7 Days Yamdrok Lake Inner Kora
- Duration
- 7 Days / 6 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- 3–8 travellers
- Best season
- Late April to October; best in Saga Dawa
The trip at a glance
In Saga Dawa, the holiest month of the year, Tibetans walk the kora around their holy mountains and lakes — always clockwise, and always back to where they started. This journey makes the inner kora of Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet: a full circle around the mountainous peninsula in the south of the lake, starting and ending in Nagarze. You walk the finest stretches and ride in our vehicle between them.
Read the full overview
A real circle, made the easy way. The inner kora is about 110 km. Pilgrims walk all of it; on this journey you walk part of each day — two to four hours, as you like — and our vehicle carries you over the rest, so the circle closes in three days. You sleep in a hotel in Nagarze both nights and carry only a day pack.
Lake on one side, mountains on the other. The circuit goes clockwise: north from Nagarze past the lake viewpoint, along the quiet northern and eastern shores of the peninsula, and back along the southern shore past Samding Monastery (about 4,450 m), the only monastery in Tibet led by a female reincarnate lama, into Nagarze.
Three days in Lhasa first. The lake lies at about 4,440 m, some 800 metres higher than Lhasa. Three easy days in the city — the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the Barkhor kora, Sera Monastery and the Tibet Museum — prepare your body for walking at that height.
Best in Saga Dawa. The kora can be made from late April to October. The most special time is Saga Dawa (expected around June in 2027), when Tibetans everywhere walk the kora. Read more about Saga Dawa, or go all the way around the lake on the outer kora.
Three ways to know Yamdrok Lake. We sort our Yamdrok tours into three kinds: the kora, a full circle around the lake as pilgrims make it, part on foot and part by vehicle; the trek, real walking days with camping; and the loop, half a day by the lake on the way to the Yarlung Valley. See them all on Yamdrok Lake tours.
- Lhasa
- Gampala Pass
- Nagarze
- Lake viewpoint
- Kalung
- Samding Monastery
- Nagarze
- Lhasa
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Lhasa → Gampala Pass → Nagarze → Lake viewpoint → Kalung → Samding Monastery → Nagarze → Lhasa
- Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) — a quiet first dayDay 1
- Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor koraDay 2
- Lhasa — Sera Monastery and the Tibet MuseumDay 3
- Lhasa → Gampala Pass → Nagarze → inner kora day 1: the western shoreDay 4
- Inner kora day 2: the northern and eastern shoresDay 5
- Inner kora day 3: Samding Monastery → Nagarze, the circle closes → LhasaDay 6
- Departure from LhasaDay 7
Day by day
Days 1–3 · Lhasa
Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) — a quiet first day
Your guide meets you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa railway station with a white khata scarf and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is for resting: walk slowly, drink plenty of water and let your body get used to the height.
Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor kora
The Potala Palace in the morning, then the Jokhang Temple, the holiest temple in Tibet. In the afternoon, walk the Barkhor, the kora around the Jokhang, clockwise with the pilgrims and their prayer wheels. In Saga Dawa, the holiest month, the circuit is full of pilgrims from all over Tibet.
Lhasa — Sera Monastery and the Tibet Museum
Sera Monastery, with the monks' debate in the courtyard in the afternoon (except Sundays), and the Tibet Museum. A third easy day in Lhasa means your body is ready for the lake, about 800 metres higher.
Lhasa → Gampala Pass → Nagarze → inner kora day 1: the western shore
Over the Gampala Pass (4,794 m), where the turquoise lake first appears below, to Nagarze, where the kora begins. Set off clockwise, north along the western shore of the peninsula past the lake viewpoint and Kongmo Tso. Walk the most beautiful stretch for two or three hours; our vehicle carries you on to the end of the day's section and back to Nagarze.
Inner kora day 2: the northern and eastern shores
The quietest part of the circle, where the peninsula reaches far into the lake: herders' camps, grazing yaks and wide views over the water, with the lake on one side and the mountains on the other. Walk for three or four hours where the shore is finest and ride the rest, then return to Nagarze across the peninsula by the village of Kalung.
Inner kora day 3: Samding Monastery → Nagarze, the circle closes → Lhasa
Back to where yesterday's walk ended, and on along the southern shore to Samding Monastery, on its hill above the lake. Walk the last stretch into Nagarze, where the circle closes, then drive back over the Gampala Pass to Lhasa.
Departure from Lhasa
Your guide takes you to the airport or railway station. Tashi delek — safe travels.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Travel Permit and all other permits for the route
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Private vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- Hotels in Lhasa
- Entrance tickets for the sights in the itinerary
- Airport or railway station transfers
- Two nights in a hotel in Nagarze
- Oxygen cylinders in the vehicle throughout the trip
Not included
- Flights or trains to and from Lhasa
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners in Lhasa
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
What is the inner kora of Yamdrok Lake?
A pilgrims' circuit of about 110 km around the mountainous peninsula in the south of Yamdrok Lake, with the lake on one side and the mountains on the other. It is made clockwise and ends where it began, in Nagarze.
Do I have to walk the whole inner kora?
No. On this journey you walk the finest stretches, two to four hours a day, and our vehicle carries you over the rest, so the full circle closes in three days. You sleep in a hotel in Nagarze.
Why is Saga Dawa a good time for a kora?
Saga Dawa is the holiest month of the Tibetan year, expected around June in 2027. Tibetans everywhere walk the kora around their holy places then, and good deeds are said to count many times over.
Is there a full walking trek on the inner circle?
Yes. Our Yamdrok Lake Trek walks the inner circle for three days with camping, our vehicle carrying the camp. It is a real trek rather than a full kora.
What is Samding Monastery?
A monastery founded in the 14th century on a hill above Yamdrok Lake, at about 4,450 metres, on the southern side of the inner kora. It is the only monastery in Tibet led by a female reincarnate lama.
