纳木错与羊卓雍措

Why this place

Namtso and Yamdrok are two of the three great holy lakes of Tibet, at 4,700 and 4,400 metres, and they are sacred: pilgrims walk circuits around them, and the water is considered to have healing power. Both are enormous, intensely blue, and set against snow peaks — the high-altitude lake landscape at its most extreme.

What to see

• Namtso's turquoise water against the Nyenchen Tanglha snow range
• Yamdrok Lake, seen from the Gampa La pass on the road to Shigatse
• The prayer flags and the pilgrimage paths along both lakes
• The Tibetan nomad camps and the yak herds on the surrounding grassland

What to eat

• Butter tea, tsampa and yak meat — the plateau staples
• Fish are traditionally not eaten by many Tibetans for religious reasons, so do not expect lake fish

How to plan

Namtso is a day trip from Lhasa; Yamdrok is on the Shigatse road and is usually seen en route.

Best time

April–June and September–October

Practical tips

• Both lakes are above 4,400m — do not visit on your first day in Tibet, and expect sudden weather changes