# Nyingchi travel guide (林芝) Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · 16 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/tibet/nyingchi ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Bayi Town (八一镇, Nyingchi city) → Lulang Town (Sejila Mountain and Lulang Forest) - **Day 2:** Lulang Town → Midui Glacier → Ranwu Lake → Lulang Town - **Day 3:** Lulang Town → Bonri Sacred Mountain → Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (overnight in Suosong Village inside the canyon, a famed spot for peach blossoms) - **Day 4:** Suosong Village → Namcha Barwa → Bayi Town - **Day 5:** Bayi Town → Paga Temple → Basum Tso Lake ## The feel of the place - **Plateau Switzerland:** Cuogao Lake, also known as Basong Lake, is one of Nyingchi's best-known sights. Often called the 'Switzerland of Tibet', it is a beautiful, natural and unspoiled place, and few such places are likely to remain untouched for long. ## The feel of the place ### Border Permit Notes 1. Areas in Tibet that require a border permit: Nyingchi (including Medog), Shigatse, Shannan and Ngari. Processing in Tibet is slow and the procedures are rather cumbersome, so it is best to obtain the permit in your home registration area. 2. Applying in Lhasa: first go to the Lhasa Municipal Public Security Bureau and, with your ID card, obtain a letter of introduction for the permit. Then go to the Armed Police Border Defence Corps to apply. The permit fee is ¥8 and the deposit is ¥30. If you have a passport for overseas travel, you do not need to apply for a border permit. ### Preparation and Enquiries ### Climate and Best Time to Visit Nyingchi sits at an elevation of 1000–3000 metres in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo in southeastern Tibet. It is Tibet's lowest-lying region and home to one of the world's most dramatic vertical landscape zones. It lies on the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, the essential route to Lhasa, and the scenery along the way is stunning, though in the rainy season landslides and mudslides often cut the road. The trip from Lhasa to Nyingchi is the most relaxed and comfortable of Tibet's touring routes. ## Getting there & around ### By Air Nyingchi Mainling Airport lies in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley in Mainling, Nyingchi, about 40 km from Nyingchi city centre (Bayi Town). Flights currently operate to Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Lhasa. Shuttle buses run between the airport and the city centre with no fixed timetable; a bus waits whenever a flight arrives. The fare is ¥25. - phone: 0894-5482731 - address: Mainling, Nyingchi ### By Road At present, buses and cars are the main means of transport for getting to Nyingchi. Coach: Lhasa–Nyingchi coaches depart daily from 8:00, fare ¥247. Car hire: if you have plenty of time, you could first travel the Everest route, then contact a driver directly, without going through a travel agency, to cover Nyingchi–Lulang–Cuogao Lake, about 1000 km in total. With good road conditions the round trip takes 3 days, and the cost is around ¥3000. - tip: 1. Road conditions: the Lhasa–Nyingchi road is mostly paved, which for anyone who has driven other Tibetan routes feels like paradise; an ordinary Santana can handle it. The roads to Lulang Town and Basong Lake have also been paved. 2. Hitchhiking tips: When hitchhiking along the Sichuan-Tibet and Yunnan-Tibet highways, keep a few things in mind. Fairly regular rides are timber trucks running from Bomi, Zayü and other places to Chengdu, and jeeps and Santana cars that occasionally carry passengers to Chengdu. Each county has a guesthouse that serves as a gathering point for drivers, such as the Grain Bureau Guesthouse in Bomi and Ping'an Hostel in Ranwu. If you wait at the Sancha Crossroads early in the morning, you may also catch vehicles coming up from Zayü. There are many army way stations along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and they are usually happy to host travellers. ### Car Rental To reach major sights such as Basong Co from Nyingchi, you can rent a jeep at the post and telecommunications office in Bayi Town. Each jeep seats up to 6 people. ### Ethnic Groups Nyingchi is home to the Monpa, Lhoba and other ethnic minorities. Their way of life and religious beliefs retain a strong traditional character, giving the area a distinctive ethnic flavour. ### Food and Accommodation in Lulang Town 1. A modernised Tibetan-style town, where accommodation and dining have improved dramatically. 2. Bringing your own sleeping bag is important. The moths in the porches could almost be considered one of Lulang's sights: big and small, they cluster densely on the walls. 3. Lulang's mushrooms are absolutely delicious. Guesthouse restaurants offer few vegetables, but you can enjoy all kinds of mushrooms. 4. Red-braised pork stewed with matsutake is the best choice. Its storage time and preservative content are unknown, but once you taste it with Tibet's most famous mushroom, you'll forget everything else. A plate usually costs ¥20–30, and a few varieties are a little pricier, but they are good value. 5. Lulang's signature dish is stone-pot chicken, which was featured in the documentary series A Bite of China. Almost every small eatery in town serves it. ### Self-Driving ### Rail Daily trains depart Lhasa Station at 8:00, 13:45 and 17:15, running direct to Nyingchi Station. Second-class seats cost ¥129. - **Lhasa → Nyingchi** — Along National Highway 318 (Sichuan-Tibet Highway) from Lhasa → Dazi → Mozhugongkar → Gongbo'gyamda (crossing Mila Pass) → Baiba Town → Bayi Town. Total distance: 407 km. - **Chamdo → Nyingchi** — Along National Highway 318 (Sichuan-Tibet Highway) from Chamdo → Bomi → Lulang Town → Bayi Town. Total distance: 719 km. - **Shannan → Nyingchi** — Along Tibet Provincial Highway 306 from Shannan → Lhünzê County → Milin town → Nyingchi Airport → Ganggar Bridge → Bayi Town. Total distance: 370 km. - **Gongshan County, Yunnan → Nyingchi** — Along the Gongcha Highway from Gongshan County, Yunnan → Zayü County in Nyingchi → Ranwu Town in Chamdo (along the Ranzha Highway) → Bomi County (along National Highway 318) → Bayi Town. Total distance: 2,600 km. ## Eat & drink Nyingchi's cuisine follows traditional Tibetan flavours and also features specialities of other ethnic groups. Wild mushrooms such as matsutake, which grow in Nyingchi, are celebrated as gourmet delicacies. - **Tibetan Xiang Pig** — Rich but not greasy. Some restaurants in Bayi Town serve dishes made with Tibetan Xiang pig, but you'll need to ask around, as it isn't available everywhere. ## Shopping The abundant forests yield a wide range of economic and medicinal plants. Common examples include wuyanguo, used to treat heart disease; Hainan cephalotaxus, with anti-cancer properties; santai flower, which prevents malaria; yanling grass, said to promote longevity; and heijie grass, which soothes the throat. Important Tibetan medicinal materials include nansuanzao, gouteng and shihu, while prized herbs include Paris polyphylla, beimu (fritillary bulb), snow lotus and caowu (monkshood). Nyingchi also has handicrafts unique to its ethnic groups: Monpa wooden bowls, bamboo weaving, and Lhoba stone pots and pottery. ## Where to stay Hotels and guesthouses in Nyingchi are mostly concentrated in Bayi Town, which has the best transport links. There is a good range of hotels at different price levels, such as the Nyingchi Guesthouse, the Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College Guesthouse and the Nyingchi Hotel. In remote areas, you can camp. If you're touring the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon area, you can choose to stay with local families, but remember to follow local customs. ## Things to see - **Sejila Mountain** (★★★★): Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sejila-mountain - **Lulang** (★★★★): Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lulang - **Zangbu Badong Waterfalls** (★★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zangbu-badong-waterfalls - **Medog** (★★★★): Time needed 6 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/medog - **Bomi** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bomi - **Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon** (★★★★): Admission Entrance ticket ¥150; sightseeing bus ticket ¥90 (peak season). Entrance ticket plus sightseeing bus ticket ¥128 (off-season).; Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/yarlung-tsangpo-grand-canyon - **Namcha Barwa** (★★★★★): Admission ¥150 (entrance ticket plus sightseeing bus); Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/namcha-barwa - **Midui Glacier** (★★★★): Admission ¥50 (sightseeing shuttle bus ¥35); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/midui-glacier - **Bonri Sacred Mountain** (★★★★): Admission ¥70; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bonri-sacred-mountain - **Basum Tso Lake** (★★★★★): Admission ¥120 (May–October), ¥60 (November–April); Opening hours 8:30–20:30 (May–October); 9:00–18:30 (November–April); Time needed 2–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/basum-tso-lake - **Nanyigou Valley** (★★★★): Admission Entrance ticket ¥110; sightseeing bus ¥90; Opening hours 8：30—18：30; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/nanyigou-valley - **Lulang Forest Sea** (★★★★): Admission ¥170; viewing platform ¥30; Opening hours 6：00—18：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lulang-forest-sea - **Taohua Valley (Peach Blossom Valley)** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/taohua-valley-peach-blossom-valley - **Niyang River Scenic Belt** (★★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/niyang-river-scenic-belt - **Kading Gully** (★★★): Admission ¥45; Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kading-gully - **Buddha's Palm Sand Dunes** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/buddha-s-palm-sand-dunes --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 570–587. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.