8 Days Tibet Cycling Tour from Lhasa to Namtso Lake

Tour Overview

Tibet is acknowledged one of the most mysterious and beautiful places in the world. This 8 Days Tibet Cycling Tour from Lhasa to Namtso Lake offers you the opportunity...

Code of Tour: YCT0000003513

Length of Travel: 8 Day

Destinations of Tour: Lhasa - Namtso Lake - Lhasa

Departure City: Lhasa

Price of Tour: Request

Type of Tour:

Features of Tour: Nature Culture Minority Landscape Cycling

More Map & Picture

Tibet is acknowledged one of the most mysterious and beautiful places in the world. This 8 Days Tibet Cycling Tour from Lhasa to Namtso Lake offers you the opportunity to ride through stunning Tibetan landscapes while enjoying views of iconic landmarks such as  Nyenchen Thanglha Snow Mountain and Namtso Lake. This journey is further enhanced by visits to some of Tibet’s most revered Buddhist locations including Jokhang Temple and Sera Monastery in Lhasa. During the tour you can see vast grassland dotted with sheep and yaks and traditional shepherds camp, never-melt snowy mountain, sky-railway rushing through aside the road, holy Namtso Lake sparkling in the sunshine. Riding is done along one of the main roads into the well-built Qinghai-Tibet Road. if tourists are lucky, they may see groups of pilgrims from nomadic areas to pray and do body length kowtow towards Lhasa.

Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
• Day 2: Lhasa
• Day 3: Lhasa
• Day 4: Lhasa-Damxung
• Day 5: Damxung-Namtso
• Day 6: Namtso-Yangpachen
• Day 7: Yangpachen-Lhasa
• Day 8: Lhasa Departure

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa （3650m）

Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Lhasa
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:None

When you arrive in Lhasa either by train or flight, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel .An route to viewing the Yarlung Tsangpo River/ Bhamaputra river (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa river. After arrive in lhasa, you can take rest and acclimatize. If you feel to go out, then you can go to the Potala square, where you will enjoy the fountain with different color and get amazing photos of the Potala and around. Stay overnight in Lhasa. 

Day 2 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It has been used since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collection are the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.  
After you take lunch and then head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the single most venerated object in Tibet Buddhism.
Around the temple Barkhor Street where you can do kora (circling the Barkhor street) with pilgrims and locals and buy the souvenirs. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 3 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Carpet factory, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which was one of the “three greet” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace is used as Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.
Afternoon, Sera Monastery—It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419 by Jamchen chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Lhasa. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 4 Bike from Lhasa to Damxung

Sightseeing and Activities:Sightseeing on the way
Accommodation:Damxung
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Cycle about 155km to Damxung along Qinghai-Tibet Highway, the road is pretty good and smooth, You can first ride to Yangpachen to have a little rest. After lunch, moving on to Damxung. Stay overnight at Damxung.

Day 5 Bike from Damxung to Namtso (75km)

Sightseeing and Activities:Nyenchen Thanglha Snow Mountain, Namtso Lake
Accommodation:Namtso
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Nyenchen Thanglha Snow Mountain appear in front of you all the way, Today’ most difficult ride is to climb to Mt. Nagenla Pass at.5190m high, the 4WD could take you and your bike to over the mountain pass if you need help.

After going through the mountain pass, you can see the sheepherders’ tents. You could see green grassland, groups of sheep and yaks, nomad tents by the road.

Namtso Lake is the Heavenly lake which is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest salt lake. To spend a night at lake shore is fantastic. Situated at about 5000m high, Namtso lake is actually the lake in the sky, lying on the highest plateau in the world. Stay overnight by the lake.

Day 6 Bike from Namtso to Yangpachen (123km)

Sightseeing and Activities:Namtso Lake, Tashi Dor Island
Accommodation:Yangpachen
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

While enjoying the clear morning at the lake shore, you can trek along the lake shore to Tashi Dor Island to explore the meditation caves.

Then ride to Yangpachen Hot Spring to enjoy the hotspring. The road condition is the same as the day before. Stay overnight at Yangpachen.

Day 7 Bike from Yangpachen to Lhasa (75km)

Sightseeing and Activities:Sightseeing on the way
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today ride back to Lhasa from Yangpachen. The road condition is the same as the day before. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8 Departure from Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Lhasa
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.

Recommended Hotels

Service Included:

• Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
• All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
• Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
• Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
• All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
• Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
• All meals listed in the above itinerary;
• Tourist accident/casualty insurance;
• First aid kit;

Service Excluded:

• International flight to and out of China;
• Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
• Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
• Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
• Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
• Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.

Travel Tips:

1. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

2. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, May to early October is the best time to for a Mount Kailash trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It may be too cold to travel in Kailash area from November to March. There is usually heavy snow. The conditions in Namtso Lake and Mount Everest area are quite similar with Kailash. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.

3. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

4. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. Kathmandu also has several flights to Lhasa each week.

If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended. As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.