Qinghai-Tibet Highway (Xi'ning-Golmud-Lhasa)
Qinghai-Tibet Highway is by far the safest highway with best road conditions into or out of Tibet, comparing to other highways such as Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway, Xinjiang-Tibet highway or Nepal-Tibet highway.
Starting from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway stretches a 1947 km (about 1210 miles) into Tibet with an average elevation of above 4,000 meters. Winding along the Kunlun Mountain, Tanggula Mountain, Tuotuo River, and vast grassland, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway amazes travelers with its appealing landscape along the plateau.
The land adventure from Lhasa to Xining or vice versa is awesome and really enjoyable. To take the overland driving adventure with flexible schedule of 3-4 days for the 200km will be fantastic, you are welcome to discover more of the remote area along the way.
However if you have decided to enter or leave Tibet by driving along Qinghai-Tibet Highway, please do not forget that the road condition might not be as good as you think. And you'd better make careful preparation before departure. flow the quick tips below:
1) Take enough clothes, medicines for high altitude sickness, and enough food, as food along these roads is often bland and sometimes unavailable.
2) To avoid mountain sickness, do not undertake too many activities. If you are traveling with your own car, take sufficient gas and make sure that your car is in good mechanical condition.
Best Time to Go
The best time for tourists to go is from May to the second week of October when the typical climate of plateau lands along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The rapes bloom vigorously in from July to August, making the place a "Tibetan Yangtze Delta in spring". Rainfall may ruin the travel a little.
Qinghai-Tibet Highway Route
Lhasa - 87 km - Yangbajain - 75 km - Damxung - 164 km - Nagqu - 138 km - Amdo - 89 km - Tanggula Mountain - 100 km - Yanshiping - 91 km - Tuotuo Riverside - 150 km - Wudaoliang - 269 km - Golmud - 484 km - Caka - 196 km - Daotang River - 123 km - Xining
Map of Qinghai-Tibet Highway