Travel between Auckland,New Zealand and Tibet

We warm welcome Kiwi travelers (New Zealanders) to travel to Tibet! Based in Lhasa, Tibet Travel Expert Service help lots of Kiwi country travelers traveled in Tibet with ease and lower price. The general manager and organizer Mr. Tony went to New Zealand many times for tour promotion.

Here we are happy to shares the important Tibet tour information with distinguished travelers from New Zealand.

1) How to travel to Tibet from New Zealand?

As all people know that, to enter Tibet, you have two destinations options to travel to before entering Tibet. One is China and another one is Nepal. The gate way city to fly from mainland China to Lhasa is Chengdu. There are about 20 flights between Lhasa and Chengdu a day. And there is direct flight between Auckland and Chengdu since 2017. It is fairly convenient for KIWI travelers to fly to Lhasa by the same day flight. Tibet travel permits can be easily handed over to travelers at Chengdu airport or to hotel in Chengdu. 

Direct flights are available between Auckland and Chengdu, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. The China southern airline has direct flight between Christchurch and Guangzhou. Even so, there is flight between Lhasa and Guangzhou, or Shanghai, Beijing, while the cheaper airfare would be via flying in through Chengdu city. So when you book flight to China from NZ cities such as Auckland, Wellington, Queens-town, Christchurch, try best to find good airfare. Sometimes there is good airfare between China and Sydney, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore as well. 

2) Both Private tour or Group tour for New Zealand travelers are optional.

For travelers from New Zealand to Tibet, you do not have to join a group tour, as you can have your own private tour if you prefer. Even one person can book a tour of Tibet. And since 2015, there is no more restriction on travelers nationality and group size. However group tours of Tibet are more economical way considering the expensive transport in Tibet.

3) For Solo New Zealand travelers to Tibet

For Solo NZ travelers travelling to Tibet, you can also get Tibet permit, but be sure you will be part of an organized tour. It does not mean you have to book everything with travel agency. E.g you can book your own hotel in Lhasa, you can have your own free days in Lhasa, but when you travel outside of Lhasa, you will need to book a tour guide, and or a car when necessary.

4) To travel from New Zealand to Tibet, like other foreign nationalities, all New Zealand travelers also need Tibet Travel Permits.

For New Zealand travelers, the same for any other foreign nationality travelers, you will need Tibet travel permits to board the plane to Lhasa (when flying from cities in China to Lhasa), and you will need original permit as well for boarding the train from Chongqing, Xi’an and Lanzhou for Lhasa. However permits photo copies work when you board the train from other cities to Lhasa.

To go to Tibet, you’d better contact an experienced, reputable and Lhasa based Tibet travel agency to avoid any middle handler’s high commission fee in between. You never worry, as going from Malaysia to Tibet is very easy.

5) Flight Chengdu/China to Lhasa

Chengdu is the main gateway entry point city to Tibet, there are many more flights a day between Lhasa and Chengdu. And the airfare is far cheaper than you flying from Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, or from Nepal as well. There are daily and discounted airfare for flights between Bangkok and Chengdu/Guangzhou/Kunming all year-round. And there is direct Sichuan Airline flight between Chengdu and Auckland. The Chengdu AKL flight number is 3U8909 1:55 am-6:45 pm while the returning flight AKL-CTU flight number is 3U 8910 8:30 pm-6:00 pm. The round trip airfare is about NZ$ 1400. 

6) New Zealand travelers need Chinese Visa to enter China before going to Tibet

Before you fly to any cities in China from New Zealand, you will need to have China visa in advance. And the tourist visa-L type China visa is good if you can get it. Remember not to mention any words of Tibet or Tibet tour when you apply your China visa, this is a common practice which we always recommend our foreign travelers. If you do mention, you may need our local Tibet travel agency’s further support to apply and send you the Tibet group visa invitation letter.

Here below is some information about Chinese Consulate in New Zealand

Chinese embassy in New Zealand, you could apply China visa in New Zealand Capital city of Wellington 

Website: http://www.chinaembassy.org.nz/eng/

7) Flights between Chengdu and Lhasa.

There are 8-15 daily flights between Lhasa and Chengdu. And it is just around 2 hours flight and normally there is free drink and/or food on the board. If you want to take the train to Lhasa from Chengdu, you’d better let your Tibet Trip Advisor know that you are going by train as there is no daily train leaving Chengdu for Lhasa. It is only available every other date. By the way Tibet Local Travel Guide Service can help you reserve the train tickets easily if we book it 30 days to 65 days in advance before train leaves. The train ticketing schedule is subject to change per China railway system policy.

8) Tibet travel permits schedule-New Zealand travelers need to know

To get permits ready for going to Tibet from Thailand, normally 5-10 working days are necessary for regular tours without Mt. Kailash. And travel agency sends permits to hotel or living address in China and so travelers can get it in hand before flying to Lhasa or Nyingchi.

9) Finally for New Zealand travelers to Tibet, we have the suggestions below:

A) Do Not book a tour of Tibet with agencies or individuals outside of Tibet;
B) Do Not 100% trust “Tibetan” or “Tibetan Owned” tour agencies prices, because lots of travel websites claim they are based in Lhasa, and not middle handlers-even if they are, but the price is extremely high.
C) Do Not pay sky high prices for “namely high quality private Tibet tours”, Sky high prices always means big commissions if the handler is not Lhasa based.
D) Do Not pay “cheapest” price for a tour, since these tours may not be quality services.
E) Do Not trust”Biggest” travel agencies, small agency with personalized service and fairly lower prices would be your options to choose.

Traveling from New Zealand to Lhasa, Tibet 

With the outbreak of COVID19 worldwide, New Zealand was also hit by this deadly virus and this is really horrible to New Zealanders. We, the whole team from Tibet local guide travel service, as one people, sincerely wish New Zealand will not be infected too much and tourism can keep well. It is good to know that New Zealand announces lockdown as Canada withdraws from Olympics in 2020. Fingers crossed and wish God will protect the land on the South Pacific Ocean!

Once the worldwide health situation goes better and the COVID19 crisis is over, and Tibet gets back to normal, Kiwi travelers are more than welcome to travel to Tibet. Based on the southwest of Pacific, with around 3-4 hours to Sydney, Melbourne, Australia, New Zealand has direct flights to Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, as well as Guangzhou. And it is even more convenient to fly from Auckland, New Zealand to Chengdu directly by Sichuan airline on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, since there are more and cheaper flights to Lhasa Tibet from Chengdu. If you are from New Zealand and want to travel to Tibet, you are welcome to contact us by sales@tibetctrip.com or info@tibetlocalguide.com or Gail from Auckland for references: http://www.gailnicholls.co.nz