How to Get to Bainang County from Lhasa City (Chengguan District)

How to Get to Bainang County from Lhasa City (Chengguan District)
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The journey from Lhasa (拉萨) to Bairang County (白朗县) covers a distance of approximately 256 kilometers and offers multiple transportation options. Whether you prefer a self-drive, public bus, or a combination of train and local transport, you can easily reach Bairang County with the following routes.

Key Transportation Options:

Self-Driving (Recommended): The drive takes about 3 hours and 18 minutes via the Ya Ye Expressway (雅叶高速) and G349 National Road (G349国道).

Public Bus: Take a bus from Lhasa to Shigatse (日喀则), and then transfer to a bus or hire a car from Shigatse to Bairang County. The total journey will take around 4-5 hours, with bus tickets costing approximately 90 CNY.

Train + Shuttle: You can take a high-speed train from Lhasa to Shigatse, which takes around 2 hours 20 minutes, and then take a shuttle to Bairang County.

Detailed Travel Guide

Self-Driving Route

Starting Point: From Lhasa city center, head west along Zhongshan Avenue (江苏大道), cross Zangre Bridge (藏热大桥), and follow Xiangga Avenue (香嘎大道), Cijuolin Avenue (慈觉林大道), and Liubin Avenue (柳滨大道) to join Ya Ye Expressway (雅叶高速).

Highway Section:

  • Continue for about 200 km on Ya Ye Expressway towards Shigatse.

  • Turn onto the Shigatse Airport Expressway and take the G349 Exit.

Final Destination: After about 12 km, take a right onto Fengdeng Avenue (丰登大道) and follow the road to reach Bairang County Langsa West Road (朗萨西路).

Costs: The toll fees are about 37 CNY, and fuel costs are estimated at 156 CNY (based on a 1.6L engine).

Public Bus

Lhasa to Shigatse: There are multiple daily bus services between Lhasa and Shigatse, with prices of 90 CNY for large buses or 140 CNY for smaller vehicles. The journey time is around 4-5 hours.

Shigatse to Bairang: From Shigatse, buses can be taken from the North Suburb Bus Station (北郊客运站), though you should confirm the schedules on-site. Alternatively, you can hire a car for about 3000 CNY (negotiable).

Train + Shuttle

Train Options: Recommended train services (as of September 21, 2025):

  • C885: Departs Lhasa at 07:10, arrives in Shigatse at 09:30. Second-class ticket is 64 CNY.

  • C4391: Departs Lhasa at 08:55, arrives in Shigatse at 11:35. Second-class ticket is 64 CNY.

Shuttle: From Shigatse Railway Station, take a 1-hour taxi or chartered vehicle to reach Bairang County.

Important Notes

Road Conditions: A section of G219 (G219国道) is under construction between July 2024 and December 2025, so you may need to detour via Qiacha County (加查县).

Border Permit: If traveling through Yadong (亚东) or other border areas, make sure to apply for a Border Pass (边防证) in advance.

Freight Services: For freight services, you can contact the Lhasa Haiwang Freight Center (拉萨海旺货运中心), which provides a direct route to Shigatse.

Driving Navigation Route from Lhasa to Bairang County

Driving Route (Approximately 313.2 km)

Starting from Lhasa City:

  • Drive west for 440 meters and turn right onto Chaoyang Road (朝阳路).

  • Continue for 270 meters and turn left onto Jinzhu East Road (金珠东路).

  • Go straight for 1.2 km and continue on Jinzhu Middle Road (金珠中路).

  • Continue straight for 1.3 km, passing the Liuwu Interchange (柳梧立交桥), and follow Jinzhu West Road (金珠西路).

  • After 30 meters, continue through the Liuwu Interchange towards the train station and turn right onto Liuwu Interchange.

  • Drive 580 meters, then turn right onto Luding South Road (鲁定南路) and follow it for 4.2 km to enter the Airport Expressway (机场高速公路).

On the Airport Expressway:

  • Drive for 100 meters and continue for 37.3 km. At the Qushui/G318 exit, turn right onto the on-ramp.

  • Continue for 560 meters and turn right onto Lhasa River Bridge (拉萨河大桥).

  • Drive for 1.9 km on the bridge and turn left onto G318.

Continue on G318:

  • Drive for 11.2 km, then turn slightly left onto Yanghe Road (沿河路).

  • Continue on Yanghe Road for 2.9 km, then continue straight on G318.

  • Drive for 199.3 km, pass Quxia Village (曲夏村) for about 270 meters, then continue straight to Yingbin Road (迎宾路).

  • Follow Yingbin Road for 1.9 km, then turn left onto Jilin Middle Road (吉林中路).

In Shigatse Area:

  • Drive along Jilin South Road (吉林南路) for 2.0 km, then turn right onto Kare Pu East Road (卡热浦东路).

  • Continue for 1000 meters and turn left onto Shanghai South Road (上海南路).

  • Drive for 460 meters, then continue straight onto Shiya Line (日亚线).

  • Continue for 44.2 km, then turn right onto Jinan Street (济南大街中段).

  • Drive for 170 meters and reach the destination: Bairang County.