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Top Five Destinations in Tibet

Last Update: July 3, 2020

Tibet is well known for its magnificent natural scenery and mysterious religious culture. It has a vast area, spectacular landform, rich resources, arcane monasteries, and devout believers.

However, what is the most worthwhile place to visit? Many tourists, especially those who want to visit Tibet for the first time, eager to know the answer. So we enumerated the top five destinations in Tibet to help people get the answers in a limited time.

Lhasa - the Center of Tibet

As the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa is the political, educational, transportation, religious, and economic center of Tibet with an altitude of 3600m. Many people’s first impression of Tibet comes from this city. In Lhasa city, there are many famous and attractive scenic spots, such as Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, etc.

These scenic spots represent the religion of Tibet. You can find many devout believers around Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street. Some of them come to Lhasa from far away just for pilgrimage. These become the beautiful landscape and traditional culture of Lhasa.

Potala Palace is a landmark of Lhasa cityPotala Palace is a landmark of Lhasa city

For example, the Potala Palace is the first destination for most tourists upon their arrivals in Lhasa. As the start of almost every Tibet tour, The Potala Palace, is the world’s highest palace as well as monastery. It was built for Tang Princes Wencheng by Songtsan Gampo and was reconstructed as the residence for the 5th Dalai Lama in 1645. When you visit the Potala Palace, you will not only marvel at the majestic white and red building complex, but also be amazed by the innumerous Tibet treasures and ancient art works inside the palace.

There are many flights and trains to Lhasa, which make the transportation quite convenient. It is wise to visit Lhasa as your first destination of Tibet. Meanwhile, Lhasa is not only convenient for transportation, but also offer multiple choices on accommodation and food. It has different levels of hotels from 3 to 5 stars, characteristic guesthouses, and youth hostels. The foods here are also diverse. There is not only Tibetan food, but also Sichuan and Indian food etc.

Visit Ganden Monastery near downtown LhasaVisit Ganden Monastery near downtown Lhasa

The altitude of Lhasa is relatively low in Tibet, and the surrounding scenery is also very beautiful. After spending the washing soul time in Lhasa city, you can visit Ganden Monastery near downtown Lhasa. It is located on a small mountain, and there is a beautiful, quiet and small village at the mountain foot.

Namtso – the Heavenly Lake Perfect for Photographers

Lake Namtso is the biggest lake in Tibet and the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is 4718 meters above sea level and covers an area of 1940 square kilometers. As one of the three holy lakes (the other two being Lake Yamdrotso and Lake Manasarovar) in Tibet, it has been developed into a mature tourist destination in recent years.

Lake Namtso is one of he three holy lakes in TibetLake Namtso is one of he three holy lakes in Tibet

There are five islands of different sizes in Lake Namtso, standing out in the vast blue waves. Buddhists believe that they are the incarnation of the five Buddhas. Among them, the Tashi Dor Island, which goes deep into the heart of the lake, is the top of the five peninsulas.

The lake attracts many photographers and tourists not only because of its religious significance but also because of its picturesque scenery. It is surrounded by snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountains, and yaks are scattered at the lakeshore.

Lake Namtso is one of he three holy lakes in TibetTake a tourist photo of Lake Namtso

Photographers like shooting from different angles in different places at Lake Namtso. Sometimes, they will take photos from dawn to dark. The clean sky, marshmallow clouds, blue lake, big stone at the lakeside, snow mountain, sunrise, sunset, and starry sky are their favorite pictures. To spend 2 or 3 nights at Lake Namtso is better for them.

It is very convenient to visit Namtso from Lhasa, for they are only about 240 km away. For tourists, it is highly recommended to stay one night at the side of Lake Namtso, to enjoy the splendid sunrise and sunset there, with a lifetime memory of the fantastic starry night. It is quite convenient from Lhasa to Lake Namtso, the road condition is very well.

Note: Lake Namtso will close in winter time because of the harsh weather and frozen lake.

Mount Everest – the World’s Highest Peak

Mount Everest, which means ”a female deity” in Tibetan, is the world’s highest peak at an altitude of 8848 meters. It is located on the border between China and Nepal in the middle section of the Himalayas. The summit is covered with snow all year-round, which is a holy sight. Everest has 4 peaks of more than 8000 meters and 38 peaks of more than 7000 meters.

Tibet Everest Base CampTibet Everest Base Camp

Many travelers want to be there and take a look at Mount Everest every year. Not everyone can reach the top of the world’s highest peak, but you can go to Everest Base Camp and get more close to the spectacular and magnificent Mount Everest.

EBC is the best place in the world to have a full view of Mt. Everest. If you are lucky enough, you can see Mount Everest shinning like a diamond in the blue sky. There is the highest monastery “Rongbuk Monastery” at EBC, and the location brings the monastery a mysterious color.

Mount Everest has different scenery in different seasons. People can enjoy the view of the sunrise, sunset, and starry sky at EBC. Hikers can choose the classic trekking route from Tingri to EBC, while tourists can choose the typical 8 days route from Lhasa to EBC, which including the main scenic spots of Tibet.

Nyingchi - Totally Different Scenery from the Rest of Tibet

Nyingchi is located in western Tibet with 2900 meters’ altitude and the weather is pleasant all year round here. It has a vast sea of forests and flowers. From the snow lotus growing in the alpine zone to the palm growing in the subtropical zone, there are abundant natural resources and well-preserved natural features.

Enjoy Peach Blossom Festival in NyingchiEnjoy Peach Blossom Festival in Nyingchi

Glaciers lining forests, blue lakes reflecting snow mountains, the scenery is unique and different from the rest of Tibet. It is also called “the Switzerland of Tibet”. Since 2003, Nyingchi has held Peach Blossom Festival in late March every year, attracting many Chinese and Asian tourists. People love the peach blossom forest very much.

Except for the peach blossom forest, Nyingchi also has many impressive attractions like Lake Draksum-tso, Mount Namjabarwa, Brahmaputra River Grand Canyon, Lulang Forest, Midui Glacier, etc. Tourists can experience varied scenery in this area. Especially, for the travelers who worried about high altitude sickness, you can choose to first visit Nyingchi before head to other places of Tibet.

Mount Kailash – the Holiest Destination for Pilgrims

Mount Kailash, located near Lake Manasarovar in Ngari Prefecture of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, is considered a sacred place and the world center of Bon, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Mount Kailash is the most sacred mountain in TibetMount Kailash is the most sacred mountain in Tibet

As the most sacred mountains in Tibet, Mount Kailash in west Tibet receives many visitors as well as pilgrims from over the world. Many of them will do the lifetime trekking around Mount Kailash. The worship of Mount Kailash is a belief since the ancient of the old days. Tibetan Buddhist believers believe that the pilgrimage can clean up the sins of the previous life and the present life, add infinite merits and virtues. For a believer, a pilgrimage is a sacred act that can be taken seriously for a lifetime.

From a distance, people can see that Mount Kailash has a unique landform. It is like a pyramid, a long longitudinal crack on the south face is cut off by the horizontal conglomerate, which is very shocking.

Conclusion

In addition to the five destinations above-mentioned, Tibet also offer many more wonderful places to discover. For tourists who you are planning a trip to Tibet, we have kinds of cost-effective group tours that includes all classic and popular destinations in Tibet. Also, we offer customized private tours to meet different needs. Please feel free to contact us to start your dreamed Tibet tour.

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