Guangzhou to Lhasa Train Schedule
Tibet is the heart yearning place for most people, it’s like a beautiful dream-lover, let people cherished dream. Depart from Guangzhou, take the Tibet train, the fare is less than RMB 500.00 and you may enjoy the scenery along the way. The “slow Life” within 54 hours, from the south to the north, from the east towards the west, view of the beautiful coast of the pearl river delta, till changes to the deserted center plans – Tibet Plateau. Start from Guangzhou, pass by Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Shanxi, Gansu and Qinghai, eventually arrived Lhasa, Tibet. No. Z264 has many multifarious landscapes along the way, includes the beauty of the south, desolation in the north, visiting most parts of mainland China just by sitting on the train.
One of the most mystical and spiritually holy places on earth. Famous for the most sacred Potala Palace and not forgetting Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak, here you will also meet the hospitable and ingenuous Tibetan people with their unique folk customs. Our 2018 best private Tibet tours and Tibet group tours is gearing up to fulfill your dream trip.
1. The overview of Guangzhou – Lhasa train schedule:
Stations Z264 will Pass by
2. How do foreign tourists buy train tickets from Guangzhou 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.
Requested certifications when booking the train ticket from Guangzhou to Lhasa:
(1) According to The real name system for buying train tickets, for those who would like to purchase the train ticket in mainland China, have to provide valid certificates such as: ID card, passport, etc.. The The passenger's name should be consistent with the document used.
(2) Due to the particularity of Tibet train, all the passengers have to provide Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet.
Tips on Guangzhou-Lhasa Train ticket reservation:
☆ 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. Useful Tips on Taking the Train from Guangzhou to Lhasa:
☆ 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 for taking train from Guangzhou to Lhasa:
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 Mountains (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 backpack, rain hood, whisel, convenient hook, disposable plastic wrap (may take wet clothes or tower), seperated bags (pack the stuffs accordingly, and convenient to take), water proof bag (functional product), vacuum cup, camping cup, chopsticks and forks (for hygiene reason), hair dryer, fully charged power bank.
5. Guangzhou Railway Station Trafic Guide:
Address: No. 159, Huangshi West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong. For those ahead of the Guangzhou railway station may take Line 2 or Line 5 of metro track, there are many buses to get there. If not familiar with the transportation, may take a taxi. Or, if there are many members in a team, may arrange tours bus via our travel agency.
Other ways to enter Tibet from Guangzhou (many passengers may consider it’s too long to spend 53 hours by train, or feel it’s too hard to purchase the train ticket during the peak period. You may look for some other options).
1. Guangzhou – (flight / High-speed railway) – Xian – (train) - Lhasa
There are many flights from Guangzhou to Xian, the whole distance only takes 2.5 hours, with many options. Besides, there are 6 -7 trains each day, the whole journey takes 8 – 9 hours, highly shortened the your times on the train. After arriving in Xian, if your time is plenty, may have a short stay.
2. Guangzhou – (flight) – Xining – (train) – Lhasa
Even though, there aren’t many flights from Guangzhou to Xining (three flights each day, 6:30am, 8:15am and 1:40pm), but they are all direct flights, almost spend 3 hours. The most famous attractions in Xining are: Qinghai lake, Kumbum monastery, Chaka salt lake. You may have a half-day or one day tour, and then take the train ahead for Lhasa.
3. Guangzhou – (flight) – Chengdu / Chongqing – (train) Lhasa
If you would like to feel the scenery and culture of western China, may take high-speed railway, or flight to Chengdu, and take the train to Lhasa. Chengdu is the center of the west, and also the home front of Tibet, has close communication with various parts of Tibet. Chengdu not only covered with good reputation of The Land of Aboundance, but also hidden with numerous histories and cultures in the ancient book – Chengdu city. Meanwhile, Chengdu is famous of beauties and food, and also a show city. The local people are gentle and meek, warm and generous, under the pace of slow and leisure life, they are releasing their passion and comfortable energy everywhere. And such energy just happens to soothe those who are coming from all over the place, brush away their frivolity and eagerness. This brings Sichuan – Tibet journey a good start.
