The over 20-hour train journey to Tibet offers magnificent views of snow-capped mountains and lakes, but requires proper planning for on-trip catering. Many passengers have pre-departure questions about on-board hot food, dining car prices, dish quality, what dry food to bring, and food options at stations along the route. This article details the catering options on Qinghai-Tibet Railway trains, covering dining car orders, trolley boxed meals, tips for self-brought food and station snacks, to provide a practical food guide for passengers. Careful reading will help ensure a smooth and comfortable dining experience throughout your trip.
Dining Car Services and Dishes on the Trains to Tibet
Every train to Tibet is equipped with a dedicated dining car, usually located in the middle of the train (Carriage 5 or 9). The interior environment of the dining car is more spacious than that of hard seat carriages, with sufficient heating and window-side dining tables, allowing passengers to enjoy the plateau scenery outside the window while eating.
Main Dishes Served in the Dining Car
The dining car mainly serves Chinese set meals. Most of the chefs are from Sichuan, so the dishes tend to be Sichuan-style. Breakfast includes porridge, steamed buns, eggs, and pickles, priced between 10 to 25 RMB. Lunch and dinner serve rice bowls, such as Shredded Pork with Green Pepper over Rice and Tomato and Egg over Rice, each priced 30 to 40 RMB. In addition, the dining car also serves formal set meals:
- Individual set meal: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, one soup with rice, 65 to 88 RMB
- Two-person set meal: two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, one soup with rice, 118 to 168 RMB
- Three to four-person set meal: four meat dishes, one vegetable dish, one soup with rice, 248 to 318 RMB
Common dishes include Sichuan-style Twice-Cooked Pork, Spicy Diced Chicken, Braised Beef, and Mapo Tofu. The dining car also serves Eight Treasures Tea, a specialty of northwest China, which is worth trying. Most of the ingredients in the dining car are purchased from large and medium-sized cities and replenished from supply points when the train stops. Commonly used ingredients include potatoes, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken, and pork.
Opening Hours of the Dining Car
The serving hours of the dining car are as follows:
- Breakfast: 7:30 to 8:30
- Lunch: 11:30 to 14:00
- Dinner: 17:30 to 19:30
Seats in the dining car are in short supply during peak dining hours, and you may need to queue or share a table. It is recommended to dine at off-peak hours, for example, to have lunch after 2 pm, when there are fewer people and a quieter environment, and the chef has enough time to prepare the dishes.
Use of the Dining Car During Non-Meal Hours
The dining car is open as a lounge during non-meal hours, where passengers can drink tea, chat, and enjoy the scenery. The dining car provides refreshment services:
- 9:00 to 11:00 am and 3:00 to 5:00 pm: tea or coffee with peanuts and sliced steamed buns, 30 RMB per person
- 10:30 pm to 6:30 am the next day: refreshments with biscuits and ham sausages, 40 RMB per person
You can stay for a long time after ordering refreshments, and enjoy the flowing plateau scenery outside the window, which is more comfortable than your berth. If you do not make a purchase, the train attendant may ask you to return to your original carriage.
Window View of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway
Tibet Train Boxed Meals: A Convenient On-board Dining Option
For passengers who do not want to walk around or are carrying large luggage, boxed meals from trolleys are a convenient choice. Train attendants push trolleys around each carriage, so passengers can buy them nearby.
Quality and Price of Boxed Meals
The boxed meals sold from trolleys are pre-made simple meals, usually paired with home-style dishes of one meat and one vegetable or two meats and one vegetable, with a sufficient portion of rice, priced between 25 to 50 RMB per serving. Common dishes include Tomato and Egg Stir-fry, Shredded Pork with Green Pepper, and Braised Beef with Potatoes. The advantage of boxed meals is convenience, but because they are packed and kept warm in advance, they may not be hot enough when delivered, and the taste is slightly inferior to freshly cooked dishes. According to passenger feedback, the price of train boxed meals is about one-third higher than that of urban restaurants, while the quality is relatively average.
The serving hours of trolley boxed meals are fixed:
- Breakfast: 6:30 to 8:30
- Lunch: 11:30 to 13:00
- Dinner: 17:30 to 19:00
The quantity is limited for each period, and they are often sold out during regular meal times. It is recommended to buy them in time when you hear the sound of the trolley.
Other Food Sold from Trolleys
In addition to boxed meals, the trolleys also sell a variety of snacks and beverages:
- Instant noodles, ham sausages, marinated eggs (instant noodles 5 to 8 RMB)
- Biscuits, chocolate, melon seeds
- Mineral water, energy drinks
- Tibetspecialty snacks: yak jerky, highland barley cake, air-dried milk slices
The trolley passes by about two to three times per trip, with no fixed time for snacks and beverages. Please note that signal may be unstable in high-altitude areas, which may affect mobile payment. It is recommended to carry a small amount of cash with you for backup.
Tibet Train Boxed Meals
Suggestions for Preparing Self-Brought Food on Tibet Train
Train catering is relatively expensive with limited taste options, so many passengers choose to bring their own food. The journey to Tibet by train is long, and altitude sickness may affect your appetite, so reasonable food preparation is particularly important. The advantage of bringing your own food is that you can prepare it completely according to your personal preferences and meet special dietary needs.
Staple Food Options
Instant noodles are a common choice, as they are light, easy to store, and can be made with boiling water. It is recommended to bring 2 to 3 barrels, avoid bagged ones (it is inconvenient to find a bowl on the train). The aroma of instant noodles fills the carriage during meal times. Although it feels ordinary in daily life, it is quite appetizing on the train.
Self-heating rice or self-heating hot pot are also popular, as they can generate heat with cold water, and the taste is better than instant noodles. Please note:
- The air pressure is low on the plateau, so the heating time of self-heating food is longer than that on the plain, please wait patiently
- The smell is strong during heating, it is recommended to eat at the carriage connection to avoid affecting others
- There may be queues during the peak period of getting boiling water, so it is advisable to get water outside of meal times
You should also bring a small amount of dry food such as bread, biscuits, and eight-treasure porridge to satisfy your hunger when you have a poor appetite.
Fruits and Vegetables
The train journey is long, and vegetable intake is insufficient. You can bring durable fruits and vegetables:
- Bananas: easy to peel, noiseless to eat, not embarrassing in public places, and have a strong sense of satiety
- Cucumbers and tomatoes: refreshing and grease-relieving, just wash and pack them in bags
- Oranges: supplement vitamins, do not litter the peels
Recommended Snacks
According to passenger experience, the following snacks are both filling and portable:
- Nuts: almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnut kernels, packed in fresh-keeping bags. They can quickly replenish energy when you are hungry, and have no strong smell
- Eggs: boiled eggs, tea eggs, marinated eggs, rich in nutrition and easy to carry
- Chocolate and energy bars: must-haves for plateau travel, which can cope with low blood sugar or decreased physical strength
- Yogurt: choose thick type, which nourishes the stomach and satisfies hunger, better than thin milk
- Oat biscuits: rich in dietary fiber, filling, not easy to gain weight, and do not take up space
It is necessary to avoid carrying beans that are easy to cause flatulence or food with strong smell (such as durian).
Drinking Water Preparation
The train supplies boiling water 24 hours a day, but the boiling point is low on the plateau, so the actual temperature of the boiling water is less than 100℃, and you need to simmer the instant noodles for a longer time. It is recommended to bring a thermos cup. Drinking more hot water can prevent and relieve altitude sickness, and at the same time cope with the dry climate on the plateau. If you do not adapt to the taste of the water on the train, you can bring your own large bottle of mineral water. Reduce the intake of carbonated drinks to avoid flatulence.
Dining Locations
- Soft sleeper carriage: the small table in the private room can be used for dining
- Hard sleeper carriage: both the small table in the compartment and the small table in the corridor are available
- Hard seat carriage: there is a small table in front of each seat
Some passengers choose to eat at the carriage connection to reduce the smell of food in the carriage.
Food Available at Stations Along the Tibet Train Route
Some major stations along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway have long stop times, and local vendors often sell food on the platform, which is a good opportunity to experience authentic local flavors.
Xining Railway Station
Xining is the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and most trains depart from or stop here. You can buy Qinghai Old Yogurt on the platform, which is served in bowls with a yellow milk skin on the surface, sweet and sour with a rich taste, about 10 RMB per bowl. There are also local snacks such as Liangpi (Cold Rice Noodles) and Tianpei (Sweet Fermented Highland Barley).
Golmud Railway Station
Golmud is 2780 meters above sea level, the last major station before entering Tibet, after which the train will enter the plateau. The platform sells grilled lamb skewers, yak jerky, highland barley cakes, etc. The grilled skewers are freshly cooked and delicious, but do not eat too much to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort. Highland barley cakes are easy to store, so you can buy more for backup.
Naqu Railway Station
Naqu Railway Station is more than 4500 meters above sea level, one of the highest altitude railway stations in the world. The temperature on the platform is low and the wind is strong, but the hot yak milk sold here is worth trying. It is freshly milked and boiled, rich and fragrant, and can be drunk with sugar to drive away the cold and warm up the body. There are also Tibetan steamed buns, Tsampa, etc. Some passengers shared that they bought highland barley black rice yogurt at Naqu Station for 10 RMB per cup.
Please note that the stop time at plateau platforms is short, usually only about ten minutes. You need to hurry up when getting off the train to shop, and do not miss the train.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway – Nagqu Station
Dietary Precautions on Plateau Trains
A journey of more than 20 hours coupled with the special environment of the plateau makes the gastrointestinal function more sensitive than usual. Following the principles below can reduce discomfort.
Dietary Principles for Adapting to the Plateau
- Control food intake: eat until you are 70% full for each meal. Overeating increases the burden on the stomach and intestines, and is easy to induce or aggravate altitude sickness
- Light diet: avoid greasy and spicy food, as the stomach and intestines are fragile when you first arrive at the plateau. High-fat foods increase the digestive burden, which is especially unfavorable on trains with limited activities
- Drink more hot water: the plateau is dry, the body loses water quickly, and you need to continuously replenish water
- No alcohol: trains generally do not serve alcohol, and passengers should not bring their own. Drinking alcohol on the plateau can easily induce pulmonary edema and gastrointestinal bleeding
- Avoid raw and cold food: the temperature on the plateau is low, raw and cold food irritates the stomach and intestines, increasing the risk of diarrhea
Coping with Gastrointestinal Discomfort
If you experience nausea or loss of appetite:
- Eat light porridge or noodles
- Drink hot water and avoid cold drinks
- Suck on candy or chocolate to replenish energy
- Rest more, do not force yourself to eat
If altitude sickness is severe, the train has a medical room or you can ask the train attendant for help. Some passengers suggest bringing ibuprofen to relieve headaches and glucose powder to replenish physical strength by mixing with water.
Altitude Sickness and Dietary Adjustment
- Iron-supplementing foods: in the hypoxic environment of the plateau, the production of red blood cells increases, and the demand for iron rises. You can take an appropriate amount of red meat and green leafy vegetables
- Low-salt diet: excessive salt increases the burden on the kidneys and easily causes edema
- Increase vitamin C intake: enhance immunity and help adapt to the plateau. You can bring fruits such as citrus, strawberries, and tomatoes
- Butter tea: if you can adapt to it, drinking more butter tea is helpful to relieve altitude sickness
Suggestions for Dietary Arrangement on the Train
When taking the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Tibet, the proper arrangement of your diet directly affects your travel experience. Based on the above content, passengers can formulate a reasonable on-board dietary plan according to their own situation.
The dining car provides freshly cooked set meals, suitable for passengers who want to dine comfortably and experience the atmosphere of plateau trains. Boxed meals from trolleys are convenient and fast, suitable for passengers who do not want to walk around to satisfy their hunger temporarily. Self-brought food can be prepared completely according to personal taste, especially suitable for those with special dietary needs or high requirements for catering quality. Authentic food sold at stations along the way, such as Xining Old Yogurt and Naqu Yak Milk, is a good opportunity to experience local flavors.
Dietary arrangements can refer to the following key points:
- It is advisable to dine in the dining car at off-peak hours to get better service
- Self-brought food should mainly include instant noodles, nuts, eggs, and fruits, which are both filling and nutritious
- Pay attention to the stop time when shopping at the station, and hurry up to buy
- Control food intake throughout the journey, preferably 70% full, and avoid greasy and spicy food
- Drink more hot water and less cold drinks to reduce the burden on the stomach and intestines
Every meal on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway train is not only a practical need during the trip, but also a part of the experience. A reasonable dietary arrangement can not only ensure your physical strength, but also make the journey more comfortable. China Dragon Travel specializes in local ground handling services for Tibet tours. If you need assistance in planning your trip or completing entry procedures to Tibet, please feel free to contact us.
