Hong Kong to Lhasa Train: Is There a Direct Train from Hong Kong to Tibet?

Up to now, there is no direct train from Hong Kong to Tibet. However, with the operation of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail on Sept 23, 2018, taking train from Hong Kong to Lhasa has become much more convenient. You can board high-speed trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Tibetan gateway cities (Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing) and then hop on the Tibet train to Lhasa. And you can also take direct Hong Kong-Lhasa flight or fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu and then get on Chengdu-Lhasa train to Tibet.

Travel from Hong Kong to Lhasa by Train

There are two main train stations in Hong Kong: Hung Hom Railway Station and Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station. West Kowloon, a newly built station serving only high-speed trains between 58 cities in mainland China and Hong Kong, is the starting point of Hong Kong to Lhasa trains (updated to Dec 2019). Below are the top 4 Hong Kong-Lhasa railway routes:

Most convenient way: Hong Kong West Kowloon (high-speed train) Guangzhou (train Z265) Lhasa

Every day, there are 34 high-speed trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Guangzhou South Railway Station from 8:05 to 22:50, at least 2 trains every hour. The ride takes about 1 hour and 215 yuan for a second-class seat ticket.

Upon your arrival, take the metro Line 2 at Guangzhou South Railway Station towards Jiahewanggang (嘉禾望岗), and get off at Guangzhou Railway Station. The metro ride takes about 45 minutes and 6 yuan, while a taxi ride takes about 50 minutes and 90 yuan.

The Guangzhou-Lhasa Train Z265 departs daily at 11:45 from Guangzhou Railway Station and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station at 16:45 on the third day after 53 hours, covering a distance of 4,980 kilometers and being the longest railway route to Lhasa. That’s to say, you’ll spend the next two days from the south all the way to central and western China and enjoy the bigger picture of the most diversified landscapes and cities in China. If you are a big fan of train journey, this travel route to Tibet will be the ultimate journey you are looking for.

Thanks to the high-frequency of high-speeds train between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, tourists can choose to board Tibet train on the same day or explore Guangzhou for a few days before heading for Lhasa, making this railway route become the most convenient one from Hong Kong to Tibet. - Check the details of Guangzhou Tibet tour packages.

Most classic way: Hong Kong West Kowloon (high-speed train) Beijing (train Z21) Lhasa

G80, the only train from Hong Kong to Beijing, departs at 8:05 every morning from West Kowloon and arrives at Beijing West Railway Station at 17:01. The ride takes 8:56hrs and 1,077 yuan for a second-class ticket. You can choose to board the Beijing-Lhasa Train Z21 at the same station at 20:00 and arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 12:45 two days later, after 40:45 hours’ ride through 3,757 kilometers over 8 provinces between the Beijing and Lhasa. Or you can spend a few days in Beijing and tour around Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall, and Tiananmen Square before heading to Tibet. - Check the details of Beijing Tibet train tour packages.

The shortest railway: Hong Kong West Kowloon (high-speed train) Chongqing (train Z223) Lhasa

G320, the only train from Hong Kong to Chongqing, departs every day at 14:53 from West Kowloon and arrives at Chongqing West Railway Station at 22:26. This ride takes 7:33hrs and 660 yuan for a second-class ticket.

Then you can stay overnight around this station and spend a whole day to explore this famous “Mountain City” before going back to board the Chongqing-Lhasa Train Z223 at 22:12, you will arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 9:55 on the third day morning after 35:43hrs. This is the shortest Hong Kong-Lhasa train route with about 43 hours on trains in total. - Check the details of Chongqing Tibet train tour packages.

The longest railway: Hong Kong West Kowloon (high-speed train) Shanghai (train Z164) Lhasa

G100, the only train from Hong Kong to Shanghai, departs every day at 11:10 from West Kowloon and arrives at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Stationat at 19:27. The ride takes 8:17hrs and 1,008 yuan for a second-class ticket.

Since the Shanghai-Lhasa train departs at 20:08 from Shanghai Railway Station about 20km away, travelers have to stay overnight in Shanghai. We warmly suggest you stay around Shanghai Railway Station because it is located in downtown and about 8km from the Bund, Yu Garden, Oriental Pearl TV Towel, and Shanghai Museum. You can visit these famous attractions in the daytime, get on Shanghai-Lhasa Train Z164 at 20:08, and reaches Lhasa Railway Station at 19:35 two days later after 47:27 hours. - Check the details of Shanghai Tibet train tour packages.

The transfer from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Shanghai Railway Station is convenient, too. The following metro ride takes about 45 minutes and 5 yuan, while a taxi ride takes about 50 minutes and 70 yuan.

- Take the metro Line 2 towards Shanghai Pudong International Airport (浦东国际机场) at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and get off at Zhongshan Park (中山公园).
- transfer to the metro Line 3 towards Jiangyang North Road (江杨北路) and get off at Shanghai Railway Station.

FAQs on taking trains at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station:

1. How to get to Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station?
West Kowloon Railway Station is located at 1 Austin Road West, Yau Ma Tei District (address in Chinese: 油尖旺区柯士甸道西1号), you can go there by bus, taxi, and MTR.
By bus: KMB (Kowloon Metro Bus) 42A, 60X, 63X, 81, etc.
By taxi: The taxi will drop you off on level B1 (ticket hall) upon arrival.
By MTR: There are two subway stops near West Kowloon. One is Austin Station (serving West Rail Line) and the other is Kowloon Station (serving Tung Chung Line and Airport Express Line). After arriving at either stop, you can get to Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station by passing through the footbridges or Sky Corridor of the station.

2. How to collect train tickets and board train at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station?
West Kowloon Railway Station consists of five floors. One floor is above ground and four floors are underground: the ticketing hall (B1), the arrival concourse (B2), the departure concourse (B3) and the platform level (B4).

You need to go to the Ticket Hall on level B1 to find a ticket window to collect train tickets booked online. After collecting the paper tickets, pass through the security check, and take the escalator to the Departure hall on level B3 to find your waiting area. Then take the escalator to the Platform on level B4 to board your train when the gate to the platform is open.

There is no need to worry about the above procedure because all the signs are in Chinese and English. You can also ask the station staff in an orange T-Shirt for help if needed.

3. How to go through customs at West Kowloon Railway Station?
West Kowloon Railway Station adopts a co-location arrangement. For those bound for mainland China, after arriving at the Departure Hall on level B3, you need to go through Hong Kong Immigration Departure Clearance, show your passport to the staff and pass through the Customs Clearance Area. Then walk down a long corridor to enter into the Mainland Port Area to have your visa and passport checked. Then you go through the Customs Procedures Area, and then wait for the gates to the train platform to open.

Multiple options to travel from Hong Kong to Tibet

Travel from Hong Kong to Lhasa by Flight + Train

If you are interested in experiencing the marvelous Qinghai-Tibet Railway but don’t want to spend so much time on train, taking flight from Hong Kong to Tibet entry cities like Beijing (about 3 hours), Shanghai (about 2.5 hours), Chengdu (close to 3 hours), Chongqing (about 3 hours), and Xian (about 3.5 hours), and boarding train there to Lhasa is a good choice. Here are two carefully selected travel routes for you based on the flight frequency, train travel time, tourist attractions, and travel budget.

Most classic way: Hong Kong (flight) Chengdu (train Z322) Lhasa

There are 4-5 direct flights from Hong Kong International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport every day, and the ride takes about 3 hours. Which means, you can board the Chengdu-Lhasa train Z322 at 21:37 on the same day, and arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 9:55 on the third day morning after 36:18hrs on the train.

We also suggest you linger on Chengdu for a few days before heading for Lhasa. Reputed as “the Land of Abundance”, Chengdu is quite worth a visit to see the cute giant pandas, visit the historic Wuhou Temple, taste the delicious hot pot and Sichuan cuisine, and experience the leisurely lifestyle of this beautiful city. - Check the details of Chengdu Tibet train tour packages.

Most time-saving way: Hong Kong (flight) Chengdu (flight) Xining (train Z6801) Lhasa

You can fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu to see the lovely giant pandas and then fly from Chengdu to Xining for Xining-Lhasa train, the essence of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. There are 3-5 direct flights from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Xining Caojiabao International Airport every day, and the ride takes about 1.5 hours.

Xining is the initial point of Qinghai-Tibet Railway (Qingzang Railway) and the closest gateway city to Tibet. It only takes you around 21 hours from Xining to Lhasa by train. That’s to say, the total time you need to spend on plane and train is about 25.5 hours. Meanwhile, you can stay in Xining (2,275m) for around 2 days to visit Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake, and adapt to the high altitude before heading for Tibet.

Travel from Hong Kong to Lhasa by Flight

Traveling by flight is the best choice for those with a tight schedule, especially for the elderly or small children, the lengthy train ride could be a huge challenge and potentially make them feel restless and drained. With the direct Hong Kong-Lhasa flight operating in Nov 2019, traveling from Hong Kong to Lhasa has become very convenient. Below are the top flight routes we recommend for you:

Most time-efficient route: Hong Kong (direct flight) Lhasa

As the only direct flight from Hong Kong to Lhasa, TV9911 departs at 14:00 from Hong Kong International Airport every Wed, Fri, and Sun, and arrives at 18:10 Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, taking you 4 hours 10 minutes from the “Pearl of Orient” to the “Roof of the World”.

Most classic route: Hong Kong (direct flight) Chengdu (direct flight) Lhasa

After taking direct Hong Kong-Chengdu flight, you can tour around Chengdu and the surroundings, like Jiuzhaigou, Mt. Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha, etc., then board on the flight to Tibet. There are 14 direct flights from Chengdu to Lhasa running from early morning to midnight with the duration around 2 hours. If you regret missing the breathtaking scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway by taking a flight journey, you can board Tibet outbound train when the tour ends.

Travel Documents for Hong Kong to Tibet Tour

International travelers need Tibet Travel Permit, China Visa and passport to enter and visit Tibet. The Hong Kong citizens don’t need Tibet travel permits to enter and travel Tibet, just bring your Chinese SAR Passport and Home Return Permit.

Conclusion

The constant opening of new air routes and great changes have taken place in railroad transportations facilitate our trips with a variety of possible travel routes, making the distance between the departing place and the destination shortened by spending less time on it. No matter how you plan to travel from Hong Kong to Lhasa, we will provide wholehearted services to you. Just feel free to contact us and share your travel plan, our travel consultant will tailor make the most suitable route and travel plans for you.