Chongqing to Lhasa Train

Chongqing is a port city built along China’s longest river called the Yangtze. It sits among the hills and mountains, making the city landscape a fantastic and charming jungle; hence, it has been dubbed as the City of Mountains. For the tourists who wish to enjoy the Yangtze River Cruise before a trip to Tibet, taking the train from Chongqing to Lhasa could be a good option.

The Chongqing to Lhasa train departs every other day, and the whole journey takes about 36 hours, with 2 overnight stays on the train. It passes through four provinces, including Sichuan, Shanxi, Gansu and Qinghai.

Please note that there are four railway stations in Chongqing, and the Chongqing to Lhasa train departs from the Chongqing North Railway Station.

Chongqing to Lhasa Train Schedule & Price

Lhasa to Chongqing Train Schedule & Price

FAQs about train from Chongqing to Lhasa and Lhasa to Chongqing

1. What is the difference between a soft sleeper and hard sleeper for the train from Chongqing to Lhasa?

For the soft sleeper, there are four beds in each cabin: upper beds and lower beds. There is a door to separate the aisle and the cabin. As for the hard sleeper, there are six beds in each cabin: upper beds, middle beds and lower beds with no door. The soft sleeper is much more spacious than the hard sleeper. It is hard to sit straight on the hard sleeper beds, but the beds are very soft. The hard sleeper is much cheaper too. When there are good discounts on the flights, it is almost the same price with the soft sleeper or even cheaper sometimes.

2. What is needed to take the train from Chongqing to Lhasa?

It is the same as taking flights to Lhasa; you will need the original permit to get on the train to Lhasa from Chongqing. Some cities only require a copy of the permit. You can get the train tickets in any ticket office of the train station by showing the Tibet Permit, train ticket booking code and your passport. We will mail the permit to your hotel in Chongqing and send you the code once the booking of the tickets is confirmed.

3. Where should we take the train to Lhasa from Chongqing?

The train from Chongqing to Lhasa departs from the south square of the Chongqing Bei Railway Station. If you collect the train ticket before you board the train, please make sure that you arrive at the train station at least one hour before the departure time in case there is a long queue to wait.

4. What are the highlights of the scenery along the railway route?

Xining is the starting point of Qinghai Tibet Railway. All the trains from other cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu etc., will pass through Xining. Starting from Xining, you will first see Qinghai Lake which is the biggest salt-lake in China. After that, the train goes through the Hoh Xil (Kekexili) Nature Reserve. This is the third largest no-man's land in the world, and a haven for wild animals like the Tibetan antelope, wild Yak, wild donkey, white-lip deer, brown bear, and so on. It still has a pristine landscape with vales, glaciers, stone forests, and boiling springs. You will also see the mystic Kunlun Mountain Range, the Tuotuo River (the source of Yangtze River), the majestic Tanggula Mountains, the holy Tsonag Lake, the vast Changtang Grassland, and the Yangpachen which is renowned for its geothermic hot springs.

5. What do we eat on the train?

There is one whole carriage which serves as the restaurant on the train. You can have your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners there at certain times. Before mealtime, there will be broadcasting to inform the passengers of when it’s time to eat. Normally, it costs about 10 yuan for breakfast, and 20 to 40 yuan for lunch and dinner. The food is kind of simple but very tasty. The breakfast meals include milk, coffee, egg, porridge, steamed bun, bread, and more. The lunch and dinner foods consist of Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, Yuxiang Shredded Pork, Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, vegetable, and some Tibetan dishes. The restaurant is not only good for meals, but it is also a great place to enjoy the view outside the window. If it is not mealtime, you must at least buy a beer or other beverage so that you can enter the restaurant and get the privilege of sitting there and enjoying the grand view of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Except for eating in the restaurant carriage, the train staff brings boxed meals to each train cabin. Since it is a long journey, it is better to prepare some snacks ahead of time because the price of the food will be double if you buy it on the train.

6. Should we choose to fly or take the train from Chongqing to Lhasa?

If time permits, it is recommended that you fly in and then take the train out or the other way around. It only takes about 3 hours by flight but 35 hours by train. Taking the train is great if you want to see the grand view of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. There is no need to take the train both ways unless you really enjoy the train ride.