Nagqu travel guide
那曲
The annual Cordyceps trading festival features a “Cordyceps King” competition. Nagqu Cordyceps, prized for its medicinal value and large size, has won the championship for several consecutive years.
6 places · In the guidebook: pages 621–627
Nagqu, Tibet Autonomous Region · AI illustration for China Trip
The feel of the place
- Cordyceps
- The annual Cordyceps trading festival features a “Cordyceps King” competition. Nagqu Cordyceps, prized for its medicinal value and large size, has won the championship for several consecutive years.
- Flavours of Nature
- Nagqu's vast, rolling grasslands are a paradise for wild animals and plants. Take a deep breath and the air is filled with natural, pure scents: the freshness of green grass, mixed with the wild scent of animals.
Travel Tips
1. Do not speak loudly in Tibetan homes or inside temples.
2. Before taking photos, check whether photography is allowed at the location. Some local elders do not like being photographed.
3. Water is inconvenient in Nagqu and supplies are rationed, so use water sparingly.
Cultural Highlights
1. Ethnic groups: Seni District is mainly Tibetan, but Han, Hui, Mongolian, Monpa, Lhoba and other ethnic groups also live here.
2. Festivals: The Nagqu Horse Racing Festival is held every year on August 1 (Gregorian calendar) and lasts 5 to 10 days.
Preparation and Information
Language
Most people here do not speak Chinese, except those who work in business.
Climate and Best Time to Visit
May to September is relatively warm and is the golden season for the grasslands. The weather is mild, with gentle winds and sunshine, and rainfall accounts for 80% of the annual total. The grasslands turn green and everything flourishes, making this the best time to visit.
Things to see
Changtang Grassland
One of China’s Five Great Pastures, the Changtang Grassland is best protected by its wildlife. It is also a place with a rich cultural heritage. Nomadic herders have created a mysterious and colourful nomadic culture here, and herders’ tents dot the landscape. Ancient rock carvings, prayer flags, stupas and mani stone piles lend the land an air of mystery. The annual Qiaqing Horse Racing Festival is well worth attending.
4 hours
Mount Sapu
This equilateral-triangle snow peak looks like an ice-sealed pyramid, a masterpiece of nature. Where safety allows, you can enter the blue ice caves that have lain frozen in the glacier for hundreds of millions of years. The deep blue ice catches the light in exquisite beauty, like a fairyland. It is an off-the-beaten-path icy wonderland, not to be missed.
1–2 hours · ¥150
Zhuoma Canyon
Although it sits at an altitude of 4,700 metres, this place remarkably presents a scene of fragrant flowers, lush trees and vibrant life. Because it is as lovely as a celestial maiden, everyone calls it Zhuoma Canyon Scenic Area.
1 hour
Cona Lake
Cona Lake sits at an altitude of 4,594 metres and is the highest freshwater lake in the world. To local Tibetans it is a “holy lake”, and in the Tibetan Year of the Dragon, tens of thousands of pilgrims come to worship here. On the lake’s eastern side, the Qinghai–Tibet Railway runs close beside the sacred lake, making it one of the most famous sights along the Amdo and Qinghai–Tibet Railway route.
1 hour
Siling Co
Also written Siling Co, which in Tibetan means “Demon Lake of Radiant Splendour”, it is a kingdom of lakes. The lake covers 1,640 square kilometres and is ringed by 23 satellite lakes that wind around it like a jade necklace, forming the largest inland lake system in Tibet. In summer the lakeshore scenery is distinctive, and migratory birds gather on the islets in the lake. As you drive to the shore, an endless expanse of water and sky blending into one fills your view. The sky seems so low that you feel you could reach out and touch the clouds. The scenery is stunning, like a fairyland.
1 hour · Free
Getting there & around
Getting In and Out
Rail
Nagqu Railway Station (那曲火车站) is about 2 km west of downtown Nagqu, in Emadige Village, Mendi Township, right beside the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Trains currently serving Nagqu include the Z21 to Beijing, Z322 to Chengdu, Z223 to Chongqing, and Z323, Z917 and Z165 to Lanzhou. All of these trains stop at Nagqu.
Highway
Various shuttles run between Nagqu and Lhasa, including Santana cars, Jinbei vans and minibuses. Fares range from ¥60 to ¥100, and vehicles depart at any time from morning until afternoon every day.
Getting Around Town
Town has taxis and buses, as well as minibuses that shuttle between districts (¥2). Just flag one down. Vehicles to Lhasa and Golmud leave at any time. There are also services to the nearby county towns of Bangor, Suo County and Qamdo, but these do not run daily. Some depart only after several days, or even a week.
Eat & drink
Shaped by the high-altitude environment, Nagqu's cuisine is typically Tibetan. Meat dishes are mainly beef, mutton and pork, while vegetables, butter and cheese make up the non-meat staples. Common drinks include yogurt, fresh milk, milk tea and butter tea.
Jinhada Tibetan Restaurant
A restaurant with distinctive Tibetan character.
- Address:
- West side of Kangyuan Hotel, Gaoyuan West Road
- Phone:
- 15501017442
Where to stay
Accommodation falls into three types: hotels, guesthouses and Tibetan tents. The first two are relatively comfortable. Tibetan tents are simple but offer the advantage of low prices.
Nagqu Scala Hotel
Nagqu Scala Hotel- Address:
- No. 1, Tongzhan Road, Seni District
- Phone:
- 0896-3333331
Shopping
Shopping in Nagqu is concentrated on Zhejiang Middle Road and Gaoyuan Road. Key places include Nagqu Market, Qiangtang Market, People's Department Store on Zhejiang Middle Road, and the Nagqu Agricultural and Livestock Products Market on Gaoyuan Road. Shops on these two streets are fairly concentrated, and the goods have plenty of local character.
Caterpillar fungus, musk, snow lotus and fritillary bulb are all local specialties of Nagqu.
Local Specialties
Most of these specialties are quite expensive, and unless you are an expert, it is hard to tell good quality from poor. Be very careful when buying.
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 621–627. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version