How to Travel to Tibet from Sweden
From Sweden to Tibet, you firstly need to fly to Beijing or Shanghai, together with your national passport and Chinese Visa (the type-L is the best). 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 Sweden to Lhasa.
How do I get from Sweden to Tibet? The methods from Sweden to Tibet:
1. You can fly to Beijing (the capital city of China) or Shanghai first, and then take a plane or a Tibetan train to Lhasa. From Stockholm, there are direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai. The following is the detailed information for your reference:
Stockholm-Beijing, Air China CA912 (19:10-09:45) the flight departures every day, and the flight takes about 8 hour 35 minute, and one way economy fare is starting with USD 490.
Stockholm-Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines MU290 (12:30-04:20) the flight departures every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The flight takes about 9 hour 50 minutes, and one way economy fare is starting with USD 300.
2. You can land in Nepal and choose a flight or road trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Unfortunately, there is no direct flight from Sweden to Kathmandu. If you do not have plans to visit Nepal, then there are much easier ways to enter Tibet. However, if you wish to visit Nepal first, then it can be a good choice to enter Tibet via Nepal.
Method one: Sweden - Beijing/Shanghai – Lhasa
If you choose to fly to Beijing from Sweden first, 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 from Sweden first, 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: Sweden – Kathmandu - Lhasa
Fly from Sweden to Nepal have to transit via another country, the flight ticket start with USD 550, and the whole journey takes about 13 hours. 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. In addition, 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$300. 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 Swedish:
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, Swedish 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 from 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 submit your original passport and your Group Visa Application form to the Chinese Embassy.
Day 3: You have to wait.
Day 4: Generally, you may get back your Chinese Group Visa and original passport.
Day 5: Enter to Tibet with your Group Visa and original passport, your Tibetan tour guide will bring your Tibet Tavel Permit and waiting for you at Lhasa Airport / Gyirong Port.
Please Note: The working days of Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu are from Monday to Friday. Off work on: Saturday and Sunday, plus public holidays. Besides, on during the Chinese and Nepalese traditional holiday, they also off work.
