Laura — A Slow Ten Days from Nyingchi to Tsedang
Tour: Nyingchi, Lhasa & Tsedang custom tour · Drivers: Mr. Qiao (Nyingchi) and Mr. Zhao (Lhasa–Shannan)
- Stops18
- Told byMark, your guide
The story, stop by stop
- 1 · Beijing → Milin → Bayi, Nyingchi
- 2 · Nyingchi → Lulang
- 3 · Lulang → Basum Tso
- 4 · Basum Tso → Bayi → Lhasa, by train
- 5 · Lhasa
- 6 · Lhasa
- 7 · Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Tsedang
- 8 · Tsedang → Yumbulagang → Lhasa → Shigatse, by train
- 9 · Shigatse → Lhasa, by train
- 10 · Lhasa → Beijing
- 11 · Yumbulakhang Palace
- 12 · Samye Monastery
- 13 · Jokhang Temple
- 14 · Potala Palace
- 15 · Shigatse & Tashilhunpo
- 16 · Nyingchi & Eastern Tibet
- 17 · Lhasa & Surroundings
- 18 · Design Your Own Route
Laura and her companion landed at Milin Airport on 3 August 2026, and the first thing the itinerary asked of them was nothing at all. They were driven to Bayi, given a room, and told to walk around the hotel garden if they felt like it — and to do nothing more strenuous than that.
That was the whole design. Ten days, built to climb slowly: Nyingchi at 2,900 m, Lulang and Basum Tso at 3,300 m, then Lhasa at 3,650 m — and only after five nights at lower altitude did the route turn west toward Yamdrok Lake, the highest point of the entire trip at 4,700 m, still well short of the 5,000 m that many first itineraries ask of people on day three.
The route covers four different Tibets in one journey: the forested east, the Lhasa valley, the Yarlung cradle of Shannan, and Shigatse in the west. It also uses the train three times — Bayi to Lhasa, Lhasa to Shigatse, and Shigatse back to Lhasa — so the long road sections never have to be driven at the end of a day.
Having been warned that she might feel the altitude, Laura did — once, in Lulang Forest, on day two. What happened next is the part of the story she wrote to us about.
The 10-Day Journey
Beijing → Milin → Bayi, Nyingchi
Day 1 · 3 August · 2,900 m — Airport pickup and rest. A short walk near the hotel is fine; nothing more.
Nyingchi → Lulang
Day 2 · 4 August · 3,300 m · 100 km — Lulang town, the Namcha Barwa viewpoint, Lulang Forest, Zhaxigang village. Riding and archery optional. Still gaining height slowly.
Lulang → Basum Tso
Day 3 · 5 August · 3,300 m · 150 km — Basum Tso lake, the island temple, Tso Gao and Jieba villages. Clear skies after dark — the stars are the reason to stay the night here.
Basum Tso → Bayi → Lhasa, by train
Day 4 · 6 August · 3,650 m — Finish whatever the previous day’s tiredness left undone, drive back to Bayi, and take the train into Lhasa.
Lhasa
Day 5 · 7 August — Tibet Museum in the morning for the whole picture, then Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, and Sera Monastery in the afternoon for the debates.
Lhasa
Day 6 · 8 August — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street.
Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Tsedang
Day 7 · 9 August · 300 km — Yamdrok Tso, one of Tibet’s three holy lakes, then south into Shannan, the birthplace of Tibetan civilisation: Samye, Tibet’s first monastery, and the Chimpuk meditation caves above it.
Tsedang → Yumbulagang → Lhasa → Shigatse, by train
Day 8 · 10 August · 3,800 m — Yumbulagang, Tibet’s oldest palace and the place this story keeps returning to. Then back to Lhasa station and the train west to Shigatse.
Shigatse → Lhasa, by train
Day 9 · 11 August — Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning, then a Tibetan teahouse for butter tea and sweet tea, a walk through the market, and the train back to Lhasa.
Lhasa → Beijing
Day 10 · 12 August — Guide and driver to the airport.
In Their Own Words
Guest review · August 2026 · translated from Chinese
“The itinerary you arranged was very well planned. It gave me time to adjust to the altitude step by step.”
“In Nyingchi, our driver Mr. Qiao was especially caring. He had prepared an oxygen canister in advance. When I felt unwell at Lulang Forest, he gave me oxygen right away and stayed with me. He drives very smoothly, which made us feel safe. He never asked me for a good review, but from my heart I give him six stars.”
“For our two days from Lhasa to Shannan and back, Mr. Zhao knew the mountain roads well and drove smoothly and safely. He was always on time, adjusted flexibly to our plans, and there were no extra charges at all. He is worth recommending.”
“Thank you for recommending Yumbulagang. It was so worth seeing. I liked it even more than the Potala Palace. It is quiet and peaceful, beautiful and dignified, and part of the nature around it. It makes you want to slow down. Once you sit down, you don’t want to leave.”
“We are very satisfied. Your agency is the first choice for coming to Tibet.”
What Stayed With Her
What Laura remembers is not the Potala. It is a hill above the Yarlung Valley, a one-time palace with almost nobody in it, and the feeling of not wanting to stand up.
That is the argument for a route like this one. Yumbulagang sits twenty minutes off the road, on a ridge above a valley that was the centre of Tibet before Lhasa existed. It is the kind of place that survives only in an itinerary that has room for it.
Ten days. Four Tibets. Three trains. And one long afternoon sitting still.
Sites Visited on This Tour
Yumbulakhang Palace
Tibet’s first palace — the one Laura preferred to the Potala — and the story of the deer’s hind leg
Samye Monastery
Tibet’s first monastery — the universe in earth and stone
Jokhang Temple
Why Lhasa is called Lhasa — and what the temple is built on
Potala Palace
The Sixth Dalai Lama, a forbidden poem, and footprints in the snow
Shigatse & Tashilhunpo
The two great lineages, and the monastery that holds one of them
Plan a Similar Tour
Laura’s route was built to order. The pieces of it are available separately, or as one itinerary.
Nyingchi & Eastern Tibet
Lulang Forest and Basum Tso — the low-altitude start that made the rest easy
Lhasa & Surroundings
Samye, Yumbulagang and the Yarlung Valley — the Shannan leg of this route
Design Your Own Route
Tell us your start city, dates and how fast you want to climb — we build the itinerary
Frequently asked questions
What tour did Laura take?
A ten-day custom route from Nyingchi through Lhasa and Shannan to Shigatse, 3–12 August 2026 — built so that altitude was gained step by step.
Why start in Nyingchi instead of Lhasa?
Altitude. Nyingchi sits at 2,900 m, which gives five nights below 3,300 m before Lhasa at 3,650 m. The highest point of the whole route was Yamdrok Lake at 4,700 m — well under the 5,000 m that many first itineraries ask of people on day three.
Who were her drivers?
Mr. Qiao drove the Nyingchi and Lulang section, and Mr. Zhao drove Lhasa to Shannan and back. Laura names both of them in her review.
Can I book the same route?
Yes. It is a reference itinerary — we can follow it as it stands, or adjust the days, the pace and the hotels to suit you.
We answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday.