Do you want to experience the world's highest railroad - the Qinghai-Tibet Railway - but are worried about altitude sickness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most Taiwanese travelers who sign up for Tibet tours, we usually recommend the \"fly into Tibet, train out\" arrangement.
Fly to Lhasa first to give your body 1-2 days to get used to the altitude, and then take the Qinghai-Tibet train out of Tibet, which not only reduces the discomfort caused by the rapid rise in altitude, but also allows you to enjoy the spectacular plateau scenery along the Coco-Col\u00edli and Tanggula Mountains in a more stable physical state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the 2026 Tibet Travel Policy still has clear regulations for Taiwan travelers. Failure to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit in advance or to familiarize yourself with the ticketing and name system requirements of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway may affect the arrangements for entering Tibet, or even prevent you from boarding the train smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This post will organize the following key points in full:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It helps you to understand the Qinghai-Tibet Railway once and plan the most suitable itinerary for you in Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Many people think that as the Qinghai-Tibet train climbs slowly from Xining to Lhasa, the body can \"slowly adapt\" to the altitude, and is therefore less prone to altitude sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, however, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway does not guarantee early adaptation to altitude sickness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the \"diffused oxygen supply system\" will be activated when the train enters the plateau section to increase the oxygen concentration in the train compartment, there is also an independent oxygen port next to each sleeper, which can be connected to a nasal inhalation tube for use if necessary; in case of obvious discomfort, the train crew can also provide medical oxygen equipment for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, after departing from Xining, the altitude will still rise rapidly from about 2,275 meters to 5,072 meters at the Tanggula Pass in a short period of time. This rate of elevation gain may still cause headaches, insomnia, rapid heartbeat or chest tightness for some travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, most Taiwanese travelers seldom take long-distance sleeper trains that last more than 20 hours. If the quality of sleep decreases due to changes in train environment and work routine, the body's ability to adapt to high altitude will be reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, the oxygen supply system of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway can \"alleviate discomfort\" but cannot completely avoid altitude sickness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, most Taiwanese travelers are less likely to take long-distance sleeper trains that last more than 20 hours. For those unfamiliar with long-distance train travel, the nighttime environment, the sound of the train compartment, and the change in routine may all affect the quality of sleep. When you don't get enough sleep, your body's ability to adapt to the high-altitude environment decreases, making you more susceptible to headaches, rapid heartbeat and fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, some travelers may face both \"poor sleep quality\" and \"rapid altitude increase\" if they take the train from Xining to Tibet without having yet adapted to the plateau.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, Qinghai-Tibet Train cannot avoid altitude sickness completely, but can only alleviate some of the symptoms with the assistance of oxygen supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That's why we usually recommend: \ud83d\udc49 Fly into Tibet, take the train out of Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fly to Lhasa first to give your body 1-2 days to get used to the altitude of 3,650 meters; at the end of the trip, take the \"Lhasa \u2192 Xining\" outbound section, which is not only less prone to altitude sickness, but also allows you to enjoy the highland scenery of Coco-Cecil and Tanggula Mountain when your health condition is stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Strictly speaking, the core plateau section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway begins in Xining. Whether the train originally departs from Beijing, Shanghai or any other city, it enters Xining before it officially enters the Tibetan Plateau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After departing from Xining, the train will travel through the Qaidam Basin, the Kunlun Pass, Coco-Cilili, and the Tanggula Mountains, with the altitude climbing from 2,275 meters to over 5,000 meters, which is the first time for many people to face the challenge of the plateau. In fact, the altitude changes along the way are very fast, we will suggest you to choose Lhasa -> Xining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the one hand, you are used to the high altitude in Lhasa, you can enjoy the beauty of the train ~, on the other hand, the altitude from Xining to Lhasa is actually very fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n2.Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining to Lhasa: Route description of elevation change.<\/b><\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Departure from Xining: Reminder of Altitude Change and Plateau Reaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n