Xi'an to Lhasa Train

The Xi'an to Lhasa train covers a distance of 2,864 km, departs from Xi'an Railway Station, and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station running about 29-30 hours. The Xi’an to Lhasa Z917 train departs every other day. The return train is the Z918 train. According to the latest news, these two trains have been suspended. If these two trains resume running, we will update in time. Therefore, there is currently no direct train from Xi'an to Lhasa. However, the trains from Guangzhou and Shanghai to Lhasa stop at Xi'an Railway Station. Therefore, 2 trains are stopping at Xi'an every day, with a stay time of 8 and 10 minutes. Passengers can get on Train Z264/ Z165 every day and arrive at Lhasa at 14:17/ 15:05 after 30:24/ 29:38 hours. The return trains are Z266 (Lhasa to Guangzhou) and Z166 (Lhasa to Shanghai).

Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province in northwest China. It is one of the oldest cities in China. As the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the famous Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, the city has won a reputation all over the world. Xi’an is not only an important gateway city to Tibet but also a popular tourist destination in China. Passengers can take a flight or train to Xian, explore this amazing city for a couple of days, and then board the Tibet train to Lhasa.

Xi'an to Lhasa Train Schedule and Tickets（2024）

2 trains are stopping at Xi'an every day, with a stay time of 8 and 10 minutes. Passengers can get on Train Z264/ Z165 every day and arrive at Lhasa at 14:17/ 15:05 after 30:24/ 29:38 hours. The return trains are Z266 (Lhasa-Guangzhou) and Z166 (Lhasa-Shanghai). In addition, there are three ticket prices: hard seat ¥293.5, hard sleeper ¥611.5, and soft sleeper ¥969.5. 

*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 Tibet Tibet China without intending to travel to Tibet, Travel Tibet China will have to charge a small amount of service fee.

Xian to Lhasa Train Timetable Z264 from Guangzhou via Xian（2024）

Xian to Lhasa Train Timetable Z165 from Shanghai via Xian（2024）

Xi'an to Lhasa Train Altitude

Xi'an to Lhasa Train Ticket Fares

There are three types of train tickets on all Xi'an Lhasa trains – Soft Sleeper, Hard Sleeper, and Hard Seat. The fares differ a lot. Soft Sleeper, the most luxurious type of train tickets, is the most expensive, and costs around CNY 969. The Hard Sleeper, the second-class ticket, is cheaper, and costs around CNY 647. The Hard Sleeper, less chosen by foreign travelers, is much cheaper and costs only about CNY 293. To enjoy a quieter and more comfortable train journey, we strongly suggest you choose a Soft Sleeper. Check the following table for details about Xi'an Lhasa Train Fares:

Which Seat Class should I take, Soft Sleeper, Hard Sleeper or Hard Seat?

According to our local experience, we strongly suggest travelers choose the Soft Sleeper instead of the Hard Sleeper and Hard Seat to ensure a more comfortable and safer trip because passengers will have to stay a night on the train.

Comparison between Soft Sleeper and Hard Sleeper

Notice: Since there are usually about 64 Soft Sleepers on each train to Tibet, so you’d better confirm your trip and book the train tickets as early as possible. Currently, passengers can book the train ticket 30 days in advance.

Why Xi'an to Lhasa Train is Recommended?

1. Xian is a great a hub to shorten both the long air travel and train travel from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu to Lhasa. It takes only about 31 hours to get to Lhasa by train from Xian.

2. You can choose the Train Z165 from Shanghai to Z265 from Guangzhou.

3. It is a wonderful chance to visit the world famous man-made wonder – Terracotta Warriors

Facilities on Xi'an to Lhasa Train – Life on the Train

Altitude Change of Xining to Lhasa Train

Xian lies at 405 meters above sea level. The altitude change between Xian (405m) and Lanzhou (1600m) will not cause discomfort to passengers. After Lanzhou, the altitude climbs slowly and reaches 2,275 meters at Xining. Xining is the first station where altitude sickness is likely to occur for a few passengers.

After Xining, the altitude starts to ascend and reaches 2,829 meters when arriving at Golmud at 19:17. And 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

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.

Xian to Lhasa or Lhasa to Xian?

Both Xian to Lhasa and Lhasa to Xian are good idea. You can choose it according to your itinerary in China. Since Xian is usually visited as a midway destination in a long China Tibet trip instead of the international arrival or departure city, so if you start your vacation from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, you can firstly take a flight or high speed train to Xian, then take a train to Tibet. If you start your tour from southwestern cities such as Chengdu, Kunming, Chongqing, you can take flights to Lhasa from these cities, and then take a train to Xian, and extend your vacation to Beijing, Shanghai, etc. If you want to take a flight directly from Kathmandu, you can take the Xian to Lhasa route.

How to Book Xi'an 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 Xian 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

2. When you find it hard to book a ticket for Xian to Lhasa train, you can change a starting station, such as Lanzhou and Xining. These two cities offer bigger chance to get a ticket.

Some useful tips to increase the chance of successful ticket booking

1. If you fail to book the ticket of Xining to Lhasa train, you can try booking tickets of former stations (cities) to Lhasa, such as Lanzhou, Xian, etc. If you have managed to obtain a ticket from those cities, you can also board the train at Xining Railway Station.

2. When you find it hard to book a ticket for Xinig to Lhasa train, you can change a starting station, such as Lanzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai.

How to Get to Xi'an Railway Station

The Xi'an Railway Station is one of the two main railway stations of Xi'an, the trains to Lhasa go through the station from other cities of China every day. Xian Railway Station is the fourth largest railway station in terms of traffic volume in China, a vital hub connecting northwest and southwest part of China.

Address: No. 44 of North Huancheng Road in the Xincheng District, Xian
Phone: Ticket Office : (86-29) 7212674; Inquiry Office: (86-29) 7276076
Ticket Booking Hotline: 12306
Distance from Airport: appro. 37 km
Subway to there: Line 1
Bus to There: No. 6, No. 46, No. 41, No.611 etc
Located in the North Ring Road East Section, Xian Railway Station is around 10km from downtown, 16km from Xian North Railway Station, and 37 km from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY).

From Downtown to Xian Railway Station

Taxi: Usually it takes a taxi around half an hour to arrive at the Xian Railway Station. The taxi fee is calculated by meter and you can ask the driver for a paper invoice when getting off.

Subway to There: There is no subway service to Xi'an Railway Station, but the planned Line 4 of Xi'an Metro will serve it. Now the nearest subway service is No.1 which is 600m away from the railway station.

From Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to Xi'an Railway Station

Taxi: It takes around 45 minutes to take a taxi from the airport to Xi'an Railway Station.

Airport Shuttle Bus: One of the best options from Xi'an Xianyang International airport to Xi'an Railway Station is via the airport shuttle bus. Tourists may take airport shuttle bust Line 2 and arrive at the entrance of Jiefang hotel and walk to the train station. The shuttle bus runs from 07:50 am to 20:20 pm, and the bus fare is ¥ 26 per person. The ride takes around an hour if the traffic goes smoothly.

Abouts Xi'an to Lhasa Train FAQs

Q1. Where to recharge your mobile phones and electronic devices?

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

Q2. Can tourists have shower in the train?

Unfortunately, there is no shower room in the train. Do bring some wet wipes in stores and a small towel. And small but equally important thing is to bring enough toilet/tissue paper.

Q3. 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.

Q4. 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.

Q5. 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.