Shanghai lies on China’s east coast at the mouth of the Yangtze. It has several big railway stations. The train to Lhasa leaves from Shanghai Railway Station, not Hongqiao or other stations.
Shanghai Railway Station
Shanghai Railway Station is in Jing’an District, close to the city centre. It is the main station for ordinary long-distance trains. It has a North Square and a South Square, and you can enter from either.
District
Jing’an District
Metro
Lines 1, 3 and 4, Shanghai Railway Station
From Pudong Airport
about an hour by taxi
From Hongqiao
about 30–40 minutes by metro
The Shanghai–Lhasa Train
There is one train a day. It usually leaves Shanghai in the evening and reaches Lhasa in the evening of the third day, about 46 hours later. The main stops are Suzhou, Nanjing, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi’an, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Nagchu. Times change with each new timetable.
Buying Tickets from Shanghai
Required Documents
Foreign visitors and Taiwan residents: passport and Tibet Travel Permit
Hong Kong and Macau residents: Home Return Permit
Chinese citizens: ID card
Tickets from Shanghai to Lhasa are hard to get from June to August. Options:
book your tour early with us, so we can book your ticket as soon as sales open
fly to Lhasa and take the train out (tickets from Lhasa are often easier)
fly to Xining and take the train from there
Journey time: about 46 hours, nearly two full nights on the train. We strongly recommend the soft sleeper for a journey this long.
