Riding the World’s Highest Railway | Best View Train to Tibet (Xining–Lhasa)

Riding the World’s Highest Railway | Best View Train to Tibet (Xining–Lhasa)

Hello everyone, welcome back to the channel! Today we’ll be traveling on the famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway. We’re riding all the way from Xining to Lhasa. This isn’t just any train — it’s the highest railway on the planet. I made sure to book a ticket on one of the most scenic trains. let’s ride across the roof of the world. Please enjoy the trip! Alright, here we are, live at Xining Railway Station. The largest railway hub on the entire Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Every single train heading into Tibet has to pass through this area. Even the long-haul trains coming from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou all stop here. But trust me — this is where the real scenery begins. That’s why starting from Xining is probably the best choice. It’s a bit cold outside, so I’m planning to get into the station earlier. These are the new recruits who just enlisted this year. Even though the peak summer travel season is over, this train station is still packed with people. The train that’s boarding right now is also bound for Lhasa. That one started all the way from Shanghai — over 2,000 kilometers away. Our train has the latest departure time among all Tibet-bound routes. But that’s a good thing! It means we’ll be passing through the most stunning scenery during the day. Looks like there’s a European tour group here — they’re joining the adventure to Tibet too. Boarding has started! This train seems really popular — even the opposite platform is packed with travelers. This journey is going to take nearly 22 hours. Normally, I’m the guy who loads up on all the snacks, just like everyone else… But today, I came empty-handed — because I plan to eat all three meals in the dining carriage tomorrow. Wish me luck. I’m traveling in soft sleeper carriage No. 9. The interior looks just like the other sleeper trains I’ve taken before. Still the same classic four-berth setup. Though they did add some Tibetan-style stripes to the bed sheets. But the real difference is the addition of this emergency oxygen supply port right here. Outside, people are still busy taking photos with the train. The train departed right on schedule at 11:15 PM. We left Xining Station, sitting at an altitude of 2,275 meters. The staff makes announcements in Chinese, English, and Tibetan. He is speaking so fast… I have a feeling they are German tourists (and they actually are!). The first thing they do is grab a beer in the dining carriage… Even though it’s late, the chef is still busy cooking away. I quickly retreated to my cabin — before I did something dangerous, like ordering a midnight feast. Good night, stomach. Good morning! We’ve just arrived at Golmud Station. It’s 5:30 in the morning. We’re now at 2,829 meters above sea level. The train is switching locomotives here. Right next to us is a Fuxing bullet train. From this point on, we officially say goodbye to the electrified railway. Two heavy-duty diesel locomotives will haul us the rest of the way to Lhasa. There’s also a generator carriage tagging along to power the entire train. All hitched up and ready to roll! The guy in front of me is a Japanese tourist. It’s less than 10°C outside, and he’s just wearing a T-shirt! The train starts moving again. It’s still dark outside, so I decided to grab a bit more sleep. When I woke up again, it felt like I had entered another world. One look at the snow-capped mountains and all traces of sleep vanished instantly. That beautiful peak up ahead is Yuzhu Peak — standing tall at 6,178 meters. For mountaineers, it’s considered an “entry-level” 6,000-meter climb. Easy peasy! The train made a brief, temporary stop here for a few minutes. We are now passing the Yuzhu Peak Station, which is 4159 meters above sea level. The staff came by with breakfast carts — which reminded me it’s time to eat. The dining carriage is already packed. You actually have to line up for a seat. I decide to try the beef and vermicelli soup, which looks like a popular choice among people. Breakfast at an altitude of 4550 meters. The staff were clearly overwhelmed by the morning rush. It took quite a while for the food to arrive. It looks a bit oily, to be honest. Maybe I should’ve gone for that breakfast set instead. The train staff is explaining the altitude situation. The train switched on its continuous oxygen supply right after leaving Golmud. We are now passing through the famous Hoh Xil No-Man’s Land. One of the world’s three major uninhabited areas. Just a few meters below the surface lies permafrost that never thaws. That’s why you won’t see a single tree out here. The average altitude here is nearly 5,000 meters. Because of the harsh conditions, people call it “a forbidden zone for human life.” But “forbidden” doesn’t mean lifeless — this is home to plenty of wild animals. Like this majestic wild yak. An Equus kiang. And Tibetan antelopes — the real icon of this region. This place may look desolate, but life quietly thrives here. Snow-capped mountains aren’t rare here — they’re basically the default background. Although it’s called “no-man’s-land,” it’s not completely deserted. You’ll occasionally spot man-made structures scattered across the landscape. That looks like a construction site. They are laying down a new road next to the track. These metal rods along the tracks are heat-conducting pipes — one of the railway’s secret weapons. Basically, they work like underground air conditioners. Their job is to keep the permafrost below from melting and sinking the tracks. There may be a lack of oxygen here, but there sure doesn’t seem to be a lack of water. These small rivers look insignificant right now. But downstream, they eventually converge into those mighty rivers we all know. Surprisingly, I spot a herdsman’s house out here. I bet all those yaks belong to them. These neatly arranged stones can often be seen lining the tracks. They’re attached to the vicinity of the track like a net. It’s said they help reduce wind speed and prevent sandstorms. And the outer railing serves the same exact purpose. Just an endless, empty wasteland stretching out forever. The train made another temporary stop. This is Jiangkedong Station, at an altitude of 4778 meters. Constructing anything at this altitude is by no means an easy feat. Heat-conducting rods were also planted along the side of the road. However, you can still observe some obvious ground subsidence despite their efforts. We just encountered another group of very leisurely Kiangs. They look totally used to the trains rumbling past. It’s hard to imagine the sheer manpower it took to lay down all these stones. The roads running parallel are mostly filled with big, heavy trucks. More yaks are chilling out on the hillside. They don’t even glance at the massive steel beast roaring past — true locals. From a distance, the yaks look like tiny ants moving on the hillside. Lunchtime arrived quickly. Staff are busy loading boxed meals onto trolleys for delivery. Let’s check out the menu. They have many single and multi-person packages available. I went for the cheapest single-person set meal, which cost 65 yuan (about 9 USD). It comes with a serving of stir-fried meat, a vegetable dish, rice, and soup. Still not sure why I am the only one who got two disposable bowls though. Outside, the world remains the same endless wilderness. Tuotuo River—once considered the source of the Yangtze River, the world’s third longest river. Classic Qinghai–Tibet Plateau scenery all around. The clouds are so low it feels like you could reach out and touch them. Actually, it’s just because we’re so high up right now. The distant snow-capped mountains are just faintly visible through the clouds. Sitting in the carriage feels like watching a moving nature documentary. We’ve been cruising above 4,700 meters for quite a while now. Makes me wonder — what’s it like actually living up here? The construction section runs almost parallel to the railway. Maybe stacking trucks like that helps save costs? We’re passing through a small town. It has a few hotels and restaurants — which, in a place this barren, basically makes it a metropolis. In the distance, mountains with sharper ridgelines started to appear. The scenery grew more dramatic by the minute. A Tibetan Buddhist stupa. Didn’t expect to see a bus running out here. Wonder where it starts and where it’s going. The snowy peaks up ahead are the famous Tanggula Mountains. We’re about to cross it. That peak looks perfectly shaped. The little “spirits of the plateau” made their elegant appearance, with that “I’m a top-level protected animal, no big deal” attitude. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. We’re getting closer and closer to the snow peaks. The train is struggling a bit to climb. Black smoke puffed out from the locomotives up front. We’re about to break the 5,000-meter mark! The clouds on the left are thick and look a bit gloomy. But out the other side, the sky looks like it’s still loading. Even here, in the middle of nowhere, there are still cell towers standing tall. 5,079 meters! Wow! The area we’re currently in is the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It is also the highest point of any railway in the world. The station we’re passing now is also the highest train station in the world. That’s Tanggula Station, at an altitude of 5,072 meters. Because of the altitude, this is an unmanned station. Unfortunately, regular passenger trains don’t stop here anymore. After nearly 16 hours of travel, we’ve finally crossed into the territory of Tibet! At this height, people start feeling the effects of altitude — even though the cabin is already supplying oxygen. More and more passengers are reaching for the oxygen outlets. The two doctors who accompanied the train from Golmud Station also became busy. I, for one, feel pretty good right now. But wait, ??? Maybe I didn’t clip it on properly. Great news! I’m still alive! Yeah, my watch is probably lying to me. The vast landscape outside makes our train look like a toy crawling across the earth. At this point, I feel like a literal speck of dust on the plateau. The distant snow mountains blend seamlessly into the sky. And suddenly — red peaks start appearing out of nowhere. Not sure why the ground turned red too. If it weren’t for these power transmission towers, I might feel like I’m on Mars. The altitude’s dropped a bit now, but we’re still cruising above 4,800 meters. For a long time afterward, the altitude stayed above 4,500 meters. The train passed Cuona Lake around 4 p.m. This is the highest altitude freshwater lake in the world. It is also considered a sacred lake in the local area. Our track runs incredibly close to the edge of the lake. The train made another temporary stop at a small station. Give way to the Z166 train from Lhasa to Shanghai. The area suddenly turned into lush green wetlands. This looks like a great spot for herders. You can see entire flocks of sheep are grazing in the distance. There’s more vegetation now, though still not a single tree in sight. Spectacular clouds overhead! Our locomotives also seems to be experiencing a bit of altitude sickness. But we keep moving forward! Traces of human activity are becoming increasingly apparent now. These large windmills don’t seem particularly out of place here. A city appeared in the distance. We’re almost at Nagqu, China’s largest city by area. The total area of this city is actually bigger than the country of Germany. Yet the population is only around half a million. And the average altitude is a dizzying 5,300 meters! The train is going to stop here, people are already crowding at the doors. Everyone wants to get off the train and take a deep breath (of thin air). This is also the highest-altitude city in all of China. Even the downtown area in front of us is at an altitude of over 4,500 meters. The train was already more than an hour late by this point. So, we didn’t stay for very long. Nagqu Railway Station — altitude: 4,513 meters. The highest train station I’ve ever set foot in. The yak industry is clearly an important part of the economy here. A highway runs parallel to our route. Just like us, it winds its way all the way down to Lhasa. Along the way, I noticed people standing beside the tracks, saluting the train. These fleeting figures are the dedicated railway maintenance workers. They are responsible for patrolling about two-kilometer stretch of track. Maintaining the safe operation of railways. Their nighttime lodgings are these tiny huts we passed along the way — simple, isolated, and cold. This is an brutally tough job. They’re the true heroes of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway — hats off to them. Later, another staff gave us a introduction to the attractions near Lhasa. Also tried to sell us some commemorative albums… What a spectacular valley! I went to the dining carriage again as dinner time rolled around. The train is now passing through the lush and beautiful Nagqu Grassland. Countless yaks are outside the window. The menu is exactly the same as it was at lunchtime. It’s past 7 PM, but still bright outside. I went for the single-person set meal again, and this time, they finally gave me a real bowl! I guess fresh vegetables on the plateau might actually cost more than the meat does! It finally got dark around eight o’clock in the evening. The train is trying to make up for some of the delays. We have now entered Lhasa’s territory. The altitude will really start to drop once we pass through this Yangbajing Tunnel. And now, it’s completely dark outside. We finally arrived at Lhasa Railway Station at 9 PM, about half an hour behind schedule. The topographical map on the wall really tells the story of how incredibly difficult it was to build a railway here. Welcome to Lhasa! I decide to end the day by visiting the Potala Palace at night. Even at 10 PM, the Potala Palace Square is still packed with people. That concludes this video. Thank you so much for watching. Travel safe!

Today, I experienced the world’s highest railway — the Qinghai–Tibet Railway. I took one of its most scenic trains, departing from Xining and traveling across snow peaks, vast grasslands, and desolate no-man’s lands, all the way to Lhasa to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Tibetan Plateau.

Train number: Y971
Distance: 1956 km (1215 miles)
Total running time: 21h 14min
Price (Soft Sleeper lower berth): 808 CNY ( 114 USD / 98 EUR / 86 GBP / 17481 JPY / 174 AUD / 158 CAD / 91 CHF / 146 SGD / 883 HKD / 162567 KRW / 3496 TWD)

Timestamp:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Departure from Xining Station
03:26 Boarding — the familiar soft sleeper cabin
06:10 Locomotive change at Golmud Station
08:15 Breakfast beneath the snow peaks
10:08 Crossing the Hoh Xil no-man’s land
16:24 Lunchtime on the plateau
18:38 Climbing to the world’s highest railway point
23:25 Feeling the altitude
24:32 Spectacular scenery of the Tibetan Plateau
27:48 Arrival in China’s highest and largest city — Nagqu
29:44 A tribute to the true heroes of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway

▶ I use automatic translation of subtitles, so please excuse me if some look a little weird.