Namtso Lake

Namtso Lake, bordering between Lhasa and Nagchu, is the largest salty lake in Tibet and the second largest lake in China – only after Qinghai Lake. Reaching to 70km from east to west and 30km from south to north, the whole lake covers an area of 1,920 square kilometers. With an altitude of 4,718 meters, it is the highest large-scale lake above sea level in the world. In Tibetan language, Namtso means “Heavenly Lake”. As one of the three holy lakes along with Yamdrok Lake and Manasarovar Lake, it has attracted numerous tourists and pilgrims with its natural beauty and Buddhist holiness.

1. How to Plan Namtso Lake Travel
Usually, tourists like to extend their Lhasa tour to Namtso. Firstly, Lhasa is can be reached easily from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Guangzhou, Kunming etc. and Kathmandu. A classic tour to Namtso Lake need 5~6 days. After four days tour to visit the landmarks of Lhasa, you can spend one or two days on a Namtso Lake journey. If you have more time to explore the nature and culture fully, you can have a longer tour combining Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Everest and Namtso.

2. High Altitude Sickness Tips
It is easy to suffer from High Altitude Sickness (HAS) for people who haven’t acclimatized themselves well to the plateau especially in the night at Namtso Lake as the lake is located more than 4700 meters above sea level. Our suggestion is that you can spend several days in Lhasa and surrounding area where the altitudes are lower for acclimatization. When your body is ready, you can go to Namtso Lake. If you have no confidence on your physical condition, don’t manage with the effort to stay a night at Namtso Lake because the HAS usually occurs in the night.

3. Wearing and Packages
The temperature in Namtso Lake is much lower than Lhasa, especially at night. After getting to Namtso Lake, you should keep yourself warm all the time. Don’t remove your jacket even the temperature casually or you may catch a cold, which is very dangerous on the plateau. Avoid fast and long walking and other strenuous activities. Take a standby battery with you, because there are too many things to photograph.

4. Necessary Permits for Visiting Namtso Lake
To visit Namtso Lake, you only have to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit), issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau. Other permits, such as Alien Travel Permit, Military Permit and Border Pass are not required. Travelers can’t apply for the permit on their own. You have to let a China Travel Agency to apply for the permit on behalf of you. It usually needs about 15~20 days to obtain the permit.