Nagqu Travel Advice

Best Travel Time to Nagqu

Due to the elevation rising up to 4,500 meters (14,800 ft), Nagqu has a harsh alpine climate with freezing winters and cool summers. The annual mean temperature drops below 0°C but in summer, it can frequently rise up to 16°C. From May to September, the climate is relatively warm and more pleasant compared to the rest of the year, with lush grassland, Nagchu in this period is considered as the best time to visit Nagqu.

Transportation in Nagqu

Nagqu is just down a highway called Qinghai-Lhasa, and traveling it from Lhasa to Nagqu would take about 4-6 hours, depending on the road and weather conditions. With the paved and well-maintained highways and road networks in Nagqu, you can travel from there to Lhasa, Damxung, Golmud and other various locations. Buses are the main means of transport for the Tibetan locals, but to avoid getting lost and losing precious time, it is advised to just rent a car for nearby sightseeing.

Shopping in Nagqu

With a lot of Tibetan locals gathering and setting up shops around Gaoyuan Road, Nagqu Town and some major markets, it is more likely to see great items for purchase there. Besides a wide variety of handicrafts characterized by ethnic design, there are also lots of kind of Tibetan delicacies. The assortment of special products includes north Tibet sheep, ghee, dried meat, trachoma, aweto, caladium, snow lotus flower, and all that.

Entertainment in Nagqu

In Nagqu, aside from all the traditional Tibetan activities that you can find, such as opera, dance and archery contests and so on, you will surely be amazed by the fantastic and grandest Horse Racing Festival held every summer, which attracts thousands of ambitious nomads and they are eager to show off horsemanship skills, trade for a various kind of tools and supplies. The Horse Racing Festival is not the only thing to be anticipated with this trip, as before the formal event starts, there is already a feast of culture and tradition all around. As the day of the race comes, people move forward to these vast grasslands, wrapped in their traditional colorful garments, gather and form a temporary city in mere days! The scenery of getting there and the preparation before the event and even the event itself is just so vivid and full of life that you'd better take photos to immortalize them in your memory. The event is usually a spot for shutterbugs or those people who love photography.

Lodging in Nagqu

After a long day exploring the city, you would want to relax and go take a good rest at night. You can worry-free as there are a number of clean and cozy hotels for your choice on the main roads. But please note that some of the hotels have no licenses to accommodate foreign tourists, so it might not be that convenient. If you do a detailed search with hotel qualifications, you could find a good hotel to stay in.

Dining in Nagqu

A trip can never be complete without gastronomy! Food in Nagqu is mostly based on traditional Tibetan and Sichuan cuisine and it ranges from traditional Tibetan snacks all the way to a full dinner. Note that food there doesn’t cater to the Western taste and can be somewhat basic but hearty, which provides a sufficient amount of caloric intake for you to survive a whole day of exploring. The food you can find in Nagqu like jak, Tibetan momo, yak butter milk, steamed stuff buns, etc.