As the financial center of China, Shanghai connects with most of the important cities over the world. Being the busiest transportation hub in the east of the country, Shanghai is also one of the most popular gateways to fly to Lhasa.
There are two major airports in Shanghai, and Pudong International Airport serves the flights to Lhasa. Shuttle bus, local taxi and metro are available to airport.
At present, both China Eastern Airlines and Tibet Airlines run the flights between Shanghai and Lhasa everyday, with a short stopover in Xi’an or Chengdu.
The special note is you’ll need a Tibet Travel Permit issued by Tibet Tourism in Lhasa to board the flight from any city in China to Tibet. Please feel free to contact us for more information on the Tibet Travel Permit.
| Flight No. | Airport & Time | Duration & Stopover | Frequency | Plane Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MU2335 Eastern Airlines |
PVG(06:40)-LXA(15:25) | 8h45m Xi’an |
Everyday | JET | |
| TV9882 Tibet Airlines |
SHA(16:55)-LXA(00:35) | 7h40m Chengdu |
Everyday | Airbus A330 |
| Flight No. | Airport & Time | Duration & Stopover | Frequency | Plane Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV9881 Tibet Airlines |
LXA(07:15)-SHA(13:30) | 6h15m Chengdu |
Everyday | Airbus A330 | |
| MU2336 Eastern Airlines |
LXA(16:05)-PVG(23:20) | 7h15m Xi’an |
Everyday | JET |
Please note:
1.Flight MU2335 & Flight MU2336 have 2 hours and 25 minutes stopover in Xi’an; Flight TV9881 and Flight TV9882 have 1 hour and 40 minutes stopover in Chengdu.
2.Due to the seasonal difference, the flight schedules above are for reference only, please contact us for the latest details.
Flight Type: Stopover flights
Flying Distance: 1930 miles (3107km)
Altitude Difference: 4m (Shanghai) - 3650m (Lhasa)
Airport Information: Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) / Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) - Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA)
| Transportation Means | Metro Line | Taxi | Maglev Train | Airport Shuttle Bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | PVG Airport – Guanglan Road | Quite flexible | PVG Airport-Longyang Road | 10 bus lines to different destination |
| Run-time | 6:00am-10:00pm from PVG Airport 5:30am-10:50pm from Guanglan Road |
24 hours | 7:02am-9:42pm from PVG Airport (night schedule 10:15pm-10:40pm) 6:45am-9:40pm from Longyang Road |
Downtown: 6:30 to 11:pm Airport: 7:05 to the latest flight arrival |
| Price & Time | 0.8 USD(1.5hrs) | 22-30USD(1hrs) | 7.4USD(8mins) | 0.3-4.4USD(2hrs) |
| Advantages | No traffic jam | Good choice for night travelers or with big luggage | Fastest | Cheap, many routes of buses. |
| Transportation Means | Metro Line | Taxi | Airport Shuttle Bus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Metro 10 | Quite flexible | 8 bus lines to different destination |
| Run-time | 5:55am to 10:05pm | 24 hours | Downtown: 6:30 to 11:pm Airport: 7:05 to the latest flight arrival |
| Price & Time | 1 USD(1hrs) | 12USD(50mins) | 0.3-4.4USD(2hrs) |
| Advantages | No traffic jam, fastest | Good choice for night travelers or with big luggage | Cheap, many routes of buses. |
There are two civil airports in Shanghai, Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Both of the airports run domestic and international flights. As for now, China Eastern Airlines and Tibetan Airlines run flights between Shanghai and Lhasa with a stop in Xi’an or Chengdu. China Eastern Airlines flies from PGV while Tibetan Airlines flies from SHA.
The price comes first when you choose to fly from Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) since both airports have international flights and flights to Lhasa. The two airports are 61km away from each other. It takes about 1 hour by taxi, 1.5hour by metro and more than 2 hours by bus to get from one to the other.
There is only one route for the maglev train in Shanghai. It runs between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Longyang Road from 6:45am to 9:42pm with extra frequency at 10:15pm and 10:40pm. One-way journey just takes 8 minutes.
In order to get the best price, it is good to avoid the peak season for Tibet tour and book the tickets early for discounted price. The high season for Tibet tour is from April to October and the flights are always expensive unless you seize the opportunity of special offer. Besides, the flight prices during Chinese National Holiday and Lunar New Year Period are in large demand and very expensive. If your travel date is flexible, it is better to avoid this period. The flights from Shanghai to Lhasa have a stop over in Xi’an or Chengdu. Sometimes, you can book separate flights to get better price.
For flights flying between Lhasa and Shanghai, the total dimensions (length + width + height, including wheels and handles) of each piece of luggage must not exceed 100cm (40*60*40cm). Passengers with adult ticket or child ticket, the free baggage allowance is 40kg for First Class, 30kg for Business Class and 20kg for Economy Class. For infant passengers, it is allowed to take a free checked-in luggage of no more than 10kg (no free checked luggage for China Eastern Airlines) as well as a folding baby stroller.
As for carry-on luggage, each first-class passenger can bring two pieces of carry-on baggage, with each weighing no more than eight 8kg (10kg for China Eastern Airlines). Each business and economy class passenger can bring one piece of carry-on baggage that weighs no more than 5kg (10kg for China Eastern Airlines). The linear dimensions of each piece cannot exceed 20x40x55cm.
Note: The luggage allowance is based on Air China and China Eastern Airlines. For other airlines, the carry-on and checked luggage allowance might be slightly different. Please kindly check with the certain airline when you book the ticket.
There is no direct flight from Shanghai to other cities in Tibet but you can fly to Chengdu or Chongqing and then connect to Nyingchi or Shigatse. To save time you can fly out from Nyingchi or Shigatse after your tour ends instead of driving hundreds miles to fly from Lhasa.
