Beijing to Lhasa Train

Beijing to Lhasa train map

At present, there is a daily train from Beijing to Lhasa run by China Railways. The train from Beijing to Tibet takes about 44 hours to cover 3753 kilometers, of which 1110 km are over Qinghai-Tibet railway. It departs from the Beijing West Railway Station at 20:09 and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station at 16:00 on the third day after nearly 44 hours. Its operational speed is 120 km/h, 100 km/h over sections laid on permafrost. The Beijing to Lhasa railway route began on July 1st, 2006 and presently costs around RMB1300 for a first-class sleeper berth, around RMB800 for a second-class sleeper berth and half that for a soft seat.

The train to Lhasa from Beijing is equipped with advanced facilities that are tailor-made according to the special elevation, temperature and other specific situations along the world's highest railway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway, such as air-conditioning, supercharging system, oxygen supply, altitude display, etc. Moreover, the totally-closed train is installed with sightseeing windows covered by anti-ultraviolet film so as to  protect passengers from ultraviolet radiation. To be honest, a Beijing-Lhasa train tour is really worth a shot for the unique and wonderful scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet railway alone. 

Beijing to Lhasa Train Cost
Actually, in China, the train fare does not include meals,  so you need to pay the food in the train, a normal breakfast will cost you about 10RMB and a lunch or dinner 20-30RMB. Drinking water is free but if you want to have a cup of coffee or milk, you need to prepare in advance. Except the cost on food, another big expense on the Beijing to Lhasa train trip is that you have to pay the service charge to the travel agency who help you purchase the train tickets. The cost ranges from 100RMB to 500RMB in different seasons. In a word, the total cost of Beijing Tibet Train Journey is about 1500RMB.

Beijing to Lhasa Train Schedule and Fare

Beijing to Lhasa Train Route and Timetable

Beautiful night view of Beijing West Railway Station, the starting station of the train to Lhasa.

Train tickets from Beijing to Lhasa. The ticket fares vary with different classes of the tickets.

The message board over the platform at the railway station shows the departure time of the train to Lhasa.

Soft sleeper carriage of train to Lhasa.

Passengers are borading the train to Lhasa one by one at Beijing West Railway Station.

Hard sleeper carriage of the train to Tibet, with a passway outside the sleeper compartments.

Restaurant on the train from Beijing to Lhasa. It is very comfortable to enjoy food there.

Restroom on the train from Beijing to Lhasa. It is very clean.

Beijing Lhasa Train Pictures

There are 12 compartments with doors in a cabin of the first class soft sleeper berths and 4 berths in each compartment, two upper and two lower. More>>

A dining car comprising a general cook house and a dining room offers passengers tables, seats and both of simple western style and Chinese style food. More>>

Both Asian and Western toilets are available at the end of each car on the Tibet train. Over all they are kept clean and toilet paper is available. More>>