Nyingchi (Linzhi) is the greenest and most lush corner of Tibet, sitting in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River at relatively low elevations compared to the rest of the plateau. Where most of Tibet is barren and high, Nyingchi is forested, mild, and surprisingly verdant — it is sometimes called "the Switzerland of Tibet," and while that overstates things, the contrast with the rest of the region is real.
The prefectural capital, Bayi, is about 400 km east of Lhasa along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. The Niyang River valley around it is broad and pleasant, with barley fields, apple orchards, and ancient Tibetan cypress groves. The surrounding mountains are covered in dense forest of cedar, rhododendron, and fir — a different world from the treeless passes further west.
The great attraction nearby is the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, where the river makes a dramatic horseshoe bend around Namcha Barwa (7,782 m) before plunging southeast into India as the Brahmaputra. The canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon, though far less accessible. Treks to the bend and views of Namcha Barwa's snow peak are the main draws for adventurous visitors.
East of Bayi, the Lulang Forest Sea is another face of this exceptional prefecture: high-altitude meadows and conifer forest where wildflowers and yaks share the hillside. Further afield, Basum Tso Lake reflects snow peaks in its turquoise waters and hosts a small island monastery that has been a pilgrimage site for centuries.
Nyingchi's relatively low altitude (Bayi sits at around 2,900 m) makes it a gentler introduction to Tibet than arriving directly in Lhasa. The airport at Mainling receives flights from Chengdu and Lhasa.