Lanzhou to Lhasa Train Book

Lanzhou Lhasa Train Ticket Price and Schedule

Train No.From / ToDep. / Arr.DurationDistance (km)FrequencyHard sleeper TicketSoft Sleeper Ticket
Z917 Lanzhou/Lhasa 11:16/12:00 24:44 2188 Every Other Day CNY522 CNY823
Z918 Lhasa/Lanzhou 08:50/09:23 24:33 2188 Every Other Day CNY522 CNY823

* The ticket price is just for reference. Please contact us for exact price on your departure date.

* Since Lanzhou-Lhasa is one of the most popular train routes to Tibet, it is suggested to make your reservation as soon as possible.

Book the Train Now

Traveling from Lanzhou to Lhasa is a journey that only takes around 24 hours by train. The second shortest route to Lhasa by train, Lanzhou is one of the seven major cities from which trains depart to Tibet and an important transport terminal for both the Silk Road and the Eurasian Continental Bridge.

Sitting astride the Yellow River, Lanzhou not only gives rise to the fertile lands on either side, making the area rich in fruit crops but also functions as a gateway to the northwest of China.

Lanzhou Lhasa Train Schedule

Timetable of Lanzhou to Lhasa Train - No.Z917

StationAltitutdeArrivalDepartureStop TimeDaysDistance
Lanzhou 1,520 m -- 11:16 -- Day 1 --
Xining 2,200 m 13:45 14:05 20 min Day 1 216 km
Delingha 2,980 m 18:07 18:13 6 min Day 1 737 km
Golmud 2,780 m 20:58 21:23 25 min Day 1 1,046 km
Nagchu 4,500 m 06:56 07:02 6 min Day 2 1,866 km
Lhasa 3,650 m 12:00 -- -- Day 2 2,188 km

Timetable of Lhasa to Lanzhou Train - No.Z918

StationAltitutdeArrivalDepartureStop TimeDaysDistance
Lhasa 3,650 m -- 08:50 -- Day 1 --
Damxung 4,290 m 10:39 10:43 4 min Day 1 164 km
Nagchu 4,500 m 12:21 12:27 6 min Day 1 322 km
Amdo 4,800 m 13:49 13:53 4 min Day 1 448 km
Golmud 2,780 m 23:25 23:50 25 min Day 1 1,142 km
Delingha 2,980 m 02:17 02:23 8 min Day 2 1,451 km
Xining 2,200 m 06:43 07:03 20 min Day 2 1,972 km
Lanzhou 1,520 m 09:23 -- -- Day 2 2,188 km

Lanzhou to Lhasa Train Schedule

While there is only one train(Z917) originating from Lanzhou to Lhasa every other day, the trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other cities make a stop at Lanzhou, so there are normally around 4-5 trains each day heading to Lhasa, though tickets for these trains may be hard to obtain. Here are the schedules of all the trains to Lhasa from Lanzhou.

Train No.From / ToDep. / Arr.DurationDistance (km)FrequencyHard sleeper TicketSoft Sleeper Ticket
Z322 Chengdu to Lhasa 09:26/09:55 24:29 2188 Every Other Day CNY522 CNY823
Z223 Chongqing to Lhasa 09:26/09:55 24:29 2188 Every Other Day CNY522 CNY823
Z917 Lanzhou to Lhasa 11:16/11:14 23:58 2188 Every Other Day CNY522 CNY823
Z21 Beijing to Lhasa 12:31/12:40 24:09 2188 Every Day CNY522 CNY823
Z265 Guangzhou to Lhasa 17:00/16:45 23:45 2188 Every Day CNY522 CNY823
Z165 Shanghai to Lhasa 18:37/19:35 24:58 2188 Every Day CNY522 CNY823

Please Note:

1. Timetable and schedule are just for reference. When you make an early reservation, please contact us for more details.

2. If no trains depart on your preferred date, you can choose to take a flight from Lanzhou to Lhasa or wait for the next day.

Why Take Tibet Train from Lanzhou?

The train from Lanzhou to Lhasa is one of the shortest routes to Tibet and covers a distance of only 2,188km on its journey across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Meanwhile, if you start your Tibet tour from Lanzhou, then you can make a couple of days’ stay in this city and have a thorough understanding of China’s Hui nationality.

You can enjoy the Hui nationality (Muslin) architectural style, pay a visit to the nationally renowned Mogao Grottoes, have a closer look at the unique Yardang and Danxia landforms in outskirts of Lanzhou, or you can also choose to explore this city by finding its past and experiencing the lifestyle of the local residents.

The following are the iconic sceneries and delicacies you are recommended to visit if this is your first visit to Lanzhou:

Lanzhou Silk Road and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes

Lanzhou City was once a major point on the old Silk Road across China and Tibet, and today is a hub of the Silk Road Tourism Ring. It was such an important city in ancient times that the Great Wall was extended as far as Yumen to protect Lanzhou, and parts are still visible inside the built-up area.

To the north lies the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddha, a very famous shrine of Buddhist art treasures first built in Sixteen Kingdoms in ancient China. There have totally 735 caves at present and 492 caves out of them have maintained vividly-inscribed statues, delicately-painted murals, and amazing wall-paintings. The repository of ancient knowledge and the past glories have been scribed in hundreds of thousands of books.

Labrang Monastery and Valuable Buddhist Arts & Sculptures

To the south is Labrang Monastery, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, and out to the west are the Bingling Temple grottoes.

Off to the east lies the Maiji District, which is the home of the famous Maijishan caves, a series of caves manually cut into the sheer cliff face, and connected by a network of walkways attached to the face of the cliff. The caves are laid out around a huge carving of Bodhisattva in the rock face, and the caves contain over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and more than 1,000 square meters of wall murals.

For anyone with a love of Buddhism, or just an interest in the arts and sculptures, Lanzhou and the surrounding area make a great prelude to the amazing things that can be seen and experienced in Tibet.

Lanzhou Lamian and Lanzhou Beef Noodle

Besides the cultural and natural landscapes and tourist attractions in Lanzhou, the local famous noodles (Lanzhou Lamian) are also very tasty as they are cracked up to be in the whole country.

The noodle itself is nothing too special, just the local version of the common everyday hand-pulled noodles, but the fresh and well-selected ingredients like the melt-in-mouth beef and the delicately made condiments make the chewy hand-pulled beef delicious and popular all around the country.

Lanzhou Lhasa Train Ticket

Soft Sleeper Train Ticket: 823 CNY

Hard Sleeper Train Ticket: 522 CNY

What’s the difference between the Soft Sleeper and the Hard Sleeper?

Soft Sleeper Cabin on Tibet Train

Soft sleeper on Tibet train is provided with 4 berths in each cabin.

There are two kinds of sleeping berths on Tibet trains. For soft sleeper wagons, there are four beds, which are wider and softer than those in hard sleeper wagons, in a compartment with a door to keep a quiet environment. In a hard sleeper carriage, there are six beds in a compartment with three on each side and no doors.

For those who care about privacy and the comfort of a journey, the soft sleeper cabin is the best choice. For those who are eager to experience the real life of the locals and don’t care too much about the living situation, the hard sleeper cabin, at a cheaper price, is the best choice.

How to Book the Lanzhou Lhasa Train Ticket?

The most convenient and worry-free way to get your Lanzhou Tibet train ticket is to book the ticket online with us. Specialized in Tibet train tour, we will get your ticket in time, as well as arrange the best lifetime train journey to Tibet for you.

How to Collect the Lanzhou Lhasa Train Ticket?

If you book your train ticket with us, in some case, we will send the train ticket to your address in mainland China or our local staff will give the ticket to you at the railway station. In other cases, we will give you a booking number so you can collect your ticket at the train station yourself, by showing them the booking number, your passport, and Tibet travel permit.

Please arrive at your railway station at least two hours before the departure of the train, so that you can have enough time to collect your train ticket.

Get Your Tibet Travel Permit in Advance!

To collect your Tibet train ticket, you need to show the Tibet Travel Permit. Apply your Tibet travel permit and train ticket together with us, a real hassle-free Tibet train tour is one click beyond.

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Lanzhou Lhasa Train Route

Lanzhou to Lhasa Train Map

Lanzhou Lhasa Train Route Map

Elevation increases from 1520m to 2,275m along the route when the train leaves Lanzhou and takes approximately 2.5h to arrive in Xining. The landscape changes dramatically from Xining and fortunately, you have enough time enjoying the stunning views outside the window. When the train leaves Xining, it’s about 13:41 in the noon and the beautiful scenery flashes in front of your eyes as the train climbs up the plateau and ascends you to Golmud.

Starting from Golmud, the climb of the train gets steeper and reaches the pass of the massive Kunlun Mountain Range. Crossing these stunning mountains, the terrain levels out and the track stretches to the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, a haven for varied kinds of rarely-seen wildlife in China. Then the train is climbing again to the Tanggula Pass, the highest railway pass in the world before it finds its way descending to Lhasa.

Tips:

1. When the train arrives in Golmud, it is 20:58, so have an early rest on the train, for only a good rest can ensure you a perfect journey on high altitude plateaus.

2. When you wake up early the next morning, the train has crossed the vast prairie and the nomadic herders with yaks and sheep around make another splendid vision in front of your eyes.

Passing close by the stunning Namtso Lake, the train has been running among Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains. Follow the valleys, the train eventually finds its way down to Lhasa.

Can we get off the train at a certain station and then get onboard another train to Tibet after one or two days with the same ticket?

No, it isn’t. If you want to spend some days in Xining or other cities along the railway before arriving in Lhasa, you need to buy different train tickets for different sections.

You can get off the train to stretch your legs or buy some local snacks at the platform. But you need to get back to the train in time before it leaves. Generally, it only makes a temporary stop for a few minutes at each station.

Is there any sharp altitude change along the Lanzhou Lhasa Railway? Is it possible for the old or the young to board the train from Lanzhou to Lhasa?

It is common knowledge that spending a day or two at lower intermediate altitudes of around 2,500 to 3,000 meters can help with reducing the risk of altitude sickness once you arrive in Tibet.

The trains to Tibet all have the oxygen supply system to pump oxygen into the cars, as well as having oxygen outlets for personal use if you are feeling a little sick during the trip. The oxygen pumps start at Golmud, as the train starts its steep climb to the plateau, reaching more than 5,000 meters within just a few hours. The oxygen pumped into the train means that the oxygen content of the air is close to that of sea level, almost the same as that of an aircraft.

If you are traveling by train, and want to acclimatize a little before reaching Lhasa, the best option is to stop for a day or two in Xining, at an altitude of around 2,275 meters, which is an ideal elevation in which to acclimatize before heading on to Lhasa. While there is no guarantee that you will not get altitude sickness once in Lhasa, the stop in Xining can help to reduce the risk of feeling the symptoms.

Giving tips about how to prevent or deal with the mild altitude sickness on the train

Don’t worry about the altitude sickness onboard. There are two kinds of oxygen supply systems on each train to Tibet, which will pump the oxygen to the air during the section between Golmud and Lhasa.

Also, there is a doctor on each train. If you feel uncomfortable, please ask them for help, or contact your 1-on-1 travel consultant immediately.

About Lanzhou Railway Station

Lanzhou Railway Station

Lanzhou Railway Station

Lanzhou Railway Station is one of the most important stations in western China, serving the Chengdu-Lanzhou Railway, the Beijing-Lanzhou Railway, the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, and the Beijing-Lanzhou Railway.

The station buildings are styled in classic Chinese temple design, sporting ten huge columns across its front. The station is in two parts, with the usual large square sitting in front of a three-story building. On the ground floor, the ticket windows are to the west of the central, main entrance, with shops and waiting areas to the east.

The second floor houses the international waiting rooms, soft sleeper waiting rooms, VIP rooms (with free Wi-Fi), and the mother and baby rooms. The station also has two separate exits, apart from the main entrance, for arriving passengers. The western exit will take you to the taxi stands at the side of the building, while the eastern exit leads out to the public bus terminals.

How to Get to Lanzhou Railway Station?

Accessing the station from the Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport takes only 30 minutes by train, thanks to the recently-opened Zhongchuan Railway. There are 11 schedules trains every day from the airport to the station, making it easy to get to your train, and it costs just CNY21 for the 50-minute trip.

Travel by taxi along the road can take up to an hour for the 70km journey, and a taxi costs around CNY150. Buses from the city pass the station regularly, and normally cost only CNY2, while a taxi will start at around CNY8. Agree on a price with the driver before taking a taxi, as fares and routes used can vary.

Tibet Train Photo Gallery

Lanzhou Tibet Train Tours

Get travel ideas from our best selected Tibet Small Group Tours from Lanzhou. We offer a wide selection of classic Tibet group tours, covering the most popular scenery sites in Tibet. Feel free to choose the suitable travel route to Tibet from Lanzhou and tell us any of your demands during your booking.

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