Skip to main content
WindhorseTour
Shortlist (0) China travel guide Blog FAQ About us Contact us
info@windhorsetour.com +86-28-85593923
  • Home
  • Tailor-made tour Tailor-made
  • Tibet tours Tibet tours
    All Tibet group tours
    All Tibet private tours

    Destination

    • Lhasa
    • Central Tibet
    • Mount Everest Base Camp
    • Mount Kailash & Far Western Tibet
    • Eastern Tibet Nyingchi
    • Sichuan/Yunnan to Tibet overland
    • Nepal Extention
    • Sichuan Tibetan Kham
    • Train Journey to Tibet

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
  • China tours China tours
    All China private tours

    Destination

    • Beijing
    • Xi’an
    • Shanghai
    • Guilin & Yangshuo
    • Datong & Pingyao
    • Yunnan
    • Xiamen
    • Yangtze River Cruises
    • Chengdu
    • Tibet
    • China Multi-city tours
    • Mount Huangshan
    • Zhangjiajie
    • Jiuzhaigou National Park
    • Guizhou
    • Qinghai
    • Hangzhou
    • Luoyang
    • Nanjing
    • Hong Kong

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
    • 1st Time travel to China
    • Panda
    • Yangtze cruise
  • Sichuan tours Sichuan
    All Sichuan private tours

    Destination

    • Mount Emei & Leshan
    • Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong
    • Daocheng Yading
    • Sichuan Tibetan Kham
    • Panda Breeding Centers
    • Chengdu
    • South Sichuan

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Panda
  • Silk Road tours Silk Road
    All Silk Road private tours

    Destination

    • Zhangye Rainbow Mountain
    • Dunhuang
    • Turpan
    • Kashgar
    • Badain Jaran Desert
    • Kanas Lake
    • Silk Road Tibet
    • Silk Road China
    • Kuqa
    • Hotan
    • Yining Grassland
    • Jiayuguan
    • Tianshui

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Panda
  • Travel guide Travel guide
    All travel advice

    Travel tips

    • China
    • TIbet
    • Sichuan
    • Ultimate Guide on How to Visit Tibet

    Destinations

    • China
    • Tibet
    • Sichuan
More
Latest Corona Virus travel information
Home > China travel guide > Tibet travel tips > A complete guide for Qinghai-Tibet Railway

A complete guide for Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Taking Qinghai-Tibet trains has become travelers’ great choice since its opening in 2006, as the trains are punctual and cost-efficient, in addition, the route along Qinghai Tibet Railway offers travelers remarkable memories filled with splendid scenery. 

Renowned as the world's highest railway, Qinghai Tibet Railway is a landmark achievement in Chinese construction and engineering. The highest point on the line is 5,072 m. (16,640 ft.) above sea level. The railway covers 960 km. (597 mi.) at an altitude of more than 4,000 m. (13,123 ft.), over 550 km. (341 mi.) within the "frozen earth" area.

header line

Qinghai-Tibet Railway brief information

Scenery along Qinghai Tibet Railway

Opening date: July 1st, 2006
Starting Point: Xining, Qinghai Province
Terminal Point: Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Length: 1,956 KM 
Duration: about 21-22 hours
Major Railway Stops: Xining, Delingha, Golmud, Amdo, Nagqu, Damxung, Lhasa
Top Speed: Xining-Golmud (814 KM): 140 km/h; Golmud-Lhasa (1142 KM): 100 km/h
Characteristics: World’s highest railway, the world's longest railroad built atop a plateau

At present, Xining, Beijing, and Shanghai have direct trains to Lhasa every day, while the direct trains from Lanzhou, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu depart every other day, among them, many trains pass over some other major cities in China such as Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Xi'an, etc. However, due to the popularity of Tibet trains, we strongly recommend our clients to pick these seven cities as their starting points when they travel to Tibet. 

Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province, serves as the starting point for the Qinghai-Tibet railway. It is also the most important transfer hub for train travel to Tibet, all the trains departing from the other cities to Tibet will meet at Xining and all the passengers are required to switch to the special trains designed with oxygen supply at Xining railway station upon arrival. 

Tibet Train Map
header line

Qinghai-Tibet train schedule

Below is the schedule of the Qinghai-Tibet railway train schedule for reference, including the trains departing from the other cities but passing over Xining.

Xining to Lhasa
Train No. Dep.  Time Arr. Time Total Hours Frequency departure
Z323 12:26 09:55+1day 21h29m Daily
Z6801 14:01 11:20+1day 21h29m Every other day
Z917 14:01 11:20+1day 21h29m Every other day
Z21 15:21 12:45+1day 21h24m Daily
Z265 19:31 16:45+1day 21h14m Every other day
Z165 21:27 19:35+1day 22h08m Daily

 

Lhasa to Xining
Train No. Dep.  Time Arr. Time Total Hours Frequency departure
Z918 09:00 06:43+1day 21h43m Every other day
Z6802 09:00 06:43+1day 21h43m Every other day
Z166 11:30 09:10+1day 21h40m Daily
Z266 12:55 10:35+1day 21h40m Every other day
Z22 15:50 13:20+1day 21h30m Daily
Z324 18:40 16:30+1day 22h50m Daily

 

Qinghai Tibet Railway Scenery
header line

Qinghai-Tibet train tickets types

There are 3 types of train tickets on the Qinghai-Tibet trains: 1st class soft sleeper, 2nd class hard sleeper, hard seat. In order to get a more comfortable and better sleep, we would highly recommend travelers to take a soft sleeper, as the berths are softer, furthermore, the compartment is more spacious. Alongside this, each soft sleeper compartment has a private door facing the aisle, making it quieter and privacy. Below are the differences between the soft sleeper and hard sleeper for better understanding.

Regarding the ticket’s price, the soft sleeper is about 781-808 RMB or 115-119 USD per person and about 495-521 RMB or 73-77 USD per person for the hard sleeper, the actual cost depends on which berths you can obtain. The hard seat costs about 224 RMB or 33 USD per person. An important tip you should know is that the ticket price is generally higher (by adding the high commission to the tickets dealers) than the official price due to the high demand. 

Soft sleeper carriagesHard sleeper carriages
Types Soft Sleeper Hard Sleeper
Privacy Private compartments with lockable doors Open compartments without doors, less privacy
Berth amount 4 berths (2 lower berths and 2 upper berths) in a compartment 6 berths (2 lower berths, 2 middle berths, and 2 upper berths) in a compartment
Sleeper size Width:70cm/Length:190cm Width:50cm/Length:180cm
Berth condition All passengers can sit up on their berths Passengers in the middle or upper berths cannot sit straight
Luggage storage Luggage closet above the door inside the compartment Luggage rack above the aisle outside the compartment
Toilets Both western-style and squat toilets Squat toilets
Thermos bottle Yes

Yes

Power Supply One socket in each compartment A few sockets in each carriage
TV Yes

No

Cost 50% more expensive than a hard sleeper berth The cheapest among all sleepers

 

header line

Facilities on Qinghai-Tibet trains

Oxygen Supply and Air Conditioning As the trains on Qinghai-Tibet Railway face the conditions of high elevation, low temperature, lack of oxygen, harsh climate, etc., in order to ensure the passengers’ safety, there is a "dispersion-mode" oxygen supply system specially designed on those trains. Besides, to make the train journey more comfortable, there is an air-conditioning system to create a comfortable temperature
Food and drink In the middle of the train, a dining carriage offers some Chinese food and cuisines like rice, vegetables, meats, soups, and some snacks. Besides, you can buy packed food from Food Trolleys. It provides 24-hour hot water, however, you should bear in mind that the water received from the washing area is not drinkable.
Toilet and Washing There are a Western-style toilet and a squat toilet set in each soft sleeper carriage. While there is only one squat toilet equipped in each hard sleeper carriage or hard seat carriage, the trains don’t provide toilet paper, you should bring toilet paper on your own. At each side of the carriages, there is a simple washbasin providing undrinkable and cold water. 
Luggage storage For those taking soft sleepers, their luggage or suitcases can be placed on the luggage closet above the door in each Soft Sleeper Carriage, which is about 16 inches (40cm) high and 20 inches (50cm) wide. While for those taking hard sleepers, their luggage or suitcases can be put on the luggage racks above the window by the side of the aisle. The luggage racks on the hard seat carriages are suited above both windows.

 

header line

Qinghai-Tibet train tickets booking facts

No matter taking a train from Xining to Lhasa or Lhasa to Xining is a great experience. However, due to the popularity and limited availability of Tibet trains, it is usually not easy to obtain the train tickets especially soft sleepers from April to October. Hence, during this period, we would recommend taking the train route from Lhasa to Xining, as the chance to get a sleeper ticket from Lhasa to Xining is bigger. For travel groups with seniors and children, it’s better to take the train from Xining to Lhasa, as you can spend one or two days pre-acclimatizing to the high altitude of Qinghai Tibet Plateau before heading to Lhasa. 

For those who prefer to take a train to Tibet from Xining, especially soft sleepers, it is highly recommended to book the train tickets as soon as possible, because there are only 2 carriages with up to 64 soft sleeper berths on each train. Currently, the train tickets are officially opened to purchase online 30 days in advance. We’d love to help you with Tibet train tickets booking, and you could also check the availability at Trip.com. 

Please check the below image to find out how to read the train ticket.

header line

What documents are needed to board a train to Tibet

As an overseas traveler to travel to Tibet by train from Xining, you need to hold a Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit) which is issued only by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. When you check-in at Xining railway station, you can present the color-printed permit, but for those departing from Lanzhou, Chongqing, and Xi’an, it is required to show the original Tibet permit. During the train ride to Lhasa, the staff might check your Tibet permit occasionally. Besides, it’s required to show Tibet Tourism Permit if you book train tickets to Tibet at the railway stations or their branch offices.

The Tibet Travel Permit application usually takes about 15-20 days and it can only be applied by a local travel agency on behalf of travelers. Moreover, except for Tibet permits, for foreigners traveling to Tibet, they need to pre-organize a tour with a licensed tour guide, and a private vehicle with a driver. As a reliable local travel agency with over 13-year professional experience, we, WindhorseTour, have helped thousands of our clients to make their Tibet train tour happen every year, would be very pleased to assist you as well, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment or email (info@windhorsetour.com). 

Related tours

Qinghai to Tibet railway from Beijing to Lhasa
Qinghai Tibet Train Tour Route
Karola Glacier

9 days Qinghai Tibet train tour

Xining
⇀ Lhasa
...
Xining ⇀ Qinghai Lake ⇀ Lhasa ⇀ Gyantse ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Lhasa ⇀ Namtso ⇀ Lhasa
9 days
∙ Private ∙
Culture and Heritage
Begin your train journey in the multinational city-Xining, Qinghai province. This Tibet train tour offers you a once in a lifetime chance to relax in these breathtaking spots including Qinghai Lake, the Potala Palace and more.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 7,810
¥ 7,100
View tour >
Beijing to Tibet Train Tour Route
Mount Everest Sunset
First glimpse of Yamdrok Tso Lake from Kambala Pass
Karola Glacier
Nepal Kathmandu Tour

12 days Tibet train tour from Beijing to Kathmandu via Everest

Beijing
⇀ Kathmandu
...
Beijing ⇀ Lhasa ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Sakya ⇀ Mount Everest ⇀ Gyirong Border ⇀ Kathmandu
12 days
∙ Private ∙
Overland
This 12 day Tibet tour starts from Beijing, the capital city of China to the highest mountain in the world -Mount Everest then continues to Kathmandu in Nepal. A train ride on Tibetan plateaus also gives you another travel experience in China.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 11,000
¥ 10,000
View tour >
waterfall in jiuzhaigou
Chengdu Jiuzhaigou Tour Route
jiuzhaigou fall
Jiuzhaigou park bird view
Huanglong park colorful pools

5 days Jiuzhaigou National Park(double entry) and Huanglong tour - by public bus

Chengdu
⇀ Chengdu
...
Chengdu ⇀ Jiuzhaigou ⇀ Huanglong ⇀ Wenchuan ⇀ Chengdu
5 days
∙ Private ∙
Travel to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu and back by public bus to save a lot than a private land transfer. Once arrival, spend two full days to explore the lush forest, countless lakes and snow-capped mountains with one night inside of the fairyland.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 3,600
View tour >
Lhasa to Yamdrok Tso Lake Tour Route

5 days Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake tour (local family visit)

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Yamdrok Tso ⇀ Lhasa
5 days
∙ Private ∙
Family focused
Designed with limited driving. This short tour offers a get way to enjoy 2 full days in Lhasa, Ganden Monastery’s architectural brilliance in Kyichu Valley. Followed by a visit to the turquoise colored Yamdrok-tso and local Tibetan family.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 3,080
¥ 2,800
View tour >

Comments

yoke fein kwan
yoke fein kwan
Fri, 05/05/2017

I am interested your tibet travel train in n fly out,can I have more info on that plan to go either in April or sept.

Reply
Admin data
 

Related tips

Beijing to Lhasa Train
Xining to Lhasa train
Lhasa Train Schedule and price
High altitude sickness
Tibet Autonomous Region vs. the Tibetan Area
Top 10 Tibetan food you need to try in Tibet
Tibet Permit and how to get the Tibet permit
Introduction of Tibet private tours and group tours

Contact us

  • +86-28-85593923
  • info@windhorsetour.com

Discover

    • Tibet group tours
    • Tibet tours
    • China tours
    • Sichuan tours
    • Silk Road tours
    • Create your tailor-made tour

Company

  • About us
  • Blog
  • China travel guide
  • FAQ
  • Terms of use and Privacy statement

Customer Reviews

© 2006 - 2021 WindhorseTour.com - All rights reserved