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Plan your Tibet tour? Yamdrok Lake is a must for your first time visit in Tibet. Yamdrok Lake ( or Yamdrok-Tso Lake and Yamdrok Yumtso Lake ) is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet.
Yamdrok-Tso Lake is 130km long from east to west and 70km wide from north to south with a total perimeter of 250km and the surface area of 638 square km, average depth of 20-40 meters. It is the largest lake at the north foot of the Himalayas.
Yamdrok Yumtso Lake is a kind of low salt lake formed by the snow melted water from the snow capped mountains nearby. The lake looks like a holy sapphire. Under the clear azure sky, the clean water of the lake is as smooth as the surface of fine blue jade. Yamdrok Lake is said to be be the female Guardian of Buddhism in Tibet. Every year, many local Tibetans and visitors from Lhasa and from other places would come here for pilgrimage or sightseeing.
Yamdrok Lake is situated within Langkazi County (Nangartse) of the Shannan Region of Tibet on the way between Lhasa and Gyantse – 110km southwest of Lhasa and 140 east of Gyantse.
If you start from Lhasa to visit Yamdrok Lake, you have to climb over Kampala Pass (5000m) where you have a bird’s eye view of the amazing lake. The lake lies several hundred meters below the road or the pass. Under clear weather the lake is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge snow mountain – Mt.Nojin Kangsang (7194).
If you set off from Gyantse to view Yamdrok Lake, you have to climb over Karola Pass (5042m). Karola Pass is the divided line between Gyantse County and Langkazi County. (Nangartse).
Approaching the Kampala Pass (5000m)
Driving through the Kampala Pass (5000m)
Driving through the Pass
Parking the cars and buses on the parking lot near the Pass or the road and viewing the lake
Parking cars and buses on the parking lot near the Pass or the road and viewing the lake
Birds’ Eye View of Yamdrok Lake from the parking lot or the road near Kampala Pass (5000m)
Birds' Eye View of Yamdrok Lake from the parking lot or the road near Kampala Pass (5000m)
On the right side of the lake
On the right side of the lake
People take pictures with the huge carved roack with the Chinese charactors “Yamdrok Lake”
People take pictures with the huge carved roack with the Chinese charactors - Yamdrok Lake -
Visitors are taking photos with the yak
Visitors are taking photos with the yak
You may take a picture with a Tibetan mastiff
You may take a picture with a Tibetan mastiff
Overlooking Yamdrok Lake from the parking area near the the Kampala Pass (5000m)
Overlooking Yamdrok Lake from the parking area near the the Kampala Pass (5000m)
Yamdrok Lake Travel Tips
1. Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake drive time: a land cruiser one and half hour; bus 3 hours
2. Gyantse – Yamdrok Lake drive time; a land cruiser 2 hours; bus drive 4 hours
3. Entrance fee for Yamdrok Lake; RMB 40 per person
4. Toilet on the platform near the Pass
5. Parking area on the platform near the Pass
