Self-help Tour to Namtso Lake

Self-help Tour to Namtso Lake – Transportation to Namtso Lake

Namtso Lake is about 250 kilometers away from Lhasa. The asphalted road between Lhasa and Namtso Lake has been put into use in 2006. Tourists planning a self-help tour to Namtso Lake don't need to be over worried about the road condition except the winter season. Some of the tourists making a Namtso Lake tour would like to take a vehicle to Damgxung County seat first and then take another vehicle to Lake Namtso. It should be noted that there is no direct bus between Damgxung and Namtso and tourists are highly advised to choose a tourism bus to Namtso Lake at Lhasa directly so as to avoid unnecessary troubles.

Self-help Tour to Namtso Lake – Accommodation at Namtso Lake

There is no standard hotel at Namtso Lake Scenic Area so far. Some tourists preferring good accommodation could only stay overnight at Damgxung County Seat. For tourists especially interested in the sunset and sunrise landscapes at Namtso Lake, the guesthouse here might be a good choice, or you can rent a tent at Lhasa in advance. Namtso Holy Lake Guest House is one of the few guesthouses in Namtso Lake Scenic Area. It has a capacity around 100 visitors. Tourists making a self-help tour in the peak season are advised to make a reservation in advance in case of over booking.

Self-help Tour to Namtso Lake – Catering at Namtso Lake

The restaurants at Namtso Lake Scenic Area are located on Tashi Peninsula. Most of the restaurants are operated by local Tibetans and provide Tibetan dishes while the left restaurants provide simply Sichuan-style food. For foreign tourists who can't get adapt to neither the Tibetan food nor the Sichuan flavor food, preparing some solid food with high calorie might be a good choice. In fact, tourists making a self-help tour to Namtso Lake are highly advised to take some local Tibetan flavor food or drinks, such as the Tibetan oil tea, yoghourt, beef and mutton. These local diets are very helpful in strengthening tourists' adaptability to the high plateau environment with high altitude and thin air.

Self-help Tour to Namtso Lake – Best Season of Namtso Lake Tour

Though the period between June and September is the rainy season of Namtso Lake, it is regarded as the best season for Namtso Lake tour in the consideration of the road condition. With an altitude of 4718 meters, Namtso Lake is always covered by snow in the cold seasons. The road to Namtso Lake might even be closed for the ice or snow since late October. Tourists planning a self-help tour to Namtso Lake are strongly suggested to avoid the cold seasons in the consideration of safety.

But Namtso Lake Scenic Area starts to receive visitors in the winter of 2012. It employed the snow clearers to clean out the snows on the road so as to ensure smooth transportation. A series of interesting projects were also carried to attract more tourists making a Tibet tour in winter. Tourists made a self-help tour to Namtso Lake in winter did have the chance to appreciate the amazing ice sculptures and enjoy various local folk performances.