Namtso Lake
For many people who have been to Namtso, it is one of the most majestic places they have ever seen. If you can visit only three places in Tibet, travellers who have been there recommend Namtso,…
Namtso Lake, Lhasa · AI illustration for China Trip
Key facts
- Admission
- ¥145 in low season (entry ticket + sightseeing shuttle); ¥210 in peak season (entry ticket + sightseeing shuttle)
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Getting there
- 1. Namtso Lake is about 60 km from Damxung County town. The road is entirely unpaved and crosses Nagen Pass at 5,190 m. Damxung is 164 km from Lhasa on the Zhongni Highway (中尼线). No public buses run to Namtso. Many travellers rent a vehicle together: a minibus for a two-day round trip costs ¥1500. You can look for travel companions on the notice boards at YAK or Balang Xue Hostel (八廊学旅馆). Alternatively, board a small bus in front of Kirey Hostel. This option is cheaper and more convenient, and it departs at 7:00. However, check with Kirey Hostel the night before, as the arrangements are sometimes unclear. 2. If you enter the plateau via the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (青藏线), you can charter a car in Damxung to go up to Namtso. Prices vary by season. Because your body has not yet acclimatised when you first arrive on the plateau, staying overnight here often brings noticeable altitude sickness. The beauty of the place is matched by the hardship. Most people acclimatise in Lhasa first and then go to Namtso.
- Guidebook rating
- 5 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 547. Open in Google Maps
About Namtso Lake
For many people who have been to Namtso, it is one of the most majestic places they have ever seen. If you can visit only three places in Tibet, travellers who have been there recommend Namtso, the Himalayas and Mount Kailash (Kangrinboqe).
Namtso is China's second-largest saltwater lake after Qinghai Lake, and it is the highest saltwater lake in the world. Five islets dot the lake, and the massive Tashi Peninsula is visible from far away. On Tashi Island, two small hills rise. If you climb to the summit of the taller one, you will see a huge pile of mani stones and prayer banners, along with a line of small mani stone piles stretching for hundreds of metres. This is the highest point of Namtso, with the vast lake spreading out around you like a sea. Along the shore stand snow-capped mountains, and on clear days you can see the main peak of the Nyainqêntanglha Range.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Namtso Lake cost?
Admission to Namtso Lake is ¥145 in low season (entry ticket + sightseeing shuttle); ¥210 in peak season (entry ticket + sightseeing shuttle), as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How do I get to Namtso Lake?
1. Namtso Lake is about 60 km from Damxung County town. The road is entirely unpaved and crosses Nagen Pass at 5,190 m. Damxung is 164 km from Lhasa on the Zhongni Highway (中尼线). No public buses run to Namtso. Many travellers rent a vehicle together: a minibus for a two-day round trip costs ¥1500. You can look for travel companions on the notice boards at YAK or Balang Xue Hostel (八廊学旅馆). Alternatively, board a small bus in front of Kirey Hostel. This option is cheaper and more convenient, and it departs at 7:00. However, check with Kirey Hostel the night before, as the arrangements are sometimes unclear. 2. If you enter the plateau via the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (青藏线), you can charter a car in Damxung to go up to Namtso. Prices vary by season. Because your body has not yet acclimatised when you first arrive on the plateau, staying overnight here often brings noticeable altitude sickness. The beauty of the place is matched by the hardship. Most people acclimatise in Lhasa first and then go to Namtso.
How long should I spend at Namtso Lake?
Plan on 1–2 days for Namtso Lake.
Where is Namtso Lake?
Namtso Lake is in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Southwest of China.
More places in Lhasa
Jokhang Temple
The Jokhang Temple holds a supreme position in Tibetan Buddhism and is the highest-ranking temple of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school. In 643 CE, the 18-year-old Princess Wencheng arrived in Lhasa carrying a life-size statue of Shakyamuni at age 12. It is said to have been modelled on Shakyamuni himself and consecrated by him personally, which makes it the most precious. To house the statue, Songtsen Gampo built Ramoche Temple for Princess Wencheng, and built the Jokhang for the Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti, who had married him earlier. In the time of Princess Jincheng, the statue was moved to the Jokhang, and the temple was then continually expanded until it reached its present scale.
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Potala Palace
A treasure house: you may never see as many treasures in your lifetime as you will here, and seeing them up close is dazzling. The Potala Palace stands on Marburi Hill (玛布日山) in the centre of Lhasa and is the largest and most complete palace complex in Tibet. 'Potala' is Sanskrit for 'Sacred Place of Avalokiteśvara'. In the 7th century, the Tubo king Songtsen Gampo built a palace here when he married Princess Wencheng of the Tang dynasty; it was later destroyed in wars. It was rebuilt in the mid-17th century. It covers 130,000 square metres and was the political centre of the former Tibetan region. The whole complex is built of wood and stone, with gilded roofs. The Potala Palace was the venue for large-scale religious and political ceremonies. The 7th floor at the top was the Dalai Lama's winter residence; because it receives abundant sunlight, it is known as the East and West Sunlight Halls. The Red Palace houses mainly the stupa tombs and chapels of successive Dalai Lamas, with eight stupa tombs in total, distributed among the halls on different floors. The largest is the stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama, 14.85 metres tall and inlaid with diamonds and agate. Its topmost gem, a heavenly bead (tianzhu), is said to be the most precious in the world. There is also a gem said to have formed in an elephant's brain, and the gold used alone amounted to 5,500 kilograms. This hall is the largest in the Potala Palace, covering 725 square metres.
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Drigung Til Monastery
Built in 1179 by Rinchen Pel, the monastery stands between sheer cliffs and is very spectacular. Its main sights include the assembly hall, the stupa hall, the library, the mandala hall, the hall of protector deities, meditation and esoteric training rooms, and Tashi Gomang Hall.
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Ganden Monastery
The first monastery of the Gelug school. Ganden Monastery, together with Sera and Drepung monasteries, is known as Lhasa's Three Great Monasteries. It was built by Tsongkhapa in 1409, and his body is enshrined in a stupa inside the monastery. The monastery has two dratsang, more than 50 buildings, and a set quota of 3,300 monks.
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Tsurphu Monastery
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Yangbajain
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