10-Day 9-Night Tibet Challenge: Self-Drive Tour Guide

🌟 This self-drive tour of Tibet ends in the high-altitude southern region of Tibet. Finally, I can share my thoughts on self-driving in Tibet in winter. This route follows the border. On some days, you need to show your border pass four times. A border pass and ID card are essential, so be sure to carry them with you. 🌟 This route takes you around some of the most beautiful snow-capped mountains. In my opinion, the most beautiful is Kula Kangri, with its snow-capped mountains and lakes. You need to make an effort to see the beautiful scenery. The most stunning is the frozen Puma Yumco Lake, and the most beautiful lakes are the uninhabited Chongba Yumco Lake and Zongcuo Lake. 🌟 In terms of accommodation, the conditions in Tibet have improved a lot compared to four or five years ago. Even the two worst places on this trip, Luozha County and Gangba County, have underfloor heating. Hotels above 4,000 m with oxygen generators are much better. In Lhasa, I recommend the Pingcuo Kangtsang Oxygen-Rich Hotel. Self-drive travelers love this hotel, and the conditions are great. 🌟 Prices in Lhasa are not cheaper than in Shanghai, and busy restaurants are not necessarily good. It's all down to luck. However, there are plenty of chain milk tea, coffee, and restaurants, which is a big improvement. 🌟 10-Day Tibet Tour Itinerary Day 1: Fly from Shanghai to Lhasa via Chengdu. The altitude is a little high at 3,600 m. Check in to the Pingcuo Kangtsang Oxygen-Rich Hotel in Lhasa. The view from this self-drive hotel is also highly recommended. Day 2: Visit the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The Potala Palace is built on a mountain and is magnificent. The main building consists of the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and the center of political and religious power. The Red Palace is a place for religious activities and the tombs of the Dalai Lamas. The palace houses countless Buddha statues, scriptures, and precious cultural relics. After visiting the Potala Palace, go straight to Yaowang Mountain and bring a 50 yuan note. Yaowang Mountain is opposite the Red Mountain, where the Potala Palace is located. It is a great place to take photos of the Potala Palace and is the location of the image on the back of the 50 yuan note. Day 3: Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Puma Yumco Lake—Luozha County, altitude 3,800 m. Check in to the Luozha Longba Manor Hotel. Yamdrok Lake is 4,441 m above sea level and is one of the most famous lakes in Tibet. Puma Yumco Lake is between 5,000 m and 5,100 m above sea level and is the largest freshwater lake in southern Tibet. Luozha County is located on the southern slope of the Himalayas, with an average altitude of 3,870 m. Day 4: Luozha County—Cuoyu Village—Baimalin Lake Hike—Kangma County, altitude 4,300 m. Check in to the Kangma Yuhuang Oxygen-Rich Hotel, which is close to the county and has convenient transportation. Cuoyu Village is a small Tibetan village at an altitude of 4,160 m and is an important stop near the starting point of the Baimalin Lake hike. The hike from Cuoyu Village is about 12 km, with an altitude of about 4,500 m. You need to cross meadows, climb hills, and traverse cliffs. Day 5: Kangma County—Chongba Yumco Lake—Duoqingcuo Lake—Zhuomulari—Dui Na San Cuo Lake—Qudeng Nima—Gangba County, altitude 4,600 m. Check in to the Gangba Plateau Oxygen-Rich Hotel. This route passes through many beautiful lakes and snow-capped mountains in Tibet. The scenery along the way is picturesque, and the self-drive tour is amazing. Day 6: Gangba County—Zongcuo Lake—Xilin Viewing Platform—Mount Everest Guandi Temple—Gyirong Town, altitude 2,900 m. Check in to the Gyirong Oxygen-Rich Hotel. At Mount Everest Guandi Temple, you can see the peaks of the Mount Everest Scenic Area and experience the shock of the top of the world. Gyirong Town is an important port between Tibet and Nepal. There are many Nepalese people and shops in the town, and you can experience the unique border style. Day 7: Gyirong Town—Peiku Lake—Mount Everest Castle—Shigatse, altitude 3,900 m. Check in to the Shigatse Hilton Hotel. Peiku Lake is the largest inland lake in the Mount Everest Reserve. The lake is clear and blue, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the terrain is open. There are wild horses, Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan antelopes, and other wild animals on the shore of the lake. Mount Everest Castle is a military fortress built by the Qing army more than 200 years ago. The castle is a great place to see Mount Everest, and you can see the Himalayas from the castle. Day 8: Shigatse Tashilhunpo Monastery—Lhasa, check in to the Pingcuo Kangtsang Hotel. Tashilhunpo Monastery is located in the Sangzhuzi District of Shigatse City and is one of the four major monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery houses the world's tallest indoor bronze statue of Jampa Buddha. Visiting hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. Day 9: Lhasa Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple. Jokhang Temple is located in the center of the old city of Lhasa. It was built more than 1,300 years ago by King Songtsen Gampo to house the statue of Sakyamuni brought from Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. This temple is not only a holy place of Tibetan Buddhism but also a treasure of Tibetan culture. Ramoche Temple is located about 500 m north of Barkhor Street in Lhasa. It was built in the mid-7th century and houses an 8-year-old statue of Sakyamuni, which is extremely sacred and precious. Day 10: Fly from Lhasa to Shanghai. Finally, the 10-day trip is over, and I can go home and have a good sleep on the plains.