How to Travel from Beijing to Tibet

 

Traveling from Beijing to Tibet can be a mesmerizing journey. It combines two distinctively different cultures and civilizations. Currently there are two main modes of transport: air transport and train transport. Each have their advantages and disadvantages. Here follows the relevant facts and tips about traveling from Beijing to Tibet.

Beijing to Tibet By Air

The nonstop airlines between Beijing and Tibet were open in 2011. Now there are many flight options, among them the direct flights are operated by Tibet Airlines, Air China, and Shenzhen Airlines. The shortest air travel distance is 2,568 kilometers, which takes 4 hours 35 minutes.

Map of Beijing to Lhasa Flight

Pros: Time saving: It goes without saying that flying to Tibet from Beijing is the fastest way. You get to save more time for your Tibet trip.
Cons: Flying from the Beijing Plain into the Tibetan Plateau, means you don’t get a chance to acclimatize gradually prior to your arrival in Lhasa (3,650 meters).
Documents for Boarding: For foreign travelers, they need to have a valid Chinese visa, a Tibet travel permit (issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau), before embarking the airplane.
Tips for Acclimatizing to Altitude: Most new comers develop different degrees of altitude sickness symptoms. We suggest that you walk slow, do not jump or run, and take loads of water to keep hydrated, especially for the first few days in Lhasa.

You may refer to Beijing to Tibet Flights for more details (schedule and price).

Beijing to Tibet By Train

The train ride from Beijing to Tibet (Lhasa), is made up of two sections: Beijing-Xining Section and Xining-Lhasa Section. The latter is the epic Qinghai-Tibet Railway, with Xining as the starting point. Travelers who start their train journey from Beijing sometimes get off the train at Xining, and board a peculiar train for the rest of the journey on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The duration of the train journey lasts for about 43 hours. We highly suggest that you book a sleeper ticket rather than a seat ticket. However, it can be very tricky to nail down an ideal ticket. And even though you can get a sleeper in a compartment, the allocation of sleepers is random by the railway ticket system.

Apart from the difficulty in ticket purchasing, how to spend the two nights and two days on the train needs some research and preparation ahead. Read on to equip yourself:

Beijing-Tibet train route passes by seven provincial-level regions: Beijing Municipality, Hebei Province, Ningxia Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, and Tibet Autonomous Region. The train (No. Z21) departs daily at 20:00 at Beijing West Railway Station and arrives at Lhasa Train Station at 12:20 at noon.

Pros: 

1. It can be very fun as you get to see different landscapes varying from plains, mountains, grasslands, etc. You can also witness the regional variables between China’s developed east, the middle part of China and the western China.
2. Budget Saving: The highest ticket is 1,186 RMB, which is for a lower soft sleeper and cheaper than an airplane ticket in most cases.
3. Being helpful in getting your body adapt to the gradual ascent of altitudes.

Cons:

1. Time Consuming: For those who have a tight schedule, this might not be their choice.
2. The facilities inside the train are in spartan style. The most comfortable option is a soft sleeper. However, the space is still a bit cramped and the cleanliness of the toilets is average.

Documents for Boarding: For foreign travelers, they need to have a valid Chinese visa, a Tibet travel permit (issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau), before embarking the train. You’ll need a copy of Tibet travel permit to collect the actual train ticket at a ticket booth in a train station.

More Facts of Beijing-Tibet Train Journey

1. Oxygen will be pumped in and train will be heated once arriving at Tanggula Pass, which is the train stop with the highest altitude on this train journey. There are also extra outlets for each passenger. You can also ask for inhalators or cannulas from the train staff.
2. If you only succeed in getting a seat, the 43-hour train ride can be tough. Try to ask the train staff for an upgrade, which might be available at times. If this doesn’t work out, you can pay entrance fee (usually about 40 RMB) to have some relaxation at the dinning carriage where you get more space and better views.
3. Toilets on the train: There are two restrooms, at the both ends of the carriage. One is western style (sitting) and the other is eastern (squatting). They get cleaned up regularly and are cleaner at the beginning parts of journey. But do have some toilet paper or wipes with you as the shortage is prone to happen frequently from such a big volume of users. The toilets will be locked when the train stops in a train station.
4. Must-try snack along the route: yogurt in Xining Station.
5. Meals served in the restaurant carriage are mostly Han Chinese style. There are food carts now and then showing up selling snacks and beverages.
6. It’s not uncommon that some passengers might be smoking regardless of the non-smoking signs. And noises can be problematic for a sound sleep. You can have earplugs, eye patch, face mask, packed.

Tips for Taking a Train Journey from Beijing to Tibet

1. Bring a thermo and some ingredients such as instant coffee or teabags. Free hot water is available in each carriage. You can make yourself nice warm drink.
2. Wear comfy clothes so you can remove or put on easily when getting into or out of the sleeper berth. Flip flops can also come in handy.
3. You’ll need a lot of snacks and try to get them when you’re in Beijing. We’d suggest you have all types of favor prepared including sweet, salty, spicy snacks.
4. If you’re not used to drinking hot water, bring plenty of bottled water. It’s essential to stay hydrated to prevent altitude sickness.
5. Few English-speaking crew on board makes the communication hard for foreign travelers. You can download a digital dictionary on your phone. Make sure it works even when you have no signal.
6. The most typical Qinghai-Tibet Plateau landscape starts to appear after Golmud. Make sure you time your trip so that you won’t sleep through the most scenic parts.

You may refer to Beijing to Tibet Train for more details.
 

Washing area on Tibet Trains

A Combined Transport Option for Going from Beijing to Tibet

Besides taking a flight or train ride from Beijing to Tibet, you can also combine them. Why bother to do so? Well, if you want to save some time on travel and also get the chance to experience the best part of the train journey to Tibet. You can fly to several gateway cities which are located closer to Tibet, such as Xining, Lanzhou, or Xi’an.

Below are some Beijing to Tibet Tours you may be interested in:

1. 7 Days Beijing and Lhasa Highlights Tour
2. 8 Days Beijing to Tibet Train Tour
3. 10 Days Beijing & Tibet to Nepal Overland Tour
4. 11 Days Beijing Lhasa Everest Expedition Tour