From Ireland to Tibet, you may firstly hold a national passport and Chinese Visa (preferably “Tourist Visa” or “Type-L Visa”) fly to Beijing, and then take the train or flight to Lhasa via “Tibet Travel Permit”. Another option is landed in Nepal first, and then enter Tibet via Nepal. In such condition, you may apply for “Chinese Group Tourist Visa” from Chinese embassy were located at Katmandu, Nepal. Of course, “Tibet Travel Permit” is essential. As a senior Tibetan travel agency, we dedicate to provide you all sorts of Tibet travel service. The following is the travel strategies from Ireland to Lhasa, hopefully it would find you some help.
How to enter Tibet from Ireland? Ways to enter Tibet from Ireland:
1. You may firstly fly to the capital city Beijing, China, and then enters Lhasa by flight or train.
There are direct flight to Beijing, which belongs to Hainan airline HU 750 (11:10 – 05:00), take off every Tuesday and Saturday, flight time costs about 11 hours, economical one-way ticket costs about USD 550.00 per person.
2. You may land in Nepal, and then choose to enter Lhasa from Katmandu by flight or on overland road trip.
Unfortunately, there’s no direct flight from Ireland to Katmandu. If you have no plan to travel in Nepal, no need to take the way to enter Tibet via Nepal. But if you wish to take some time to travel in Nepal, entry from Nepal is a good choice.
Way to enter Tibet 1: Ireland – Beijing - Lhasa
1. Beijing – Lhasa by flight
There are three flights from Beijing to Lhasa, depart from Beijing International Airport T3, departure time is: 07:35am, 08:15am, and 02:50pm; the economy class is relatively expensive, for one-way ticket it cost RMB 3, 260.00 per person, plus airport construction and fuel costs RMB 60.00, the full price is RMB 3, 320.00, annual discount is very few. Click for more flight information.
2. Beijing – Lhasa by train
There is one train from Beijing to Lhasa each day, Z21 (20.00 – 12:40), takes 40 hours and 40 minutes to arrive. Due to there is only one class of soft-sleeper class with 36 soft-sleeps, it’s very hard to order during tourist season, especially during peak periods (July, August, and September). The soft-sleep class train costs about RMB 1, 200.00 per person. Click for more train information.
Way to enter Tibet 2: Ireland – Katmandu - Lhasa
From Ireland to Katmandu of Nepal, transit is requisite, the price start from USD 650.00, the whole distance may take about 14.5 hours. From Nepal to Tibet is also a very popular choice, currently, there’s no train to enter Tibet from Katmandu. But you may enter into Tibet via Gyilong Port, which is the Sino – Tibet border, a very good choice for international tourists. Or you may take the direct flight to reach to Tibet.
The flight from Katmandu to Lhasa
Katmandu is the only venue which has direct flight to Lhasa. To fly from Katmandu to Lhasa, the full price costs about USD 275.00, with short distance of 600km and takes about 1.5 hours. There are two flights each day: CA 408 (12:10 – 16:00) and 3U8720 (11:30 – 15:10), you may wish to check the direct flight detail in advance.
From Katmandu to Lhasa via overland road trip.
Compare with flight, overland road trip is more popular. If needed, our Nepalese coworkers can accompany you to Gyirong Port which nowadays called the border of Sino – Nepal. After you cross the border, you may find the Tibetan guider is waiting for you. Of course you may wish to rent a car from Katmandu to reach to Gyirong Port all by yourself. Due to the raising of the altitude, you shall stay in Gyirong county to get adjust the environment, and progressively move to the north to visit tiny, EBC and Shigatse, and eventually reach to Lhasa. The classic travel route abounds with epic vista of Himalayan peaks, holy Buddhist monasteries and sacred alpine lakes… Besides, you may explore the Tibetan exotic life and culture through unlimited chances to meet them.
Tibet Travel Permit Application for Irish Tourists
1. Enter from mainland China
From mainland China to Lhasa, you need to provide Tibet Travel Permit and valid passport. Therefore, before the Irish tourist depart to Tibet, need to send us the scan format of your valid passport and visa 30 days in advance, if your visa is not Type-L, besides the mentioned scanned files, you also have to provide an Employment Certificate and Invitation Letter. Generally, Tibet Travel Permit can be issued 7 – 10 days in advance. If take the Tibet train, we shall send the scanned Tibet Travel Permit into your e-mail box, you only need to print it out before boarding the train, you may board the train via the hard-copy of the Tibet Travel Permit. If you go to Tibet by flight, we shall send the original file to your transit, city (can be one of the major city in mainland China), and hand it to you personally. With the Permit you are allowed to board the flight.
2. Enter from Nepal
From Nepal to enter Tibet request Chinese Group Tourist Visa (if enter from Nepal, even if you hold Chinese Visa, it’s invalid, must go to the Chinese embassy were located in Katmandu to apply a group visa for enter Tibet) and our travel agency can assist you to apply all the requested certificates. For those entering from Nepal, only need to provide scanned passport file, we shall arrange the group visa invitation letter in advance and send to our Nepalese co-worker. Once you reached to Katmandu, our co-worker shall assist you to get the Group Tourist Visa. Although it's called “Group”Visa, you don’t have to wait to form a group. The following is the details:
Day 1: Arrive in Katmandu, our local co-worker shall collect your original passport and assist you to fill in the application form and all the relevant preparation work.
Day 2: Our co-worker shall submit your original passport and all the relevant application forms to the Chinese embassy.
Day 3: Rest and waiting.
Day 4: Normally, you may go and take back the Group Tourist Visa and your passport.
Day 5: Ahead for Tibet via Group Tourist Visa and original passport, you Tibetan tour guide shall pick you up at Lhasa Airport / Gyilong Port, and hand over the Tibet Travel Permit to you. Please note: The working hours of Chinese embassy in Katmandu are Monday to Friday, and off work on Saturday and Sunday, besides, during the Nepal and Chinese public holidays, it also closed.
