Lhasa Train Ticket Information

Chengdu to Lhasa Train Ticket Information

Amelia Oliver on her first day in Lhasa in front of the Potala Palace

Chengdu to Lhasa Train Ticket Information

We offer information for those that would like to obtain Chengdu to Lhasa train tickets in Chengdu.

Train T22 from Chengdu to Lhasa
Departure Time 18:18
every other day beginning July 1, 2006
Arrival Time 18:28
Duration 48 hours 10 minutes

Tickets go on sale 10 days in advance of departure date.

You MUST have a Tibet Travel Permit BEFORE you purchase train tickets.
We can can get you the Tibet Travel permit for US$55 (see below) so you can then go to the train station and buy the train ticket yourself.

Tickets go on sale 10 days in advance of departure date.

We CANNOT purchase train tickets or obtain Tibet Travel Permits for you. You MUST do it yourself or ask a local travel agent to do it for you.

Train Ticket Descriptions and Prices

Hard Seat
A bit of a misnomer in that the seats in hard seat are actually padded. The seating arrangement is with a pair of facing benches with a small table in the middle. On one side of the aisle are two person benches and three person benches are on the other side. A luggage rack runs the length of the car above both sides the rail car and is generally packed full very early in the passenger loading process.

Hard Seat Train Ticket to Lhasa: 331 RMB (about US$42)

Hard Sleeper
Hard Sleeper has six padded bunk beds in an open compartment with about 20 compartments in a rail car. Each compartment has three bunk beds on each partition with a small table in the middle. Passengers generally sit on the lower bunch during the day. There are also two small seats separated by a narrow table on the other side of the aisle where passengers can look out the window. Hard sleeper is generally quite comfortable and sociable with passengers in neighboring compartments getting to know each other during the trip.

Hard Sleeper Ticket and Permit Prices: 692 RMB (about US$89)

Soft Sleeper
Soft Sleeper has four bunk beds in a closed compartment with a door that locks. There is a table between the bunks and the lower bed is generally used for sitting by passengers during the day. Outside each compartment in the aisle are two narrow seats and a table.

Soft Sleeper Ticket and Permit Prices: 1,104 RMB (about US$142)

All train carriages: Two squat toilets and a three-basin washroom are located at one end of each car. Each train has a dining car placed between the hard seats and the hard/soft sleepers. It is best to bring your own food (particularly fruit) as there are no stops along the way where you can buy food and the dining car has been known to run out of food.

How to get a Tibet Travel Permit

Copies of your Passport Name page and your Chinese Visa page WITH THE ENTRY STAMP ON IT (or if not stamped on the visa page, then a photocopy of the page with the entry date stamp) are REQUIRED to get the Tibet Permit. This means that you MUST be in China BEFORE you can apply for your permit.

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