Hongkong to Lhasa Train Book

Frequent Asked Questions about Hongkong Lhasa Train Tour

Why Take Tibet Train from Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is one of the world’s biggest trade ports, and the largest center for commerce and industry in Southeast Asia. Officially known now as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, it lies on the Pearl River delta. Across the delta to the west lies Macau, the playground of Asia’s rich and famous, and to the north lies the province of Guangdong. It has carried many names in the past, including nicknames, the most famous of which was Pearl of the Orient. The name is a reflection of the impressive nightscape of the city’s lights that decorate the skyscrapers on both sides of the Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong nightscape

One of the main reasons to take the train from Hong Kong is the lack of international restrictions on travel in the region. However, there is still a need to get a visa for China, before departing for your trip to Tibet, as you will need to transfer to a station or airport in China before traveling on to Lhasa. And there are plenty of sights to see around the island while you are waiting for your visa or train to leave. As well as a 34-meter-high statue of Buddha set atop the Po Lin Monastery, you can take in the sights of Victoria Peak, which overlooks the whole island, or spend some money in Hong Kong’s last night market, in Kowloon’s Temple Street.

For the residents of Hong Kong and Macau, it is no need to apply for the Tibet travel permit (Tibet visa). All you need to take is your HK/Macau SAR Passport and Home Return Permit.

How to Get to Hongkong West Kowloon Train Station?

Hong Kong has several train stations, but the one you need to travel to Guangzhou and then Lhasa is Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. The station has complete facilities and convenient transportation, and the ground floor is spacious with multiple entrances and many shops.

Hongkong West Kowloon

The station has 5 floors, and the platform is located on the lowest floor, which is the B4 floor.

The B1 floor is the ticket hall, where you can find ticket counters, ticket vending machines, reimbursement voucher self-service machines, ticket verification gate areas, and security checkpoints. The B2 floor is the arrival hall, and the B3 floor is the departure hall. The dining and shopping areas are located on the B1 and B2 floors of the station.

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station has a large ground-level cultural and entertainment plaza to facilitate passengers to connect to the ground floor, providing ample public open space and a comfortable green walking environment. The square is divided into three parts, namely the Sky Corridor Observation Deck, the Rooftop Garden of the Bus Terminal and the Public Open Space of Hong Kong West Kowloon Station.

How to Avoid High Ticket Demand?

There is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Xining, so to take advantage of the higher elevation of Xining, in Qinghai Province, and the start of the real Qinghai-Tibet Railway, you can fly to Chengdu first, and then change for Xining. While this can be a little complicated, with multiple connections, it does make the trip a lot shorter, and gives you the opportunity to acclimatize in Xining for a day or so, before taking the train from there to Lhasa.

Hong Kong International Airport

The main advantage of traveling via airplane to Xining and then taking the train from there is that you can save time on the trip, and as Xining is at an elevation of 2,275 meters, you can always spend a day there to help with acclimatizing to the higher altitudes. This can help to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. Moreover, as most of the spectacular scenery is on the train from Golmud (where the train starts its ascent to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) you would not be missing any of the best parts of the train journey.