Tibet Tour From Norway

How to Get to Tibet from Norway? Multiple ways to travel from Oslo to Tibet.

Flying to either China or Kathmandu, one can take a number of routes to get to Tibet, from cities in mainland China such as Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, among others, by flight or train, and from Nepal by flight or overland tour. Or you can land in Hong Kong, and take the train or flight to mainland China before taking a flight or train to Tibet, extending the reach of your trip to other places as well.

By Flight to China

There are no direct flights to mainland China from Oslo, although there are a good number of indirect flights you can take. Indirect flights can be obtained for a relatively good price using the many comparison websites available to get the best deal, although the best prices often mean the longest flights with more stops. The average flight times are:

a. Oslo to Beijing: non-stop - no direct flights, one-stop – up to 29 hours 50 minutes (WAW, SVO, ARN)
b. Oslo to Shanghai: non-stop - no direct flights, one-stop – up to 27 hours 25 minutes (HEL, CPH, ARN)
c. Oslo to Guangzhou: non-stop – no direct flights, one-stop – up to 31 hours 30 minutes (HKG, IST, AMS)
d. Oslo to Chengdu: non-stop - no direct flights, one-stop – up to 36 hours 40 minutes (DOH, PRG, LHR)
e. Oslo to Hong Kong: non-stop - 12 hours 5 minutes, one-stop – up to 29 hours 45 minutes (DOH, LON, BRU)

After Your Arrival in China

Once you arrive at your chosen destination in China, you will find your Tibet Travel Permit waiting for you at your hotel, and you will then be able to book your flight or train ticket to Lhasa. The permit is required for booking and boarding the flights and trains, and without it, you will not be able to buy the tickets. You will also need the permit for your hotel check-in in Lhasa and for the various checkpoints across Tibet for inspection.

From Beijing to Lhasa

By flight
There is currently only one direct flight per day to Lhasa from Beijing, although there are a larger number of indirect flights that stopover in Chengdu en route to Lhasa. The direct flight takes around 5 hours to get to Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, and costs from around US$ 500 for an economy ticket.

By train
The train from Beijing to Lhasa is the Z21, which leaves daily at around 8:00pm. The journey covers 3,757 kilometers across eight provinces in mainland China as well as Tibet, arriving in Lhasa around 40 hours later at 12:10 pm on the third day. However, in the summer season, from May to September, it can be hard to get a ticket for the train from Beijing to Lhasa, due to the huge demand. One option to counter this would be to take a flight to Xining, in Qinghai Province, and then get the train from there, as there are more carriages on the Xining train and a better chance of being able to procure a ticket.

From Shanghai to Lhasa

By flight
Flights from Shanghai leave several times a day, although there is currently no direct flight to Lhasa. The flights stop at Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, or Kunming, and take from around 8 hours to as much as 26 hours for the multiple-stop flights. The cheaper flights start from around US$ 455.

By train
The Z164 leaves Shanghai daily at 8:10 pm, and takes around 47 hours to reach Lhasa, as distance of around 4,373 kilometers. The train arrives in Lhasa at around 7:15 in the evening of the third day, and the journey is the second longest of all the routes to Lhasa.

From Guangzhou to Lhasa

By flight
Similar to Shanghai, there are no direct flights to Lhasa from Guangzhou, although there are a number of indirect flights, with stopovers in Chongqing and Chengdu. The average flight takes from 5 hours 55 minutes to 10 hours 30 minutes, and costs from around US$ 455.

By train
Departing at 11:45 am daily, the train from Guangzhou takes over 53 hours to get to Tibet, making it the longest of all the train journeys to Lhasa, which might be a challenge for small kids and the elderly. Covering almost 5,000 kilometers, the train arrives in the Tibetan capital at around 5:05 pm on the third day.

From Chengdu to Lhasa

By flight
From Chengdu, there are numerous direct flights to Lhasa, which take around 2 hours 15 minutes on average. With more than 15 flights a day from Chengdu, it is one of the best airports from which to fly to Tibet, and with the short travel time, it is one of the best options for those with time constraints. It is also relatively inexpensive, costing from around US$ 233 for an economy flight.

By train
The trains from Chengdu depart every other day at around 9:37 pm, and arrive in Lhasa on the third day at around 9:55 am. Covering a distance of 3,070 kilometers across mainland China and Tibet, the journey takes a little over 36 hours, and is one of the more popular gateway cities to travel to Tibet from. Scheduled departures from Chengdu are on odd days of the month (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc) in January, April, May, August, November, and December, and even days of the month for the rest of the year.

From HongKong to Lhasa

Without a direct flight to Lhasa, there are several options for connecting you to the Tibetan capital. Flights to Chengdu from Hong Kong and then on to Lhasa are very popular, as is the flight to Xining via Chengdu, and then taking the train to Lhasa. You can also take the train direct from Chengdu, or for the very adventurous, you can get a train direct to Guangzhou from Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, and then get the train from there to Lhasa, a total journey time of around almost 60 hours, that covers nearly 5,000 kilometers.

By Flight to Kathmandu

There are no direct flights from Norway to Kathmandu, and the indirect flights will have stops at various airports such as Delhi, Qatar, Dubai, and Istanbul, and there could be more than one stop, depending on the flight. Indirect flights can also take from 11 hours to 26 hours to reach Kathmandu, with the cheapest flights being around US$ 485 for a multi-stop flight of around 22-26 hours. For Tibet entry from Kathmandu, apart from Tibet Permit, a Group Tourist Visa is also needed. No worries! Our travel consultants will help you get it.

Kathmandu to Tibet

By Kathmandu to Lhasa flight

There are several daily flights from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, provided by Air China, Tibet Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines. The flight normally takes just 90 minutes, and has the added advantage of allowing you a bird’s-eye view of the summit of Mount Everest as the plane flies over the Himalayas. An average economy ticket costs from around US$ 400.

By the Epic Overland Tour from Kathmandu to Lhasa

Traveling to Lhasa overland from Kathmandu is an adventure of a lifetime, and an experience you would not want to miss. We suggest you using our tour vehicle, which takes you directly to the hotel in Gyirong. Traveling from Kathmandu to Gyirong border takes around 7-8hours. It’s advisable to spend one night in Langtang National Park, which is filled with wonderful animal and bird life, before crossing the border to Gyirong port on the Tibetan side of the Resco Bridge. From there, our guide and driver, who will transfer you to Gyirong for your first night, before heading out across the plateau towards Tibet, will meet you. Crossing several high mountain passes, driving over the vast open plains and prairies, and stopping to admire the stunning lakes and scenery of the Tibetan plateau, is a wonderful adventure, and the culmination of the long drive in Lhasa is where you will best experience the heart of Tibetan culture and religion.

The trip is there waiting for you to travel! All you need to do is get in touch with us and tell us your requirements, and we will do most of the work for you, including booking your hotels, train tickets, etc., if you require it. All you need to think about then is enjoying your holiday at the Roof of the World.