How to Choose Tibet Train Route and Tibet Train Ticket

For foreign tourists who want to have a great Tibet tour in China, they may want to know which train route should they choose and what train ticket they should purchase to enjoy their Tibet train tour. Here we will show the most popular Tibet train routes and also the difference of the three Tibet train tickets for tourists to make their own decision. However, if you are still not able to decide, you can feel free to contact us for more suggestions on your Train tour to Tibet.

According to our experience, we have picked up the three most popular routes for foreign travelers. Most tourists who have contacted us finally chose one of those three train routes we listed below. And nearly all of them will give us positive feedback because they thought that we actually did them a great favor.

There are seven gateway cities to get to Tibet by train from mainland China, which are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining. All those train routes will give you different experiences along the railway. But we also want to list the three most popular routes for you since they may be the better choices for foreign tourists.

Qinghai Tibet Train

Three Popular Tibet Train Routes for You to Choose

Beijing to Lhasa

Beijing to Lhasa is the most popular Tibet train route that many international tourists choose. Lots of foreign travelers will pick Beijing as their first destination in China. Beijing is not only the great capital of China, but it can also offer many grand attractions to tourists who want to get to know the culture of China. So, it is easy for them to accept the fact that Beijing will be the best city for them to take trains to everywhere in China, including Tibet.

Train Z21 departs from Beijing West Railway Station daily at 20:00 and arrives in Lhasa at 12:30 on the third day. This route from Beijing to Lhasa runs 40 hours and 30 minutes on the road, covering about 3,757 kilometers. The traveling time is not the longest and tourists will have enough time to enjoy the splendid scenery out of the window on the train.

Chengdu to Lhasa

The second most popular Tibet train route falls on the train from Chengdu to Lhasa. As the provincial capital of the home of giant pandas, Chengdu attracts thousands of foreign tourists every year. And its food and the lifestyle make everyone who comes to visit this city reluctant to leave. So, many tourists will choose to visit this city before they leave for Tibet.

Besides, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport serves as a hub that connected lots of flights from foreign countries, which makes it a gateway to China for those tourists. With only 36 hours and 19 minutes on the road, the train from Chengdu to Lhasa takes more and more tourists to get to Tibet to enjoy the 3070-kilometer train ride.

So, as one of the most popular train routes for tourists, train Z322 leaves Chengdu Railway Station at 21:37 and arrives in Lhasa at 09:56 on day three. But it runs every other day.

Xining to Lhasa

For most foreign tourists, we will highly recommend the train from Xining to Lhasa to them. Xining is the start point of the Qinghai-Tibet railway and every train to Tibet will make a stop here for a while. So, it is easy for foreign tourists to purchase a train ticket successfully according to their travel time in China. The ticket prices are cheaper and the travel time will be shorter. Tourists only need to take a flight to get to Xining and stay there for one or two days to enjoy this wonderful city.

This train route covers 1,972 kilometers from Xining to Lhasa. The train will take you to climb up to the highest place along the Qinghai-Tibet railway and cross the tunnels under those high mountains. The best part of the Tibet train tour belongs to this route and tourists can fully enjoy the scenery without feeling too exhausted.

Except for those trains from major cities of China, Xining runs several trains to Lhasa daily. Those trains will promise tourists a good experience along the railway since the total journey will only last more than 20 hours.

The Difference of Three Classes of Tibet Train Tickets

Except for the choice of train routes, you may also want to know which class of tickets to choose when you are choosing the train to Tibet. There are three classes of tickets for Tibet trains, which are soft sleeper, hard sleeper and hard seat.

Soft sleeper berth is the most expensive option with larger luggage space, more private environment and television to watch. Lower bunks are a little expensive than upper bunks. But it depends on you. Lower bunks are easy to get rest and sit by the bed. However, upper bunks will provide more privacy for you since you can enjoy your bed on your own. And among all those cabins, the soft sleeper is the safest choice for foreign tourists since it has a lockable door. But you still need to share the cabin with another three people together. If you are traveling with three friends, it will be the best choice for you. Another option is that you can purchase all four bunks in one cabin and then you can completely enjoy it.

Hard sleeper berth is your second choice if the first-class tickets have been sold out. Do not misunderstand the hard sleeper berth according to the name. The berths are also soft for you to lie down. It is less private than the soft sleeper cabin since there is no door. Besides, you need to share one cabin with the other five people, which will make the space smaller for you. And others may sit on the bottom berths during the day to talk and enjoy the scenery out of the window. So, you can choose upper berths if you prefer to be alone during the train tour.

The last choice for foreign tourists is the Hard seat. The seat is not hard. But tourists need to sit on the seat during the whole journey. And there will be people around you walking, chatting, eating and doing other things. So, for international tourists who haven’t traveled so long on the train, they will feel uncomfortable since they cannot lie down to have a rest, especially in the high plateau area.