Chengdu-Lhasa Trains
Travel between Chengdu and Lhasa by train is available for tourists, the distance between them is about 2250 km. Chengdu is regarded as a well-liked gateway city to Tibet. Generally, some people prefer to transfer to Lhasa after their Chengdu tour and others will choose to visit Chengdu after a Tibet exploration. Train Tour is a good idea, because you can enjoy the wonderful sightseeing. Furthermore, you are able to get accustomed with growing altitude gradually to reduce the risk of high altitude sickness if you travel from Chengdu to Lhasa.
There is only one direct trains from Chengdu to Lhasa, that is, Z322/Z324. Of course, visitors have other choice, but they need to transfer in Guanyuan or Chongqing. In 2028, duration between the two cities will be greatly shortened to around 13 hours as it traverses directly between. The main stops of the train include Chengdu, Ya’an, Garze, Chamdo and Nyingchi.
Z322/Z324 run between Chengdu Railway Station and Lhasa Railway Station. The former one is about 3 miles away from the city center and can be easily accessed by subway Line 1 and many other city buses. Please kindly notice that the Chengdu Railway Station is also called North Railway Station by the local people, thus the subway stop there is named “North Railway Station”. City bus, taxi and minibus are frequently used way of transfer in Lhasa. Travelers can take bus No. 6 to Tibet Museum, No. 14 to Norbulingka and No. 15 to Potala Palace.
Official China Train Timetable from Chengdu to Lhasa
| Station | Arrival | Departure | Stop Time(m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chengdu | — | 21:37 | — |
| 2 | Guangyuan | 02:18 | 02:40 | 22 |
| 3 | Lanzhou | 09:11 | 09:27 | 16 |
| 4 | Xining | 12:06 | 12:26 | 20 |
| 5 | Delingha | 16:35 | 16:37 | 2 |
| 6 | Golmud | 19:18 | 19:43 | 25 |
| 7 | Nagchu | 06:03 | 06:09 | 6 |
| 8 | Lhasa | 09:55 | — | — |
Official China Train Timetable from Lhasa to Chengdu
| Station | Arrival | Departure | Stop Time(m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lhasa | — | 18:35 | — |
| 2 | Nagchu | 21:54 | 22:00 | 6 |
| 3 | Golmud | 08:10 | 08:35 | 25 |
| 4 | Delingha | 11:02 | 11:04 | 2 |
| 5 | Xining | 15:15 | 15:35 | 20 |
| 6 | Lanzhou | 18:37 | 18:52 | 15 |
| 7 | Guangyuan | 01:23 | 01:50 | 27 |
| 8 | Chengdu | 07:00 | — | — |
Please Note:
- The route is very hot, so please book the tickets in advance if you want to get to Lhasa from Chengdu by train.
- Generally, the seats on the train in China have two types including soft seat and hard seat. Also, there are two kinds of sleeper seats on China’s trains which are hard berth and soft berth. Hard berth is divided into upper berth, middle berth and lower hard sleeper (lower berth is the best); while soft berth is divided into upper berth and lower berth (lower berth is better).
- In China, taking a train is a comparative cheaper way to cut down the travel cost. While correspondingly, the comfortable level is lower than by air.
- For luggages, passengers need to take them by themselves and keep an eye on them during transporting without luggage-checking service on the train.
- Do not bring too many luggages during the peak seasons if possible.
- The above train might be slightly changed due to practical situation, feel free to contact us for the detailed and newest information
- Tibet Travel Permit is required for entering Lhasa and travelling around Tibet, make sure you got the permit before going Tibet by train, or you will not be allowed to get on the train. If you don’t have the permit, we could offer the service include the permit application, ticket booking and Tibet tour arrangement.
