Travel and accommodation guide from Lhasa to Golmud via Namtso

Nowadays, many young people in China like to travel by car to Lhasa, Tibet. However, on the way to Lhasa, they will most likely pass through Namtso to Golmud. So what does this look like? How to solve the problem of accommodation and food?

1. Itinerary Overview

First, let’s analyze the distance of National Highway 109 from Lhasa to Golmud: 1196 kilometers.

Lhasa to Namtso trip:

32 kilometers. National Highway 109 turns from the Qinghai-Tibet Line to the Adam Line to Namtso, which is located in the north of Damxung County. The distance from Damxung County to Namtso is 62 kilometers. It is very convenient to live in Namtso in Lhasa. After passing Nagqu, you can go to Anduo County, and then pass through Tanggula Mountain, Hoh Xil, and Golmud City. The route is basically like this.

The Qinghai-Tibet Line 109 National Highway has the following two sections that you need to pay attention to:

1. The accommodation fee in Anduo County is very expensive, because there is no accommodation 200 kilometers from Anduo County over the Tanggula Mountains. . You have to go to Yanshiping Town to find a hotel. It is recommended not to cross Tanggula Pass at night, as it is particularly dangerous. The cheapest accommodation in Nagqu.

2. Hoh Xil is nearly 300 kilometers away from Golmud, so be sure to fill up the tank. The road in Hoh Xil Nature Reserve is dusty and is also the most difficult section of National Highway 109 on the Qinghai-Tibet Line. The road is in good condition and is paved with asphalt. Some roads in Hoh Xil are uneven, so be careful when riding a motorcycle.

2. Special reminder

Traveling by road along the Qinghai-Tibet line from Lhasa to Golmud is one of the more mature routes. It is not difficult to plan your itinerary by paying attention to the above content. There are many places to stay: Damxung County, Nagqu Prefecture, Amdo County, Yanshiping Town, Tanggula Mountain City, and Golmud City. Note: Anduo County is 200 kilometers away from Tanggula Pass, and Hoh Xil is 300 kilometers away from Golmud City in an uninhabited land.

I don’t know how you got to Tibet, whether you entered Tibet through the Sichuan-Tibet Line or the Yunnan-Tibet Line. If so, then you have been accustomed to the Tibetan Plateau for more than ten days. At this time, if you go to places like Namtso or Mount Everest Base Camp, or even return to the Qinghai-Tibet Line, your body should not have a particularly big reaction. Do not worry!

But remember, no strenuous exercise is allowed, as this is the main culprit of altitude sickness. This can basically be done safely and securely, because by this time you have adapted to the plateau climate.

There is actually no scientific method for choosing nodes and accommodation conditions from Lhasa to Golmud, because there is no place below 4,500 meters above sea level where you can stay, so there is no choice, okay?

3. Detailed itinerary

Generally you can go like this. On the first day, you will arrive from Lhasa to Namtso. Namtso is about 4,900 meters above sea level. You can stay here for one night and experience the starry sky on the plateau. It is said that looking at the stars here can make you wish, and it is particularly sensitive. The key is that the starry sky and stars here are particularly clear, and your eyes blink like a naughty child, which can give people wonderful childhood and memories.

You can set off from Namtso and arrive at Amdo the next day. The altitude of Anduo should also be around 4,700 meters. You can arrange accommodation here.

On the third day, you can get up a little earlier and set off from Amdo at dawn, all the way to Golmud. The middle should be about 700 kilometers. There should be no sun in the middle, and you will pass through no man's land, Tanggula Pass, Tanggula Mountains, and Tuotuo River. You can come down and take photos.

The time to arrive in Golmud should be at least around ten o'clock in the evening!

You can stay in Golmud at night. You can go according to your own arrangements on the fourth day. You can take a detour to Dunhuang, or you can go to Qinghai Lake along the Qinghai-Tibet Line. Finally, you can reach Xining, where you can take the expressway back to your hometown.

But there is a caveat. It is recommended that you buy some portable oxygen when setting off from Namtso and just take one or two puffs every hour. Take a deep breath and take in the oxygen. The goal is not to combat altitude sickness, but to combat hypoallergenic reactions. In other words, when you go down from Tanggula Mountain to Golmud, you are likely to get drunk. In this case, people will feel sleepy, lazy, tired, and want to sleep.

Breath some oxygen in advance, it will help your body recover quickly when you reach the plains.

Okay, I won’t say more. If you have any other questions about going to Tibet, please feel free to message me privately. I will speak up and answer every question. Finally, I wish all travel friends a happy trip to Tibet.

This section has an average altitude of 4,500 meters, mainly passing through Lhasa-Dangxung-Nakqu-Amdo-Tanggula Mountain-Yanshiping Town-Tuotuohe Town-Kekexili-Wudaoliang Town-Yuzhufeng Mountain in Kunlun Mountains -Golmud.

Namtso is 60 kilometers west of Damxung. It is recommended to leave Lhasa early on the first day, turn left at Damxung, and go directly to Namtso to stay.

The next day, after visiting Namtso, we returned to Damxung, set out for Nagqu, and stayed in Nagqu.

On the third day after arriving in Amdo, after climbing Tanggula Mountain, we managed to reach Tuotuo River and stay. (Because the conditions in Yanshiping at an altitude of 4,700 are poor, the hotel supplies its own diesel engines. There is no power after 12 o'clock, and the gas station often runs out of gas.

Tuohe River is 110 kilometers away from Yanshiping in Tibet. There are three gas stations at an altitude of 4500. The conditions are slightly better than those of Yan Shiping. The conditions of Wudaoliang are similar to those of Tuotuohe.

There is a distance of 5/600 kilometers between these three towns.

If you take photos along the way, it will be difficult to complete the walk in one day. It's hard to avoid them, so living in the middle of the Tot Tok River is ideal, so you just have to live in areas with poor conditions.

If we can't catch up with Tuotuo River, we can only stay in Yanshiping. In this case, you might want to live in five beams. )

On the fourth day, we set off from the Tuotuo River, passed through the Hoh Xil no-man’s land, watched Tibetan antelopes and wild animals, passed Wudaoliang, and passed the Sonam Grand Victory Tibetan Antelope Protection Station.

Then go down the mountain and pass through Kunlun Pass, Kunlun Mountain Water Plant, Yaochi, and Kunlun Holy Spring, and arrive at Golmud.

In short, it is best to avoid Yanshiping, Tuotuohe and Wudaoliang on this section of the road. If you can't avoid everyone, try to stay in just one Tuotuo River.

If you can't avoid it, you must live in Yanshiping and Wudaoliang and avoid Tuotuohe. If you can't avoid all three, it can only be said that you are driving too slowly!

In addition, Kunlun Mountain Station is at an altitude of 4,900, so it is recommended not to live there.