Trip Overview
Namtso Lake Tour is another popular tour in Tibet, which is situated in the nomadic county of Damshung. Namtso Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world with an altitude of 4,718m, also the second largest saltwater lake in China (after the Qinghai Lake). Its touching beauty should not be missed by any visitors there. Its purity and solemnness are symbols of Qinghai-Tibet Platean. In Tibetan, Namtso means 'Heavenly Lake.' It is considered one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and famous for its high altitude (4,720 meters about 3 miles), vast area (1,961 square kilometers about 757 square miles) and beautiful scenery. While doing this tour, you can explore the nomads' way of life, as well as get a great view of Mt. Nyincheng Thangla and visit the famous hot springs in Yangbacheng. Namtso Lake has five uninhabited Islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims, who walk over the lake's frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter. In clear days, the lake looks like a beautiful turquoise surrounded by magnificent snow-capped Tanggula Mountains, and the lakeshore is green, wide and open, dotted with tents, yaks and sheep of local nomads. For travelers, Namtso is the ideal place for photography, while for Tibetans, it is a scared and magical lake for pilgrimage.