China · Sleeper · Scenic
Train Z164 leaves Shanghai in the evening and reaches Lhasa forty-five hours later, covering 4,372 kilometres via Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Xining and Golmud.
Shanghai → Lhasa
Sleeper · Scenic
Why go overnight
Two nights on board buys you a continuous transect of China: the crowded Yangtze delta, the loess country around Xi'an, the dry Qinghai basin and finally the Tibetan plateau, where the train runs for hours across grassland at over 4,000 metres with herds of antelope and snow peaks on both sides.
Aboard overnight
Because you gain altitude slowly rather than flying in, most people arrive in Lhasa better acclimatised.
Through the night
Permits for Tibet must be arranged before you buy the ticket, and berths sell out far ahead in summer.
The published route runs from Shanghai to Lhasa via Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Xining, Golmud.
4372 km · Shanghai to Lhasa
Key stops
Shanghai Railway StationNanjingZhengzhouXiningGolmudLhasa
Shanghai Railway Station
China
Nanjing
China
Zhengzhou
China
Xi'an
China
Xining
China
Golmud
China
Lhasa
China
Sleeper / night
01
Train Z164 leaves Shanghai in the evening and reaches Lhasa forty-five hours later, covering 4,372 kilometres via Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Xining and Golmud. It is the longest single passenger run in China. Beyond Xining the train joins the Qinghai–Tibet railway, where the carriages are supplied with extra oxygen for the climb over the Tanggula pass, the highest point on any railway in the world.
02
Shanghai Railway Station to Lhasa via Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Xining, Golmud
03
Reservation: required. Direct online booking is recorded. A Tibet travel permit is required in addition to the ticket, and soft-sleeper berths on the Lhasa trains sell out weeks ahead in summer.
Verified 2026-09-28
Plan the ride
Use the verified journey, booking, season and onboard facts below to decide how to take this experience. Unknowns stay explicit.
This guide does not imply a product variant unless a separate comparison decision is published.
Evidence on demand
Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.
45h 03m
The published route runs from Shanghai to Lhasa via Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Xining, Golmud.
4372 km · Shanghai to Lhasa
Key stops
Shanghai Railway StationNanjingZhengzhouXiningGolmudLhasa
Shanghai Railway Station
China
Nanjing
China
Zhengzhou
China
Xi'an
China
Xining
China
Golmud
China
Lhasa
China
Jan: Runs year-round; summer is peak and berths are hardest to get.
These months show when the train runs, which is a service fact. How good each month is for the experience has not been rated yet, so no month is presented as better than another.
Rail enthusiasts
Especially good
The train and the line itself are a large part of the reason to travel.
Slow travellers
Especially good
A long journey where the time on board is the point.
Photographers
Especially good
Published photography score is high for this route's landscapes and structures.
You sleep on board
An overnight service, not a daytime sightseeing run.
You cannot just turn up
A reservation is required for this journey.
Booking takes some effort
Verified as difficult to book.
Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.
More subjective
Not rated yet: value for money, food & drink, seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, romance, remoteness.
Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.
Not yet verified: typical price, rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.
This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here. Journey length: 45h 03m. Checked 27 Oct 2026 · China Railway 12306 (official ticketing).
The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.
Your next step
A Tibet travel permit is required in addition to the ticket, and soft-sleeper berths on the Lhasa trains sell out weeks ahead in summer.
Check availability with China State Railway Group (China Railway) (opens in a new tab)This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here.
Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.
Continue exploring
china
A direct sleeper train runs from Beijing West to Lhasa, taking around forty hours. It uses conventional lines as far as Xining, then joins the Qinghai–Tibet Railway for the plateau section with its oxygen-supplied carriages.
Also in china
Photo: xue siyang (df45086) · CC BY-SA 3.0
china
The Qinghai–Tibet Railway runs from Xining across the plateau to Lhasa, crossing the Tanggula pass at over 5,000 metres; the highest point reached by any railway. Carriages carry supplementary oxygen, and much of the line is built on permafrost.
Also in china
Photo: Windmemories / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
china
The Lanzhou–Urumqi high-speed railway runs north-west along the Hexi Corridor through Gansu and across Xinjiang, calling at Zhangye and Turpan. At roughly 1,776 kilometres it was the longest high-speed line built in a single stage anywhere.
Also in china
Photo: Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0
china
High-speed trains connect Beijing West with Xi'an North via Shijiazhuang and Zhengzhou, using the Beijing–Guangzhou and Zhengzhou–Xi'an high-speed lines. It is the standard rail approach to the Terracotta Army and the old Silk Road capital.
Also in china
AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas
Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.
Last reviewed 27 Oct 2026.
Official sources
Checked 27 Oct 2026