Flights to Tibet from UK
Are you a British who longs for a Tibet holiday? Are you planning to search for flights from the UK to Tibet? You are about to get what you want!
As an experienced Tibet tour operator, we arranged thousands of international travelers' dream Tibet tours, many of whom are from the UK. The first question Brits need to figure out is how to fly to Tibet from the UK. Thus, we sorted out the information on flights to Tibet from the United Kingdom for your reference. Hope to help you find a suitable solution to turn your Tibet tour plan into reality.
No. 1. There is no Direct Airline to Tibet from the United Kingdom
The only direct international flight to Tibet is from Kathmandu to Lhasa. So, as a British, you can only choose to fly to Kathmandu, Hong Kong, or gateway cities in mainland China. And then continue to fly to Tibet.
No. 2. Flights to Tibet from the UK
From London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) to China.
Here is the list of non-stop flights from London Heathrow International Airport to China.
- London Heathrow Airport --- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), operated by China Eastern Airlines, 11-12 hours, £ 380 ~ £ 880 for economy class.
- London Heathrow Airport --- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), China Southern Airlines, 11-12 hours, £ 400 ~ £ 860 for economy class.
- London Heathrow Airport --- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), operated by China Southern Airlines, 11-12 hours, £ 315 ~ £ 810 for economy class.
- London Heathrow Airport --- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), operated by British Airways, 13-14 hours, £ 510 ~ £ 810 for economy class.
After you get to above cities, you can take flight or train to Lhasa. From HongKong, you can take a high-speed train to Guangzhou then take a direct train to Lhasa.
Tips: Before you take a flight or train to Tibet in mainland China, please make sure you get the original Tibet Travel Permit for boarding the domestic flights or copies of the Tibet Travel Permit for boarding the train to Lhasa.
From London Gatwick Airport(LGW) to China
The cheapest flight from London to China is departing from Gatwick Airport to Chongqing.
- London Gatwick Airport --- Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG), operated by China Eastern Airlines, 11-12 hours, £ 310 ~ £ 640 for economy class.
- Chongqing --- Lhasa Gonggar Airport(LXA), operated by Air China, 2-3 hours, £ 237~ £ 277 for economy class.
Alternatively, you can also take a train from Chongqing to Lhasa. If you start from Chongqing, Xi’an or Lanzhou to Lhasa by train, an original Tibet travel permit is still required.
From London Heathrow International Airport to Kathmandu, Nepal.
There are no direct flights to Kathmandu from the British. Air India or Oman Air offers transit flights from London to Kathmandu via Delhi, Muscat, or Abu Dhabi. It takes about 19-35 hours and costs £ 396 - 475 for economy class.
Then, flying to Lhasa from Kathmandu only takes one hour and 30 minutes, offered by Himalayan Airlines, costing around £385. There are only three direct flights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting from 17 April 2024.
Please note, getting to Tibet from Nepal, you will be required a China Group Visa, which takes 3 working days to achieve, along with your tourist invitation letter from the Tibet tourism bureau and passport. For the invitation letter, please contact a Tibet travel agency to obtain one for you after you book with them.