Departing every other day at 22:12 from Chongqing West Railway Station, Chongqing-Lhasa Train Z223 is a vital overland gateway to Tibet, equally as important as Chengdu-Lhasa Train in the southwest of China. The entire railway stretches as long as 3,030 kilometers and it takes around 35:43 hours to reach Lhasa from Chongqing. If tourists prefer to enjoy the Yangtze River cruise trip first and later move from Chongqing to Tibet, this railway route is recommended to you. The return train is Z224.
More Detailed Information about Chongqing Tibet Train
Surrounded by mountains and built on the hills, Chongqing is known as the Mountain City. As the meeting place of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River, Chongqing has a special landscape scenery and is famous for its resplendent night view, spicy and delicious hot-pot.
Chongqing has a significant history and culture, and is one of the four municipalities with Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin. It serves as the economic center of the upstream Yangtze basin and transportation hub. Passengers can arrive at Chongqing by flights or Yangtze River Cruise, and then take the Chongqing-Lhasa train to Tibet.
Should I Choose Soft Sleeper or Hard Sleeper?
Why Soft Sleeper is Better than Hard Sleeper?
Like each Lhasa-bound train, the train to Lhasa from Chongqing is also especially built for the high altitude environment and equipped with advanced facilities, such as air-conditioning, supercharging system, oxygen supply, altitude display, etc. The train is also tightly sealed so as to firstly keep the inside air pressure normal and secondly prevent passengers from littering. Besides, all the carriages are installed with double-pane windows and ultraviolet filters to protect passengers from ultraviolet radiation. Nowadays, the train journey is extremely popular for its breathtakingly unique scenery along the railway from Chongqing to Tibet.
Soft sleeper is more spacious than the hard one
In fact, there are three kinds of accommodations available on Chongqing-Lhasa train: soft sleeper, hard sleeper, and hard seat, of which the most comfortable one is the soft sleeper. The soft sleeper consists of 4 bunks (75cm*190cm) and promises more privacy and comfort with a sliding lockable door, which is highly recommended.
While the hard sleeper is made up of 6 bunks (60cm*180cm) and the living space varies slightly. The lowest bunks enjoy the largest living space whereas the top bunks are cramped. The cabin of a hard sleeper has no independent door to close when tourists want to sleep. Hard seat is not recommended given the long ride and nothing is more important than having a sound sleep.
The Schedule of Chongqing-Lhasa Train 2019
Train from Chongqing to Lhasa departs not daily, but every other day. Below is the Chongqing to Lhasa Train departure frequency in 2019:
Jan: Odd Days like 1,3,5
Feb: Even Days like 2,4,6
Mar: Even Days like 2,4,6
April: Odd Days like 1,3,5
May: Odd Days like 1,3,5
Jun: Even Days like 2,4,6
Jul: Even Days like 2,4,6
Aug: Odd Days like 1,3,5
Sept: Even Days like 2,4,6
Oct: Even Days like 2,4,6
Nov: Odd Days like 1,3,5
Dec: Odd Days like 1,3,5
Trains depart from Chongqing and Chengdu respectively, for example, odd days in a month from Chengdu, and even days from Chongqing. Here I’ll show you an instance: when the Chengdu to Lhasa Train Z322 departs in odd days (1, 3, 5…) in September, the Chongqing to Lhasa Train will depart in even days (2, 4, 6…) in September.
Given this situation, if unfortunately, Chongqing to Lhasa Train does not depart on your date or you miss the train, you may take a fast train to Chengdu which is only 1.5 hours distance, to take train there the other day to Tibet.
Alternative Plans if Failed to Get the Soft Sleeper Ticket
Since the soft sleeper on Chongqing-Lhasa train is very popular, if you happen to fail to get the ticket, don’t worry, there are 3 alternative plans for you.
Option 1: You can book the hard sleeper ticket of Chongqing-Lhasa Train.
Option 2: As mentioned above, you can take the bullet train from Chongqing West/ North Railway Station to Chengdu Railway Station (also known as Chengdu North Railway Station) to board the chengdu to Lhasa Train there next day.
Option 3: You can take a flight from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) to Xining (the genuine starting point of Qinghai-Tibet railway), then head to Tibet by Xining to Lhasa train.
About ticket price:
The ticket prices above are the net price. In reality, as traveling in Tibet is so popular that the actual ticket demand far exceeds the supply, in-bound and out-bound tourists have to pay more than the net price to buy tickets. The actual price is subject to the market fluctuation. In some cases, the actual price could be double than the net price. Despite the uncertainty and difficulty in purchasing train tickets, Tibet Vista would manage to book tickets at a reasonable price (usually 20 percent lower than the market price) and promise to offer free service for it. If tourists only want to buy train tickets via Tibet Vista without intending to travel to Tibet, Tibet Vista will have to charge a small amount of service fee.
How to Book and Get Tibet Train Tickets?
International travelers can’t enter in Tibet as backpackers and need the help of travel agency to apply for Tibet Travel Permit in advance. You do not need the permit to book the tickets but you do need it to collect the ticket and board the train.
1. How to Book Tibet Train Ticket?
Book train ticket with us ( highly recommended)
To individual tourists, the best solution is to contact a reliable travel agency and book the Chongqing-Lhasa train ticket at least one month in advance.
Book at 12306.cn or buy ticket at train station
Neither method is convenient for international travelers. The 12306.cn has no English version and the online payment is limited to Chinese bank card, Wechat Pay and Alipay. The staff in train station can’t speak English. For popular route such as Chongqing to Lhasa train, during the peak season and even the off season of Tibet tourism, it is difficult for foreign tourists to book train tickets.
2. How to Get the Tibet Train Ticket?
In China, you need the paper train tickets to get into your train. If you book train tickets with us, you have two ways to get your paper tickets:
1. We deliver the paper tickets to your hotel or address in China (Recommended)
2. Collect them at the railway station
If you choose the delivery service, it is advisable to inform us 4 business days before departure. If you choose to collect them at the railway station, make sure to bring the confirmation number of train tickets, your Tibet Travel Permit as well as your valid and original passport. The confirmation number will be sent to you along with related train information once the tickets are confirmed, present it and the mentioned documents to the staff behind ticket windows to get paper tickets for free.
Chongqing West Railway Station operates 24/7, but usually there are only a few ticket windows available after 11 p.m. Considering the long queues in front of the ticket window and the language barrier, it is advisable to arrive at the train station at least 2 hours before departure if you collect tickets on the same day.
Notice: Tibet Travel Permit is needed for collecting the Tibet train ticket.
3. How to Read the Train Ticket
Here are some useful phrases you may need to read Z223 Chongqing to Lhasa Train ticket:
重庆西站：Chongqing West Railway Station
拉萨站: Lhasa Railway Station
xx年xx月xx日: xx Year xx Month xx Date
xx车xx号: xx Carriage xx Berth
上/ 中/ 下铺：Upper/ Middle/ Lower Berth
Information guide on Chongqing to Tibet Train Ticket
How to Board the Train?
Below are the steps to board a train in China:
Step1: Fill in the Health History Form
Before boarding the train, tourists are expected to fill out an health history form. If one has illness such as hypertension, stroke, chronic respiratory problem, and other cardiovascular disease, he or she shall no board the train for one’s health concern.
Step2: Pass Security Check
After your arriving at the right railway station, line up for the security check to enter into waiting hall: present your passport, Tibet Travel Permit and train ticket to the staff, put all your luggage such backpacks, carry-on bags on the security scanner conveyor belt, and walk through a detector gate and wait for staff to use a scanner on you to check forbidden articles.
Step3: Find the Waiting Room
Once enter into the waiting hall of Chongqing West Railway Station, you can find an LED screen showing Train Number (车次), Terminal (终到站), Departing Time (开点) and Waiting Room (候车室). Get your waiting room information and wait for check-in there. Train number Z223 is well marked in the correct waiting room.
Step4: Board the Train
Usually check-in starts 15-30 minutes before departure and barriers close 5 minutes before departure. After check-in, you can find Led screen hang on the way to the train telling your platform (站台) and direction of your carriage (车厢). Follow the instruction and the staff waiting at the carriage gate will check your ticket again to make sure you board the right carriage of the right train.
Step5: Find Your Berth
After getting on the train, you can find your berth according to your ticket. Put your baggage on the rack overhead or under the lower berth. Your sleeper ticket will be exchanged for a plastic berth card by staff shortly after boarding. Staff will return your ticket and get back the berth card about half an hour before arriving at your destination.
FAQs:
Q1. Is it necessary to carry Tibet Travel Permit all the time?
Make sure you have your passport, Tibet Travel Permit and ticket with you as you could be checked many times during the long journey. It is also advisable to have many copies of Tibet Travel Permit.
Q2. Is it possible to swap ticket with other people to stay with friends or family in the same cabin?
Yes. It is acceptable. You may ask conductor to swap tickets with other passengers to stay with your family or friends. Do remember your cabin and seat No.
Q3. Is It Safe on the Tibet Train?
Having a ride on Qinghai-Tibet train is relatively safe as each compartment is independent and its door will automatically be closed at night. One is forbidden to enter the compartment without ticket. Of course, nowhere is safer than the compartments of soft sleeper. The cabin of soft sleeper can accommodate 4 travellers and there is a door to shut, which is the perfect choice for a family. Besides, the surveillance cameras and 24-hours police patrol make it even safer on the train.
Life Onboard
Having a ride on Qinghai-Tibet train like Chongqing-Lhasa route is definitely the experience of a lifetime. Besides, the long distance and pressurized train tailor-made for acclimatization of extreme altitude make the ride different from other train journey. Following tips are suggested for tourists to better enjoy the life on Chongqing-Lhasa train.
1. Food and Drinks
Before the departure from Chongqing West Railway Station, do bring enough food. It could be snacks, fruit and instant noodles wrapped in bowls. Sharing snack with roommates is the easiest way to break the silence.
Dozens of tourists are having dinner in the dinning car. Tourists can order some traditional Chinese home-made dishes.
You can get 3 meals and drinks from the dining carriage located in the middle of the train. Usually only Chinese food such as noodles, dishes and soups is available and it costs about 20 CNY/meal and accepts cash payment, Wechat payment and Alipay.
The trolleys loaded with food are served in each compartment sporadically and tourists can buy from the staff of train. Besides, tourists can get free boiled water from hot water dispenser near the sinks.
2. Facilities on the Train
Toilets: The soft sleeper carriage has one western-style toilet and one squat style toilet, while hard sleeper carriage only has two squat style toilets. Toilets are located at the end of each carriage, adjacent to the washbasin, dustbin and hot water dispenser. The toilets will be locked when the train stops. Avoid to use them when the train is about to stop for arriving at a station. The red sign on the toilet door means the toilet is occupied while the green sign means not occupied. Next small but important thing is to have enough tissue or toilet paper. Because it is used fast and one won’t find any replacement if it runs out.
Washbasin: Usually only cold water is available. Tourists need to bring their own towel, wet paper tissue and toilet articles.
Dustbin: There is a big dustbin at the end of the carriage. And you can find small dustbin in each compartment and metal plate on the table along the aisle. A cleaner will sweep the floor and collect luggage from the compartment from time to time. All the waste will be disposed by train staff when arrive at stops along the way.
Hot water dispenser: There are free boiled water all the time. Bring your own water flask and get water when the light on the dispenser turns green.
FAQs:
Q1. Where to recharge your mobile phones and electronic devices?
The power plug for chargers are located in the corridors OR under your table in the cabin with the 4 soft sleepers (in between the 2 lower bunks).
Q2. Can tourists have shower in the train?
Unfortunately, there is no shower room in the train. Do bring some wet wipes in stores and a small towel. And small but equally important thing is to bring enough toilet/tissue paper.
3. Altitude Change of Chongqing to Lhasa Train
Chongqing lies at 244 meters above sea level. The slight altitude change between Chongqing and Lanzhou will not cause discomfort to passengers. After Lanzhou, the altitude climbs slowly and reaches 2,275 meters at Xining. Xining is the first station where altitude sickness is likely to occur for a few passengers.
After Xining, the altitude starts to ascend and reaches 2,829 meters when arriving at Golmud at 19:17. And the altitude increases sharply by more than 1,000 meters in less than 100 kilometers, causing altitude sickness for some passengers. When arriving at the world’ s highest railway pass, the Tanggula Pass (5,072m), most tourists will suffer from altitude sickness. Then, the altitude drops slowly as you travel south through Nagqu and finally reaches 3,650 meters in Lhasa.
This graph gives you a rough idea of how altitude changes along Chongqing-Lhasa railway line
4. Altitude Sickness and Oxygen Supply
Sometimes called “mountain sickness”, altitude sickness is a group of symptoms that can strike if you walk or climb to a higher altitude too quickly. Characterized by symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue,nausea, altitude sickness is the biggest concern for travelling to Tibet.
However, there is no need to be panic about altitude sickness. To better adapt to high altitude, Chongqing-Lhasa Train is tightly sealed and pressurized like an airplane. Therefore, smoking is not allowed. There are two sets of oxygen supply on the train: the dispersion-mode oxygen supply system operated by the train staff and the distribution-mode oxygen supply that can be connected to individual passenger through an independent port via a disposable pipe distributed by train staff. You can find the oxygen supply port in your compartment and along the aisle of each carriage.
An illustration of how to use oxygen outlet on Qinghai-Tibet train
As the train ascends to Golmud, the oxygen is automatically pumped into the train and tourists can also manually use the oxygen outlet to minimize altitude sickness symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue,nausea,etc. It is advisable to bring altitude sickness medicines to ease the discomfort.
You can drink lots of water, eat light food and take a good rest to prevent high altitude sickness. It is advisable to consult the doctor for altitude sickness medicines weeks pior to the trip.
FAQs:
Q1. How to Get Help on the Train?
Some of the staff on the train speak English and they are easy-approaching and hospitable to foreign tourists. If one runs into any trouble, you may ask the head of conductor for help. Most of the passengers may have symptoms of altitude sickness (such as headache, fatigue, difficult sleeping, lack of appetite, etc.) as the train reaches Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Now, you may switch on the oxygen outlet to inhale oxygen to ease the discomfort. If the symptom gets worse, you may find the conductor for help and the doctor on the train will come and give you timely treatment.
Q2. How can we minimize the effect of altitude sickness?
The effect of altitude sickness on passengers varies. Yet, to minimize or ease the impact of altitude sickness, one may prepare some altitude sickness tablets before boarding the train and take some when the train climbs to plateau. There is no need to worry too much the altitude sickness, the train is built with oxygen supply system which is easy to use.
Q3. Is smoking allowed in the cabin?
Smoking is strictly forbidden in the train as the train is tightly sealed and pressurized and oxygen is pumped into the carriage when the train ascends to extreme altitude.It would be devastating if the train caught fire.
5. Views along Chongqing-Lhasa Railway
During the first 11 hours of the train journey, the Chongqing to Tibet train travels at night, passengers can take a good rest during this period. When arriving Lanzhou at 9:11, you can have a whole day to see the spectacular scenery along the way such as Qinghai Lake, Tsaidam Basin (or Chaidamu Basin), and Kunlun Mountains.
You have little to see after the train passes Golmud at 19:17. However, when the train reaches Nagchu at 6:05, you can enjoy the boundless Nagqu Prairie, the snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountains, Yangpachen, the grazing sheep and yaks
.
The picturesque Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China
Nagchu is home to the unique nomadic culture and splendid natural scenery
The Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains are a 700-kilometre-long mountain range
How to Get to the Train Stations?
Chongqing West Railway Station
From 10 July 2019, the departure station of Chongqing to Lhasa Train Z223 has been changed from Chongqing North Railway Station to Chongqing West Railway Station, make sure to board your Tibet train at Chongqing West Station.
Chongqing West Railway Station
Address: No. 168, Fengzhong Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing
Phone: 86-023-65276685
Distance from Airport: Appro.45km
Metro to there: No metro at present
Bus to there: No. 213, No. 441, No. 473, No. 499, No. 325, No. 504, No.526
Located in the western suburb area, Chongqing West Railway is around 27km from downtown, 32km from Chongqing North Railway Station, and 45 km from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG). Built in 2014 and put into use in Jan. 2018, the supporting facilities such as public transportation, hotels, restaurants around it are not well-developed at present. But you can still find food courts and stores in the station.
From Downtown to Chongqing West Railway Station
Currently, you can only take a taxi or bus to Chongqing West Railway Station. Since it is the second-largest railway station in South Western China and it takes some time to find the waiting room, make sure to arrive there at least 2 hours before departure.
From Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Chongqing West Railway Station
Located in the north of the city, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) is around 45 kilometers from Chongqing West Railway Station. Passengers can go to Chongqing West Railway Station by taxi, by airport shuttle bus K06.
Taxi: Normally it takes around 1 hour to arrive at Chongqing West Railway Station from the airport.
Airport Shuttle Bus K06
Price: CNY 20.00/ person
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 21:00 p.m. (from Airport)
Frequency: Every 30 – 50 minutes
Stop at the airport: Terminal 3
How to Go: It takes the shuttle bus around 70 minutes to arrive at Chongqing West Railway Station.
Lhasa Railway Station
Lhasa Railway Station is the terminal of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and serves as the central hub and biggest train station in Tibet for its huge transport capacity. Situated in Liuwu New Area of southwest Lhasa at an altitude of 3,641 meters, it is only 8 kilometers to downtown Lhasa, 20 kilometers to southwest of the Potala Palace.
When you arrive in Lhasa by train, our guide will greet you and bring you to start your once-in-a-lifetime trip to explore the mysterious Tibet – the roof of the world.
Lhasa Railway Station
