How to Get to Chengdu from Tibet 2024/2025

The holy land Tibet has always been one of the top tourist destinations in China. After descovering Tibet, people usually leave from the capital city Lhasa. As another charming city in western China, Chengdu attracts numerous tourists with its profound culture, representative cuisine and cute pandas. Located about 1250 km away, Chengdu is conveniently connected with Lhasa by flight (2.5h) and train (36.5h), so many people will choose to travel these two places together to make their trip more memorable. Here we have gathered some useful information about how to get to Chengdu from Tibet (Lhasa) for your reference.

Travel from Tibet to Chengdu by Flight

Taking flight is the fastest and most convenient way to transfer between Chengdu and Tibet. People usually take flights from Lhasa Gonggar International Airpor, the largest airport in Tibet, to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Tibet also has four other airports: Shigatse Peace Airport, Nyingchi Mainling Airport, Qamdo Bangda Airport and Ngari Gunsa Airport. The former 3 all operate direct flights to Chengdu while the last one needs to take a transfer in Lhasa.

Lhasa to Chengdu Flights

From about 9:30 in the morning to 22:00 at night, there are over 30 direct flights from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Within less than 2.5h, you will get from the Sunshine City - Lhasa to the Land of Abundant - Chengdu. Main airlines include Tibet Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Air China, etc.

Lhasa Gonggar International Airport (IATA: LXA)
Address: Gyazuling Town, Gonggar County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet (西藏自治区山南贡嘎县甲竹林镇), about 60km from Lhasa downtown (Potala Palace)

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (IATA: CTU)
Address: Jichang Yingbin Road, Shuangliu District, Chengdu (成都市双流区机场迎宾路), about 16km to Chengdu downtown (Tianfu Square)

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Sichuan Airlines

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport

Tibet to Chengdu Flights (part)

Flight Route	Airline	Dep.~Arr. Airports	Dep.~Arri. Time	Duration	Frequency
Lhasa - Chengdu	Tibet Airlines	Lhasa Gonggar International Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	09:25 - 11:25	2 hrs	daily
Lhasa - Chengdu	Sichuan Airlines	Lhasa Gonggar International Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T1)	10:55 - 13:15	2 hrs 20 mins	daily
Lhasa - Chengdu	Air China	Lhasa Gonggar International Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	14:15 - 16:25	2 hrs 10 mins	daily
Lhasa - Chengdu	Chengdu Airlines	Lhasa Gonggar International Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	19:45 - 22:00	2 hrs 15 mins	daily
Shigatse - Chengdu	Tibet Airlines	Shigatse Peace Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	12:05 - 14:30	2 hrs 25 mins	daily
Nyingchi - Chengdu	Air China	Nyingchi Mainling Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	9:15 - 11:15	2 hrs	daily
Qamdo - Chengdu	Air China	Qamdo Bangda Airport - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (T2)	8:35 - 9:55	1 hr 20 mins	daily

Note: The above flight schedules are listed for reference only, for more details please feel free to contact our private consultant.

Travel from Tibet to Chengdu by Train

Apart from the flights, a train tour from Tibet to Chengdu is also favored by many tourists thanks to the beautiful plateau view on the way. At present, direct train is available from Lhasa to Chengdu. The train route covers a distance of 3360km and it needs about 36.5h. You will spend two nights on the train, therefore, a soft sleeper is more recommended.

Lhasa to Chengdu Train

The Train Z324 serves for tourists who want to take train to Chengdu from Lhasa. It leaves Lhasa Train Station at 18:30, and goes up northeast via Qinghai Tibet Plateau to Xining, which is the best sightseeing section during this train journey. You can see the vast grassland, snow mountains, wild animals, rivers, etc. Keep moving from Xining, it goes down south via Lanzhou, Guangyuan and finally gets to Chengdu Train Station in the morning on the third day.

Lhasa Railway Station
Address: Tongzhan Road, Liuwu New Area, Lhasa, Tibet (西藏自治区拉萨市柳梧新区通站路), about 7km from Lhasa downtown (Potala Palace)

Chengdu Railway Station
Address: No.1 Zhandong Rd, Jinniu District, Northern Chengdu (成都市金牛区站东路1号), about 5km from Chengdu downtown (Tianfu Square)

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Chengdu Railway Station

View Seen on Lhasa to Chengdu Train

Train No.	Departure Station	Arrival Station	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Duration
Z324	Lhasa Railway Station	Chengdu Railway Station	18:40	06:26 (third day)	35 hrs 46 mins

Note: The above train schedule is for reference only. You can click Lhasa (Tibet) to Chengdu Train Schedules to get the real-time train information.

How to Plan a Chengdu Tibet Tour

It usually takes 6-7 days to tour Lhasa in Tibet and Chengdu in Sichuan. You can either take a flight (2.5h) to shorten your trip or take a train (36.5h) to slow down your pace and enjoy the view on the way.

While you are in Tibet, if you just want to tour Lhasa, you can visit the grandiose Potala Palace and the holiest Jokhang Temple first. Then take a walk at the Barkhor Street. The next day, spend a leisure time at the largest Tibetan garden – Norbulingka Park and then watch the famous Buddhist debating in Sera Monastery. Or you can add another 3-4 days to Mt. Everest - the highest mountain in the world. On the way, you can pay a visit to holy Yamdrok Lake and you will pass Shigatse and Gyantse where you can see the magnificent Karola Glacier and tome-honored Palcho Monastery.

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☞ 6 Days Classic Chengdu & Lhasa Highlights by Flight

Then take a flight or train to Chengdu from Lhasa. Generally speaking, 1-2 days are sufficient to cover the main attractions in the city. You can meet the national treasure – Giant Pandas in Chengdu Panda Base in the morning, and then visit the peaceful Wenshu Temple in Chengdu downtown. In the afternoon, have a cup of tea at People’s Park to feel the leisure lifestyle of Chengdu and try some reputed Chengdu snacks in Jinli Old Street. Or you can spare one day to admire Leshan Giant Bhudda which is 2 hours' drive away

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If you have more days, it is highly recommended to extend your tour to other hot destinations in China such as the capital Beijing, ancient Xi'an, and modern Shanghai, or you can try a relaxing cruisee trip along the Yangtze River. In this way, you will have a deeper understanding of China and make full of your stay in this beautiful country.

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Travel with China Discovery

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