How to Visit Nyingchi?

Nyingchi, located in the southeast of the Tibet autonomous region, is well-known as “the Switzerland of Tibet” and “the Jiangnan of Tibet”. Nyingchi is a gathering place for ethnic minorities such as the Moinba, Lhoba, and other ethnic groups. Their living habits and religious beliefs retain a lot of traditional and unique ethnic customs. Nyingchi is also a well-known tourist destination in Tibet with many picturesque and idyllic attractions including the Niyang River, Lulang Forest, Shuba Ancient Fort, etc. You will immerse yourself in this charming place and have a relaxing time.

Major Scenic Spots

There are lots of scenic spots in Nyingchi, and almost all of them are natural scenery, very spectacular and beautiful, which can make you enchanted.

Pagsum Lake

Pagsum Lake, the sacred lake of the Red Hat sect (Nyingma School) of Tibetan Buddhism, lies in the valley of Bahe Town, Gongbo Gyamda County, Nyingch prefecture, about 120 kilometers from downtown Nyingchi, which is called Bayi Town. Pagsum Lake is a relatively large lake, covering an area of about 27 square kilometers. The whole lake is 18 kilometers long and has an elevation of about 3,480 meters. The lake is surrounded by dense vegetation, followed by snow-capped mountains and glaciers. At the center of Pagsum Lake stands a temple of the Red Hat sect. It is said that the temple was built in the late Tang Dynasty and has a history of hundreds of years. >>See more about Pagsum Lake

Kading Valley

Kading Valley Scenic Area is located in the west of Nyingchi, only 30 kilometers away from downtown Nyingchi. You can pay it a visit when you are heading to Pagsum Lake because they are in the same direction. Kading Valley has a landform of granite, with steep cliffs on both sides of the canyon. There is a waterfall on a 200-meter cliff, like falling from the sky. And there is a stone shaped like a Buddha at the place where the waterfall flows down. When the water flow is big, the Buddha statue shows indistinct in the waterfall. Therefore, it is also called the Sky Buddha Waterfall Scenic Area.

Nanyi Valley

Nanyi Valley is situated in the Nanyi Lhoba Ethnic Township, Mainling County, Nyingchi, about 70 kilometers away from downtown Nyingchi. It is the birthplace of Tibetan medicine culture and is about 2,500 meters above sea level. The climate here is mild and humid, and the rainfall is abundant, which creates rich vegetation and a natural landscape. So Nanyi Valley is called "Little Jiangnan".

Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon

Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world. It's located in Bayi Town, Mainling County, about 80 kilometers away from Nyingchi urban area. The Grand Canyon starts at Daduka Village, Pai Town, Mainling County, and ends at Baxika Village, Motuo County. This canyon has a total length of 504 kilometers long and the deepest point of 6,009 meters, making it the world's deepest canyon. In the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon scenic area, besides taking a boat to see the canyon landscape, you can also go to the Zhibai Village to watch the Namcha Barwa Peak up close. >> See more about Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon

Lulang Town

Lulang Town is located about 70 kilometers east of Nyingchi City. On the way from Nyingchi to Lulang, you will pass through two other scenic spots. One is Mount Segrila, where you can also see Namcha Barwa at the pass if you are lucky. Another is the famous scenic spot of Lulang Forest. The 15-kilometer-long Lulang Forest is dense with all kinds of Chinese fir and pine trees, which look very spectacular. Driving on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, you can have a panoramic view of the forest. Lulang town has a plateau semi-humid climate, not as dry as high altitude areas in Tibet, thus it is a particularly suitable place to visit and live.

Bomi

Bomi is a famous tourist destination in Tibet, with many magnificent natural landscapes. From Lulang Town to Bomi County, there are many scenic spots along the way, such as Palong Zangbo Grand Canyon(the third largest canyon in the world), Yigong National Geological  Park(Yigong Lake), Guxiang Lake Scenic Area, Galang National Wetland Park, Bomi Peach Blossom Valley, and so on. Among them, the Peach Blossom Valley in Bomi is the largest one in China. In addition, Bomi, “the hometown of the most beautiful glaciers”, has more than 2,000 glaciers, such as the famous Midui Glacier, Kachin Glacier, Langqiu Glacier, Zhepu Glacier, etc. However, many glaciers are inaccessible to ordinary people. The most convenient one to visit is Midui Glacier.

Midui Glacier

Midui Glacier is located in Midui Village, 100 kilometers east of Bomi County. The ticket office is near the G318 National Road. You can ride a horse or walk into the viewing platform to see the scenery. The walking distance is about 6.5 kilometers, and the ticket costs CYN 50 per person. If you have enough time, you can also continue to go east to Ranwu Lake, where you can also see Laigu Glacier. >>See more about Midui Glacier

Transportation in Nyingchi

At present, driving is the main way to enter Nyingchi because there are the best road conditions and beautiful scenery along the expressway. For driving to Nyingchi, you will start from Lhasa, and ride along the Nyang River to Nyingchi City(Bayi town). On the way, you can visit charming Basumtso Lake.

Travelers also can fly to Nyingchi from those cities in China such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Lhasa. Nyingchi Miling Airport is about 72 kilometers (45 miles) away from Nyingchi County. Chengdu is currently operating five flights every week. It takes about 2 hours and 25 minutes to fly from Chengdu to Nyingchi, so it's a nice choice if you don't want to ride back to Lhasa for 5 hours in the original way.

Weather in Nyingchi

Due to the Indian Ocean winds,  the weather in Nyingchi County is temperate and semi-humid which has promoted the growth of lush and green forests. Most time of the year,  the weather is moderate. In winter,  the region is cold with an average temperature of 0℃ （32 ^οF).

The best time to travel to Nyingchi

The best time to visit Nyingchi is from April to October. Especially in April, when the peach blossom is in full bloom. At that time, you can enjoy not only the splendid flower sea but also the beautiful and charming rural scenery. In Summer and Autumn, you can also enjoy the vast grassland, forest, wildflowers, countryside scenery, and so on.

Try to avoid the domestic tourist season

Chinese travelers like traveling to Nyingchi very much. During the domestic tourist season such as International Labor Day (May 1~3), National Day(Oct 1~7), and Spring Festival (according to the Chinese lunar calendar, it's usually in February), Nyingchi County will become very crowded. During those periods, the air tickets, accommodation, transportation, and tour guide fees all get doubled or even tripled. What's more, your traveling experience will not be good cos you will see crowds everywhere.