D7: Lulang-Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Namjagbarwa Peak 140km. Estimated driving time: 3h30min.
Today’s itinerary is short, passing through Linzhi and entering the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon Scenic Area. For self-driving tours, you can choose to stay at Suosong Village, the best viewing point of Namjagbarwa Peak. If you indicate at the ticket office that you are staying in Suosong Village, you can buy only 150 tickets. There is no need to buy the 60 yuan environmentally friendly sightseeing ticket, but you can only drive to the north bank of the Grand Canyon and cannot enter the south bank.
Basically every hotel in Suosong Village can directly open the window and see Namjagbarwa Peak, but the price of the viewing room is higher. You can choose a regular room. When you need to view the view, drive about 5 minutes to the viewing platform. The view is excellent and there is no light. Damn, during dinner in the evening, another water friend checked the restaurant’s phone number and ordered two stir-fried dishes online.
D8: Brahmaputra Grand Canyon-Lhasa 488km Estimated driving time: 6h44min
After returning to the Linla Expressway from the Grand Canyon Scenic Area, we drove to Lhasa at high speed. There is no toll station on the Linla Expressway, and the speed limit is 100. There are few good cars on the road. Be careful not to speed or drive tiredly. After arriving in Lhasa, we met the water who is also traveling by car. Yosima Gong and brother Danzeng, a local water friend from Lhasa, gathered together to have an authentic Tibetan meal.
D9: Potala Palace; Jokhang Temple
Take a day off to visit the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. It is particularly important to note that to visit the Potala Palace, you need to make a reservation on the WeChat article one day in advance. The reservation is free. When visiting, you need to purchase a 200 yuan ticket after entering the second gate with the reservation code. There is no need to reserve tickets for Jokhang Temple. The Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are both cultural attractions. It is recommended to spend 50 yuan for a tour guide to listen to a professional explanation. You can enjoy the night view of the Potala Palace at night, which is also a unique scenery. In addition, flights are banned throughout Lhasa, and photography is prohibited in temples.
D10: Lhasa - Yanghu Lake - Kanola Glacier - Gyantse - Shigatse 362km Estimated driving time: 6h56min
Passing through Yamdrok Yumco, one of the three holy lakes, the speed limit on this section of the road is very strict, and there are many section speed tests, most of which have a speed limit of 30 or 40. If you run 44, you will be photographed, so be sure to drive carefully. The ticket for Yanghu Lake is 60, but you can explain that you are passing by the ticket office and do not enter the parking area. When you arrive at the scenic spot, you can pull over to take pictures and the scenery is almost the same.
The Karola Glacier also has a ticket office, but I think the Karola Glacier is really not worth the dozens of tickets. You can just check in and take photos when passing by. Afterwards, you will pass the Manla Reservoir, and the scenery is also very beautiful. Arriving at Shigatse in the evening is the last city with good conditions. After that, the food and accommodation conditions will decline.
(To be continued...)