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Yamdrok Lake羊卓雍错
Yamdrok Lake (羊卓雍错, Yángzhuóyōngcuò) is a freshwater lake of about 638 km² in Nagarzê County, roughly 90 km southwest of Lhasa, and one of the three holiest lakes in Tibetan Buddhism alongside Namtso and Manasarovar. Pilgrims circumambulate it, the Dalai Lamas used it for divination, and the Samding Dorje Phagmo — one of Tibetan Buddhism's rare female reincarnate lamas — has her seat on a peninsula here. For most visitors it's a half-day photo stop on the way to Gyantse and Everest, not a destination in itself.
Lhasa · Visitor Guide2026-10-27
Quick Answer
Is Yamdrok Lake worth visiting?
A sacred turquoise lake at 4,441 m and one of Tibet's three holy lakes, reached by a 2.5-hour drive from Lhasa over the 4,794 m Kamba La pass.
Quick facts
| Ticket | Free to view from the Kamba La pass overlook (as of 2026) — the lake is a natural site with no gate. A scenic-area/environmental fee of about ¥60 is sometimes collected at the Nagarzê checkpoint, but enforcement is inconsistent (verify). All foreign access still requires the Tibet Travel Permit plus a guide and vehicle. |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daylight hours — it's a natural lake and roadside viewpoint with no opening or closing time. The Kamba La pass road (4,794 m) can close for hours or days with winter snow, roughly November–March. |
| Recommended duration | Half-day from Lhasa — about 5–6 hours round trip (2.5 h driving each way plus ~1 h at the lake). Most travellers extend it into a full day or a 3–4 day Friendship Highway loop by adding the Karola Glacier, Gyantse's Kumbum stupa, and Shigatse. |
| Best time to visit | April–June and September–October, in clear morning sun. May, late September, and October give the cleanest light and open passes. Avoid July–August monsoon afternoons — cloud turns the water gray-green and kills the turquoise — and November–March, when the Kamba La pass road often closes with snow. |
| How to get there | No metro, bus, or DiDi in Tibet — all foreign access runs through the mandatory guide + 4WD system tied to your Tibet Travel Permit. ~90 km / 2–2.5 h from Lhasa via the G318 over the Kamba La pass (4,794 m); a private half-day runs ~¥800–1,500 for vehicle + guide, or it's bundled into a Friendship Highway tour. |
| English signage | No |
| Wheelchair accessible | Partial |
| Altitude | 4,441 m (14,570 ft); Kamba La pass viewpoint at 4,794 m |
| Size | ≈638 km², up to ~60 m deep — one of Tibet's largest lakes |
| Sacred status | One of Tibet's three holy lakes (with Namtso and Manasarovar); used by the Dalai Lamas for divination |
| Location | Nagarzê County, Shannan (Lhoka) Prefecture, ~90 km SW of Lhasa |
| Best months | May, late September, October — clear sun for the turquoise colour |
| UNESCO | Not listed — a natural sacred site, not a World Heritage property |
What to expect
What you actually do is drive. Two and a half hours out of Lhasa the road climbs the Kamba La pass to 4,794 m, and at the summit a gravel pullout delivers the shot every Tibet brochure uses: the lake dropped 500 m below you, a flattened scorpion of turquoise hemmed by bare brown hills, prayer flags snapping overhead. From the pass you can drop down to the shore near Nagarzê, walk the pebbled edge, photograph the tethered yaks, and drink the altitude. There is no museum, no ticket booth at the top, no infrastructure beyond a toilet shed and a few hawkers — the experience is the view and the thin air.
The lake matters because Tibetans say it does. Yamdrok is one of the three holy lakes — with Namtso and Manasarovar — and the line of Dalai Lamas consulted it for divination when searching for their own reincarnations; legend makes it the transformed body of a goddess. On a peninsula juts Samding Monastery, seat of the Samding Dorje Phagmo, one of the very few female reincarnate-lama lineages in Tibetan Buddhism. Pilgrims still walk the full circumambulation, a serious multi-day trek at 4,400 m that almost no tourist attempts. So the lake is not scenery first — it is a pilgrimage site that happens to photograph well.
The practical wrinkle most guides soft-pedal: since 1997 the Yamdrok Pumped Storage Power Station has drawn water from the lake for hydro storage, and water levels have dropped over the decades, a running sore with Tibetan environmentalists. Then there is the colour. Most guidebooks sell Yamdrok as a guaranteed turquoise dream, but on a cloudy July afternoon it is a flat gray-green sheet and you will wonder what the fuss was about. Time it for clear weather — a sunny October morning — and it earns the reputation. As a standalone half-day from Lhasa, five hours of driving for one viewpoint is thin value; its real role is as the opening act of the Friendship Highway run toward Gyantse, Shigatse, and Everest.
How to get there
There is no metro in Lhasa and no public bus to the lake; DiDi does not operate in Tibet. Foreign visitors cannot travel independently in the Tibet Autonomous Region, so every trip runs through the guide-plus-4WD system attached to your Tibet Travel Permit. From a central Lhasa hotel it is about 90 km and 2–2.5 hours: head south on the airport expressway past Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA), join the G318, and climb to the Kamba La pass (甘巴拉山口, 4,794 m), where the viewpoint pullout sits at the summit. To reach the water, descend the switchbacks to the town of Nagarzê (浪卡子) on the western shore. Cost: a private Yamdrok-only half-day is roughly ¥800–1,500 for vehicle and guide, split among your group — poor value for the driving alone. The smart move is to make it the first stop of a 3–4 day Lhasa–Karola Glacier–Gyantse–Shigatse–Everest Friendship Highway loop, where the same driving is amortised across the Karola Glacier, the Gyantse Kumbum, and Tashilhunpo Monastery. Your guide handles the military and PSB checkpoints between Lhasa and Nagarzê — keep your passport and permit to hand.
Best photo spots
- Kamba La pass summit pullout (4,794 m) — the standard top-down turquoise panorama; frame prayer flags in the foreground and wait for sun to hit the water.
- Lakeshore near Nagarzê — eye-level turquoise with yaks and snow peaks; the standard yak-and-lake postcard shot.
- Samding Monastery peninsula — the lake on three sides with the monastery as a backdrop; quieter than the pass.
- G318 switchback pullouts between the pass and Nagarzê — secondary angles of the lake and the road itself, good in late-afternoon side light.
Tips
- Time it for clear sun — the turquoise is a direct-sunlight effect. In the July–August monsoon the lake goes gray-green; if it's cloudy, push the stop to the next morning.
- Do Yamdrok as the first leg of the Gyantse–Shigatse–Everest loop, not a standalone half-day. Five hours of round-trip driving for one overlook is thin; the same road continues to the Karola Glacier and Gyantse's Kumbum stupa.
- Acclimatise first. The pass is 4,794 m and the lake 4,441 m — nearly 1,100 m above Lhasa. Doing this on day two in Tibet is a fast way to trigger altitude sickness; give yourself two or three nights in Lhasa.
- Insist on 30–40 minutes at the Kamba La overlook. Most itineraries budget 15 minutes and rush you back to the car; the cloud often clears in bursts and the shot needs patience.
- Skip the lakeshore yak-photo touts unless you want to pay ¥10–20. Walk 100 m along the shore away from them for a cleaner, free shot.
Scams to avoid
- Yak-photo touts at the Nagarzê lakeshore quote ¥10–20 per photo and can get pushy; agree the price before lifting your camera, or just walk on.
- An invented 'sacred-lake entrance fee' — because the real fee situation is muddled and inconsistently enforced, touts and informal checkpoints sometimes demand cash beyond what your guide has covered. Pay only what your guide confirms, and let them handle checkpoints.
- Roadside 'monk' donation-seekers near shrines; give only via your guide or a monastery donation box, not to individuals.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Yamdrok Lake from Lhasa?
About 90 km by road, 2–2.5 hours one way over the Kamba La pass (4,794 m). A round trip from Lhasa is 5–6 hours including time at the lake.
Do I need a ticket for Yamdrok Lake?
No gated ticket — it is free to view from the Kamba La pass overlook (as of 2026). A scenic-area fee of about ¥60 is sometimes collected at the Nagarzê checkpoint, but enforcement is inconsistent (verify).
What is the altitude of Yamdrok Lake?
4,441 m (14,570 ft) at the surface. The Kamba La pass viewpoint above it is 4,794 m — roughly 1,100 m higher than Lhasa.
Can I visit Yamdrok Lake on my own?
No. Foreign travel in the Tibet Autonomous Region requires the Tibet Travel Permit, a licensed guide, and a 4WD; you cannot drive yourself, take a public bus, or use DiDi. It must be part of an organised tour.
How big is Yamdrok Lake?
About 638 km², with a maximum depth around 60 m — one of the largest lakes in Tibet and the largest of the three holy lakes by area.
Why is Yamdrok Lake sacred?
It is one of Tibet's three holy lakes (with Namtso and Manasarovar). The Dalai Lamas used it for divination when searching for reincarnations, and pilgrims walk a multi-day circumambulation around it.
When will I see the turquoise colour?
Only in direct sun. Aim for a clear morning in May, late September, or October. In the July–August monsoon, afternoon cloud turns the water gray-green.
How long should I plan for a Yamdrok trip?
A half-day from Lhasa — about 5–6 hours round trip with roughly an hour at the lake. Most travellers extend it into a full day or a 3–4 day Friendship Highway loop toward Gyantse and Everest.
Can I walk around the lake?
The full pilgrim kora is a serious multi-day trek at 4,400 m that almost no tourist completes. Most visitors do the Kamba La overlook and a short 30–60 minute lakeshore walk near Nagarzê.
What is Samding Monastery?
A monastery on a peninsula in the lake, seat of the Samding Dorje Phagmo — one of the few female reincarnate-lama lineages in Tibetan Buddhism, and the highest female incarnation in the tradition.
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