How to Travel to Tibet from Switzerland
From Switzerland 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 Austria to Lhasa, hopefully it would find you some help.
How to enter Tibet from Switzerland? Ways to enter Tibet from Switzerland:
1. You may firstly fly to the capital city Beijing, China, and then enters Lhasa by flight or train.
There are several direct flights from Zurich, Switzerland to Beijing and Shanghai. Besides, you may also choose to fly to Beijing from Geneva. The flight details are as follows:
Zurich – Beijing, Swiss International Airlines LX196 (13:15 – 05:15) there is one direct flight each day, the flight time is approximately 10 hours, the economy class starts with USD 1, 750.00 per person.
Zurich – Beijing, every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Air China CA782 (20:00-12:10), the flight time is approximately 10 hours, the economy class starts with USD 1, 700.00 per person.
Zurich – Shanghai, there is one direct flight each day, Swiss International Airlines LX188 (13:05-07:05), the flight time is approximately 12 hours, the economy class starts with USD 1, 850.00 per person.
Geneva – Beijing, every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, Air China CA862 (13:20-05:30), the flight time is approximately 10 hours, the economy class starts with USD 1, 600.00 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 Tibet 1: Switzerland – Beijing / Shanghai - Lhasa
If you choose to fly from Switzerland to Beijing first, may choose to enter into Tibet by train or flight.
1. Beijing – Lhasa by flight
There are three flights per day to fly from Beijing to Lhasa, depart from Beijing International Airport T3, departure times are: 07:35, 08:15 in the morning, and 02:50 in the afternoon; 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 Beijing to Lhasa 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 with 36 soft berths, it’s very hard to order during tourist season, especially during peak periods (July, August, and September). The soft berth class train costs about RMB 1, 200.00 per person. Click for more train information.
If you choose to get to Shanghai first, may also take flight or train to Tibet later.
1. Shanghai – Lhasa by flight
From Shanghai to Lhasa only two flights each day: the morning flight (MU235, 06:45 – 14:40) departure from Pudong Airport T1, the afternoon flight (TV9882, 16:45 – 23:25) departure from Hongqiao Airport T2. The economy class for one way ticket cost RMB 3, 360.00 per person, plus airport construction and fuel costs RMB 60.00, the full price is RMB 3, 420.00. Click for more flight information of Shanghai to Lhasa.
2. Shanghai – Lhasa by train
There is one train each day from Shanghai to Lhasa, Z164 (20:10-19:30), takes 47 hours and 20 minutes. The soft berth ticket cost about RMB 1, 300.00. Due to there is only one class with 36 soft berths, it’s very hard to order during tourist season, especially during peak periods (July, August, and September). For those who have the request may contact with your travel consultant if need to book the ticket from our agency in advance. Click for more train information.
Way to enter Tibet 2: Switzerland – Katmandu - Lhasa
All the flights from Switzerland to Katmandu, Nepal request transit, cost about USD 500.00, the whole journey costs 12 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 Swiss 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.
