Qinghai-Tibet Train Ticket Booking Guide and Reservation Tips

Plan a Tibet train tour by Tibet Train from Xining, Chengdu, Beijing or Xian, etc., but do not know how to book the Tibet train ticket, or how and where to get your train ticket. This article will give you some tips on ticket reservation, selection, exchange, and rescheduling.

1. How and where to book Qinghai-Tibet train ticket to Lhasa?

(1) Book with Tibet Horizon (top recommended)

We offer the paid train ticket booking service to Tibet travelers. Our Tibet Tourism ticket reservation team has sucessfully obtained more than 3000 tickets each year for our clients. Generally, Tibet travel agency (Tibet Tourism) has a higher success rate in booking Lhasa train tickets than travelers themselves.

You just need to send your passport copy to our travel consultant, who will help you arrange the following train ticket booking process. Do not worry about any communication barriers, Tibet permit, ticket booking, delivery and collection. We handle it all for you.

(2) Book at the train station

If you are already in China and want to book your train ticket at a train station. There is also no problem buying a ticket at any train station in Chinese Mainland.

Before heading to the train station, please bring your original passport and Tibet Travel Permit. At most stations, such as in Xian, Chongqing and Lanzhou, you need to offer the original Tibet Travel Permit to the ticket conductor for checking. In Chengdu and Xining, the colorful pictures of Tibet Travel Permits is OK.

In the ticket hall of the train station, you’ll most likely wait in a long line and buy the ticket from a ticket window. You need to tell the ticket conductor with your departure and arrival stations, date, and ticket type. Almost all the ticket conductors can only speak Chinese. If you do not know Chinese, please prepare how to translate your language into Chinese in advance. The conductor searches the train ticket in the system and tells you whether there is the train ticket you need. If there is no ticket, you have to change your plan.

There is an advantage of booking train ticket at the train station. You can tell the conductor which sleeper berth position you need, such as upper berth or lower berth.

(3) Book on 12306.cn or other agent platforms

The 12306.cn is the only official ticket reservation website operated by China Railway Administration. It's available in both Chinese and English. If you want to book a train ticket online, you need to register an account, fill in all required information, choose ticket and pay for it in a complicated process.

You can also book Tibet train ticket via other ticket agent platforms, such as Trip.com, Alitrip.com, etc. You also need register an account and fill in all information and know how to get the your train ticket in the complicated process.

How to choose Qinghai-Tibet train ticket to Lhasa?

If you travel to Tibet by train with your family or close friends, a sleeper carriage is the best choice. A hard sleeper compartment has 6 berths and a soft sleeper has 4 berths. If you do not have enough members for a compartment, you can also pay an extra ticket fee to buy the empty berth and stay together.

If you travel alone, you can choose a hard or soft sleeper compartment. A hard sleeper berth will cost less than a soft sleeper. But please note that it will be extremely hard to buy train ticket to Lhasa during the tourism peak season (June to October) .

How far in advance to buy Tibet train ticket?

Usually, the train tickets start to sell online 15 days in advance, which means you can buy the Tibet train tickets within 15 days through the official website.

However, in order to manage the ticket reservations well, the train station asks for a train ticket reservation plan from travel agencies and ticket agencies at least 45 days in advance. The train tickets are controlled according to the time when reservation plan is sent to train station and ticket requirement. The earlier you book, the better the chances.

Therefore, we advise our clients to book a Tibet train ticket with us at least 30 days in advance. If it is during the peak travel season or your route is more popular, we recommend that you make your reservation with us 60 days in advance.

How and where to get your train ticket to Lhasa?

If you book a Tibet train ticket with us, you do not have to worry about it. We will arrange to deliver the paper ticket to you. Before you board the train, your ticket will be delivered to you at the beginning train station or your hotel, or you need hold your Tibet Travel Permit and your original passport to train station ticket window and ask the conductor to print your train ticket.

If you book ticket at train station, you can get ticket paper immediately and you need to keep it well.

If you book ticket online, the ticket platform will send you the reservation information. If you do not receive it, it is to say that you do not book train ticket successfully.

How much does Qinghai-Tibet train ticket cost? Any discount for children?

Tibet train seats are divided into three types: soft sleeper, hard sleeper, and hard seat. Usually, the soft sleeper is the most expensive, while the hard seat is the cheapest. However, for long journeys like traveling to Tibet, choosing a hard seat is not recommended.

The Qinghai-Tibet train ticket pirces vary by different cities. From Beijing, the cost of the lower soft sleeper ticket is RMB1144 ($164), the hard sleeper is RMB 720 ($103), and the hard seat is RMB360 ($51). If you buy the train ticket from Xining to Lhasa, the cost of the lower soft sleeper ticket is RMB781 ($112), the hard sleeper is RMB495 ($71), and the hard seat is RMB224 ($32).

If your child will take a berth on board, a full-price ticket is required, no matter how old the kid is. However, babies sharing a berth with their parents may be available for a partial discount. For more information about train ticket prices from other cities and discounts, please contact us.

In addition, Tibet train ticket prices vary by the different railway distance. The longer the journey, the higher the ticket price.

The Latest Tibet Train Fares in 2026 (from High to Low ):

Note: The ticket prices above are the net price. The actual ticket booking price is higher with the service fee included.

Do Tibet train tickets have off-season discounts like flights?

Tibet train tickets do not have obvious "off-season discounts" like air tickets. They are uniformly priced by the railway authorities. However, during the peak travel season, especially for popular routes such as Beijing to Lhasa, tickets are in high demand. To successfully secure a seat, you may need to pay a higher service fee.

Can I cancel or change Tibet train tickets that I have reserved?

Yes, if you can not follow the original Tibet train tour plan, you can cancel or change the train ticket.

If your train ticket paper is printed out, you have to cancel or change at railway station by using your original passport. The conductor will refund the ticket fee after reducing the prescribed handling charges.

If your train ticket is booked with us, we will help you solve the ticket cancellation and changing problem. But there will be some losses.

What documents or permits are needed to book Tibet train tickets?

On the train ticket, there are train station names, travel date, ticket information, and your personal information, such as your name and passport number. So, you need to get your personal passport in advance.

In addition, Tibet Travel Permit is required for all foreign tourists travelling to Tibet. When you pick up your train ticket at train station, pass through the security check and board the train to Tibet, you need to show your Tibet Travel Permit. It is only applied for via Tibet travel agency (Tibet tourism) from Tibet Tourism Bureau.

Are Tibet train tickets guaranteed if booked with Tibet Horizon?

Yes, as long as you book your trip with us, we guarantee that you will get your Tibet train ticket.

In addition to train tickets, we can also help you arrange all the necessary Tibet travel documents, ensure you 100% obtain the Tibet Travel Permit, and provide personalized itineraries tailored to your needs.

Travel tips for a pleasant Tibet train tour

(1) Currently, there are eight cities with trains to Tibet: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, Xining, and Xi’an. You can choose the most suitable departure city based on your itinerary. If you are unable to purchase a train ticket to Tibet, you can fly to Lhasa instead and then take the train to leave Tibet. Train tickets for outbound journeys are usually easier to book, and you can still enjoy the same stunning scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

(2) E-tickets are now widely used across China, so there’s no need to collect a paper ticket. You can enter the train station and board the train simply by scanning your passport and checking your Tibet Travel Permit, so please keep all your travel documents safe.

(3) Train journeys to Tibet are relatively long, even from Xining, which takes over 20 hours. Since there are no shower facilities on board, you can bring some wet wipes for basic cleaning.

(4) There is no Wi-Fi or entertainment facilities on the train, and the signal can be spotty. To pass the time, you can download movies or shows in advance, or bring a few books to read during the trip.

(5) Food on the train is more expensive. You can also buy some snacks before boarding.

Conclusion

Nowadays, booking Tibet train tickets has become increasingly convenient. You can reserve tickets directly through the official website. However, the simplest way is to book through a Tibet travel agency, as you will need to present your Tibet Travel Permit when boarding.

Booking your Tibet train tour with us not only guarantees 100% your train ticket and Tibet Travel Permit, but also ensures a satisfying Tibet tour experience. If you also want a worry-free journey to Tibet, we recommend making your reservation with us as early as possible.