Railway
Chaka LakeXining Railway Station, at the crossway of Lanzhou-Qinghai and Qinghai-Tibet railway lines, was built in 1959. It serves as an important railway hub, with trains heading to to Lhasa, Golmud, Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Qingdao.
With the completion of Qinghai-Tibet Railway line, Xining Railway Station becomes an important hub on the line. Most trains heading to Lhasa from all around the county stop over at Xining railway station and it takes 24 hours or so from Xining to Lhasa. All trains depart in the afternoon. Train K9801 is the only train with starting point in Xining and arrives in Lhasa, and the train departs at 2:55 p.m every other day.
- Location: Jiangguo Road, Chengdong District, Xining City. (near Xining Long-distance Bus Station) 青海省西宁市城东区建国路（靠近西宁长途汽车站）
- Zip code: 810006
- Transportation: Travelers can take public buses No. 11, 16, 1, 20, 22, 27, 28, 29, 35, 40, 5, 31, 101, 32, 9, 17, 33 and 7 to get to the railway station.
- Inquiry Phone Number: 0971-7192222
There are direct trains running between Xining and Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Golmud, Qingdao, Lanzhou and Yinchuan. Trains from Xining to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province only takes 3 hours or so. The recently operated Qinghai-Tibet railway is a major fact for Xining's significant role for China's railway transportation. Tibet Luxurious trains starting from Xining run along the highland track and take visitors to the mystical Tibeten Plateau, which was only accessible by plane for centuries.
Tips: Train ticket, railway station: 0971-7192222.
Xining Railway Station: Qilian Road across the river Introduction of Xining Railway Station
Read more about Qinghai-Tibet Train
Air
Xining Airport is situated at Caojia Bao, 29 kilometers east of the city. Services from and to the major tourism city, like Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Chengdu, are available. There are also some flights to Chongqing, Dunhuang, Golmud, and Urumqi. For times, Xining is a significant stop for visitors to Tibet. Many first fly there and then proceed to Lhasa. Direct flights to Lhasa are available there.
There are public buses at the CAAC ticket office to the airport for around 16 yuan or vice visa. A ride there from the city center via taxi cost about 50 yuan.
Tips:
- Airplanes: Xining Airport: 0917-8188222
- CAAC Office: 0971-8133333
Bus/Coach
Xining East Long Distance Bus Station is the center of Qinghai's highway transportation, with hundreds of buses to all major cities and towns with the province or beyond. Bus to Golmud, Lhasa in Tibet, Dunhuang, Lanzhou are abundant. Buses to the Ta'er Monastery are also available but foreigner tourists are advised them for they are mainly used by the local population who are familiar with the standard condition.
Tips:
- address: on east Jianguo Road, 600 meters south of the railway station.
- Tel: 0971-8149611
