Your browser does not support the running script, you cannot get a perfect browsing
  • Home
  • Tibet Tour Package
  • Tibet Train
  • Travel Guide infos
  • Tibet Nepal Bhutan
Tibet Tour Package
  • Join in Tibet Group Tours
  • Private Tour Packages
  • China Tibet Tour
Tibet Travel Guide
  • Tibet Travel Permits
  • Tibet weather
  • Flights to Tibet
  • Get to Tibet from Countries

How to Purchase Train Ticket to Tibet in Peak Season

It is a dream for countless tourists to take the Qinghai-Tibet train to Lhasa. As the highest and longest railway in the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has penetrated the mysterious land of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, crossing the Sanjiangyuan, passing through the source region of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River, as well as the uninhabited area of Hoh Xil, crossing the Tanggula Pass and running through the grasslands in the north of Tibet. The scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet railway is various which is really beautiful.

However, reality is not like dreams which is very cruel. During the peak season (usually June, July and August in each year), there are so many domestic and foreign tourists that it’s hard to get a ticket from Qinghai to Tibet. How to successfully buy a train ticket to Tibet is a headache for numerous tourists. (The train route along Qinghai-Tibet Railway)

Even if the first date of the online train ticket seller has been advanced to 30 days before the departure, a train ticket to Tibet is often sold out just after the ticket is issued in June, July and August. What can help you get a dream train ticket for Qinghai-Tibet Railway more quickly, simply and cheaply? This passage will introduce something about how to a train ticket in detail.

When is the peak season for tourism in Tibet?

The tourism of Tibet is in the peak season from June to August. At this time of the year, a large number of tourists from home and abroad flock to Tibet to visit Tibet and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this unexplored and original area.

Tibet is located on the plateau where there is high altitude, a lack of oxygen, and dryness. The large differences of the temperature between day and night are the main feature of Tibet, making it a unique plateau scenic spot.

Tibet is a mysterious and sacred place for foreign guests, but the altitude of Tibet is high which is a little dangerous. Summer is the rainy season in Tibet, and the rain is abundant, which has alleviated the dryness of Tibet to a certain extent. The abundant rain contributes to the growth of plants and makes more oxygen exist in the air. Relatively speaking, the altitude sickness in summer will be weaker. The low temperature at night caused by high altitude is also an important factor affecting tourism in Tibet. In summer, the temperature is high during the day and the ultraviolet rays are strong, while the temperature at night will slightly become lower, which makes people feel cool. Taking all factors into consideration, the summer months from June to August are indeed the best season for traveling to Tibet.

Why is it difficult to get train tickets during peak season in Tibet?

1. At this time, the temperature in Tibet is suitable and the scenery is beautiful which attracts a number of tourists. For foreign visitors, especially some Chinese staying in America, Australia and other places, there may be only one chance to travel to Tibet in their life. As a result, they will choose the most comfortable season when there is the most beautiful scenery. So there is no doubt that summer becomes the most favorable season for foreign visitors to visit Tibet. In fact, no matter whether it is a foreigner or a Chinese local tourist, most of them will choose to enter Tibet in the summer. If there is a second chance to travel there, they will consider other seasons to enter Tibet. Therefore, there will be a large number of foreign visitors going to Tibet in the peak season. This wonderful trip to Tibet has been expected by travelers for a long time, and some even start booking one year ahead of schedule so that they can get everything prepared for the trip liking getting the train ticket.

2. Also, it is the time for the summer vacation in mainland China, and there are many tourists entering to the mainland. For mainland tourists, it is hot in summer. After the summer vacation, both the teachers and the parents of the students are willing to travel in this period, especially Tibet. Because Tibet is very cool and comfortable in summer because of its high attitude, which is a suitable place for summer vacation. Besides, the natural scenery that distinguishes Tibet from the mainland also attracts more mainland tourists to flock to Tibet for sightseeing. What’s more, there are more ways for tourists in mainland China to buy the tickets, which helps tourists get the tickets easily.

3. The number of the trains of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is limited and that of the sleepers is also relatively limited. There are about 5 trains to Tibet through the Qinghai-Tibet Railway departing at different time every day. However, there are limited carriages with sleepers. Each carriage for soft sleeper can hold 36 people while the carriage for hard sleepers can hold 54 people. As for the hard seats, hundreds of people can be accommodated in one compartment. The specific number of soft sleepers, hard sleepers and hard seats is uncertain which depends on the number of passengers. During the peak season, the number of carriages may be increased properly and there may be more trains every day.

Tips for purchasing Qinghai-Tibet train tickets during peak season?

1. It’s advised to contact with the travel agency at least 2 months in advance so that the agent has more preparation time for your planned trip increasing the chance to get the train ticket successfully.

2. There are more choices to get the train ticket if you make a stopover during the trip. If it is difficult to buy the train tickets starting from Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu and other cities, you can consider taking the train to Lanzhou and Xining first and take the train to Tibet there. Because there is only one train from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and other cities to enter Tibet every day, and there is only one train from Chengdu and Chongqing to Tibet every two days; However, there are four trains from Lanzhou to Lhasa every day, and Xinin is the true starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway where there are five trains to Tibet every day. There are more choices to buy the tickets if you take the train from Xining and Lanzhou, which also increases the the opportunity to get the tickets. What’s more, the altitude of Xining and Lanzhou are about 2,000 meters. It is also helpful to adapt to the rise of altitude in advance by transferring to these two cities.

3. A better way to go to and out of Tibet - taking flights to Tibet and leaving Tibet by trains. Although it is difficult to buy a train ticket to Tibet in peak season, a trains ticket of leaving Tibet is quite easy to get.

The amount of tourists who take a train entering Tibet is more than the amount of those who take a train leaving Tibet. The reasons are as follows:

a. Tourists generally believe that altitude sickness can be alleviated as the train to Tibet runs slowly when it enter the plateau. But as a matter of fact, this is not conclusive. The train does slow down when it runs on high-altitude areas, and tourists can have more time to adjust to the altitude changes. However, they are still easy to get altitude sickness because of the narrow space and cramped environment on the train, as well as the physical discomfort caused by this long train journey.

b. Tourists also believe that it is more novel to enjoy the scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway before they can see the scenery in Tibet. If they enjoy the scenery along the railway after they see the Tibetan scenery, they might feel it a little boring. However, the truth is that tourists are easy to be plagued by altitude sickness when they take the train to Tibet. In this case, they can’t concentrate themselves on enjoying the scenery. On the contrary, they can fully enjoy the scenery along the railway during their return journey, because they have already adapted to the high altitude and climate on the plateau.

Besides, as few tourists would choose to leave Tibet by trains, it is easier to buy a train ticket for a return journey.

3. Please contact us at least two months in advance, so that we can arrange the train ticket for you. If you book a package tour from us two month in advance, we can have more time to make arrangement for your train ticket. Therefore, choosing a package tour from a travel agency is also a good way to increase the rate of buying a train ticket to Tibet successfully.

Go to Tibet in non-peak season - Tibet is still beautiful in spring, autumn and winter

What to see in Tibet in spring?

In spring, Tibet is still a good place for travelling. Although the weather is a little bit cold, there is no rainfall in this "city of sunlight" during this period, as spring is not within the rainy season of Tibet. Therefore, spring is a perfect time for tourists to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and lakes in Tibet.

In early April, the Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival is about to be held, with peach blossoms in the mountains and fields dotting the villages in Nyingchi. In April, the snow in the mountains begins to melt into water and then flow to rivers and lakes. The turquoise water of the lakes and rivers from Lhasa to Nyingchi such as Baksum Lake, Ranwu Lake, Lhasa River, Niyang River and Palong Zangbo River is all crystal-clear and is pleasant to the eye.

April is the peak season of Nyingchi tourism. Nyingchi is a good choice for tourists who are afraid of staying on plateaus, as it is located at an altitude of only 3,000 meters. We have special tour routes of entering Tibet from the low-altitude Nyingchi for you to choose.

What to see in Tibet in autumn?

In autumn, the number of tourists to Tibet begins to decrease, the trees begin to wither and the temperature also begins to decline. Yet Tibet is still suitable for travelling from September to October. Although the tents at Everest Base Camp will be evacuated around mid-to-late October, and the road to Namtso will not be accessible in late October because of the heavy snow, tourists still have many choices for a Tibet tour in autumn. For example, they can do a kora by walking around the Mt. Kailash, where the weather is perfect and they can enjoy the blue sky and pure cloud during this period.

In addition, tourists are also able to get a better viewing experience in places such as Shannan and Nyingchi in autumn, as these places are rich in vegetation and the plants during this period will offer tourists totally different feelings.

What to see in Tibet in winter?

In the imagination of many tourists, it is chilly cold in Tibet in winter and the only thing that can be seen is the snowy land, because Tibet is the third pole in the world. But as a matter of fact, the weather in only a few high-altitude areas in Tibet will be too cold to be stood by human beings in winter, and the weather of major tourism areas in Tibet is actually very warm during this period.

The only problem of the weather in Tibet in winter is the large temperature difference between day and night. When there is sunshine during the daytime, the weather is relatively warm. Yet it can be freezing cold at nights. Tourists wouldn’t feel the coldness as long as they stay in hotels at nights. According to our experience, many people will choose to go to the Everest Base Camp in winter, because the Mt. Everest wouldn’t be blocked by clouds during this period, making it a perfect time of the year to have a clear view of the mountain.

Non-peak season is also a good option

In summer (peak season), the weather in Tibet is pleasing and oxygen content on the plateau is the highest throughout the year. Therefore, summer is the best time for both domestic and foreign tourists to enter Tibet. However, it is possible that tourists can’t fully enjoy their Tibet tour in summer, because all they can see are crowded tourists and they have to queue for a long time to visit the monasteries and temples during this period. What’s more, it is rather difficult to get a train ticket to Tibet in this peak season. We have provided many travel plans and train transfer programs, so that tourists can have more choices for a Tibet tour and can realize their coveted train journey. If you require any other information, please feel free to contact us.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Make Inquiry Now
We have helped thousands of travelers obtain their Tibet permits since 2003. Tell us your ideas and get a quick response within 0.5-12 hours.
  • loadingData in submission...
Contact us Now :