Can I Break My Train Journey to Lhasa and Stay over at Any Site en route?

It is really a long train journey to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and other major cities. The longest railway line from Guangzhou to Lhasa, covering 4,980 kilometers, takes about 53 hours, which is quite a long journey for all passengers.

So many travelers may ask whether it is possible to break the journey and stay a few nights at some sites en route.

In fact, travelers cannot stop off along the way and get back few days later on another train with the same ticket. Along the Qinghai-Tibet railway, there are only a few stations where the train stops for a few minutes. You can get off the train for fresh air and taking some photos, but need to get back on the train before it leaves. If you want to visit some sites en route, you need to buy train tickets for each section.

Passengers can get off the train at Nagqu Railway Station, taking photos and having a walk on the platform for few minutes.

How to Break the Tibet Train Journey Down into Smaller Sections?

The section from Xining to Lhasa (or Lhasa to Xining) along the Qinghai-Tibet railway is the most essential part that you will not miss when you take a train to Tibet. It takes about just 23 hours from Xining to Lhasa by train with the most amazing landscapes of Qingzang Plateau. Since every train to Lhasa stops over at Xining railway station, you may get more choices to go.

So put the shortest train ride to Lhasa from Xining as the most important part, and then you can choose to get to Xining by train or flight as you like.

Xining, Lanzhou and Xi’an are the main tourist cities and stop over stations along the railway to Tibet.

Suggested Itinerary with Essential Tibet Train Journey

If you take a train TO Lhasa, you can get to Xining first, visiting the nearby Qinghai Lake or Ta’er Monestary, and then continue to take a train tour from Xining to Lhasa.

If you want to break your train journey FROM Lhasa, you can take a Tibet train from Lhasa to Xining or Xi'an first, and then continue you way back home. If Beijing is your destination, it is recommended to take a Tibet train from Lhasa to Xi'an first and then take a high-speed bullet train from Xi'an back to Beijing, which will be a special journey to experience the world’s highest Qinghai-Tibet railway train and the modern fast bullet train in just one go. As one of the ancient capital cities of China, Xi'an offers many historical sites which you can discover more about Chinese history.

Check the sample Itinerary of 13 Days Kathmandu-Lhasa-Xi’an-Beijing Tour by Train.

If you need more help to arrange your Tibet train tour, you can contact us or leave a comment below . Our experts will offer you more details according to your requirements.