Yamdrok Lake 羊卓雍措Yángzhuó Yōngcuò

Why go to Yamdrok Lake

Yamdrok Yumtso, one of Tibet's three great sacred lakes, is a long, branching turquoise lake ringed by snow mountains and believed to be the dwelling of a protector goddess. Viewpoints on the road along its northern shore look out over the water and its islands, home to many water birds. Samding Monastery, headed by a female incarnate lama, stands on a peninsula near Nagarzê on the south-western side.

The story

Tibetans hold lakes to be the homes of protective deities, and Yamdrok is counted among the four great 'wrathful' lakes guarded by the goddess Dorje Gegkyi Tso. Samding Monastery on its shore is known as the seat of Dorje Phagmo, the highest female incarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, and is tied to a tale of an abbess who turned her nuns into sows to fool raiders.

What to see at Yamdrok Lake

• Kamba La viewpoint 岗巴拉山口: The classic first sight: the pass looks down over the lake spreading in turquoise arms between bare brown hills, usually hung with prayer flags.
• North-shore viewpoints 湖畔观景点: Pull-ins along the shore road give close views of the water, the snow peaks behind it and the fan-shaped, deeply indented coastline.
• Islands and birdlife 湖中岛屿: Five islands lie in the lake, used as pasture by herders and a major water-bird habitat in southern Tibet; spring and summer are best for spotting birds from the shore.
• Samding Monastery 桑顶寺: A 13th-century monastery on a hilltop at the neck of a peninsula on the south-western shore, the seat of the highest female incarnation in Tibetan Buddhism; whether it fits your route depends on the itinerary, so ask your guide.

How to visit Yamdrok Lake

Most visitors make it a half-day or full-day drive from Lhasa, stopping at the Kamba La viewpoint first and then at one or two lakeshore stops on the way down. If you are travelling on towards Gyantse and Shigatse, the lake is simply the highlight of that day's drive; a day trip from Lhasa leaves little time beyond the viewpoints and a short lakeside stroll.

How to get to Yamdrok Lake

About two to three hours by road south-west of Lhasa via Gonggar, climbing to the Kamba La pass before descending to the shore; the same road continues to Gyantse and Shigatse. Carry your passport for road checkpoints.

Where to stay

There is little reason to overnight at the lake itself; most visitors return to Lhasa, or continue to Gyantse or Shigatse on the Friendship Highway and sleep there.

What to eat

• Yak butter tea 酥油茶: Hot tea churned with yak butter and salt, served everywhere on the plateau and more of a warming broth than a tea.
• Tsampa 糌粑: Roasted highland-barley flour, usually kneaded by hand with butter tea into a doughy ball; it is the staple of Tibetan cooking.
• Thukpa 土巴: A hearty Tibetan noodle soup, often with yak meat, found on breakfast menus and in tea houses.

Tips for visiting Yamdrok Lake

• Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit and must travel with a licensed agency and guide, who will arrange the vehicle for the road from Lhasa.
• The Kamba La pass is above 4,700 m and the lake surface about 4,440 m, so acclimatise in Lhasa first and avoid rushing at the viewpoints.
• The road has many switchbacks, so take motion-sickness precautions; the lake freezes in winter and is at its bluest in the warmer months.

Nearby

• Potala Palace 布达拉宫 70 km
  The red and white palace of the Dalai Lamas, rising in tiers above Lhasa
• Jokhang Temple & Barkhor 大昭寺与八廓街 70 km
  Tibet's holiest temple, ringed by the pilgrim circuit of the Barkhor

Also within 30 km: Gongkar Chö Monastery 贡嘎曲德寺 (20 km), Tibet Wildlife Protection Park (Qushui Zoo) 西藏野生动物保护园 (30 km).

On the map

Open Yamdrok Lake on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)