Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Best Choice for Self-driving Tour to Tibet

For tourists planning a self-driving tour to Tibet the first time, Qinghai-Tibet Highway would be the best choice among the four highways leading to Tibet. The magnificence of Qinghai-Tibet Highway is the best explaining of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The gradually rising altitude leaves us enough time to adjust ourselves to the plateau environment.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Brief Introduction

Qinghai-Tibet Highway starts from Xining City in Qinghai Province and ends at Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region. It is longest and highest asphalt highway above the sea level, and also the shortest and safest highway to Tibet with good road condition. Tourists making a self-driving tour along this highway will have the chance to witness the magnificent prairie, salt lake, gobi, high mountains and desert view.

Qinghai-Tibet is suitable for traffic all year around. It is the busiest highway among all the highways to Tibet. The highway between Lhasa and Golmud is about 1100 kilometers and it takes about 24 hours driving to get to finish the whole journey. Most of the vehicles heading to Lhasa would start at Golmud. Tourists making a self-help tour to Tibet along Qinghai-Tibet Highway could find a vehicle at Golmud conveniently. The tourist bust between Lanzhou (capital city of Gansu Province) and Lhasa has also been opened. The whole journey between Lanzhou and Lhasa is about 2216 kilometers and it takes about 50 hours driving to finish this journey.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Tips for Self-driving Tour to Tibet

The Wudaoliang Mountain Pass and Tanggula Mountain Pass on Qinghai-Tibet Highway are noted for their high altitude and severe weather condition. Tourists making a self-driving tour along Qinghai-Tibet Highway should prepare warm clothes to cope with the cold weather on these high mountain passes. Medicines effective in the precaution and relieving of the high altitude sickness should also be prepared in advance. Oxygen bottle should also be prepared in case of need during this challenging trip.

While passing the Tanggula Mountain Pass or taking a stop here, tourists should never do some strenuous activities so as to avoid the possible high altitude sickness. Strenuous activities might add more burden to the heart. It is said that some of the high altitude sickness symptoms are caused by over exciting. Enough solid food and potable water should be stored in the vehicle since the tourists have to spend most of time in the vehicle. There are several board and lodging sites along Qinghai-Tibet Highway, but the lodging condition and taste of the food are pretty limited. A warm sleeping bag should always be prepared to cope with the cold in the night.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Scenic Spots

Golmud is a new industrial city in middle Qinghai Province. It acts an important transportation throat of Tibet. All the vehicles have to enter into Tibet through Golmud when the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Sichuan-Tibet Highway are closed due to the weather condition or natural disasters.

Tourists making a self-driving tour to Tibet along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway will witness the endless grassland at Nagqu after climbing over the Tanggula Mountain Pass. August and September are the golden seasons of Nagqu Prairie. The solemn Horse Racing Festival will be celebrated on Nagqu Prairie in August every year.