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Nagchu Travel Guide

Nagchu (also Nagqu) in the northern Tibet is the largest prefecture-level city of Tibet Autonomous Region. Nagchu Prefecture is generally called as Changtang. It is at an average elevation of over 4,500 meters. Its administrative center is in Nagchu Town which is on the edge of the Changtang and one of the highest, coldest and most windswept towns in Tibet. Nagchu town serves as an important stop on both the road and railway line between Qinghai and Tibet.

Nagchu has unique landscape, including the vast Qiangtang Grassland, the Holy Lake Nam-tso, gorgeous mountains and rivers, ancient monasteries, exciting horse racing festival held from 10 to 16 August and other unique tourist attractions. This area also has rich resources of wildlife and alpine vegetation.

Since Nagchu(4,500m) is much higher than Lhasa(3,656m), we highly recommend you to get to Lhasa first and let your body acclimate to the high altitude before heading for Nagqu horse festival. In the first few days, you can pay a visit to Potala Palace - the landmark of Tibet, Jokhang Temple - the spiritual heart of Tibet, Barkhor Street - the most famous pilgrimage circuit and bustling bazaar in Lhasa.

Then you can travel to Nagchu by train from Lhasa with the stunning alpine scenery along the track or overland by Qinghai-Tibet Highway with the short visit to Yamgpanchen Hot Spring and holy Namtso Lake. Fascinated by the wild landscape and nomadic lifestyle? Please kindly follow our ultimate Nagchu travel guide and delve into the mysterious northern Tibet Plateau.

Basic Facts:

Chinese Name: 那曲 Nàqū

Location: largest prefecture-level city in Tibet, West China

Altitude: 4,500 m (14,764 ft)

Area: 450,537 square kilometers

Administrative Division: 1 district, 10 counties

Climate and Weather: typical sub-arctic climate with over 2,886 hours of sunshine every year

Best Time for Visit: May to September (especially August for Nagqu horse festival)

Railway: Nagchu Railway Station

Airport: Nagqu Dagring Airport (to be built)

Nagchu Photo Gallery

Ultimate Nagchu Travel Guide

To make sure you can enjoy the best Nagqu travel experience available, we kindly prepare the latest and most easy-to-use Nagchu travel and tour guides below for you. From Nagqu climate and weather to Nagchu food and drink, from Nagchu horse racing festival and tour planning to Nagqu tourist attractions and travel maps, etc., you can follow the insider’s tip and won’t miss a single moment when visiting Changtang Plateau, northern Tibet.

Recommended Northern Tibet Nagqu Tour Itineraries

Nagqu, well-known for authentic nomadic culture in northern Tibet, offers you tons of amazing things to do, like attending Nagqu Horse Festival in August - the most hilarious festival in northern Tibet, exploring the mysterious relics of Xiangxiong Kingdom - the earliest civilization center on the Tibetan plateau, capturing the superb views of Namtso Lake and Siling Tso - the largest lakes of Tibet in just one go, visiting the prestigious Tsanden Monastery and other off-the-beaten-track temples altogether, etc. Check the top 4 highly recommended Lhasa Nagchu tours with the extending trip to eastern Tibet Kham Region and Area.

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