10 Days Qinghai to Tibet Self-drive Tour

Welcome to Xining and get everything ready for the self-drive tour.

When you arrive in Xining, either by flight or train, our friendly local Tibetan guide will be expecting you with a white Hada (the traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarf) and warm blessings.

Then, the guide will go with you to the local Vehicle Management Office and help you apply for a temporary Chinese driving license (remember to bring your driving license to your country) and later whisk you off to your hotel in downtown Xining and give you a briefing about the upcoming self-drive tour and show you the 4WD vehicle prepared for you.

Stay overnight in Xining

Today, embark on the thrilling self-drive tour from Xining to Lhasa.

Get oxygen supply and other gear packed on our vehicle. We will have an early start from Xining to Qinghai Lake.

Just a 40-minute drive from downtown Xining, you'll reach the Ta’er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery), one of the six great Gelugpa monasteries. You can follow pilgrims to walk clockwise around the iconic white stupas and explore the Great Golden Pagoda, Hall of Butter Sculptures, and Grand Sutra Hall, where vibrant butter sculptures and intricate murals display Tibetan artistry.

Then, we proceed driving to the legendary Ri Yue Mountain, a major gateway to the Tibetan Plateau. It is from here that Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty traveled from Xi’an to marry Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. Standing on Ri Yue Mountain, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes.

After lunch at Ri Yue Mountain, you will drive to Heimahe along the south edge of the picturesque Qinghai Lake, the largest inland saltwater lake in China. You can stop at multiple points along the shoreline to enjoy the lake's azure waters, surrounded by rolling hills and distant snow-capped mountains.

If you're traveling in spring or early summer, Qinghai Lake is home to thousands of migratory birds while July and August see massive rapeseed flowers in full bloom surrounding the Qinghai Lake.

After exploring Qinghai Lake, drive along the southern shore toward Heimahe, a small lakeside town known for its spectacular sunset views over the Qinghai Lake. The road is relatively easy, offering gorgeous landscapes as you pass through fields of wildflowers, grasslands, and distant mountain ranges.

Stay Overnight at Heimahe

• Ta’er Monastery

• Qinghai Lake - the largest inland saltwater lake in China

Experience the ethereal beauty of Chaka Salt Lake on the way to Dulan County.

Get up for the amazing sunrise over the serene Qinghai Lake at Heimahe town. Then, we drive around an hour (or 83km) to Chaka Salt Lake, affectionately called the "Mirror of the Sky."

It’s better to spend around 2 hours exploring the salt lake, known for its surreal beauty and striking reflections. You can walk onto the lake’s salt-crusted surface, surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the distance. If you are in luck, the lake mirrors the sky so perfectly that it feels like you’re walking on air.

After lunch, we kept driving eastward to Dulan County, located along the famous G 109 Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The route offers wide-open views of desert landscapes, rugged mountains, and colorful Tibetan villages.

In Dulan County, refuel the vehicle for the next leg of your journey. You can take a leisurely walk around the town, which has a unique blend of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Hui cultures, or shop at local markets.

Stay Overnight at Dulan County

• Chaka Salt Lake

• Boundless Chaka saltwater lake just like a huge mirror

Drive through the vast Qaidam Basin and enjoy the amazing Gobi Desert Views.

Leave Dulan County in the early morning, heading west along the G109 Highway toward Golmud. You will drive across stunning Gobi desert landscapes and through parts of the vast Qaidam Basin, which used to be submerged under oceans during the Mesozoic Era before the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

As you get closer to Golmud, which means “ a place where rivers converge” in Mongolian, you can enjoy the stunning vista of the Kunlun Mountains in the distance, one of the longest mountain ranges in Aisa. The mix of the Gobi desert, soaring mountains, and salt flats will blow your mind away.

Then, refuel the vehicle and have a good sleep at the hotel for driving through challenging mountain passes tomorrow.

Alternative: It will be a long drive before arriving in Golmud, If we arrive earlier in Golmud and you still have energy to spend, we can drive 80km north of Golumd to explore the turquoise Qarhan Salt Lake, one of the largest salt lakes worldwide. The greenish-blue salt lake, together with the shimmering salt crust resembling snow is a perfect Instagrammble place. You can see some of the salt mining machinery as you drive by.

Stay Overnight at Golmud

• The Animaqing Mountain, extending hundreds of miles about 6000m above sea level, is an eastern extension of Kunlun Mountains.

• Continuous Kunlun Mountain ranges

Cross Kunlun Mountain Pass to the towering Highland of the Tibetan Plateau. It’s also one of the most challenging parts of the self-drive tour.

Around 161 km drive from Golmud, you will pass the first high mountain pass-- Kunlun Mountain Pass (4,767 meters). As you ascend, you’ll experience the stark beauty of the Kunlun Range, which marks the border of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We have oxygen supplies for you and the guide will be at your side offering attentive care.

Continue driving west. There will be around 250 km of road along the eastern edge of the Kekexili Nature Reserve, home to Tibetan antelopes, wild Tibetan yaks, and Tibetan wild asses, etc. You can park your vehicle at the multiple viewing platforms to spot the lovely wildlife on the plateau.

We will stop at Wudaoliang to rest, have lunch, and refuel the vehicle before driving through Fenghuo Mountain Pass (5,010 meters), the highest mountain pass of today’s journey. After a brief stay here, descend to drive past the enchanting Tuotuo River, the source of the Yangtze River, you will reach Tanggulashan Town.

Stay Overnight at Tanggulashan Town

• Kekexili and wild animals

• Fabulous Tuotuo River at twilight

Drive through the famous Tanggula Mountain Pass to reach Nagqu, known for its boundless Qiangtang Grassland and Tibetan horse racing festival.

After leaving Tanggulashan Town, you will slowly ascend again until reaching the Tanggula Mountain Pass (5231m), the highest mountain pass on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. It’s also a natural border that separates the Tibet Autonomous Region from Qinghai Province. You can see massive glaciers that feed the source of the Yangtze River.

As you descend from Tanggula Pass, the route leads you through sweeping grasslands dotted with nomadic yak herders’ tents and herds of grazing yaks in Amdo County (5,200m). We will briefly stay here for lunch have a rest and keep driving to Nagqu, a major prefecture-level city in northern Tibet.

En route, to the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway lies the serene Cuona Lake. You can enjoy its amazing vista surrounded by rolling grasslands and snow-capped mountains. Meanwhile, with vast grasslands of northern Tibet stretching to horizons and eye-pleasing pastoral scenes, you can savor the essence of northern Tibet.

Stay Overnight in Nagqu

• Stunning view of grand Tanggula Mountains

• Herdsmen and their cattle can often be seen around Tangra Shan Mountain

Drive from Damxung to explore heavenly Namtso Lake and enjoy the Yangbajain hot spring before reaching holy Lhasa City.

As the final leg of the self-drive adventure, today, firstly we will drive from Nagqu to Damxung and make a detour to visit the heavenly Namtso Lake (4,718m), one of the top three holy lakes in Tibet. You will drive past snowy rolling mountains across the iconic Lagenla Pass (5,190 m) to marvel at the stunning vista of holy Namtso Lake in the distance.

At the lakeshore of the pristine Namtso Lake, you can ride on the lovely Tibetan yaks to take photos of the Namtso Lake framed by the snow-capped Nyenchen Tanglha mountain range or explore the holy Tashi Dor Island nearby.

After lunch, we drive back to Damxung and further to Yangbajain, a place well-known for its geothermal hot springs. You can dip into the refreshing outdoor hot spring pool and soothe your muscles after the long drive.

Finally, we drive from Yangbajain to the holy Lhasa City, the spiritual heart of Tibet.

Stay Overnight in Lhasa

• Shooting the splendid Namtso Lake at the mountain on Tashi Island.

• Tourists are enjoying refreshing themselves in Yangpacheng hot spring

Explore the scenic hike in Drepung Monastery and watch the dynamic monk debate in Sera Monastery.

Awake to a day of brilliant sunshine. Let’s head to Drepung Monastery for a 3km leisurely hike/kora. The Drepung Monastery is one of the great three Geluga monasteries founded by a disciple of Tsongkhapa called Jamyang Chöje.

As you follow the pilgrim route towards Loseling College, you will see the iconic huge rock paintings depicting the Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Geluga Sect, and Buddhist mantras.

You can gather junipers and burn them as an offering to Buddha, drink refreshing mountain springs, or meditate alongside the local pilgrims beneath the rock face. At the mountaintop, the sweeping view of the enchanting Lhasa Valley will take your breath away.

In the afternoon, you will explore Sera Monastery, the second-largest Gelug monastery next to Drepung. You can appreciate the exquisitely made sand Mandala and admire Buddhist paintings.

The biggest highlight is to watch the dramatic monk debate (15:00 - 17:00, from Monday to Saturday). By clapping hands, jumping, yelling, and rolling Buddhist mala, the standing monk furiously debates with the other monk sitting on the ground about Buddhist philosophy.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Drepung Monastery, one of the Great Three Gelug monasteries of Tibet

• Monk Debate is a highlight of Sera Monastery

Explore the former residence and golden stupas of Dalai Lamas in Potala Place(3,700m); worship the life-size statue of Buddha Sakyamuni in Jokhang Temple (3,650m); experience the holy Barkhor Kora with local pilgrims.

Start your day with a visit to the fortress-like Potala Palace, an architectural marvel, and the winter palace of Dalai Lamas.

You can explore the Dalai Lama’s living quarters, and ceremonial hall, and marvel at gilded buddhas, intricate mandalas, and jewel-encrusted tombs of generations of Dalai Lamas, and enjoy the panoramic view of Lhasa city atop Red Palace.

Next, roam over the Zhongjiao Lukang Park nearby and view the Potala Palace from behind where you can take a glimpse of how locals spend their day lives, such as enjoying Guozhuang/circle dance, paddle boat in the pool, etc.

In the afternoon, immerse yourself in the sacred Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibet. Follow a long line of pilgrims in the dimly lit chambers to worship the life-size statue of a 12-year-old Buddha Sakyamuni.

Then, walk clockwise with prostrating Tibetan pilgrims to experience the famous Barkhor circuit/kora and unwind in a local teahouse to savor local obsessions,i.g. sweet tea, Tibetan noodles, Tibetan momos, Sha Phaley, or roam over the backstreet of Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Potala Palace is always the No.1 attraction for travelers visiting Tibet.

• A Tibetan pilgrim is worshipping Jokhang Temple

Today marks the end of your Qinghai-Tibet self-drive tour.

Please make sure to verify your departure flight/train details with our guide in advance. And your guide will take you to the airport or train station.

Thank you for choosing Tibet Vista, and we extend a warm welcome for your return to Tibet in the future.

• Big farewell to Lhasa, and may you have a safe and pleasant journey back home!

• Your guide will escort you to Lhasa Railway Station if you depart Tibet by train.