Taking a Qinghai Tibet Train to Lhasa, Tibet is the most popular and budget way to Tibet for its economic train ticket price and fantastic experience of riding on this world engineering wonder and views of various landscape along the railway. Another benefit you will enjoy of train travel is the slow elevation rising, which helps to acclimate yourself to high altitude.

>> Qinghai Tibet Railway Landscape

Opened to traffic on July 1, 2006, Qinghai Tibet Railway, starting from Xining to Lhasa, capital city of Tibet, is a world-class engineering miracle which made 9 records and connects Tibet with China's other regions. Everyday, Qinghai Tibet Trains carry more than 2,000 tourists to the holy city Lhasa from most major Chinese cities.

The original Qinghai Tibet Railway is linked with more lines in China's other regions, and it contributes significantly to considerable options for where to take trains. Big international cities in the east have daily direct trains to Tibet, while western cities currently open trains every other day. All trains to Lhasa offer soft sleepers, hard sleepers and hard seats for your Tibet train travel. Among them, soft sleeper is the most recommended one for its privacy and comfort for more than a 40-hour stay on the train.

>> Soft Sleeper on Tibet Trains

>> Facilities and Amenities on Tibet Trains

Where to Take Trains to Tibet?

The fastest and the shortest distance train to Tibet starts from Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province in northwestern China. It is the initial point Qinghai Tibet Railway links with Lhasa in Tibet. One can get to Tibet from Xining within about 20 hours, nearly half the time of other choices.

Apart from Xining, tourists can also take trains to Tibet from Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Lanzhou where trains depart originally. And stopover cities like Xian, Suzhou, Changsha, Nanjing and Zhengzhou provide available trains as well. The above trains usually take over 40 hours to get to Tibet, maybe less tedious when you watch stunning different types of scenery en route.

Flying to Tibet must be the most convenient and time-saving way you will consider. So far, there are five airports in Tibet, prompting great access to Tibet through airlines. Lhasa Airport is the biggest and most popular airport than the airports in Shigatse, Nyingchi, Ngari and Qamdo. Just take a flight to Tibet within several hours from one of cities Tibet Airlines reach to, your Tibet tour is close at hand. But the flaw is that you may cause high altitude reaction easily if you fly to high elevation places from flat when elevation changes rapidly.

>> Introduction of 5 Airports in Tibet

Where to Take Flights to Tibet?

Lhasa Airport is the most important arrival hub for both domestic and international travelers. The airport offers lots of convenient and efficient flights connecting Tibet with major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Shangri-La, etc. and an international popular destination - Kathmandu in Nepal. Still, Lhasa airport has daily flights to Nyingchi, Ngari and Qamdo Prefectures in Tibet.

All of the gateway cities connected with Tibet, Chengdu is the most popular city tourists choose. Because Chengdu not only has the most flights to Lhasa, available flights to Shigatse, Nyingchi and Qamdo, but also itself is an excellent tourist city.

Except the above cities mentioned, Xining, Lijiang, Zhengzhou, Mianyang, Kangding, Xiahe, Yushu, Urumqi and Kashgar, etc. also conduct flights to Lhasa, mostly less frequent.

By Overland Driving

It’s quite a long and interesting overland journey travelling between Tibet and Nepal, because there is a lot of natural scenery you can enjoy along the way. To make sure you can pass the border ports successfully to enter Tibet from Nepal, each tourist has to hold a valid passport and prepare required travel permits and visas from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. And Tibet Discovery can help you apply for and obtain the needed permits, arrange vehicles and tour guide for your Nepal Tibet Tour. There are two different overland driving routes you should know before you really go.

Gyirong Port (吉隆口岸) in Gyirong Port in Resuo Village, Gyirong Town, Gyirong County of Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet is a newly upgraded international road port for border trade and cross-border tourism between Nepal and China Tibet. As its opening, the land connection between Tibet, China and Nepal now has been rebuilt, which means foreign travelers can enter Tibet from Nepal by land, or leave Tibet for Nepal through Gyirong Port from 30 August 2017 again. (Note: Same like Zhangmu Port, Gyirong Port was closed for a long time for the fatal earthquake happened in 2015.)

Gyirong Port is located about 160 km from Kathmandu and about 820 km from Lhasa, Tibet. It takes you at least 6 hours to reach Gyirong Port from Kathmandu. Usually, tourists will accommodate in Gyirong Town and continue road trips to Lhasa, Everest, Kailash and other destinations in Tibet the next day. It takes nearly 20 hours to drive directly from Gyirong Port to Lhasa, 10 hours to Mount Everest and 15 hours to Mount Kailash. After passing Gyirong Port, the road condition in Tibet is quite good with well-paved National Highway 318. But the section between Kathmandu and Gyirong Port is complicated, the roads are narrow and bumpy. Better pay much attention to the weather before deciding your itinerary, some roads may become arduous when it rains, especially in the summer monsoon season.