Travel Guide of Qinghai-Tibet Highway
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Travel Guide of Qinghai-Tibet Highway

Update: Mar. 21st, 2013

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Travel Guide of Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Overview

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is originated from Xining City of Qinghai Province to Lhasa of Tibet by way of Golmud. It is one of the highest and longest highways of the world. It is well known not only as the shortest mileage, but also the best road condition. It is proud of the magnificent and amazing sceneries along the way. For example, it passes Riyue Mountain, Rubber Mountain, Wongnaixiu Mountain, Totu Mountain, etc, and crosses Dashui River, Shangride River, Gaikeguang River, Brazil River, Qingshui River, and Hongshui River, etc, along the way from Xining to Golmud. It is approximately 782 kilometers long from Xining to Golmud. In addition, you will have a chance to enjoy the breathtaking natural sceneries such as the plateau grassland, Salt Water Well, Gobi desert, high mountains and other deserts, etc.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is opened to public in the whole year, which is the busiest highway to enter Tibet. It is approximately 1937 kilometers long in total, acted as the artery of the State 2-level. The roadbed is about 10 meters in width, and the gradient is less than 7%. The average elevation is over 4000 meters. Even though it is very high, the ups and downs are gentle and smooth. There are about 60 bridges available along Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The bridges are 1347 meters long in total.

Due to the bad geological conditions and hostile environment along the way, Qinghai-Tibet Highway has been fixed and maintained many times since it has been opened to traffic.

Travel Guide of Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Mileage and Destinations

The section of Qinghai-Tibet Highway is about 528 kilometers long in Qinghai Province, and about 1140 kilometers long from Golmud of Qinghai Province to Lhasa of Tibet Region. High Kunlun Mountain, mysterious Tanggula Mountain, vast and wild Hoh Xil, and beautiful northern Tibet grassland, Geladandong Mountain, Qinghai Lake, Golmud Salt Well Lake, Namtso Lake, Nagqu, and Dangxong Grassland, etc, could be greatly appreciated along Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The average elevation is over 4500 meters high.

The mileage of Qinghai-Tibet Highway is Xining – 123 – Daotang River – 196 – Chaka – 484 – Golmud – 269 – Wudaoliang – 150 – Toto River – 91 – Yanshiping – 100 – Tanggula Mountain Pass – 89 – Ando – 138 – Nagqu – 164 – Dangxong – 75 – Yampachen – 78 – Lhasa City.

Travel Guide of Qinghai-Tibet Highway – Notes

Due to avoid the high altitude sickness as much as possible, tourists are usually kindly suggested to fly to Tibet firstly. Taking the flight spends less time and helps people to adapt the high land environment as soon as possible while arriving in Tibet. After finishing your Tibet tour, you could rent a car and have a self-drive experience out of Tibet. Also, you could take the train out, too.

The best time to travel along Qinghai-Tibet Highway is from May to October. Winter is not suggested as it is too cold along Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Even though you travel along Qinghai-Tibet Highway in summer, you'd better take your sweater and jacket. The temperature is relatively lower when Qinghai-Tibet Highway passes the highland mountains. In rainy days, the temperature could fall below 0 ?.

In addition, Sichuan food and halal food are both commonly food along Qinghai-Tibet Highway.

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