Where is Lhasa: Location of Lhasa and How to Get There

Lhasa is the spiritual heart of the mysterious land of Tibet, and a dream destination for tourists around the world. It looks far away on the map, but Lhasa is better connected to the world than ever before. Understanding Lhasa's location is an important part of planning a trip there.

Where is Lhasa in the Tibetan Autonomous Region?

High on the Tibetan Plateau, Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. It is located on the northern bank of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Lhasa is roughly the physical center of Tibet as well as being the spiritual, economic, and cultural heart of the region.

Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

Surrounded by Shigatse, Nyingchi, Nagqu, and Shannan, Lhasa is also a transfer hub for Tibet tours. It is 240 kilometers away from the holy lake Namtso. The distance from Lhasa to the Everest Base Camp is around 800 kilometers. And the distance between Lhasa and Mount Kailash, located in the far west of Tibet, is around 955 kilometers.

Where is Tibet Lhasa in China?

Tibet is in the far southwest of China. From east to north, it is bordered by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the northwest, Qinghai Province to the northeast, Sichuan Province to the east, and Yunnan Province to the southeast.

Within China, it is a remote region. The nearest provincial capital, Xining, Qinghai, is 1,917 km away, and the distance to Beijing is 3,600 km. Eight 'gateway' cities connect Lhasa to the rest of China by flight or train. Most of these cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, are also important arrival points for international tourists to China. With only a single connection, today's Lhasa is well connected to the rest of the world.

Lhasa is located in Tibet, in the far southwest of China.

Modern highways serve as overland connections to the neighboring provinces. The Yunnan Tibet Highway, Sichuan Tibet Highway, Qinghai Tibet Highway, and Xinjiang Tibet Highway allow the easy flow of goods and people in and out of Tibet. Lhasa will always be distant, but modern transportation has made it more accessible than ever before.

Where is Tibet Lhasa in Asia?

Nestled on the north side of the Himalayan Mountains, Lhasa is in the central part of the Asian continent. The Himalayas are shared by several neighboring countries, and Lhasa is positioned to the northeast of Nepal and Bhutan, north of India, and west of Myanmar.

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is the only city outside China with direct connections to Lhasa. Travelers and pilgrims from Bhutan, India, and Myanmar drawn to the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism must pass through either Kathmandu or mainland China to reach Tibet.

How to Get to Lhasa? Train, Flight or Overland Options Available

Getting to Lhasa can be done overland, by train, or by flight. Each option has distinct advantages. The overland and train routes make the journey part of the trip. They provide an experience of stunning scenery and a chance for deeper cultural immersion. Flying to Lhasa from one of the gateway cities, or Kathmandu, is the fastest way to get there, letting travelers maximize their time in Tibet.

1. Get to Lhasa by Tibet Train

Getting to Lhasa by train through the Qinghai-Tibet railway is a unique travel experience that you can only get when you travel to Tibet from mainland China. Considered an impossible mission, the construction of the Qinghai Tibet railway is an engineering marvel. Since its completion in 2006, traveling to Tibet via the world's highest railway has been a popular way to get to Tibet.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the longest “plateau” railway in the world.

Now, eight major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xining, and Lanzhou, offer trains to Lhasa. A Tibet train tour is really a lifetime journey to explore the striking natural beauty of the Qinghai Tibet plateau, the third pole on Earth.

Schedules of Trains to Lhasa

2. Get to Lhasa by Flight

From mainland China, there are about 55 cities offering flights to Lhasa. These include everywhere you might start from and almost all your possible destinations in China, like Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xining, and so on. Only a few of them have direct flights to Lhasa, and the others offer connecting flights to Lhasa with stopovers at Chengdu, Kunming, Xian, Xining, and other cities close to Lhasa.

From Kathmandu, there is a direct flight to Lhasa that operates three times a week. It takes 1.5 hours from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport to Lhasa Gonggar Airport. Due to the limited seats, it is suggested that you book your Nepal to Lhasa flight ticket in advance, especially when you plan to visit Tibet during the high season.

Schedules of Select Flights to Lhasa

3. Get to Lhasa by Overland

The most challenging way to reach Lhasa is overland. However, it is also the best way to fully explore the natural beauty and local culture of the Tibet plateau. Five highways connect Lhasa with the outside world: the Sino-Nepal Highway, the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and the Yunnan-Tibet Highway.

Also known as the Friendship Highway, the Sino-Nepal Highway is the only international highway leading to Lhasa, Tibet. It is a much-favored route for self-driving travelers as it traverses the Himalayas and passes through unforgettable natural landscapes, including snow mountains, lakes, streams, forests, and waterfalls.

Kathmandu to Lhasa overland trip follows the Sino-Nepal Highway.

The distance from Kathmandu to Lhasa is around 1000 kilometers. The Nepal-Tibet overland tour generally takes 7 to 8 days. It includes an overnight stay at Everest Base Camp and several days exploring the iconic sites of Lhasa.

Traveling to Lhasa from Xinjiang via the Xinjiang-Tibet highway is a popular way to discover the remote western regions of China. The highway starts from Karghalik of Xinjiang in the north and stretches all the way to Lhaza in Tibet, with an elevation on average of over 4500 meters above sea level. Though it is considered the toughest and roughest road to Lhasa, it is the best way to visit Kashgar, Mount Kailash, Mount Everest, and central Tibet together.

Driving from Chengdu to Lhasa via the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is known as the best "corridor of natural wonders" in the world. Stretching from the Chengdu Plains to the Tibetan Plateau, it is an almost unbelievable collection of breathtakingly imposing and splendid scenes.

Driving from Chengdu to Lhasa via the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is popular among tourists.

The shortest overland journey to Lhasa is from Xining to Lhasa through the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. With a total length of 1937km, the modern highway has the best road conditions for driving to Tibet. Most of the sections of this road are parallel with the Qinghai Tibet railway, providing the same stunning scenery that you can explore with more independence.

The last overland route is from Kunming to Lhasa via the Yunnan-Tibet Highway, which starts in Dali, Yunnan, and converges with the Sichuan Tibet Highway in Mangkang. Traveling this way, you can see lakes, gorges, canyons, and one of the world's most spectacular views of mountain ranges.

Conclusion

Understanding Tibet's remote location is one of the keys to planning how to get there. Modern transportation ensures that reaching Lhasa is no longer a challenge, while the beautiful and unique landscapes still make it an adventure. Flying will get you there quickly, while the train and overland routes provide an up-close and intimate experience of the natural wonders of the region. Our Tibet tour packages are designed for all ways of traveling to Tibet. Contact us for more information, and start planning your Tibet tour today.