Airport shuttle bus is also available, and costs only about 25 CNY. It usually takes about 1~1.5 hours to transfer between the airport and Lhasa downtown.
Tibet Discovery also provides you convenient and comfortable airport pick-up and drop-off services which are usually included in our Tibet tour packages. If you take our group tours, you will enjoy our free airport pick-up and drop-off services which are offered at contain hours:
Free Airport Transfer to Hotel in Lhasa
- - Around 10:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 09:30 AM;
- - Around 14:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 13:30 PM;
- - Around 17:00 pick up travelers who arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport before 16:30 PM.
Free Transfer to Airport from Hotel in Lhasa
- - Around 07:00 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport between 09:00 ~ 11:30 AM;
- - Around 09:30 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport between 11:30 AM ~ 14:30 PM;
- - Around 12:30 pick up travelers who departs from Lhasa Gonggar Airport after 14:30 PM.
- Learn more about Lhasa Gonggar International Airport.
Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Flights from Yushu (玉树) to Other Prefectures in Tibet
Currently, there is no direct flight between Yushu and Shigatse, Nyingchi, Qamdo, Ngari and Shannan prefectures. If you want to tour the above destinations in Tibet, you have to take the connecting flights which will transfer in Chengdu or Xian Airport. Generally those transfer flights are about to get to Lhasa the second day.
Take Flights to Tibet from Other Cities in Qinghai Province
Xining
The Xining Caojiabao Airport (IATA: XNN, 西宁曹家堡机场) is 28km to the city center. It is an important transportation hub in Qinghai Tibet Plateau as well as major outward port in Qinghai.
As the starting point of Qinghai Tibet Train and capital city of Qinghai province, Xining not only offers the direct train to Lhasa Tibet, but also has 1-3 nonstop flights to Lhasa every day. It takes only 2.5 hrs flying from Xining to Lhasa while the train costs about 21hrs. Now, the airport has domestic flights to 39 cities, like Lhasa, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dunhuang, etc.Click here to know more about Xining Lhasa Flight.
Xining Caojiabao 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 at 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 original permit to you by post.
> Learn more detail about Tibet Travel Permit Application
Tibet Travel Permit
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 re-sellers. 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 Xian 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 Yushu (玉树), where can I also take a flight to Tibet?
Apart from Yushu, you can also fly to Tibet from Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Shanggri-la, Xining, etc.
5. International flights to Lhasa
So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa. 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 Tibet Border Pass.
6. What else airport I can fly to except for Lhasa Gonggar International Airport?
Tibet has five airports in total. Besides Lhasa Gonggar Airport, you can also take a flight to Shigatse, Nyingchi, Ngari and Qamdo. But only Chengdu and Chongqing operate flights to these smaller cities.
- 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 Mainling 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.
- Ngari - Urumqi (capital of Xinjiang) offers a daily direct flight to Ngari with a stop at Kashgar on every Tuesday and Friday. Taking this flight, passengers need Military Permit and Border Pass as well as Tibet Travel Permit.
7. The regulation on the luggage allowance on the plane
Luggage Type | First Class | Business Class | Economy Class | Allowed Baggage Size |
---|---|---|---|---|
Allowed Carry-on Baggage | 5kg * 2 pieces | 5kg | 5kg | 55cm/20cm/40cm(L/B/H) |
Allowed Checked-in Baggage | 40kg | 30kg | 20kg | 100cm/60cm/40cm(L/B/H) |
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 Lhasa from Chengdu with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 1680 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 840 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 checking in your flight at a counter in the airport.