Dining on Tibet Train: What to Eat and Drink During Your Tibet Train Tour?

Traveling to Tibet by train is a long journey, typically lasting over 20 hours through day and night. So, many people wonder about this practical question before boarding: What are the dining options during the trip?

Well, whether you prefer a hot meal in the dining car or a quick snack served by the food trolley, you can enjoy your meals pleasantly on Tibet trains. Besides, you can also bring your own food.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about eating and drinking on Tibet trains, so you can focus on enjoying the journey.

Dining Car on Tibet Trains: Providing Three Meals a Day

1. Where is the Dining Car Located?

Usually, the dining car on Tibet trains is in carriage 7, but its exact location may vary depending on the train model or configuration. It’s usually in the middle of the train, making it convenient for both sleeper and hard-seat passengers. If you aren’t sure which carriage the dining car is in, simply ask the train staff for help and they will lead you there.

The dining car on Tibet trains occupies just one compartment, which includes a kitchen and a dining area. You’ll find around 8 to 10 tables in the dining hall, and each one can seat at least 4 passengers. That means the whole dining car can fit 40 to 50 passengers dining at the same time.

Adorned with Tibetan-style furniture, fabrics, and murals, the dining car is also fitted with wide, bright windows. As a result, passengers can get a preview of Tibet’s unique cultural atmosphere here while enjoying the spectacular scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

2. What Food and Drinks are Offered?

To meet passengers’ various needs, the dining car offers a variety of foods and drinks with different flavors, including daily meals, snacks, and beverages.

(1) Three daily meals

As it takes at least one day to reach Lhasa, the dining car on Tibet train offers all three daily meals. Generally speaking, these meals are Chinese-style and Tibetan-style cuisines, mainly including rice, noodles, vegetables, meats and soups.

Breakfast is always simple but satisfying, with options like congee (rice porridge), steamed buns, boiled eggs, pickles, and hot milk or soy milk. These foods and drinks can provide you with plenty of energy to start a brand-new day.

For lunch and dinner, there are more options available. You’ll find a range of Chinese-style stir-fried dishes such as Kung Pao chicken, braised pork belly, and seasonal vegetables, together with rice, noodles and soups. What’s more, Tibetan specialties like tsampa (roasted barley flour) or yak meat dishes may also be available, giving you a chance to try local flavors.

(2) Snacks and drinks

In addition to three meals a day, dining car on Tibet trains also thoughtfully offer special tea and snack services: from 9 AM to 11 AM and 3 PM to 5 PM, a 30-yuan tea snack set is available per person, which includes a cup of tea or coffee, paired with peanuts and steamed bun slices.

The night tea service runs from 10:30 PM to 6:30 AM the next day, costing 40 yuan per person and adding biscuits and ham sausages to the daytime tea snacks. On the train, you can also enjoy the regionally distinctive "Eight-Treasure Tea" from northwest China, which has a unique flavor and is very popular.

3. How Much Do Meals Cost in the Dining Car?

Enjoying meals in the dining car is quite convenient and all the ingredients are fresh and healthy, however, it’s important to note that prices are higher than in regular restaurants mainly due to high transportation and storage costs in the plateau environment. Here’s a rough guide to help you budget:

Category	Types	Price Range (CNY)
Breakfast	Porridge, steamed buns, eggs, pickles, etc.	20 - 25
Lunch and dinner	Freshly cooked dishes	20-128
Morning tea and afternoon tea	A cup of tea or coffee, peanuts, and steamed bun slices	30
Night tea	A cup of tea or coffee, peanuts, steamed bun slices, biscuits, and ham sausages	40

Food Trolley on Tibet Trains: A More Convenient Choice

If you don’t bother to walk to the dining car, the food trolley is your best choice. This mobile service brings snacks and meals right to your seat or berth, making it a popular choice for travelers who simply want to stay cozy in the seats or enjoy beautiful scenery from the compartments.

Train attendants push the food trolley up and down the aisles several times throughout the day. During meal times (7:30-9:00 AM for breakfast, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM for lunch, and 5:30-7:30 PM for dinner), the trolley appears more frequently. Attendants call out what’s available when the trolley is coming, so keep an ear out if you need something.

The trolley stocks a variety of grab-and-go items, including:

(1) Boxed meals: Pre-prepared rice or noodle dishes with meat and vegetables, perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. These cost 20-30 CNY, cheaper than dining car dishes.

(2) Snacks: Instant noodles, biscuits, potato chips, nuts, and chocolate—ideal for satisfying cravings between meals. The trolley sometimes sells plateau specialty snacks too, like yak jerky, highland barley cakes, air-dried milk slices, and highland barley yogurt, which are perfect for trying new flavors or as souvenirs.

(3) Fruits and drinks: Seasonal fruits (like apples, oranges, or grapes) sold in small boxes, plus bottled water and soda, and hot drinks in thermoses.

There are definite advantages to using the trolley service. It's undoubtedly the most convenient option, ideal for travelers with kids, elderly passengers, and those who prefer to enjoy their meals quietly in their seats. Besides, boxed meals tend to be slightly cheaper than the dining car options.

However, the trade-off is very limited variety — most items are set meals with few dish options, and nutritional value is also limited. Additionally, the trolley also doesn't always run on a predictable schedule, so if you see something you want, it's best to purchase it when available rather than assuming it will come around again soon.

Bring Your Own Food on the Tibet Train: A More Budget-Friendly Choice

For passengers who are not used to the food served on trains, bringing your own food is undoubtedly a budget-friendly and hassle-free option. Here’s how to do it right:

1. What Kinds of Food Can You Bring?

For main meals, you can bring instant noodles, self-heating rice, and self-heating hot pots. Of these, the latter two are particularly popular, as they only require adding cold water to enjoy a hot meal, providing a more satisfying option than instant noodles.

For snacks, energy bars, nuts, dried fruits, bread, cookies, and chocolate are all great choices for munching on while watching the scenery.

Also, you can bring some fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, carrots, and cucumbers. They’re hydrating and help combat dryness at high altitudes.

2. What to Avoid Bringing?

For safety reasons, high-alcohol beverages and bulk liquor are not allowed on the train. To prevent food from spoiling during the journey, we highly recommend that you bring well-sealed, non-perishable, easy-to-store food, and avoid perishable items.

Last but not least, train carriages are public spaces. To avoid disturbing other passengers, you should try to refrain from bringing strongly scented foods such as stinky tofu and durian.

3. Is There Hot Water Supplied on Tibet Train?

Yes, every carriage of Tibet trains has 24-hour hot water dispensers, usually near the restrooms or at the end of the aisle. You can easily get hot water for tea, instant noodles, or coffee during the trip.

It’s important to note that when the red light is on, it indicates that the water is being heated. When the green light comes on, it means the water has boiled. So you should wait until the green light is on before pressing the button to get hot water.

Helpful Tips for Dining on Tibet Trains

A reasonable diet is crucial to the comfort and health of the Tibet train journey passing through high-altitude areas. To make your dining experience smooth and enjoyable, here are our top tips:

1. Bring your thermos and stay hydrated

A good thermos keeps drinks hot (or cold) for hours. It’s perfect for storing hot water for noodles or tea. The air on the plateau is cold and dry, so drinking plenty of warm water throughout the journey can keep your body in a good state.

2. Eat light meals

Your food choices can significantly impact how you feel during the ascent to Tibet's high plateau. Heavy, greasy meals may lead to digestive discomfort as your body adjusts to the altitude. Instead, opt for light, easily digestible foods with good nutritional value. For example, soups, porridge, and steamed dishes are easier on the stomach.

3. Bring cash for payment

Although mobile payment is now fully supported on the Qinghai-Tibet trains, it's advisable to carry some cash with you to meet unexpected needs, since signal instability in high-altitude areas might cause QR code payments to fail unexpectedly.

Conclusion

As we've seen, dining on the Tibet train offers various options to suit different tastes, budgets, and travel styles. Whether you choose freshly-cooked dishes from the dining car, grab a snack from the trolley, or enjoy your own packed meals, there's always one that suits you.

Please remember that your diet on the train will affect how your body adapts to the plateau environment, so try to keep your meals light and drink plenty of water. Following those tips, you'll find that dining on the Tibet train becomes not just a necessity, but an enjoyable part of your overall experience.

For more questions about the Tibet train food and dining, you can just feel free to contact us or leave a message below to get exact answers.