The grasslands north of Lhasa, in the Damxung and Nagqu direction, are classic Tibetan plateau country: wide, high, wind-scoured plains above 4,200 metres, grazed by yak and sheep and dotted with the black tents and low houses of herding families. Several communities here now host visitors as a way of supplementing herding income, and a stay of a night or two is one of the few ways to see how life on the plateau actually works.
What a visit involves
Guests usually stay with a family in a tent or a simple house, sometimes with a separate guest room and sometimes sharing the main living space around the stove. Days follow the herd: moving animals between grazing grounds, bringing them in for milking, and doing the work that supports them. Yak are milked by hand, and the milk is turned into butter in a wooden churn and into yoghurt and dried cheese. Dried meat is prepared by cutting meat into strips and hanging it to dry in the wind, and tsampa is ground from roasted barley.
The practical realities
This is a working household, not a hotel. Facilities are basic: outdoor or simple toilets, no showers, limited electricity, and a stove burning dried yak dung as the main heat. Nights are cold at this altitude even in summer, and the wind is constant. Meals are simple, based on yak meat, dairy, barley and potatoes, with tea drunk constantly. Guests are expected to help a little and to fit in with the household's rhythm rather than dictate it.
Doing it properly
Arrange through an agency that works directly with the families and pays them fairly, rather than one that routes money through intermediaries. Ask before photographing people, homes, altars or animals, and accept a refusal without pressing. Bringing small useful gifts is common but should not be ostentatious; sweets and fruit for children, and tea, are the usual things. Do not hand out money to children on the grassland, which creates problems for the community.
Practical notes
Nomad stays are on the open plateau at high altitude, so allow two or three nights in Lhasa first to acclimatise before going. Foreign visitors require the standard Tibet permits and travel with a guide, and the grassland areas are checked at police posts, so keep permits with you. Bring a warm sleeping bag, a head torch, sun protection and a water bottle. The best months are May to September; outside that the passes can close.
