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Chengdu to Lhasa Train

  • by Zoe
  • Last Updated: 2023-03-14

Train Z322 is a direct express train from Chengdu, Sichuan Province to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. Chengdu to Lhasa train takes about 37 hours and 16 minutes in total and covers a distance of 3000 kilometers. Although it sounds a bit long, if every station along the way is charming, the time on the road is actually worth it... When you arrive at Xining, the starting point is the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, also known as the "Sky Road", you will view very beautiful scenery along the way such as Hoh Xil, Kunlun Mountain, Jade Pearl Snow Mountain, Tanggula Pass, Tuotuo River, etc., that others might have longed for a long time.

Train route map from Chengdu to Lhasa.
Chengdu to Lhasa train route

Chengdu to Lhasa Train Schedule

Currently, there is only one pair of trains connecting Chengdu and Lhasa—Z322 from Chengdu to Lhasa and Z324 from Lhasa to Chengdu. Z322 departs every other day from Chengdu Railway Station at 21:08 and reaches Lhasa Railway Station at 10:24 on the third day with a whole duration of 37hr 16min. Z324 also runs every other day from Lhasa Railway Station at 19:00 and reaches Chengdu Railway Station at 07:06 on the third day with a whole duration of 36hr 6min. And the train will stop at Guangyuan, Lanzhou, Xining, Delingha, Golmud, and Nagchu along the trip.

The prices of train tickets vary with the different classes of seats. Typically, there are three kinds of positions—Soft Sleeper, Hard Sleeper, and Hard Seat, with the prices from the highest to the lowest. Each soft sleeper cabin has four berths equipped with an independent door, separate television screens for each bed and power points. Each hard sleeper cabin has six berths, but the price is much lower. And the hard seat is not recommended for long-time travel.

The Latest Schedule of Chengdu-Lhasa Train:

Train Number Departure/Arrival Duration Frequency Ticket Price/Person
Z322(Chengdu-Lhasa) 21:08/10:24 37:16 Every other day CNY627.5/USD97
Hard sleeper
CNY997.5/USD153
Soft sleeper
Z324(Lhasa-Chengdu) 19:00/07:06 36:06 Every other day CNY627.5/USD97
Hard sleeper
CNY997.5/USD53
Soft sleeper

2023 Chengdu Lhasa Train Schedule

2023 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Chengdu → Lhasa ODD EVEN EVEN ODD ODD EVEN EVEN ODD EVEN EVEN ODD ODD
Lhasa → Chengdu ODD EVEN EVEN ODD ODD EVEN EVEN ODD EVEN EVEN ODD ODD

Please kindly note: ODD refers to 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, etc. EVEN refers to 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, etc.

The Timetable of Chengdu to Lhasa Train Z322

Railway Stations Arrival Time Departure Time Stop Duration
Chengdu - 21:08 -
Guangyuan 02:23 02:40 17minutes
Lanzhou 09:08 09:23 15 minutes
Xining 12:00 12:20 20 minutes
Golmud 19:13 19:38 25 minutes
Nagchu 06:05 06:11 6minutes
Lhasa 10:24 Final Stop -

The Timetable of Lhasa to Chengdu Train Z324

Railway Station Arrival Time Departure Time Stop Duration
Lhasa - 19:00 -
Nagchu 22:24 22:30 6 minutes
Golmud 09:01 09:26 25 minutes
Xining 16:36 16:56 20 minutes
Lanzhou 19:29 19:52 23 minutes
Guangyuan 01:40 01:57 17minutes
Chengdu 07:06 Final Stop -

(Notes: The detailed train information is just for reference. When you choose to board a train from Chengdu to Tibet, please contact a Tibet travel agency to obtain a Tibet Travel Permit first. According to the law of the Republic of China, every foreign traveler needs to get a Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet. Without a copy of your TTP, you are not allowed to board a train to Tibet from any city in China.)

How to Book a Chengdu-Lhasa Train Ticket?

At present, you can get a train ticket in two ways. One is to book online by yourself in advance, and the other is to seek help from your commissioned travel agency to book it for you. If you have already booked a ticket by yourself, you can fetch it from any railway station using your original passport and a copy of your Tibet Travel Permit.

Train from Chengdu to Lhasa
Beautiful landscapes along Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Major Cities Along the Way

Lanzhou

Situated along the Yellow River, Lanzhou is the second-largest city in northwest China and also a famous city on the ancient Silk Road. Trains between Chengdu and Lhasa will make a stop-over of about 17 minutes at Lanzhou Railway Station.

Xining

As one of the world’s high-altitude cities, Xining is the eastern gateway city of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the path to the ancient Silk Road and Tangfan Ancient Road. There's Qinghai Lake, known as the paradise of birds, attracting many tourists every year. And on the train journey, you can have a glimpse of part of Qinghai Lake. The train between Chengdu and Lhasa will make a stop-over for about 20 minutes at Xining Railway Station.

Golmud

The Golmud-Lhasa section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the highest and longest plateau railway in the world. You will arrive in Golmud in the evening and stop for 25 minutes before entering Lhasa. You can get off the train and have a break at Golmud Railway Station to adapt to the altitude better.

Along the way to Golmud, you will enjoy the scenery of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, beautiful lakes and the spectacular view of Mt. Kunlun.

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Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients

Asked by Chan***
2021-04-01

Hi, I wish to take the Qinghai Rail to Tibet from either Chongqing or Xian. I may be travelling alone. I will fly from Singapore to Chongqing and take a high-speed train to Xian. I need to know the following: (1) If buying of train tickets by myself is cheaper or through your company? (2) How do I go about getting health certification? Can I obtain it in Singapore which is in English? (3) I understand that I need to book a tour in order to travel in Tibet. May I know the cost for a single traveller? Note that I wish to join a group to cut costs. (4) Do I need a travel visa to Tibet? Thank you. Ming (Ms)

Catherine
Answered by Catherine 2021-04-01

In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to take a train to Lhasa. Currently, Tibet is temporarily closed to travelers who are residing out of China. But the 2021/2022 booking is open,you can pre-plan your trip and enjoy an early-booking discount. To answer your questions, (1) If buying of train tickets by myself is cheaper or through your company? You can book the train ticket by yourself. And if you need our help, please feel free to let me know. As per our experience, it's very hard to purchase the tickets, it's almost impossible for both you and us to get tickets on the internet, especially in peak tourist season. In order to guarantee the train ticket for our guests, we will buy the ticket from the ticket scalper by paying them a handing fee, which will charge from the guests. (2) How do I go about getting health certification? Can I obtain it in Singapore which is in English? Currently, Tibet is temporarily closed to travelers who are residing out of China.  (3) I understand that I need to book a tour in order to travel in Tibet. May I know the cost for a single traveller? Note that I wish to join a group to cut costs. I would suggest solo travelers join our small group tour to keep the cost down. Here are some recommended itineraries, Top Budget Tibet Tours (4) Do I need a travel visa to Tibet?  Yes, traveling to Tibet as foreign travelers, Tibet Entry Permit(Tibet visa) is the most basic document required to be applied before coming. We will handle it for you.