Flying is the best way for Indian tourists to get to Tibet without spending too much time in transit. There are no direct flights to Lhasa from India, but convenient routes are available. The most popular way is through Nepal, but connections through cities in mainland China are also convenient. Here's what you need to know to travel from India to Tibet by air.

How Far is Tibet from India? The Location Map of China Tibet and India

The Tibet Autonomous Region is a high-altitude region in southwestern China. It has an average elevation of 4,350m and is called the 'roof of the world.' In China, Tibet is bordered by Xinjiang Province to the north and Sichuan and Yunnan to the east. Tibet's long southern border passes along India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

India is a large country in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent. Its diverse terrain includes everything from the towering Himalayas in the north to deserts in the west and tropical forests along the eastern coast.

New Delhi, the capital of India, situated in the northern region of the country, is approximately 1,400 kilometers southwest of Lhasa. Despite the long distance, there are several recommended options for traveling from India to Tibet by air. Keep reading to learn more.

Flights to Tibet from India via Kathmandu: The Most Popular Route

Entering Tibet from Nepal is a popular choice among international tourists, and it's also favored by tourists from India. Kathmandu stands out as the sole international city offering direct flights to Tibet, making it a convenient gateway.

Several airlines fly direct from major cities in India to Kathmandu. IndiGo, Nepal Airlines, and Vistara offer direct flights from New Delhi daily. The flight takes 1h 45m, and prices start from 64 USD. Nepal Airlines and IndiGo fly daily from Mumbai. Tickets for the 2h 30m flight can be found for as low as 103 USD. From Kolkata, direct flights to Kathmandu are available on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Air India. The flight is 1h 35m and costs 113 USD.

Flights from India to Kathmandu, Nepal

From	Airlines	Duration	Availability	Starting Price
New Delhi	IndiGo, Nepal Airlines, Vistara	1h 45m	Daily	$64
Mumbai	Nepal Airlines, IndiGo	2h 30m	Daily	$103
Kolkata	Air India	1h 35m	Sun, Tues, Thurs, Sat	$113

The flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes 1h 30m from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. From the window, you can see Mount Everest and the Himalayas. The flight departs once a week on Mondays, and tickets cost around 334 USD.

Besides,overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa is another popular choice. The eight-day tour travels through the Gyirong Valley to Everest Base Camp, stopping in Shigatse before arriving in Lhasa for a three-day tour of the iconic city. Or, you can opt for other destinations, such as Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, via the overland route.

Flights to Tibet from India via Chengdu: The Most Frequent Direct Flights to Lhasa

In addition to traveling via Nepal, several cities in mainland China provide convenient options for flying from India to Tibet. Among these, Chengdu is highly recommended since it offers the most frequent direct flights to Tibet.

Currently, there are no direct flights from India, but connections through Bangkok, Ho Chi Ming City, and Hong Kong are available. The shortest route from New Delhi is through Bangkok on Thai Airlines. Including the stopover, the flight takes 8h 35m and costs 312 USD. Thai Airlines also flies from Mumbai to Chengdu via Bangkok. The trip lasts 12h 55m and costs 322 USD. From Kolkata via Bangkok, it takes 9h 55m on Thai Airlines, costing 272 USD.

Flights from India to Chengdu

From	Airlines	Flight No.	Via	Duration	Starting Price
New Delhi	Thai Airlines	TG 332 / TG 618	Bangkok	8h 35m	$312
Mumbai	Thai Airlines	TG 318 / TG 618	Bangkok	12h 55m	$332
Kolkata	Thai Airlines	TG 314 / TG 618	Bangkok	9h 55m	$272

From Chengdu, there are over 20 nonstop flights to Lhasa available each day. They depart from both Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport throughout the day, from 06:20 until 20:00. The flight takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes, with ticket prices starting from $217 for economy class.

Flights from Chengdu to Lhasa (Selected)

Flight No.	Flight Route	Dep./Arr.	Frequency
TV9803	Chengdu-Lhasa	06:20/08:30	Daily
CA4403	Chengdu-Lhasa	06:45/09:10	Daily
3U8691	Chengdu-Lhasa	07:30/09:45	Daily
CA4401	Chengdu-Lhasa	08:00/10:20	Daily
TV9823	Chengdu-Lhasa	09:15/11:25	Daily
3U6635	Chengdu-Lhasa	11:30/13:55	Daily
CA4447	Chengdu-Lhasa	13:00/15:20	Daily
CA4405	Chengdu-Lhasa	15:30/17:45	Daily
TV9882	Chengdu-Lhasa	18:55/21:20	Daily

Flights to Tibet from India via Beijing: Exploring the Vibrant Capital of China

Beijing is a great option for taking some time to explore the culture and history of the capital of China. There are many options for connecting cities to Beijing when flying from India.

From New Delhi, the fastest route is through Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Air Astana. The flight costs 298 USD and takes 11h 25m. The least expensive flight from Mumbai is the Kuala Lumpur flight on Malaysia Airlines. It takes 14h 15m and costs 325 USD. A faster route is through Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific. The flight lasts 11h 35m and costs 460 USD. From Kolkata, the best price is via Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Tickets cost 314 USD, and it takes 12h 40m. Thai Airlines has a faster route through Bangkok that takes 11h 15m and costs 380 USD.

Flights from India to Beijing

From	Airlines	Flight No.	Via	Duration	Starting Price
New Delhi	Air Astana	KC 908 / KC 267	Almaty	11h 25m	$298
Mumbai	Malaysia Airlines	MH 175 / MH 318	Kuala Lumpur	14h 15m	$325
Mumbai	Cathay Pacific	CX 660 / CX 332	Hong Kong	11h 35m	$460
Kolkata	Singapore Airlines	SQ 517 / SQ 802	Singapore	12h 40m	$314
Kolkata	Thai Airlines	TG 314 / TG 614	Bangkok	11h 15m	$380

At present, there are three nonstop flights available each day from Beijing to Lhasa, operated by Tibetan Airlines and Air China. All these flights depart from Beijing Capital Airport and take around 4 hours and 30 minutes, costing between 340 and 358 USD.

Flights from Beijing to Lhasa

Flight No.	Flight Route	Dep./Arr.	Frequency
CA4125	Beijing-Lhasa	07:45/12:05	Daily
CA4123	Beijing-Lhasa	12:35/16:50	Daily
TV9878	Beijing-Lhasa	14:55/19:35	Daily

Flights to Tibet from India via Shanghai: Discovering the Metropolis in Eastern China

Shanghai is a vast, modern metropolis and a great place to visit before Tibet. Connections from India are available through major cities in nearby countries.

The fastest way to fly from New Delhi to Shanghai is on Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong. The flight takes 9h 45m and costs 438 USD. Flying via Singapore is cheaper, costing 346 USD. The flight on Singapore Airlines takes 13h. Singapore is also one of the cheapest connections from Mumbai to Shanghai. The 12h 55m flight on Singapore Airlines costs 351 USD. Vietnam Airlines has a shorter route through Ho Chi Minh City. It takes 11h and costs 383 USD. The fastest and cheapest route from Kolkata to Shanghai is on Singapore Airlines via Singapore. The trip lasts 11h 25m and costs 314 USD.

Flights from India to Shanghai

From	Airlines	Flight No.	Via	Duration	Starting Price
New Delhi	Cathay Pacific	CX 694 / CX 376	Hong Kong	9h 45m	$438
New Delhi	Singapore Airlines	SQ 403 / SQ 828	Singapore	14h 15m	$346
Mumbai	Singapore Airlines	SQ 423 / SQ 830	Singapore	12h 55m	$351
Mumbai	Vietnam Airlines	VN 978 / VN 522	Ho Chi Minh City	11h	$383
Kolkata	Singapore Airlines	SQ 517 / SQ 828	Singapore	11h 25m	$314

There are two direct flights from Shanghai to Lhasa every day. The flight on Tibet Airlines departs at 14:10, takes 7 hours and 10 minutes, and costs around 467 USD. The other flight, offered by China Eastern Airlines, flies through Xi'an, departing at 06:45. This flight costs 324 USD and takes 8 hours and 40 minutes.

Shanghai to Lhasa Flights

Flight No.	Flight Route	Dep./Arr.	Frequency
TV9882	Shanghai-Lhasa	14:10/21:20	Daily
MU2335	Shanghai-Lhasa	06:45/14:25	Daily

Flights to Tibet from India via Guangzhou: An Alternative Route via Southern China

The charming south of China has unique attractions of its own. Guangzhou is a paradise for local specialty cuisine and quaint historic scenery, and just as accessible from India as other major cities in China.

Flying via Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok are the best choices for New Delhi to Guangzhou. Malaysia Airlines takes 11h 40m to fly via Kuala Lumpur with tickets at 256 USD. Flying through Bangkok on Thai Airlines costs 351 USD and takes 8h 40m. You can fly from Mumbai to Guangzhou via Hong Kong in 7h 45m for 460 USD on Cathay Pacific. The more budget-friendly option is on Vietnam Airlines through Ho Chi Minh City for 328 USD. The route takes 12h 30m. From Kolkata, it's best to fly through Singapore. Singapore Airlines flies to Guangzhou via Singapore for 314 USD, taking 10h 10m.

Flights from India to Guangzhou

From	Airlines	Flight No.	Via	Duration	Starting Price
New Delhi	Malaysia Airlines	MH 191 / MH 376	Kuala Lumpur	11h 40m	$256
New Delhi	Thai Airlines	TG 332 / TG 668	Bangkok	8h 40m	$351
Mumbai	Vietnam Airlines	VN 978 / VN 502	Ho Chi Minh City	12h 30m	$328
Mumbai	Cathay Pacific	CX 696 / CX 982	Hong Kong	7h 45m	$460
Kolkata	Singapore Airlines	SQ 517 / SQ850	Singapore	11h 25m	$314

The two best routes from Guangzhou to Lhasa are via Chongqing and Diqing. China Eastern Airlines departs at 07:55, flies via Diqing, taking 6 hours, with tickets costing 308 USD. China Southern Airlines departs at 8:05, takes 6 hours and 10 minutes to fly via Chongqing, and tickets cost 406 USD.

Flights from Guangzhou to Lhasa

Flight No.	Flight Route	Dep./Arr.	Frequency
CZ3463	Guangzhou-Lhasa	08:05/14:10	Daily
MU5774	Guangzhou-Lhasa	07:55/14:50	Daily

Permits for Traveling from India to Tibet by Flight

If you're traveling to Tibet with a regular Indian passport and don't intend to visit non-open areas like Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Ngari, you can follow standard procedures to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit. Simply send copies of your passport and Chinese Visa to us at least 20 days before your tour departure. With this permit, you're eligible to take the flight to Tibet from mainland China.

If you plan to enter Tibet from Nepal, you need to obtain the Chinese Group Visa in stead, together with the Tibet Travel Permit. But no worries, we will help you to get them on your behalf.

Furthermore, when you venture outside Lhasa, such as the Everest Border Area, our tour guide will assist you in obtaining the Alien’s Travel Permit. However, there's no need for concern as our travel agent will handle all relevant document processing according to your itinerary.

If you hold an Indian passport and plan to embark on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, you cannot directly contact any travel agency for permit arrangements. Currently, only two organizations in Tibet—the Foreign Office and the non-governmental Pilgrimage Center—can authorize Indian pilgrims for such journeys. Nevertheless, feel free to reach out to us for travel advice and tips.

Conclusion

With so many routes available to fly from India to Tibet, there's no reason to wait. Flying to Tibet from India is a great opportunity to explore places like Kathmandu or famous cities in Mainland China. Let us know the kind of Tibet tour you're looking for, and we'll ensure you have a fantastic experience both on the way to and in Tibet.