Lhasa Gonggar Airport to the city centre: the 30 yuan coach
The civil aviation coach costs 30 yuan, leaves from outside Gate 5 on the arrivals level of Terminal 3 and takes about 70 minutes to 1 Niangre Road in Chengguan District, roughly a kilometre from the Potala Palace. Coaches load until they are full and the last one is timed to the last flight in. A taxi for the same run is quoted at around 200 yuan.
Gonggar (LXA) is not in Lhasa. It lies in Gonggar County, Shannan, on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo, about 65 km by road from the city, at 3,569.5 m. You are at altitude before the coach moves.
Permit first, transport second
Foreign passport holders cannot travel in Tibet independently; entry is through a licensed agency and an arranged itinerary. As of the 2026 policy the original Tibet Travel Permit, not a scan, is checked at airline check-in for flights to Tibet. Many agencies meet clients at the airport, so ask before you fly — a pickup changes this entire plan.
Taking the coach, step by step
- Buy the ticket. Counter outside Gate 5 on the Terminal 3 arrivals level, or the WeChat mini-program 拉萨空港快线, which requires real-name registration with your passport details. A ticket is valid only on the day you buy it.
- Board. Vehicles leave when full rather than to a timetable, and the final departure is synchronised with the last arriving flight, so a late landing is not a disaster.
- Name your stop before you board. The terminus is the Civil Aviation ticket hall at 1 Niangre Road. Intermediate stops include the Caina expressway exit, Liuwu railway station, Liuwu New Area Wealth Plaza, Liuwu Bridge and Lhasa Middle School on Linkuo West Road. Luggage is sorted by stop, so say where you are getting off as you load.
- Pay half if it applies. Children under 14, disabled servicemen and disabled police pay half price, but only at the counter — the mini-program gives no discount.
- Or take a taxi. Reported fares run from 130 to 200 yuan for a little over an hour, and the higher figure is the more recent. Ride-hailing is comparably priced. From three passengers up, a car beats the coach, particularly with luggage.
The return leg has a hard stop
City-to-airport coaches leave from 1 Niangre Road between 04:30 and 19:30, the first departure at 04:45, every 10 to 15 minutes, 30 yuan, about 70 minutes, with no intermediate stops. Domestic check-in at Gonggar closes 35 minutes before departure. If your flight leaves before the first bus, you need a taxi. Bus enquiries: 0891-6827727, answered 04:30 to 19:30.
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Last checked: 2026-10-30
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