It is easy to get from New Zealand to Tibet. All you need to do is to fly from New Zealand to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu and other gateway cities in China. Then after you get your Tibet Travel Permit, you can take the Tibetan train or domestic flight to Lhasa. Another option is to enter Tibet from Nepal due to its proximity to Tibet. In this case, a Tibet Travel Permit and a Chinese Group Visa are required. You can choose to either by a direct flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, or an overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa. As an experienced Tibet travel agency, we offer a wide range of Tibet Tours including China, Tibet and Nepal. Here is how to get from New Zealand to Lhasa.
How do I get from New Zealand to Tibet? The methods from New Zealand to Tibet:
1. You can fly to mainland China first and then take a plane or a Tibetan train to Lhasa.
2. You can land in Nepal and choose a flight or road trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Airport: Oakland International Airport and Wellington International Airport
Method one: New Zealand - Beijing/Shanghai - Lhasa
There are many flights from New Zealand to Beijing and Shanghai, but there is no direct flight, all require a transfer. As there are several different airlines operating flights, so it is better to choose the most suitable flight.
If you choose to fly to Beijing, the cost is about RMB 35,00, and it may take about 18 to 23 hours. After arriving in Beijing, you can travel on into Tibet by plane or by train:
1. Beijing – Lhasa by plane
There are three flights from Beijing to Lhasa each day. The departure time is 07:35am, 08:15am and 14:55pm respectively from Beijing Capital International Airport T3. The ticket price is relatively expensive, and the full price is RMB 3,260 per one-way ticket, plus airport construction fee and fuel fee of RMB 60. The total fare is RMB 3,320, with only a little discount for the whole year. Click for more information on flights between Beijing and Lhasa.
2. Beijing – Lhasa by train
The train from Beijing to Lhasa departures every day, and Z21 (20:00-12:26) takes 40 hours and 26 minutes to arrive. With only one carriage within 36 beds, it is very difficult to book a train from Beijing to Lhasa during the tourist season, especially during the peak season. The ticket price of soft-berth from Beijing to Lhasa is around RMB1, 200. Click for more information on Beijing-Lhasa trains.
If you choose to fly to Shanghai, it will take about 13 to 35 hours, and the flight cost is about RMB 3,800. After arriving in Shanghai, you can travel on into Tibet by plane or by train:
1. Shanghai – Lhasa by plane
There are only two flights from Shanghai to Lhasa each day, one in the morning (MU2335 06:45-14:40) take off from Pudong Airport T1, and the other is in the afternoon (TV9882 16:45-23:20) take off from Hongqiao Airport T2. Each one-way ticket has a nominal value of RMB 3,360, plus airport construction fee and fuel fee of RMB 60, totaling RMB 3,420 for each. For more information, please refer to the Shanghai-Lhasa flight.
2. Shanghai – Lhasa by train
The train from Shanghai to Lhasa departures every day at No. Z164 (20:10-19:30), lasting 47 hours and 20 minutes. The price of the soft - berth ticket is around RMB 1,500. Since there is only one train per day, it is difficult to buy tickets during the peak season. It is suggested that tourists who need to take the train from Shanghai to Lhasa should confirm with your travel consultant in advance and confirm whether they need to book train tickets from our agency. Click for more information about the Shanghai-Lhasa train.
Method two: New Zealand – Hongkong – Lhasa
One of the routes from the Oakland International Airport of New Zealand to Lhasa is to transit via Hongkong. Since there are no restrictions on travel to Hong Kong, Newzealandvian tourists can visit Hong Kong without a visa. Due to the different airline operators, the average flight to Hongkong costs between RMB 2,600 and RMB 6,000, depending on the airline. Strongly recommended to choose the suitable flight, according to your itinerary. From New Zealand to Hongkong, the whole distance may take about 12 to 20 hours. For the flights from Hong Kong to Chengdu, the average round-trip fare is about US$590 per person, including taxes. The total travel time will also vary, depending on your departure and transit time, but the average time is between 5 and 6 hours.
Compared with Beijing/Shanghai, the problem of entering from Hong Kong is, even if you arrived in Hong Kong, you still have to transfer from other gateway cities in mainland China before you enter Lhasa. Currently, there are many cities can transfer from Hong Kong to Lhasa, such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xi 'an, Kunming, Xiamen, etc. For details, please refer to the method that Hong Kong tourists visit Tibet.
Method three: New Zealand – Kathmandu – Lhasa
To fly from New Zealand to Kathmandu, Nepal, costs between RMB 4,300 and RMB 7,000 and the whole journey takes 22 to 26 hours, depending on the depart place. Entering Tibet from Nepal is also a very popular choice. Currently, there is no train from Kathmandu to Tibet. However, you can enter Tibet by overland tour, which is from the Gyirong border between China and Nepal, making it a good choice for international tourists. Also, you can fly directly from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Kathmandu is the only country to have the direct flights to Lhasa, with flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa costing about US$275. The flight time is relatively short, with the journey of 600 kilometers, it spends about one and a half hours. There are two direct flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa, CA408 (12:10-16:00) and 3U8720 (11:30-15:05), you can check the direct flights in advance.
Road from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Overland travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa is more popular with many tourists than flight. Our co-worker will transfer you to Gyirong Port, which is now the border between China and Nepal. After you go through the customs, our Tibetan tour guide will pick you up on the Tibetan side. Due to the rise of elevation, you will stay in Gyirong County to get used to the environment, and gradually head east to visit Tingri, EBC and Shigatse before arriving in Lhasa.
This classic tourist route has many stunning sights, Himalayan peaks, magnificent Buddhist monasteries and sacred mountains, lakes, as well as unlimited opportunities to meet local Tibetans and explore their exotic cultures and customs.
Tibet Travel Permit application for New Zealanders
1. From mainland China to enter Lhasa
When boarding a plane or train from mainland China to Lhasa, foreign guests are required to present the Tibetan Travel Permit and valid passport. Therefore, before entering Tibet, Zelanian tourists need to send us the scanned copies of their valid passports and visas 30 days in advance (if it is not "Type - L visas", they need to provide not only the passports and visas, but also work certificate or invitation letters). In general, the Tibet Travel Permit can be issued 7-10 days in advance of the tour.
If you take the train to Tibet, we will send the attached scan format of the Tibet Travel Permit to your mailbox, and you will only have to print it out on an A4 size paper before boarding the train, and with the hard copy you are able to board the train towards Lhasa.
If you take a plane, we will send you the original copy of the letter to the domestic city of your transit in advance, and having our local co-worker to deliver it to your hand. You must be able to board the plane by the original letter of the Tibet Travel Permit.
2. Entering Tibet from Nepal
Entering Tibet from Nepal requires a Tibet Travel Permit and a Chinese Group Visa. (If you enter Tibet from Nepal, no matter whether you have applied for a Chinese visa or not, it will be invalid. You must apply for a Chinese Group Visa in order to enter Tibet from Nepal). Our travel agency can help you with the necessary documents.
Therefore, if foreign tourists enter Tibet from Nepal, they only need to provide their valid passports. Our company will arrange the Tibet Travel Permit and the travel invitation letter (approved by the tourism bureau, which is used to apply for Group Visa) in advance and send them to our Nepalese co-worker. Once you arrived in Kathmandu, our co-worker will help you to obtain a Group Visa from the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu. Although it has been called a "Group" visa, you do not have to be form a group. The specific process is as the following:
Day 1: Upon arrival in Kathmandu, our staff will collect your original passport and assist you in completing the application form
Day 2: The co-worker will return your original passport and bring the issued Group Visa back to you at your hotel.
Day 3: Entering Tibet with scanned copy of Tibet Travel Permit, Group Visa and Original passport.
