Shanghai to Lhasa Train

Shanghai to Lhasa Train - Ticket Price & Cost, Schedule, Route, Fares, Permit, Booking 2025/2026

Getting to Lhasa from Shanghai by train will be a great journey for tourists who want to deeply experience the highest land. There is only one daily train from Shanghai to Lhasa. Train Z164 will start from Shanghai Railway Station at 18:33 and arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 15:05 in approximately 2 days.

The Z164 (return Z166) train connecting Shanghai and Lhasa was one of the three early railway links with Tibet. This railway line travels across 8 provinces from eastern to western China traveling a total of 4373 kilometers each way in total. It normally takes about 44 and a half hours from Shanghai to Lhasa. As the train travels through the spectacular mountain ranges, the conductors in each compartment will use Chinese, Tibetan and English languages to introduce renowned scenic spots along the railway line as well as discussing Tibetan customs, the making of Tibetan dishes, etc.

Shanghai to Lhasa Train Schedules and Fares

Shanghai to Lhasa train route map

The Z164 train from Shanghai to Lhasa becomes Z165 at Zhengzhou Station and does not need to be transferred. From Shanghai to Lhasa by train along the way through Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Bengbu, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xi'an, Xianyang, Baoji, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud, Amdo, Nagqu, Lhasa and other 17 stations

Shanghai Lhasa Train Schedules and Fares

Shanghai to Lhasa Train Z164 Timetable

Every day, the Train Z164 leaves Shanghai Railway Station at 18:33. After about 44 hours train riding, Z164 get to Lhasa Railway Station at 15:05 on the third day.

Timetable of Lhasa to Shanghai Train - No.Z166

The returning train Z166 departs from Lhasa Railway Station at 11:50am, and arrives at Shanghai Railway Station at 12:03 on the third day (about 48hrs 13 mins in total).

*Note:The actual arrival and departure time of train, please refer to the information on your ticket, or consult your travel consultant.

About ticket price:

The ticket prices above are the net price. In reality, as traveling in Tibet is so popular that the actual ticket demand far exceeds the supply, in-bound and out-bound tourists have to pay more than the net price to buy tickets. The actual price is subject to the market fluctuation. In some cases, the actual price could be double than the net price. Despite the uncertainty and difficulty in purchasing train tickets, Travel Tibet China would manage to book tickets at a reasonable price ( usually 20 percent lower than the market price) and promise to offer free service for it. If tourists only want to buy train tickets via Travel Tibet China without intending to travel to Tibet, Travel Tibet China will have to charge a small amount of service fee.

Shanghai to Lhasa Train day-by-day Timetable

Most of the major attractions along the Shanghai-Lhasa railway route will be seen as the train enters Golmud, for the highlights of Qinghai-Tibet train exist in Xining-Lhasa railway section.

Tips:

To be able to board the Shanghai-Lhasa train, foreign tourists have to show your passport, Tibet Travel Permit, and train ticket to the train inspector. If tourists want to travel in Tibet, you need to find a licensed and trustworthy travel agency to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit.

For detailed introduction of how to apply for Tibet Travel Permit.

Where to recharge your mobile phones and electronic devices?

The powerplugfor chargers are located in the corridors OR under your table inthe cabin with the 4 soft sleepers (in between the 2 lower bunks).

Can touristshave shower in the train?

Unfortunately, there is no shower room in the train.Dobring some wet wipesin stores anda smalltowel, and small but equally important thing:toilet/tissue paper.

Is it possible to swap ticket with other people to stay with friends or family inthe same cabin?

Yes. It is acceptable.You may ask conductor to swaptickets with other passengers to stay with your family or friends.

Is smoking allowed in the cabin?

Smoking is strictly forbidden in the trainas thetrain is tightly sealed and pressurized and oxygen is pumped into the carriagewhen the train ascends to extreme altitude. It would be devastating if thetrain caught fire.

Is it necessary to carry Tibet Travel Permit all the time?

Make sure you have your passport, Tibet Travel Permit andticket with youas you could be checked many times during the longjourney.

It is advisable to havemany copies of Tibet Travel Permit.

How can we minimize the effect of altitude sickness?

The effect of altitude sickness onpassengers varies. Yet, to minimize or ease the impact of altitude sickness,one mayprepare somealtitude sickness tabletsbefore boarding the train and take some whenthe train climbs to plateau. There is no need to worry too much thealtitude sickness, the train is built withoxygen suppley system. It is easy to use.

Why Shanghai Lhasa Train is recommended?

1. No matter you choose Shanghai to Lhasa route or Lhasa to Shanghai route, Shanghai is an ideal city for both international arrival and departure because there are many international flights and cruises connecting the global world.

2. There is a daily train guaranteed for both Shanghai to Lhasa route or Lhasa to Shanghai route. You don’t have to wait another day.

3. If you travel Shanghai with Tibet by train, you will have a wonderful contrast experience – modernity and spiritual land.

The Shanghai Lhasa Train has to run as far as 4373km (2,717 miles) from eastern China to far western China, through 8 provinces, and lifts up more than 5000 meters from lower-altitude Shanghai (0m) to Tanggula Mountains (5068m). It takes about 48 hours to travel between Shanghai and Lhasa by train.

Facilities on Shanghai Lhasa Train – Life on the Train

Altitude Change of Shanghai to Lhasa Train

Shanghai lies at sea level. The subtle altitude change between Shanghai and Lanzhou will not cause any discomfort to you. After Lanzhou, the altitude climbs slowly to 2,275 meters at Xining. Xining is the first station where altitude sickness is likely to occur for a few passengers.

The altitude begins to ascend and reaches 2,829 meters when arriving at Golmud at 04:15. After Golmud, the altitude increases sharply by more than 1,000 meters in less than 100 kilometers, causing altitude sickness for some passengers. When arriving at the world’ s highest railway pass, the Tanggula Pass (5,072m), most tourists will suffer from altitude sickness. Then, the altitude drops slowly as you travel south through Nagqu and finally reaches 3,650 meters in Lhasa.

Oxygen Supply and Altitude Sickness on the Shanghai to Lhasa train

Sometimes called “mountain sickness”, altitude sickness is a group of symptoms that can strike if you walk or climb to a higher altitude too quickly. Characterized by symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, altitude sickness is the biggest concern for traveling to Tibet.

Air-conditioning alone is not sufficient to make a cozy environment on the train to Tibet. The oxygen supply is the key element to ensure passengers' comfort and safety. There are two oxygen-supply systems on each train. One is used for increasing the oxygen level in the train, by temperature and air pressure controlling systems, when the train enters into the plateau zone. The other is directly used by passengers through an independent port. There are oxygen supply tubes and masks in each cabin for emergencies. Private oxygen masks are provided to every passenger, whatever ticket they have. In sleeping berth cars, you can find outlets on the wall beside the windows, while in seat cars, you can find outlets under your seat.

How to Book Shanghai Lhasa Train Tickets

There are two ways to book the Train Tickets – book on your own or contact a travel agency to book for you. If you are already in Beijing or other cities in China, you can go to any of railway station to book the train tickets. Original passport and photocopy of Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit) is required. You can ask the conductor to provide your preferred sleepers (upper or lower) if they are available. You can also provide us your passport information, and we will book the train tickets for you online.

Some useful tips to increase the chance of successful ticket booking

1. Contact us to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit as soon as possible. Then try to book the ticket about 30 days in adance;

2. If you fail to obtain a ticket for Shanghai to Lhasa Train, you can change a starting station, such as Chengdu, Beijing, Lanzhou and Xining. These cities also offer bigger chance to get a train ticket.

How to Get to Shanghai Railway Station

Shanghai Railway Station is the only train station in Shanghai which operates trains to/off Tibet. You’d better distinguish it from Shanghai South Railway Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and Shanghai West Railway Station. It is located at No. 303 of Moling Road in Jing'an Distric, about 48km from Pudong International Airport, 4.5km from the Bund, and 19km from Hongqiao Internaitonal Airport.

You can take subway Line 1, Line 3 and Line 4 to Shanghai Railway Station. And you’d better get there at least 1 hour before the train departure hour so that you have enough time to pick up ticket and check in.

How to Shorten the Shanghai Lhasa Train Travel

Distance: about 4373km

Duration: about 47hrs 10mins

Taking a train travel from Shanghai to Lhasa or from Lhasa to Shanghai, one has to spend nearly 2 full days on the train. Don’t want to spend such long time? Here are some good plans to shorten the Shanghai Lhasa train travel:

Shanghai – Beijing – Lhasa

Compared with Shanghai Lhasa train route, the Beijing Lhasa route takes only about 40 hours to finish. So you can firstly take a high speed train (about 5 hours), or take a flight (about 2.5 hours) to Beijing, then take the train Z21 to Lhasa.

Shanghai – Xian – Lhasa

It takes only about 31 hours to get to Lhasa from Xian by train. So you can board the train Z164 (from Shanghai) or Z264 (from Guangzhou) to go to Lhasa. But you firstly get to Xian first. Currently you can take both trains and flights to Xian from Shanghai. The high speed bullet trains take about 6~7 hours to reach Xian while the flights need about 2.5 hours to get to Xian.

Shanghai – Xining – Lhasa

Want the shortest train ride to Lhasa? The best way is to fly to Xining, the starting city of Qinghai Tibet Railway, then take a train to Lhasa. It takes only about 3.5 hours to fly to Xining Caojiabao Airport from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. In Xining, you can spend one or two days acclimatizing the high plateau altitude so that you want take a big risk of suffering from high altitude sickness. Since every train to Lhasa will make middle stop at Xining, so you will have a much flexible choice of trains for different hours.

Shanghai to Lhasa train transportation guide

How to get to Shanghai Railway Station

Trains from Shanghai to Lhasa start at Shanghai Railway Station. The address is located at No. 303, Moling Road, Zhabei District, Shanghai, and

it is very convenient to take subway, bus and taxi to Shanghai Railway Station.

Metro: Line 1, Line 3, Line 4.

Bus: There are 10 bus lines in Shanghai Railway Station: 13 223 234 332 723 Metro Line 1 Metro Line 3 Metro Line 4 Hutang Special Line (Johnson) Nanxin Special Line (Nanhui Volkswagen).

Travel agency: If the group size is relatively large, you can arrange a tour bus transfer through our agency.

Lhasa Railway Station to City Guide 1. Bus - From the railway station, you can take bus No. 86, No. 89 and No. 91, which go to Lhasa Northern Suburbs Bus Station (passing through the

Western Suburbs Bus Station), Lhasa City Bus Company, and Lhasa East Suburbs Bus Station. The departure time of the bus will coincide with the

arrival time of the train, no matter how late it is to Lhasa. The bus is located on the east side of the railway station square, and you can walk to the right after exiting the station.

2. Take a taxi - you can take a taxi or online taxi to various scenic spots or hotels in Lhasa when leaving the station, which can be directly

reached and avoid walking more, which is very important for just arriving in Lhasa to adapt to the plateau.

3. Travel agency pick-up station direct bus - travel agencies can generally provide free pick-up and drop-off service, as long as you sign up for a travel agency can choose pick-up station service, intimate and comfortable.

Of course, our company always has a pick-up service, and our Tibetan tour guide will welcome you at the exit square. Specific pick-up details will be communicated by our tour consultant, you are advised to contact us prior to your arrival.

About Shanghai to Lhasa train FAQs:

Q1. How to Get Help on the Train?

Some of the staff on the train speak English and they are easy-approaching and hospitable to foreign tourists. If one runs into any trouble, you may ask the head of conductor for help. Most of the passengers may have symptoms of altitude sickness (such as headache, fatigue, difficult sleeping, lack of appetite, etc.) as the train reaches Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Now, you may switch on the oxygen outlet to inhale oxygen to ease the discomfort. If the symptom gets worse, you may find the conductor for help and the doctor on the train will come and give you timely treatment.

Q2. How can we minimize the effect of altitude sickness?

The effect of altitude sickness on passengers varies. Yet, to minimize or ease the impact of altitude sickness, one may prepare some altitude sickness tablets before boarding the train and take some when the train climbs to plateau. There is no need to worry too much the altitude sickness, the train is built with oxygen supply system which is easy to use.

Q3. Is smoking allowed in the cabin?

Smoking is strictly forbidden in the train as the train is tightly sealed and pressurized and oxygen is pumped into the carriage when the train ascends to extreme altitude.It would be devastating if the train caught fire.

Q4. How to transfer between Shanghai to Lhasa train?

It takes too long to take an ordinary train from Shanghai to Lhasa, and if you want to shorten the train time, you can only change trains by high-speed rail to Xi'an or by plane to Xining.

Q5. Will oxygen be supplied on the Qinghai-Tibet train, how is oxygen supplied on the Qinghai-Tibet train, and will it be high?

Oxygen will be supplied when the train passes through Golmud, and each berth has an oxygen outlet. However, there are many people on the train, so I still feel a little uncomfortable after making offerings. Especially when the train crosses Tanggula Mountain, there will still be a situation of high anti-reaction.

Q6. Is there an accompanying doctor on the Qinghai-Tibet train? What should I do if I have severe altitude sickness on the train?

Altitude sickness is not a disease, it is the body's natural response to the rise in altitude. Different people react to different levels, with some reacting more and others reacting less. During the past ten years of operation of the Qinghai-Tibet train, altitude sickness was rarely encountered and was severe enough to require a doctor.

Q7. How to take the Qinghai-Tibet train?

Foreign guests and Taiwan compatriots who want to travel to Lhasa by train need a letter of entry into Tibet. You don't need a letter of entry when you buy a ticket, but you will need a letter of entry to go through the security check when you get on the bus.

Q8. Can I charge on the train, and what should I do if my phone and computer run out of power?

There is a charging jack in the soft sleeper box on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway train, under the small table in the box. There are jacks underneath the locations in the hallway outside, and there are also jacks on both sides of the sink to charge. However, because the Qinghai-Tibet train has been running for a long time, there is no guarantee that every charging hole can be charged.

Q9. What is the difference between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper on the Qinghai-Tibet train?

The hard sleeper car is a compartment for 6 people, divided into upper berth, middle berth and lower berth, the lower berth has the largest space, can sit and lie down, and the bottom of the bed can place a suitcase; the middle berth can not sit up completely, and there is no problem with half reclining; the upper berth space is the most cramped, only half reclining. The lower berth is suitable for the elderly, children, and people with limited mobility.