Train is a hotter choice for many domestic and foreign travelers planning a Tibet tour compared with plane. It brings you the untouched Kunlun Mountain, Hoh Xil Mountain, Tanggula Mountain, and Nianqing Tanggula Mountain above 5000m, and reach the roof of the world. With its slow-travel ambiance, this world-class rail ride appeals to adventurers and eco-conscious people because of its breathtaking landscapes and vistas, which are unmatched anywhere else on Earth.
Why Travel to Tibet by Train
What is the allure of the Tibet train travel? Spanning from the different cultural cities, through diverse landscapes and distinctive towns & villages, to the Tibet Plateau and Lhasa, the holy city, the train to Tibet is truly one-of-a-kind experience.
The Most Scenic Route
A Tibet train journey basks in the abundant typical views of Chinese northwest region and west highland. A plane travel just takes a few hours to get you to Lhasa, leaving little time and opportunity to truly enjoy the stunning countryside. In contrast, a train trip takes 20 to 40 hours to take you through the breathtaking sight views of vast northwest and west regions of great China. Riding a train from a bustling inland city to the vast expanse of Chinese west region is itself an amazing journey.
A lower Cost
A Tibet train travel is cheaper than a trip by flight. Tours to Tibet usually take up more budget due to its long line journey, higher cost and relatively meager resources, the space allowing lower budget on transportation by train thus would be a thing worthy traveler’s favor.
Better Acclimatize to High Altitude
Trains move more slowly as they ascend from the beginning plain to the Qinghai-Tibet highland. Thus, there is a lower chance of experiencing altitude sickness, making trains a more benign mode of transportation to Tibet.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway
Tibet train travel with the Xining to Lhasa train on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway undertakes the largest foreign tourist volume from inland to Tibet highland at present. Hailed as a wonder of human wisdom, it has firstly built a great connection between Lhasa and inland and has opened a great travel channel covering many beautiful cities from northwest China to the west highland Lhasa, for the travelers holding interest and passion for the holy land.
It starts from Xining of Qinghai Province and ends at the Lhasa of Tibet Region, having 45 train stations, containing lots of attraction sites along its track for 1142 kilometers. More than three fourth rails of Tibet Railway maintain the altitude more than 4000 kilometers and 550 kilometers’ frozen earth.
The 10 Main Stations on Qinghai-Tibet Railway
| Stations | Mileage (km) |
| Xining | Departure Station |
| Qinghai Lake | 133 |
| Wulan | 406 |
| Golmud | 830 |
| Hoh Xil | 1072 |
| Tanggula | 1421 |
| Naqu | 1650 |
| Damxung | 1808 |
| Yangbajain | 1881 |
| Lhasa | 1956 |
Tibet Train Travel from Xining, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Other Cities
The direct trains heading to Lhasa at present take their starting stops from Xining, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Lanzhou. And cities, such as Xian, Lanzhou, Xining and Chengdu are the hot stops they pass by.
If you are planning a trip to Tibet by train from the above cities, make sure you get the information from our Beijing-Lhasa Train travel guide, Chongqing-Lhasa Train Travel Guide, Lanzhou-Lhasa Train Travel Guide, Guangzhou-Lhasa Train Travel Guide, Chengdu-Lhasa Train Travel Guide, and Shanghai-Lhasa Train Travel Guide.
The Main Tibet Trains
Train Z232/Z917/Z21/Z165/6811
The Z164/Z165 departs from Lanzhou to Lhasa via Xining, Delingha, Golmud, Amdo, Nagqu, Lhasa.. The 2,614-km trip takes 24hours and 30 minutes. The cost of the ticket is 240 yuan for a hard seat, 552 yuan for a hard sleeper, and 823 yuan for a soft sleeper.
Train Z164/Z165
The Z164/Z165 departs from Shanghai to Lhasa via Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Bengbu, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xi ‘an, Xianyang, Baoji, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud, Amdo and Naqu. The 4,373-km trip takes 44 hours and 32 minutes. The cost of the ticket is 402.5 yuan for a hard seat, 793.5 yuan for a hard sleeper, and 1,262.5 yuan for a soft sleeper.
Train Z223
The Z164/Z165 departs from Chongqing to Lhasa via Chongqing North, Nanchong North, Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Delingha, Golmud, Nagqu. The 3,654-km trip takes 35.5 hours. The cost of the ticket is 302.5 yuan for a hard seat, 627.5 yuan for a hard sleeper, and 997.5 yuan for a soft sleeper.
Train Z21
The Z21 departs from Beijing to Lhasa via Shijiazhuang North, Taiyuan, Zhongwei, Lanzhou, Xining, Delingha, Golmud, Naqu. The 3,756-km trip takes 40hours40 minutes. The cost of the ticket is 360 yuan for a hard seat, 720 yuan for a hard sleeper, and 1144 yuan for a soft sleeper.
Train Z322
The Z322 departs from Chengdu to Lhasa via Deyang, Mianyang, Jiangyou, Guangyuan, Longnan, Minxian Weiyuan, Lanzhou, Xining, Delingha, Golmud, Nagqu. The 3,360-km trip takes 36 hours and 28 minutes. The cost of the ticket is 302.5 yuan for a hard seat, 627.5 yuan for a hard sleeper, and 997.5 yuan for a soft sleeper.
Tips on Tibet Train Tickets Booking
The popularity of Tibet Train Tours and for the connection of inland and Tibet leads to enormous demand for the train tickets. It is difficult, especially in the July to October, for the individual customers to buy a hard seat ticket, let alone a hard and even soft sleeper. However, a travel agency like Chinaxiantour would be an easier channel to get tickets for the travelers as they pay special attention and effort on the tickets booking.
