Running since 2006, when the famous Qinghai Tibet railway first opened, the trains to Tibet have become one of the most popular ways to travel to Tibet from mainland China.
Trains depart from eight gateway stations across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xining, Xi’an and Lanzhou. With such a wide choice of trains to Tibet, you can choose the one that is best suited to your tour planning.
Beijing to Lhasa Train
The train from Beijing to Lhasa departs daily, leaving Beijing West Railway Station at around 19:53 pm and arriving in Lhasa at around 11:36 pm on the third day. Taking around 39 hours and 43 minutes to complete the train ride, this epic adventure covers six provinces of China and stretches for more than 3,700 kilometers.
The return trip from Lhasa to Beijing actually takes a similar time. Departing from Lhasa leave in the mid-afternoon, the train will arrive in Beijing in the morning of the third day.
Beijing Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Beijing - Lhasa |
19:53 /11:36 |
39h 43m |
Daily |
| Lhasa - Beijing |
15:50 / 08:28 |
40h 38m |
Daily |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Tibet train runs along the world-famous Qinghai Tibet railway.
Shanghai to Lhasa Train
The train from Shanghai to Lhasa runs daily from the Shanghai Railway Station, and takes over 44 hours to reach the provincial capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The trains depart at around 18:33 pm daily, and arrive in Lhasa at around 15:05 pm on the third day. Covering a distance of 4,373 kilometers, the train takes around 44 hours and 32 minutes to make the long journey across the breadth of China.
Return departures from Lhasa leave from the Lhasa Railway Station at around 11:50 in the morning, and arrive in Shanghai at around 12:03 am on the third day, taking 48 hours and 13 minutes to cross the country to the eastern shores.
Shanghai Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Shanghai - Lhasa |
18:33 / 15:05 |
44h 32m |
Daily |
| Lhasa - Shanghai |
11:50 / 12:03 |
48h 13m |
Daily |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Scenery along the Shanghai to Lhasa train journey
Guangzhou to Lhasa Train
The train from Guangzhou to Lhasa departs from the Guangzhou Railway Station daily at around 09:15 am, and arrives at Lhasa railway station at around 14:17 pm on the third day. The longest of all the train journeys to Tibet, the trains from Guangzhou take around 54 hours and 2 minutes to reach Lhasa.
The return trip departs from Lhasa just after lunch, and arrives back in Guangzhou at around 20:01 pm on the third day. The return trip is slightly longer, taking around 55 hours and 31 minutes to cross China to the southern coastal city of Guangdong Province. Covering 4,980 kilometers, this is the longest single train journey in China.
Guangzhou Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Guangzhou - Lhasa |
09:15/14:17 |
53h 2m |
Daily |
| Lhasa - Guangzhou |
12:40 / 20:01 |
55h 31m |
Daily |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Chengdu to Lhasa Train
The train to Lhasa from Chengdu is one of the most popular of all the gateway cities to Tibet, and departs every other day. It departs from the Chengdu West Railway Station at 21:11 pm, arriving in Lhasa at around 07:41 pm on the third day. The train crosses a distance of around 3,070 kilometers, and takes around 34 hours and 30 minutes to reach Lhasa.
The return journey departs Lhasa at around 19:00 am every other day, and arrives in Chengdu on the morning of the third day. The return journey takes around 36 hours and 03 minutes to reach the Sichuan provincial capital.
Chengdu Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Chengdu - Lhasa |
21:11 / 07:41 |
34h 30m |
Every Other Day |
| Lhasa - Chengdu |
19:00 / 07:03 |
36h 03m |
Every Other Day |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Taking picturec of the scenery outside the window during the train journey.
Chongqing to Lhasa Train
The train from Chongqing is also considerably popular with tourists to Tibet, and departs from the Chongqingxi Railway Station every other day, with a similar schedule style to that of Chengdu. Trains depart from Chengdu at 21:56 pm and arrive in Lhasa at around 07:41 pm on the third day. The train from Chongqing takes around 33 hours and 45 minutes to cover the 3,030 kilometers to the plateau.
The return journey from Lhasa to Chongqing departs 19:00 pm, and arrives in Chongqing in the morning of the third day, taking around 35 hours and 23 minutes to reach Chongqing.
Chongqing Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Chongqing - Lhasa |
21:56 / 07:41 |
33h 45m |
Every Other Day |
| Lhasa - Chongqing |
19:00 / 06:23 |
35h 23m |
Every Other Day |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Xining to Lhasa Train
Xining is the start of the famous Qinghai Tibet Railway, and is the shortest of all the train journeys to Lhasa from mainland China. Located in Qinghai Province, Xining is the closest departure station to Lhasa, stretching a distance of only 1,972 kilometers to the Lhasa Railway Station, by the Lhasa River.
The train departs from Xining at around 12:50 pm every other day, and arrives in Lhasa at 10:20 pm the following day, taking just 21 hours 30 minutes to reach the Tibetan provincial capital. The return trip departs from Lhasa at 09:25 am, and arrives in Xining at 06:25 am the following day, taking around 21 hours.
Besides, all Tibet trains to Lhasa will pass through Xining and stop at Xining Railway Station. Thus you have the most chances to take the train if you depart from Xining.
Xining Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Xining - Lhasa |
12:50 / 10:20 |
21h 30m |
Every Other Day |
| Lhasa - Xining |
09:25/06:25 |
21h |
Every Other Day |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
The Tibet train passes the Qinghai Lake after Xining.
Xi’an to Lhasa Train
While there is no direct train from Xi’an in Shaanxi Province to Lhasa in the TAR, there is an option to board one of the trains from Guangzhou or Shanghai to reach the plateau region. Trains from Shanghai and Guangzhou pass through Xi’an on the way to Tibet, and stop at the station for boarding for passengers with tickets from Xi’an to Lhasa.
Trains depart at either 07:53 am daily for the Z265 route from Guangzhou and 09:27 am daily for the Z165 route from Shanghai. The journey to Lhasa from Xi’an takes around 31 hours, and covers a distance of around 2,864 kilometers.
The return trains to Xi’an depart from Lhasa at the same times as the Shanghai and Guangzhou trains, with the Z166 to Xi’an and Shanghai departing at 11:50 am and the Z266, which passes through Xi’an en route to Guangzhou departing at around 12:40 pm daily.
Xi’an Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Xi'an - Lhasa |
07:53 / 14:17 |
31h 02m |
Daily |
| Xi'an - Lhasa |
09:27 / 15:05 |
29h 38m |
Daily |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Lanzhou to Lhasa Train
The train to Lhasa from Lanzhou in Gansu Province of China departs every other day from the Lanzhou Railway Station, taking just 23 hours to reach Lhasa Railway Station. Trains depart at 08:40 pm and arrive in Lhasa at around 07:41 pm the following day, making Lanzhou one of the shortest trips to Lhasa of all the eight trains.
The return train from Lhasa departs at around 09:25 am every other day, and arrives in Lanzhou around 24 hours later, covering a distance of around 2,188 kilometers.
Lanzhou Lhasa Train Schedule
| Train Route | Dep./Arr. | Duration | Frequency |
|---|
| Lanzhou - Lhasa |
08:40 / 07:41 |
23h 01m |
Every Other Day |
| Lhasa - Lanzhou |
09:25/09:27 |
24h 2m |
Every Other Day |
Note: timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.
Conclusion
With eight different departure gateways to Tibet from mainland China, taking the train can be the best option for getting to Tibet for many international and domestic tourists. It is not just cheaper, but also more exciting and adventurous.
White the Tibet train tickets can be hard to get especially during the peak travel season. To make it easier for you, we can also help you with Tibet train ticket booking. For more questions about Tibet train, please feel free to contact us for inquiries.
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