Chengdu to Lhasa Train Schedule
Chengdu to Lhasa is one of the most popular railway routes. One hand, there are direct flights from Hongkong / Taiwan / Singapore / Malaysia etc., and from Chengdu to Lhasa is very convenient no matter by train or by flight. Besides, the chairmen of the local delicious and scenarios became the first transit venue for most tourists.
1. The overview of Chengdu – Lhasa train schedule:
Stations Z322 will pass by
2019 Chengdu – Lhasa Train Running Dates:
2. How do foreign tourists buy train tickets from Chengdu to Lhasa:
Ways to buy ticket (generally, there are two ways of buy ticket in mainland China):
To buy your own tickets at the station, with your valid certifications, but the defect of this way is: biased to provide valid certifications, you have to provide Tibet Travel Permit. For the Tibet Travel Permit, usually can be applied within 10 days in advance, and the train ticket in mainland China is usually going on sale one month (30 days) prior to departures. By the time you get the Tibet Travel Permit, most likely the ticket is sold out already.
To purchase on the railway station official website: 12306.cn, is a good choice for those who is outside mainland China. But the defect is, it is registered under the real name system, and after registration the system will investigate, and can purchase online only if you had one experience of taking the train with your ID card. If you have a someone buy tickets for you, you will need to provide them with your exact name and passport number (as with plane tickets). They will also need a copy of your passport if you wish to have the tickets delivered to you. If tickets are brought on-line and you do not wish them to deliver, you are given a confirmation number which you need to bring along with your passport at the railway station to pick up the paper ticket. You can do so just before your departure.
Notes on Booking Chengdu-Lhasa Train Tickets:
☆ According to ministry of railway regulations, the train ticket will be issued one month in advance. The passengers may purchase via the local railway station, official ticket agency, or via the official website: www.12306.cn, due to the Tibet train ticket is very hard to purchase (especially the peak season July – September), please purchase one month in advance, to avoid missing the time and the ticket.
☆ If need to buy from the Odyssey Travel Agency, have to confirm 35 days in advance with full fare price and to provide requested scanned certifications.
☆ If the passengers purchased the train ticket online, please exchange for paper ticket in the railway station at least 2 hours in advance, especially during the peak season. Due to the train platform is very little for Tibet train, and there are many passengers during the peak season, if you reached too late, you may have no time to change the ticket. Therefore, please do arrive the railway station 2 hours in advance. If purchased by our agency, we shall take the ticket in advance and hand in the ticket to the passengers.
3. Notice on taking train to Tibet from Chengdu:
☆ For the Tibet train, you have to provide the second Tibet Travel Permit, and the size shall keep the same as the original file, with A4 format with 2 pages. During the ride, the conductor would check your Tibet Travel Permit erratically, please take good care of your Tibet Travel Permit, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
☆ Luggage transportation: with a valid train ticket, the passenger may transport one luggage during the board period. The disabled have no limitations on luggage. The limit of each luggage is 50KG. The size should be smaller than luggage barrow. For items involving state restrictions on transport, please provide the relevant department's transport certificate at the time of delivery. Valuables such as money, securities, precious cultural relics, gold, silver and jewelry, and archival materials, as well as articles prohibited and restricted by the state, and dangerous articles shall not be carried in luggage.
☆ The Tibetan plateau is located in an area of low oxygen, plateau travel has high demand for the tourists, and they may more or less accord altitude sickness, recommend having a thorough medical check-up before travel, and taking some anti-altitude drugs under the doctor’s advice, or prepare the medicine for the needs.
☆ Some of the train have to transit via Xining station, all the passengers have to take off and transit to another train, please cooperate the organization and guidance from the staffs.
☆ While running between Golmud to Lhasa, the train would provide a diffuse type of oxygen supply and independence oxygen service, if you have any further requirements, please do check with the train staffs. During the oxygen supplying, smoking is forbidden, the smokers have to notice that.
☆ Please keep stay and take good care of your own belongings. During the station, dwelling time, please be aware of temperature difference between inside and outside the train, be careful to catch the flue.
☆ Regarding carrying on the train, there are chargers in the soft sleeper compartment, under the outside the corridor seats also have chargers, and the both sides of the washing station also can charge. But sometimes the charger may break, please bring your own power bank and make sure it is fully charged.
The usual dining on the train tastes flat, costs about RMB 30.00, also have steamed bun and porridges. If you got too many luggages, no worry, there are simple meals and instant noodles for purchase. You also may prepare some solid food, or carried separately with several friends. After all, it’s not easy to spend about two days and two nights’ train.
4. Packing List if taking train to Tibet from Chengdu:
1. Certifications: ID card (for mainland China tourists), Tibet Travel Permit (foreign tourists, Taiwan tourist and overseas Chinese), Hongkong – Macau laissez – passer (Hongkong people and Macanese), valid passport (those who holds passport), deposit card (China’s biggest banks).
2. Anti-altitude medicines: although take the Tibet train may slowly adjust the altitude, but when pass by Tanggula Ranges (while altitude is above 5000 M), the altitude sickness would be serious, suggest to take Gaoyuanan or Gaoyuankang capsule, besides orally take Rhodiola rosea in advance. Moreover, you may take some cold medication, cough medicine, Wei Chang A, antidiarrheals, anti-inflammatory, band-aid, painkillers, etc.
3. For clothing, you’d better wear fleece jackets and winter jacket, for the great difference in temperature at plateau area, you may experience four seasons within ten days, such kind of clothing may good at wind and rain protection and keeping warm, other clothing: thin coat, T-shirt, underwears, socks, if you have plan for hiking, you may take a pair of outdoor hiking shoes. For washing bag, you may prepare washing products (towels, facial cleanser, soap, shaver, etc.),
4. Cell phone charger, USB cable, power bank, camera, matching battery, charger, flashcards, if you wish to shoot the stars, may bring the torch, notebook and pens.
5. Bring the vacuum cup, for you may get warm water on the train, prepare some more fruits such as apples, mandarin orange. Apple removes heat, eat properly may adjust human acid balance; mandarin orange would provide vitamin C for a day. Also, please bring some chocolate, it may strengthen your physical power.
6. Daily supplies: sleeping bag, towel (quick drying- type), face towel, wet-paper, sun hat, sun glasses, sun cream etc. sun-protct productions, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, facial cleanser, skin care productions, facial masks, cosmetic with hydration type), sun-protction lip-stick, toothbrush and toothpaste, washing powder (easier to carry compare with liquid detergent), small back-pack, rain hood, whisel, convenient hook, disposable plastic wrap (may take wet clothes or tower), seperate bags (pack the stuffs accordingly, and convenient to take), water proof bag (functional product), vacuum cup, camping cup, chopsticks and forks (of hygiene reason), hair dryer, fully charged power bank.
5. Chengdu North Railway Station Traffic Guide:
The starting station from Chengdu to Lhasa is Chengdu North Station. The address is: 2nd Stretch, 2nd Ring Road North, Jinniu District, Chengdu. As the most important railway station, the daily passenger traffic is particularly heavy. The transportation is very convenient, by Line 1 of the metro track can directly reach to the railway station, there are also many bus routes for choice. But due to the heavy traffic, plus the extension of the metro track of Chengdu during the 2 years, the surrounding area is very crowded, especially during the rush hour of morning and evening. If going by taxi, please do save some more time, to avoid missing the train. If there are many members in a team, may arrange tours bus via our travel agency.
6. Other ways to get Tibet from Chengdu:
(1) Chengdu – (High Speed Railway) – Chongqing – (Railway) - Lhasa
The railway towards Lhasa from Chengdu and Chongqing are leaving alternately. For example, if this month the train from Chengdu to Lhasa leaving on an even number, and Chongqing to Lhasa is on an odd number. If Chengdu to Lhasa’s train is off during the day, you may consider switching to Chongqing, and enter to Lhasa from Chongqing. It’s very convenient from Chengdu to Chongqing, only spend 2 hours by High Speed Railway may arrived Chongqing North Railway Station, the fare of 2nd Class Seat is lesser than RMB 200.00. Luckily, the terminal station from Chengdu to Lhasa is also on the same railway station, but please be aware they even share the same station, but they are located in a different area, and these two areas are not connected, and the distance is quite long. The High Speed Railway entrance located at the North Square of Chongqing North Station, and Serial No. Z (including all the train from Chongqing to Lhasa) is entering and leaving from the South Square. Please confirm with the entrance, and save sufficient time for entry, to avoid delay your schedule.
(2) Chengdu – (Flight) – Xining – (Railway) - Lhasa
If 44 hour train schedule is too long for you, may consider Xining, as the transit station, as Xining is the starting point of Tibet railway, many trains will pass by and it’s much easier to purchase a train ticket there. You may fly to Xining in the morning, and arrived in the early afternoon, and take the train to Lhasa in the afternoon on the same day, far more convenient. And if you are not in a rush, you may choose to spend one day in Xining.
For most tourists, Xining serves as a traffic hub to go to Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake or along the Qinghai – Tibet Line inner Tibet. After gradually adapting the west, may ready for Lhasa tour. But there are still places worth your stay in Xining. Such as: Kumbum Monastery, the Great Mosque in Dongguan, North Monastery, South Monastery… those religious Monasteries adorns the city and its surrounding areas, and you may discover the collision of the ethnic integration in details. Or enjoy the night scene of Xining in Nanshan Park, and learn the development of the city in the museum.
