Atlas of China
Chengdu to Lhasa 成都 – 拉萨
Door to door, the flight comes out ahead: about 5 hours against about 35 hours by train, counting about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time for a flight. Fares run about ¥750 against ¥303.
| Way | Time | Door to door | Fare | A day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrainChengdu West 成都西 → Lhasa 拉萨 | 34 h 38 minZ322, fastest | 35 hours | ¥303standard class | 120:46 |
| FlightChengdu Tianfu (TFU) → Lhasa Gonggar (LXA) | 2 h 35 minin the air | 5 hours | about ¥750varies by day | 2706:25–20:00 |
By train
One direct train a day runs from Chengdu West to Lhasa, at 20:46. The fastest, Z322, takes 34 h 38 min, and a standard-class seat is ¥303. It runs overnight, so a sleeper berth saves a hotel night.
Chengdu: Tianfu (TFU), about 50 km south-east, is the busier airport; Shuangliu (CTU) is closer in, and Trip.com's CTU city code covers both. Lhasa: Tibet Travel Permit required; trains out of Tibet are conventional, and the Fuxing trains to Nyingchi and Shigatse run only within Tibet.
By air
27 nonstop flights a day from Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) to Lhasa Gonggar (LXA), 2 h 35 min in the air, 06:25 to 20:00, with Sichuan Airlines, Air China and Tibet Airlines. 28 fly back. Door to door, with the airports at each end, count about 5 hours; fares vary by day and are typically about ¥750.
At the other end
Featured places around Lhasa.
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Potala Palace 布达拉宫
The red and white palace of the Dalai Lamas, rising in tiers above Lhasa
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Jokhang Temple & Barkhor 大昭寺与八廓街
Tibet's holiest temple, ringed by the pilgrim circuit of the Barkhor
Around Chengdu: Chengdu Giant Panda Base, Sanxingdui Museum, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount Qingcheng, Wuhou Shrine & Jinli Street.
On the map
Open either city on the illustrated map, or put both in a trip and let the planner lay out the days and the legs between them, with the same tables these numbers come from.
Book
About Chengdu · About Lhasa · Where Chengdu reaches in a day · All routes
Trains are every direct train on 2026-10-28 or 2026-11-11 in the 12306 timetable, with standard-class fares; one weekday, so weekend and holiday services differ, and the fastest train may not run every day. Flights are the airlines' schedules for 2026-10-28, plus routes Wikipedia lists for small airports. Drives are routed on OpenStreetMap roads (extract of 2026-10-21) where the pair was routed, else estimated from the distance. Door-to-door times add about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time to a flight. How to book is in the guide to trains and 12306; the rail times are open data on the data page.