Route guide · High-speed rail
Xi'an to Lanzhou by High-Speed Train (2026)
575 km from Xi'an to Lanzhou — about 3h on the fastest G-train, with around 89 departures a day.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Rail data refreshed monthly
- 2nd class
- ¥118 – ¥238
- what everyone buys
- Frequency
- 89/day
- 03:56–20:30
- Train types
- G
- G = fastest
- Flight
- 1h 30m
- train wins
Train wins vs flying — door-to-door about 4h by train vs 4h 30m flying. Train is direct and downtown-to-downtown — comfortably wins.
The route at a glance
The Xi'an to Lanzhou corridor is 575 km of G-class high-speed rail. Trains run from Xi'an North Railway Station to Lanzhou West Railway Station, with the fastest service taking 3h and most in the 3h – 3h 50m range. Second-class seats start at ¥118 – ¥238. Train is direct and downtown-to-downtown — comfortably wins.
Train vs flight
Both stations are in town, so the train is door-to-door; the flight adds airport transfers and security each end. Here is the trade on this corridor:
| High-speed train | Flight | |
|---|---|---|
| Fastest | 3h | 1h 30m in the air |
| Door-to-door | ~4h | ~4h 30m |
| Price | ¥118 – ¥238 | ¥500 – ¥1100 |
Editor: Train is direct and downtown-to-downtown — comfortably wins.
Classes and price
Fares are dynamically priced — peak departures trend to the high end of each band, the cheapest seats go to off-peak mid-week trains. The seat is identical across trains in the same class.
| Class | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Second classmost buy | ¥118 – ¥238 | 3+2 seating, a tray table and power at every seat. |
| First class | ¥331 – ¥381 | 2+2 seating, wider and quieter — worth it on a longer ride. |
| Business class | ¥776 – ¥915 | Lie-flat / deep-recline pods at the front of the train. |
Stations on this route
- Departing fromXi'an North Railway StationXi'an · G/D-class · ~30 min to city centre
Asia's largest rail station building. Metro Line 2 takes 30 min to the Bell Tower.
- Arriving atLanzhou West Railway StationLanzhou · G/D-class · ~25 min to city centre
Silk Road gateway. Transfer here for Xining (Qinghai Lake) or Dunhuang.
How to book with a foreign passport
12306 English app — the official China Railway channel: face-value fares, no booking fee. The trade-off is hassle — passport registration must be approved before you can buy (often slow), and customer service is Chinese-first and limited if a booking goes wrong.
Trip.com ↗ — the same China Railway seats, booked in English with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no verification wait and 24/7 multilingual support. Prices track 12306, and with new-customer promotions Trip often comes out level or cheaper. As China’s largest OTA you can also add hotels, attraction tickets and tours to the same trip. See the booking walkthrough.
Still deciding? Read the full 12306 vs Trip.com comparison. Tickets open exactly 15 days before departure, and the good daytime slots sell first.
Book on Trip.comNASDAQ: TCOM
One of the few platforms selling real China Railway tickets in English, to a foreign passport and card. (Is it legit? — 12306 vs Trip.com.)
Booking through our Trip.com links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our independent research — we earn a small commission. How we’re funded.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Xi'an to Lanzhou train?
The fastest high-speed train covers the 575 km in 3h, with most services in the 3h–3h 50m range. Trains are G-class.
How much is a Xi'an to Lanzhou train ticket?
Second class is ¥118 – ¥238, first class ¥331 – ¥381, business class ¥776 – ¥915. Fares are dynamically priced — peak departures trend to the high end of each band.
How many trains run from Xi'an to Lanzhou each day?
About 89 trains a day each way, with the first around 03:56 and the last around 20:30.
Is the train or the flight better for Xi'an to Lanzhou?
Train is direct and downtown-to-downtown — comfortably wins. Door-to-door the train is ~4h vs ~4h 30m flying.
How do I book Xi'an to Lanzhou tickets with a foreign passport?
Two ways: the official 12306 English app (face price, passport-bound account, no booking fee) or Trip.com (English UI, foreign cards accepted, 24/7 multilingual support; new-customer promos often bring the price level with or below 12306). Tickets open exactly 15 days before departure.
Verification scope
Route data — distance, journey time, fare bands and daily frequencies — is sampled from China’s national rail system and refreshed monthly. This is an auto-generated route record in our curated 25-city dataset.
Confirm before booking: exact schedules and fares vary by train and season under dynamic pricing.