Early Morning Departure from Chengdu
Day 2 of our Tibet journey started very early. Morning call today was at 5am, breakfast at 5:15am, and departure at 5:45am. Way too early. We decided to skip breakfast altogether – honestly, how to eat a buffet breakfast at 5:15am?
We met our Chengdu tour guide and our group outside the breakfast area and headed straight to the domestic terminal to catch our flight to Nyingchi.
This post is part of our 13-day Tibet journey, documenting each day of our journey across Nyingchi, Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, and the Qinghai–Tibet Railway. Read the full itinerary here.
Airport Hotel Perks
One of the biggest perks of staying at an airport hotel is convenience. It was only a 10–15 minute walk to the domestic terminal. Passed security, checked in our luggage, and then… we waited.
Flying into Nyingchi: Window Seat Views
While on the airport shuttle bus, I overheard some passengers saying that you should always get a window seat when flying into Nyingchi. Apparently, the views are spectacular with snow-capped mountains along the way.
Luckily for us, we had a window seat so I was pretty excited for the views. And sure enough – the views were absolutely amazing.
Inflight Breakfast (Surprisingly Good)
And did I mention they served breakfast on the flight?
We had warm sweet potato porridge with preserved vegetables, and the cabin crew came around serving piping hot 红糖馒头 (hong tang mantou) – a brown sugar steamed bun. Super good!
Arrival at Nyingchi
After collecting our luggage, we met our local tour guide 龙哥 (Long Ge) and headed straight to our first attraction: Lamaling Monastery.
Why Nyingchi Is the Perfect Starting Point
On the way, our tour guide explained to us why Nyingchi is an ideal place to begin our Tibet journey. At around 2,500 metres above sea level and surrounded by dense forests, the oxygen level here is relatively higher compared to places like Lhasa.
And it is true – Nyingchi is really lush, green, and full of life. In fact, Nyingchi is very well-known for its peach blossoms, which bloom around March to April. Many travel agencies offer special Nyingchi peach blossom tours during this period. So if you’re planning to visit Tibet, you might want to consider timing it during this time of the year for this special sight.
Lamaling Monastery
Lamaling Monastery belongs to the Nyingma Sect (commonly known as the Red Sect), one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
The monastery is a three-storey building housing statues of Guru Rinpoche, Avalokiteshvara, and Sakyamuni. Before entering, you are required to wear a protective shoe cover to prevent damage to the interiors – interestingly, this was the only monastery on our trip with such a rule.
Photography is not allowed inside (same as most Tibetan temples), so you can only admire the exterior.
Lunch & A Change of Plans
After Lamaling Monastery, we headed for lunch. Same as before, there will be no food photos. Group tour meals usually involve 10+ dishes being served one after another, and it will be ridiculous to take photos one by one and impossible to wait until all dishes have been served before taking a photo of all dishes at once. No thanks… I’ve never been a food photo person anyway.
Originally, as per the itinerary, we were supposed to visit Yani National Wetlands Park after lunch. However, considering our extremely early start this morning, the tour guide asked if we preferred returning to the hotel to rest and shifting Yani to the next day.
Majority voted yes. Hotel it is then.
Checking into Linzhi Chomura Zong Urcove Hotel
The room at Linzhi Chomura Zong Urcove Hotel was pretty nice, with large glass windows and lovely views.
The bed was big and comfy, and if you noticed the light fixture by the bed – it was actually shaped like a Buddha figure, a subtle and thoughtful touch.
Each room also came with an oxygen machine, which we tried out taking some sniffs of oxygen easing into the altitude before taking a short nap.
Dinner: Lulang Stone Pot Chicken
Dinner was Lulang stone pot chicken, a hearty, hot soup that really warms the soul – perfect for chilly mountain evenings.
After dinner, it was straight back to the hotel for an early night.
Continue reading: Day 3 – Exploring Nyingchi