Tibetan wild asses on the Changtang grassland

Tibet travel guide

Nagchu Travel Advice

Nagchu (Naqu) is the high northern region of Tibet: a huge land of grassland, nomad camps and herds of yaks. Its summer horse racing festival is one of the great events of the Tibetan year.

1. Best Travel Time to Nagchu

Nagchu town is cold for most of the year, with an average yearly temperature below 0°C. From November to March it is very cold and dry, with nights well below −20°C, so winter is not a time for sightseeing.

The best months are July and August. The Nagchu Horse Racing Festival opens every year on 10 August, when the grassland is green and nomad families set up their tents for horse races, archery, opera and dancing.

Festival tip: book hotels and transport for the festival months ahead. Hotels fill up and prices rise.

2. Dining in Nagchu

Food in Nagchu is mainly hearty nomad food, made for the cold climate:

yak meat: dried, stewed or in hotpot
tsampa mixed with butter and tea
butter tea (po cha) for warmth and energy
blood sausage and other local specialities
yak yoghurt and fresh dairy

There are also Chinese and Sichuan restaurants in Nagchu town, but less choice than in Lhasa or Shigatse.

3. Shopping in Nagchu

yak wool blankets, shawls and weaving
nomad leather goods and belts
dried yak meat, a popular local gift
turquoise and coral jewellery, especially at festival time

4. Transportation

By train from Lhasa	Nagchu is a stop on the Qinghai–Tibet Railway, about 3–4 hours from Lhasa
By road from Lhasa	about 330 km north on the G109, about 5 hours
Getting around	4WD vehicles for trips onto the grassland
Altitude	about 4,500 m

5. Health & Altitude — Critical Warnings

At 4,500 m, Nagchu is much higher than Lhasa (3,650 m). Altitude sickness is a real risk here, even after some days in Lhasa. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and go down at once if you feel very unwell.

Medical advice: people with heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease or severe anaemia, and pregnant women, should not travel to Nagchu. Your guide carries oxygen.

6. Must-See Highlights

Nagchu Horse Racing Festival — every year on 10 August; horse races, opera and nomad culture
Namtso Lake — at 4,718 m, one of the highest large lakes in the world, on the border of Lhasa and Nagchu
Dangra Yumtso — a remote sacred lake in western Nagchu
Nomad life — black yak-hair tents, herds and summer pastures across the grassland