Crossing Northern Tibet on the 317: Journeying Through the Most Pristine Old Tibet — Sacred Mountains, Holy Lakes, and Renowned Monasteries, a Feast for the Eyes (11-Day Detailed Self-Drive Guide)

Foreword
How high the mountains rise, how long the rivers run, how hard the road to heaven is. Life is but a few short decades. While the timing is right, go see the people you want to see, go see the scenery you want to see. Time slips away—seize the day while you can... Tibet is a place you simply must visit at least once in your lifetime. In this autumn of blooming mountain flowers and ripening barley, I traveled a thousand miles over mountains and across rivers, just to keep a date with you.
About This Journey
Some say: Lijiang is for romantic encounters, Dali is for falling in love, and Tibet is for healing. If you ever get the chance, you must bring the one you love to the place closest to heaven. But alas, the world is a bustling place, and a good companion is hard to find. And so, many people end up going to Tibet alone. When I was young and naive, I dreamed of "taking the train to Lhasa." Now that I'm older and wiser, I long even more for a self-drive journey through Tibet. Before you turn 30, you owe it to yourself to drive the 317 Northern Tibet route at least once—only then will you understand what it means to have no regrets in life.
Itinerary
D1: Chengdu — Lhasa — Adiao Tea (Food) Stay: Sunshine City Tibetan Guesthouse (Potala Palace Branch)
D2: Potala Palace — Barkhor Street — Old Guangming Gangqiong Sweet Tea House (Food) Stay: Sunshine City Tibetan Guesthouse (Potala Palace Branch)
D3: Lhasa — Nagqu — Chuanwei Mutton Soup (Food) Stay: Northern Tibet Welcome Hotel
D4: Nagqu — Nujiang Grand Canyon — Biru Stay: Nujiang Yuan Hotel
D5: Biru — Xiala Mountain Pass — Sangda Monastery — Yangxiu Township — Sapu Sacred Mountain — Biru Stay: Nujiang Yuan Hotel
D6: Biru — Baingoin County — Ya'an Restaurant (Food) Stay: Northern Tibet Welcome Hotel
D7: Baingoin County — Qiongco — Namtso — Sacred Elephant Gate — Nagqu Stay: Xinjin Hotel
D8: Nagqu — Bujia Snow Mountain — Dingqing County Stay: Cordyceps Grand Hotel
D9: Dingqing County — Zizhu Monastery — Chamdo Stay: Four Seasons Oxygen-Enriched Hotel
D10: Chamdo — Dege Printing House — Garze. Gesar King City Stay: Beyond Time Hot Spring Guesthouse
D11: Garze — Bamei — Zheduo Mountain — Kangding — Ya'an — Chengdu
About the Author
Sichuan travel expert / food expert @Wandering ed Kitty
Travel Preparations
Equipment: Camera, laptop, phone, flexible tripod, selfie stick, stabilizer. Clothing: Wool coat, down jacket, long-sleeve dresses, trench coat, scarf, leggings, Martin boots, slippers. (Tibet is a high-altitude region. On this trip, Lhasa sits at 3,650 meters, Nagqu at over 4,450 meters, Sapu Sacred Mountain at around 5,000 meters, and the Sacred Elephant Gate at about 4,700 meters. At high altitudes, temperatures vary greatly between day and night, and the weather is unpredictable—bring plenty of clothes to adapt to changing conditions.) Medicine: Glucose, 999 Cold Remedy, Banlangen, altitude sickness medication (Gaoyuan'an, Rhodiola). Snacks: Bread, biscuits, spicy strips, chocolate, fruit, etc. (During self-drive trips, you're often in no-man's land where there aren't even small shops, and sometimes you're rushing to reach scenic spots—so you absolutely must bring snacks to stave off hunger. In Tibetan areas, you'll often crave fruit. If carrying it feels like too much hassle, you can buy it in Tibet, though prices are a bit higher.) Other: Umbrella, sun hat, sunglasses. ⚠️ Notes: At high altitudes, start taking Rhodiola several days in advance. After arriving in Tibet, avoid strenuous exercise. At high altitudes, avoid spicy food, keep warm, and prevent colds. If you're in poor health, bring your own oxygen. When driving, keep an eye on fuel levels at all times. At gas stations along the way, it's best not to use unfamiliar brands.
Day 1: Chengdu — Lhasa — Adiao Tea (Food)
[D1 Timeline] 7:50 Depart from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, Chengdu — Lhasa. 10:05 Land at Lhasa Gonggar Airport. 10:30 Take the civil aviation bus, about 1 hour ride, arrive at Lhasa Civil Aviation Bureau parking lot. 11:40 Transfer to a taxi to the pre-booked [Sunshine City Guesthouse], located on Linkuo North Road near Ramoche Temple, about 10 minutes by car. If you're traveling light, you can walk there in about 20 minutes. 12:00 Check into the room, order Lhasa's most famous Adiao handmade butter tea, then begin a half-day of lounging.
[Food & Stay Notes] Adiao Handmade Butter Tea
Hours: 10:00—21:00
Address: 1st Floor, Zangxiaxiang Mall, No. 7 Barkhor Street
Recommendations: Adiao handmade butter tea, Black Forest, original yak yogurt
Sunshine City Tibetan Guesthouse (Starry Sky King Room)
Address: No. 11, Building 16, Linkuo North Road
Life is short! You need to be with sweet "people." Wanted butter tea but didn't want to go out. So—delivery it is. The influencer shop, checked off the list. In Lhasa, enjoyed a leisurely afternoon tea moment.
"Sunshine City" Lhasa | First Impressions
Tips: Lhasa city transportation:
1. Train: Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, Xining, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou all have direct trains to Lhasa.
[Lhasa City] From the train station, take bus routes 86, 89, or 91; taxi costs about 20 yuan per person.
2. Plane: Chengdu — Lhasa, flight time 2 hours 15 minutes, arriving at Lhasa Gonggar Airport.
[Civil Aviation Bus] Gonggar Airport — Civil Aviation Bureau (round trip). Fare: 30 yuan/person; ride: about 60 minutes. City departure times: 6:30—20:00 (every 5–10 minutes in the morning; every 10–15 minutes in the afternoon). Airport departure times: synchronized with flights—if there's a flight, there's a bus.
[Taxi] No meter, about 130–150 yuan; ride: about 45 minutes.
Before I'd ever set eyes on it, I'd long heard that Tibet is a hidden realm with the pinnacle of a thousand mountains, the source of ten thousand waters, the kingdom of Tibetan antelope, and the homeland of yaks. And Lhasa is the most brilliant pearl in this hidden realm. Beautiful Lhasa, with 3,005.3 hours of sunshine annually—averaging 8 hours and 15 minutes of sunlight per day—earns its name "Sunshine City."
Step into the holy city of Lhasa, and every few paces you'll see devout pilgrims; a few more steps and you'll hear the "ding-ling" of prayer wheels; a few more still and you'll catch the rich aroma of butter tea... The streets and alleys are filled with dazzling goods, and merchants and travelers flow endlessly in every direction—a scene of prosperity. The landscapes beyond the city are unparalleled. Exotic flowers drape the cliffs, ancient temples hide among Tibetan dwellings. Ten-thousand-fathom glaciers pierce the sky, peaks and perilous cliffs draped in colored ribbons. Emerald lakes mirror snow-capped summits, wind bends the grass to reveal cattle and sheep.
Day 2: Potala Palace — Barkhor Street — Old Guangming Gangqiong Sweet Tea House (Food) — Potala Palace (Night View)
[D2 Timeline] 10:30 Depart from Sunshine City Guesthouse, walk 1.6 km, about 22 minutes to the main entrance of Potala Palace. 11:00 Security check, enter the interior of Potala Palace. 14:00 Finish touring Potala Palace. 14:30 Near Ramoche Temple, have a bowl of rice noodles at Suo Yi Wan, tried the signature wild mushroom soup rice noodles. 15:00 Arrive at Old Guangming Gangqiong Sweet Tea House, sit and drink sweet tea. 18:00 Stroll Barkhor Street. 19:30 Walk to Potala Palace to shoot night views. Wait until the lights come on, take photos, then taxi back to guesthouse, about 15 minutes.
[Food & Stay Notes] Suo Yi Wan Rice Noodle Shop
Hours: 9:00—21:00
Address: No. 2538 Beijing East Road, Lhasa
Recommendations: Matsutake wild mushroom soup rice