It's very easy to get to Tibet from Malaysia. Though there is no direct flight from Malaysia to Tibet, due to the privileged visa policy, close geographic location, and plenty of airlines, it is convenient to fly to a city in China first and then transfer to Tibet or fly to Kathmandu Nepal and then fly or travel overland to Tibet. Apart from the transportation, please also be aware that foreign tourists need to be on an organized tour while traveling in Tibet (no matter a private tour or a join-in tour, you’ll need a tour guide and a driver). In this article, you can find the useful info on how to plan a Tibet tour from Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur is the major departure city for traveling from Malaysia to Tibet
Travel from Malaysia to Tibet via cities in China
Many flights are available from Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, etc.) to China, and once you are in China, there are a lot of flights towards Lhasa from one of the major Chinese cities, you can choose one which best suits your travel plan. Nevertheless, taking a flight from Chengdu is considered most convenient and cost-effective because Chengdu is close to Tibet and has the most flights every day, and with cheaper airfare.
Meanwhile, a train tour to Tibet is also great as you can enjoy the spectacular landscape of the wild Tibetan Plateau along the way. You can actually get on the train from many cities in China, but Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Lanzhou and Xining are the suggested departure cities because their railway stations are the outset for heading to Lhasa, hence, it would be easier to purchase the train tickets.
You can find the details of getting to Tibet from Malaysia via the most popular gateway cities in China below:
Malaysia to Tibet via Chengdu
Due to the advantage of proximity, it’s convenient and economical to travel from Malaysia to Tibet via Chengdu. There are 4 direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu every day, and the flights take about 4h30m. After arriving in Chengdu, you can then get to Tibet either by plane or by train. There are more than 10 flights departing from Chengdu to Lhasa daily, and the flight duration is only 2h15m. Besides Lhasa, you can also opt to fly to Nyingchi (eastern Tibet), which has lower elevation, higher forest coverage, and therefore with higher oxygen content. The train departs every other day, and takes 34h29m, however, the 3070 kilometer railway route across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau provides the breathtaking scenery.
Malaysia to Tibet via Beijing
There are 2-3 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing every day, operated by AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Air China. However, the flight time is a bit long, about 6h25m. After arriving in Beijing, you can continue your journey to Tibet. There are 3 flights from Beijing to Tibet every day and it takes 4h30m, while a train is also available, but it takes 39h30m, with 2 nights on the train.
Malaysia to Tibet via Shanghai
You may have many options when it comes to flights between Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, operated by AirAsia, Shanghai Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. There are 4-6 flights daily and the flight duration is about 5h10m. Meanwhile, there are 5 daily flights from Shanghai to Lhasa in high season, and the shortest one will take 4h55m. The train journey is 44h33m long. It starts at 18:33, and arrives at 15:06 on the third day.
Malaysia to Tibet via Chongqing
Though there is only 1 direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chongqing almost every other day (MF8688, operated by Xiamen Airlines), flights between Chongqing and Lhasa are abundant with comparatively cheaper prices. After arriving in Chongqing, you can travel to Tibet either by flight or train. The flight duration is only 2h50m; the train departs every other day, and takes 33h37m.
Malaysia to Tibet via Guangzhou
Many flights are available from Malaysia to Guangzhou. There are 7 flights daily from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou (flight duration is about 4 hours). Besides, China Southern Airlines operates a direct flight from Penang to Guangzhou (CZ396; flight duration is 3h30m). Nevertheless, the flight ticket from Guangzhou to Lhasa is comparatively expensive (about 420 USD). The train is much cheaper, but it takes nearly 54 hours from Guangzhou to Lhasa.
Malaysia to Tibet via Hangzhou
Two flights are available from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou, operated by AirAsia and China Eastern Airlines (flight duration is about 5h25m). There are 1-2 flights from Hangzhou to Lhasa every day, but even the shortest flying time will take 6h30m. And there’s no train to Tibet from Hangzhou.
Malaysia to Tibet via Kunming
AirAisa operates 2 flights daily from Kuala Lumpur to Kunming (flight duration is 3h50m). After arriving in Kunming, you can choose either take the flight with Tibet Airlines to Lhasa or take the adventurous Yunnan-Tibet overland tour. But there’s no train departing for Lhasa so far.
Malaysia to Tibet via Xining
Many tourists are interested in taking a train to Lhasa from Xining, as it is the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, hence you can enjoy the shortest train journey with only 21 hours. But, there is no direct flight from Malaysia to Xining. So, if you are going to travel by this route, you’ll need to first fly to Xining from other cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, etc. Luckily, there are daily flights from these cities to Xining, which make this tour arrangement easy.
Travel from Malaysia to Tibet via Nepal
Currently, Nepal is the only country that offers international flights to Lhasa. So, you can also opt to fly from Malaysia to Tibet via Nepal. There are more than seven direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu every day. The flights take about 4 hours 45 minutes and the airfare can be as low as 220 USD. While, Air China, Sichuan Airlines and Himalaya Airlines operate daily flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa, and the airfare is about 300 USD. It takes about an hour and a half to fly 600 kilometers over the Himalayas, and if you can pick a window seat on the left side of the aircraft, then you’ll have a chance to enjoy the spectacular view of the Himalayan Mountains during the flight (on a clear day).
If you wish to travel by overland, it would not be difficult to hire a jeep from Kathmandu to the border (just ask your hotel reception to get the driver’s contact) and then enter Tibet. The tour in Nepal can be arranged on your own, but according to the policy, you will need a licensed guide in Tibet once you cross the border at Gyirong or Zhangmu.
Entry Formalities for Traveling from Malaysia to Tibet
Malaysian citizens with ordinary passports can now enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes including business, sightseeing, or visiting relatives and friends. However, according to government regulations, all international tourists are required to obtain a
Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet.
The Tibet Travel Permit can only be applied for through Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa by a qualified travel agency. The procedure isn't complicated, as we only need a copy of your passport to apply for it. Please just note it takes about 15 working days to process.
Once the permit is issued, it can be delivered to your hotel in China where you will stay before get on your connecting flight or train to Lhasa. You will need to show the permit when you check into the flight or train. After arrival in Lhasa, our guide will have your permit back for application of PSB permit which can only be done once you are there if you need to travel to some remote area besides of Lhasa.
Conclusion
In a word, it’s not difficult to organize a tour from Malaysia to Tibet. You can fly from Kuala Lumpur to Tibet via Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Kunming, Hangzhou and Guangzhou in China. Additionally, you can also fly from Penang to Guangzhou, and then transfer to Tibet. After your arrival in China, the train ride to Lhasa can be arranged instead of plane as per your preference. Meanwhile, entering from Kathmandu is the another option is you plan to include Nepal as your travel destination too.
