Tibet Train Sleeper and Seat Types

Generally speaking, a regular train (not high speed bullet trains) from/to Tibet, usually offer three kinds of seats – Soft Sleepers, Hard Sleepers and Hard Seats.

Soft Sleepers

The Soft Sleeper is a settled single berth with soft beddings equipped in some carriages on the train. Usually there are only 2 carriages which have compartments of Soft Sleepers, accommodating passengers up to 64. Each compartment is a single cabin with a private door facing the aisle, and has 4 Soft Sleepers inside, two upper berths and two lower berths, which are about 30 inches (75cm) wide and 75 inches (190cm) long.

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Tibet Train Sleeper and Seat Types Cozy Soft Sleeper Compartment

Hard Sleeper

The Hard Sleeper is not hard at all. Actually there are soft beddings equipped with the Hard Sleepers. The Hard Sleeper can be regarded as the Second Class Sleeper. A normal train, like K, T, Z trains, usually has 8~10 carriages of Hard Sleepers. Each carriage has 11 single compartments. There are 6 Hard Sleepers in each compartment – two upper sleeper, two middle sleeper and two lower sleepers. The sleeper is about 24 inches (60cm) wide and 71 inches (180cm) long.

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Tibet Train Sleeper and Seat Types The Hard Sleeper Compartment

Hard Seat

The Hard Seat is the cheapest-standard seat class. There usually 4 carriages with total amount of 392 hard seats on the Tibet trains. The Hard Seats are connected by row with an unit of 10 seats face to face, and separated by a narrow aisle. The seat is almost vertical and cannot be adjusted, also doesn’t allow passengers to lie down because it is only 16inches (40cm) wide. The Hard Seat is not recommended for a long-distance trip like Tibet train ride. The Hard Seat Carriage is also usually very crowded and not as clean as Soft Sleeper and Hard Sleeper Carriages.

Learn more about Hard Seat on Tibet Trains

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Tibet Train Sleeper and Seat Types Passengers on the Hard Seats

Prices Comparison between Soft Sleeper, Hard Sleeper and Hard Seat

RouteSoft SleeperHard SleeperHard Seat
Beijing - Lhasa About ¥1,144.00 About ¥720.00 About ¥360.00
Chengdu - Lhasa About ¥997.50 About ¥627.50 About ¥302.50
Shanghai - Lhasa About ¥1,262.50 About ¥793.00 About ¥402.50
Xian - Lhasa About ¥969.50 About ¥611.50 About ¥293.50
Xining - Lhasa About ¥781.00 About ¥495.00 About ¥224.00
Lanzhou - Lhasa About ¥823.00 About ¥522.00 About ¥240.00
Chongqing - Lhasa About ¥1,079.00 About ¥680.00 About ¥335.00
Guangzhou - Lhasa About ¥1,468.00 About ¥865.00 About ¥447.00

According to our local experience, we strongly suggest travelers choose the Soft Sleeper instead of the Hard Sleeper and Hard Seat to ensure a more comfortable and safer trip because the Tibet Train ride is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And passengers will have to stay two nights on the train if he/she takes a train from Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, etc.

Tibet Train Ticket Booking Tips

1. Tibet Train tickets are always in short supply especially during tourism peak seasons(from May to October). So you'd better confirm your trip plan and book the train ticket as early as possible.

2. If you are traveling to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, you are strongly suggested to take the Soft Sleepers because you need to spend two nights on the train.

3. Tibet Travel Permit is required when getting on the train.

How to Plan A Tibet Tour

Tibet is a place with majestic landscapes and splendid culture. There might be hundreds of ways to travel Tibet, especially its most appealing destinations - Lhasa, Everest, Namtso, Kailash, etc. We suggest you start your tour from the capital Lhasa. You can take 3~4 days to acclimatize high altitudes and explore the highlights of Lhasa city. Then you can spend 1~2 days to visit Lhasa's surroundings, such as Namtso, Yamdrok Lake, Ganden Monastery, etc. Beside Lhasa and its surrounding regions, you shall not miss the 3rd pole of the earth, Mt Everest, which is no longer a privilege site for just mountaineers and spending 3~4 more days to explore it. Later, you can head back to Lhasa, or continue your journey to the west to reach Ngari and kora around the holy Mount Kailash and Manasarovar. It totally depends on your schedules and preferences.

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Recommended Tibet Train Tour Packages

Check out our most popular train tour packages departing from most popular gateway cities to Tibet - Beijing,Xian, Chengdu, Xining, Shanghai, etc. All packages are customizable according to your requirements. If you have more time, you can extend your trip from Lhasa to other popular destinations, such as Shigatse, Mount Everest, Nyingchi, Ngari, etc. Check more >Tibet Train Tours

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