Lanzhou Lhasa Trains start from Lanzhou. It is the capital city of Gansu Province in northwest China and used to be a very important point on the ancient Silk Road. Lanzhou Lhasa Trains, As it is nearest Xining, the beginning of Qinghai Tibet Railway, there is a train departs from Lanzhou to Lhasa every other day, and the trains to Tibet which come from inland China all make a stop in Lanzhou.
Lanzhou to Lhasa Train Route Map
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 / To | Dep. / Arr. | Duration | Distance (km) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z323 | Chengdu to Lhasa | 09:27/09:55 | 24:28 | 2188 | Every Other Day |
| Z223 | Chongqing to Lhasa | 09:27/09:55 | 24:28 | 2188 | Every Other Day |
| Z917 | Lanzhou to Lhasa | 11:16/11:10 | 23:54 | 2188 | Every Other Day |
| Z21 | Beijing to Lhasa | 12:33/12:10 | 23:37 | 2188 | Every Day |
| Z265 | Guangzhou to Lhasa | 16:50/17:05 | 24:15 | 2188 | Every Day |
| Z165 | Shanghai to Lhasa | 18:34/19:17 | 24:43 | 2188 | Every Day |
| Price | Seat:¥240 | Hard Sleeper Berth: ¥550 | Soft Sleeper Berth: ¥852 | ||
Lanzhou sight views before boarding trains
In all directions, there are amazing sights to be seen from Lanzhou. To the north lies Dunhuang, a repository of ancient knowledge scribed in hundreds of thousands of books. 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.
Important Notice
- Lanzhou is only 240km away from Xining, the beginning train station of Qinghai Tibet Railway (by bus 2.5 hours, by train 2 hours and 20 minutes.). However, Lanzhou to Lhasa train departs every other day, if there is no train on the day, tourists may take a fast train from Lanzhou to Xining and then transfer the train to Lhasa in Xining.
- Foreign tourists are required to show Tibet Travel Permit when checking in.
- Big cities in China like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou.. have regular flights to Lanzhou every day, tourists may go to Lanzhou by plane then go to Lhasa by train.
Find your way to Lanzhou Railway Sation
Location: Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province along Huochezhan Dong Road (火车站东路)
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.
What sort of window view do we expect to see?
Just like the road trip by car, one could enjoy the scenery on both sides of the road. The stunning scenery along the Tibet railway line will never let you down. As the train passes Xining and enters the Golmud region, the breathtaking view appears one after another. Be sure to capture the memorable experience with your camera. Major attractions are Qarhan Salt Lake, Yuzhu Peak, Kekexili Nature Reserve, Tuotuo He River, Tangula pass, Tsonag Lake, Qiangtang prairie, Namtso, etc.
Having a ride on Qinghai-Tibet train route is definitely the experience of a lifetime. Besides, the long-distance and pressurized train tailor-made for acclimatization of extreme altitude make the ride different from another train journey. Following tips are suggested for tourists to better enjoy the Views on Tibet train. See more: the detailed introduction of the scenery of Qinghai-Tibet railway.
Note:
- The timetable above is just for reference.
- We can NOT offer ticket-only service. According to the Tibet Government, foreign visitors must book a tour from a travel agency and obtain a Tibet Entry Permit before booking Tibet train ticket.
- Tibet train tickets are quite popular and always sold out quickly, please make your inquiry at least 3-5 months before your departure date.
- Because the hard and soft sleeper tickets from Other cities to Lhasa are few and hard to get, we recommend you to take a flight to Xining, and then take the train from Xining to Lhasa.
- The main advantage of traveling via airplane to Xining and then taking the train from there is that you can save time on the trip, and as Xining is at an elevation of 2,275 meters, you can always spend a day there to help with acclimatizing to the higher altitudes. This can help to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. Moreover, as most of the spectacular scenery is on the train from Golmud (where the train starts its ascent to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) you would not be missing any of the best parts of the train journey.
You are free to contact us for an inquiry about customizing a Tibet tour with a flight to Tibet. A quick reply will be sent to you within 24 hours.
