Xian to Lhasa Train

Xi'an to Lhasa is one of the most popular train routes through the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Xi'an, the famous ancient capital of China, has a splendid history, culture and places of interest. Departing from Xian to Lhasa, you can not only shorten the train time but also savor the flavor of the ancient capital before heading to Tibet to explore the mysterious plateau.

The train from Xián to Lhasa does not originate from Xián, but from Guangzhou and Shanghai respectively, passing through Xi'an, and then to Lhasa. The whole journey is 2,864 km long and takes about 31 hours.

Xián to Lhasa Train Schedule

Currently, there're only two trains to Tibet via Xián. Z265 originates from Guangzhou Railway Station and Z165 originates from Shanghai Railway Station. Z265 departs every other day and takes 31hr 2min from Xi'an to Lhasa. Z165 departs daily and takes 32hr 4min to Lhasa. Both trains stop in Xi'an for a very short time, only eight minutes, so please arrange your time properly to avoid missing the train.

Unlike Xining, the start point of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, all Tibet trains pass through it. Xi’an Station is where only two Tibet trains pass through. Therefore, it is very difficult to buy train tickets from Xi'an to Lhasa especially during the peak tourist season(May to October). If you need Xián to Lhasa train ticket, please book with us at least 30 days in advance.

Please kindly note: Please take your original Tibet Travel Permit to board the train from Xián to Lhasa. All the train ticket prices listed on our website are the NET price. Now traveling to Tibet by train is so popular that the demand for train tickets far exceeds the supply. Although the tickets are started to sell online 30 days before departure, you are hard to get one as they will be sold out in a short time, especially from April to October, the peak season of Tibet tourism. No matter whether inbound or outbound tourists have to pay more than the net price to buy the tickets. Sometimes, even travel agencies have to buy tickets from scalpers. So, we could help you book the train tickets in and out of Lhasa by adding a little service fee (subject to different seasons and cities) to the net price to guarantee the tickets. This service is to provide the biggest convenience for our clients.

How to Get to Xián Railway Station

Now, there are several railway stations in Xi`an. Only Xián Railway Station (East Section of Beihuan Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an) is the only place you can take the Tibet train. The North train station is the high-speed train station. If you go to the wrong station, you may miss your train as the transportation may take 2hr between the 2 stations.

Get to Xián Railway Station from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport

1. Take the airport bus, the whole distance is 37 kilometers, about 60 minutes. The fare is USD 4. (Recommended)

Route: Terminal 2/Terminal 3 → Xi`an Railway Station(Longhai Hotel）

Running Time：6:30 am—01:00 am, 30-minute frequency

Where to buy a ticket?

Terminal 2—please purchase tickets at the Passenger Service Center on the 1st floor (arrival floor)
Terminal 3—please purchase tickets on the first floor of the General Transportation Hub(GTC)

Where to take the bus?

Terminal 2—please take the bus outside the 1st floor (arrival floor)
Terminal 3—please take the bus on the first floor of the General Transportation Hub(GTC)

2. Take a subway. The whole distance is about 46.1 kilometers, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Walk from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to Airport West Station; take the Airport Intercity Line, pass 8 stops, and arrive at Beike Station (North Square) Station; then change to Metro Line 4, pass 13 stops, and arrive at Wulukou Station. Walk 1.2 kilometers to reach the railway station.

Get to Xián Railway Station from The North Railway Station

1. Take a bus. Take the 266, which takes 1 hour.

Where to take it?

Walk 490 meters from Xi'an North Railway Station to the bus station of Xi'an North Railway Station and take bus NO. 266. Note that the last bus of the No. 266 bus is at 00:00. After getting off the bus, walk 390 meters to Xián Railway Station.

2. Take a taxi. From Xi'an North Railway Station to Xi'an Railway Station, the distance is about 13 kilometers, which costs USD7.

3. Take a subway. The distance is about 16 km, which takes 51 minutes.

Route A: Walk from Xi’an North Railway Station to Beikezhan Station (North Square), after 13 stops, get off at Wulukou Station, and then walk 1.4 kilometers to Xi’an Railway Station

Route B: Walk from Xi’an North Railway Station to Beikezhan Station (North Square), after 8 stops, get off at Anyuanmen Station. Then change to bus No. 39 or No. 266, after 3 stops, you will arrive at Xi'an Railway Station.

Life Onboard

Cabins on Tibet trains

There are two classes of cabins which you can choose from. The soft-sleeper cabin is the first-class cabin and the most comfortable one, where you will share the compartment with 3 other passengers. The second class cabin is the hard-sleeper cabin, with 6 berths in a compartment. A soft sleeper is recommended.

Oxygen supply

Altitude sickness is always an important and considerable issue for travelers who are planning train tours to Tibet. As a matter of fact, there are two kinds of oxygen supply systems that can greatly reduce the effect of high altitude on the train. So please don't worry about altitude sickness on Xi'an to Lhasa train.

Life on the train

There's one dining car on each train where you can get food and drinks. You can also find toilets and washing basins at the end of each cabin. Boiled water is available 24 hours every day.