The Complete Qinghai–Tibet Plateau by Rail — We Ride With You to Xining
- Duration
- 11 Days / 10 Nights
- Pace
- Moderate
- Group size
- 3–8 travellers
- Best season
- April to October
The trip at a glance
Most travellers see only half of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The railway from Lhasa to Xining takes about 20 hours, so one half of the plateau always passes at night. This 11-day tour splits the ride in two, with a night in Golmud, so you see both halves in daylight. It starts in Nyingchi, the lowest and greenest part of Tibet, and our guide rides with you all the way to Xining.
A gentle start in Nyingchi. You fly into Nyingchi (Mainling Airport, 2,949 m), about 700 metres lower than Lhasa. Nyingchi is the only part of Tibet with a subtropical climate zone: the Yarlung Tsangpo valley lets warm, damp air from the Indian Ocean reach the plateau, so forests cover nearly half the land and the air is not as dry as in Lhasa. Three days here make a much easier start than flying straight into Lhasa. Nobody can promise that you will feel nothing at altitude, so your guide still watches how everyone feels, and the pace stays slow.
Read the full overview
Five train rides, all inside the plateau. The new Lhasa–Nyingchi railway brings you to Lhasa. The Lhasa–Shigatse railway takes you to Shigatse in about two hours. Then the Qinghai–Tibet Railway takes you out: Lhasa to Golmud by day across the Tibet half, a night in Golmud, and Golmud to Xining the next morning past the north shore of Qinghai Lake.
Three regions, three ways of life. Nyingchi, Lhasa and Shigatse sit on the same plateau, but the clothes, the houses and even the spoken Tibetan change from one to the next. On this route you see all three, one after another.
Small group or private. In the small group version (3–8 travellers), the group splits into two cars after Tashilhunpo Monastery: one car goes to Everest Base Camp, the other to Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake, and everyone meets again in Lhasa. In the private version, your party simply decides together whether to go to Everest; nobody splits.
We stay with you to Xining. Many tours hand you a ticket in Lhasa and say goodbye at the station. Our guide rides both trains with you and only leaves you in Xining. You can read more about the railway on our page Lhasa to Xining by train.
Nyingchi
Basum Tso- Sejila Pass
- Lhasa
- Shigatse
Everest Base Camp or Gyantse- Tanggula Pass
- Golmud
- Qinghai Lake
- Xining
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Nyingchi → Basum Tso → Sejila Pass → Lhasa → Shigatse → Everest Base Camp or Gyantse → Tanggula Pass → Golmud → Qinghai Lake → Xining
- Fly into Nyingchi — a quiet first day at 2,949 mDay 1
- Basum Tso — the green lake of eastern TibetDay 2
- Sejila PassDay 3
- Lhasa — Potala PalaceDay 4
- Lhasa — Tibet MuseumDay 5
- Train to Shigatse — a free afternoon in Tibet's second cityDay 6
- Tashilhunpo Monastery — then Everest, or GyantseDay 7
- Everest sunrise — or Yamdrok Lake and back to LhasaDay 8
- Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake — or a free day in LhasaDay 9
- Lhasa to Golmud — the Tibet half of the plateau, all in daylightDay 10
- Golmud to Xining — the Qinghai half, then goodbye in XiningDay 11
Day by day
Days 1–2 · Nyingchi (Bayi) hotel
Fly into Nyingchi — a quiet first day at 2,949 m
Fly into Nyingchi Mainling Airport from Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an or another city in China. Your guide meets you with a white kata scarf and drives you to your hotel in Bayi, Nyingchi's main town. The rest of the day is free. Walk a little, drink plenty of water and go to bed early. The airport is sometimes affected by cloud, so we never plan anything for the first day.
Basum Tso — the green lake of eastern Tibet
Drive about two hours east to Basum Tso (3,464 m), a long green lake surrounded by forest and snow peaks. Walk across to Tsozong, the small island with its old monastery, and along the lake shore. The lake is lower than Lhasa and the walking is easy. Return to Bayi in the afternoon. Basum Tso needs an Alien's Travel Permit, which we arrange with your other permits.
Sejila Pass · Lulang · Lamaling Monastery — late-afternoon train to Lhasa
Drive up to Sejila Pass (4,728 m). On a clear day you can see Namcha Barwa (7,782 m), one of the most beautiful mountains in Tibet. The pass is the highest point of the first three days, and you stay only a short time. Continue to Lulang, a forest valley with wooden farm houses, and visit Lamaling Monastery (foreign visitors need to be registered in advance; we do this for you). In the late afternoon your guide takes you to Nyingchi Station for the train to Lhasa, about 5 hours on the new Lhasa–Nyingchi railway. Arrive in Lhasa in the late evening.
Lhasa — Potala Palace · Jokhang Temple · Barkhor Street
Visit the Potala Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lamas (tickets are booked in advance with a fixed entry time). In the afternoon visit the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple in Tibet, and walk the Barkhor pilgrim circuit around it with the pilgrims.
Lhasa — Tibet Museum · Norbulingka · Sera Monastery debate
In the morning visit the Tibet Museum, the best place to understand Tibetan history, art and daily life, and walk next door in the Norbulingka, the summer palace and garden of the Dalai Lamas. In the afternoon watch the monks debate in the courtyard of Sera Monastery — loud, lively and full of hand claps.
Train to Shigatse — a free afternoon in Tibet's second city
Take the morning train from Lhasa to Shigatse, about 2 hours on the Lhasa–Shigatse railway. After you check in, the afternoon is yours: walk the streets of Shigatse with your guide and see how the clothes, houses and spoken Tibetan here differ from Nyingchi and Lhasa.
Tashilhunpo Monastery — then Everest, or Gyantse
In the morning visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lamas, with its 26-metre statue of the Future Buddha.
Small group: after lunch the group splits into two cars. The Everest car drives west through Lhatse and Tingri to Everest Base Camp (5,200 m) and stays at Rongbuk. The Gyantse car drives about two hours east to Gyantse and visits the Palkhor Monastery and the Kumbum stupa.
Private tour: your party decides together which way to go, Everest or Gyantse.
Everest sunrise — or Yamdrok Lake and back to Lhasa
Everest car: watch the sun rise on the north face of Everest, then drive back east through Shigatse to Gyantse. This is the longest day of the tour, about 12 hours on the road, and you arrive in Gyantse in the evening.
Gyantse car: visit Gyantse Dzong (the old fortress), then drive over the Karola glacier and along Yamdrok Lake back to Lhasa.
Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake — or a free day in Lhasa
Everest car: in the morning visit Gyantse's Palkhor Monastery and Kumbum stupa, which you could not see the night before, then drive past the Karola glacier and along Yamdrok Lake to Lhasa.
Gyantse car: a free day in Lhasa for the markets, a last walk around the Barkhor, or simply a rest.
In the evening the whole group is together again in Lhasa.
Lhasa to Golmud — the Tibet half of the plateau, all in daylight
Board the morning train to Golmud (09:50, arriving 23:53 in the 2026 timetable; we check the times when we book). The whole Tibet half of the railway passes in daylight: the Nagqu grassland, Tso Na Lake right beside the track, the nomad country around Amdo, the Tanggula Pass (5,072 m, the highest point of the line) and the Tuotuo River, a source of the Yangtze.
Your guide keeps you seats in the dining car at lunch and dinner: big windows, a table, and the lunch hours fall at Nagqu and Tso Na Lake, the dinner hours at Tanggula and the Tuotuo River. For the daytime part of the ride you hold seat tickets; for the evening part after the Tuotuo River you change to sleeper berths on the same train, so you can lie down for the last hours to Golmud. Every part of the ride is on a proper ticket — we book them all. Night in Golmud (2,780 m).
Golmud to Xining — the Qinghai half, then goodbye in Xining
Take the 07:20 morning train to Xining (arriving 13:02 in the 2026 timetable). This is the Qinghai half of the plateau: the desert edge at Delingha, the high grassland and the north shore of Qinghai Lake. Your guide rides with you and says goodbye in Xining, where the tour ends. From Xining there are fast trains and flights to the rest of China.
As you come down to Golmud and Xining, many people feel sleepy and heavy for a day or two. This is normal: your body is getting used to more oxygen again.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Travel Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and Border Defence Permit
- All train tickets inside the tour: Nyingchi–Lhasa, Lhasa–Shigatse, Lhasa–Golmud (seat by day, sleeper for the evening part) and Golmud–Xining
- Pick-up at Nyingchi Airport
- Private vehicle and driver in Tibet (small group: shared vehicle)
- English-speaking Tibetan guide from Nyingchi all the way to Xining
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary, with daily breakfast
- Entrance fees for the sites listed in the itinerary
- Oxygen cylinders in the vehicle throughout the trip
Not included
- Flight to Nyingchi
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners (including meals in the dining car)
- Travel from Xining onward
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
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How long is the train from Lhasa to Xining?
About 20–22 hours on one through train. On this tour we split it in two: Lhasa to Golmud by day (09:50 to 23:53 in the 2026 timetable), a night in Golmud, then Golmud to Xining by day (07:20 to 13:02). That way you see both halves of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in daylight.
Can you see Qinghai Lake from the Lhasa to Xining train?
Yes, from the Golmud to Xining train in the morning, which runs along the north shore of Qinghai Lake. On a through train that leaves Lhasa in the morning, Qinghai Lake passes at night.
Is there a train from Nyingchi to Lhasa?
Yes. The Lhasa–Nyingchi railway opened in 2021, and the ride takes about 4–5 hours depending on the train. On this tour you take the late-afternoon train on Day 3, with your guide; we book the tickets.
Is there a train from Lhasa to Shigatse?
Yes. The Lhasa–Shigatse railway takes about 2 hours, with several trains a day. On this tour you take the morning train on Day 6.
Why start in Nyingchi and not in Lhasa?
Nyingchi is about 700 metres lower than Lhasa, warmer and much less dry, with forests covering nearly half the land. Three quiet days there make a much easier start than flying straight into Lhasa at 3,650 m. It is not a promise that you will feel nothing at altitude — nobody can promise that — so your guide still watches how everyone feels.
Why split the train ride at Golmud?
The railway from Lhasa to Xining takes about 20 hours, so on one train one half of the plateau always passes at night. With a night in Golmud, the Tibet half (Lhasa to Golmud) and the Qinghai half (Golmud to Xining) are both ridden in daylight. Read more on our page <a href="/tibet-train/lhasa-to-xining-train">Lhasa to Xining by train</a>.
How do the two cars work on the small group tour?
After Tashilhunpo Monastery on Day 7, travellers who want to see Everest go in one car to Everest Base Camp, and the others go in a second car to Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake. On the evening of Day 9 everyone is together again in Lhasa. On a private tour there is only your own car, and your party decides which way to go.
Is it legal to change from a seat to a sleeper on the same train?
Yes. We buy a seat ticket for the daytime part and a sleeper ticket for the evening part of the same train, so you change places on board without changing trains. Every part of your ride is covered by a valid ticket.
Which permits does this tour need?
The Tibet Travel Permit (the original must be carried on the train and the plane), the Alien's Travel Permit for Basum Tso, Shigatse and Everest, and the Border Defence Permit for Everest Base Camp. We apply for all of them; please send your passport and China visa copies at least 20 days before the tour.
How large is the group?
Small group tours run with 3–8 travellers. Private tours are for your own party only, of any size.
What does it cost and when does it run?
Please send us your dates and the number of travellers, and we will reply with the price and the available dates within 24 hours.
