14-day Ancient Tea-Horse Road from Lijiang to Lhasa

Tour Code: TTO005
Tour Length: 14 days
Tour Route: Lijiang-ShangriLa-Deqin-Yanjing-Markham-Zuogong-Pasho-Rawoktso-Pomi-Bayi- Basomtso-Lhasa

Tour Feature:
The scenery along the Yunnan Tibet Highway is stunning beautiful. During this trip, you will visit lovely Lijiang old city which is one of the four old cities in China, and the deepest gorges in the world - Tiger Leaping Gorges before arriving at Zhongdian, we still call it Shangri-la. In Zhongdian, visit the Songzanlin Temple which is like a smaller Patala. After arriving at Deqin, see the holyMeili Snow Mountain. Cross the Tibetan border from Yanjing, then another 111km to Markham join the Sichuan Southern route to Lhasa. You will visit the Three Parallel Rivers, the Ranwu Lake and Glacier, Bayi Town,Jokhang Temple, Barkor Street, the Potala Palacein Lhasa.
 

Summary Itinerary
Day01 Star the trip from Lijiang, Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri La
Day 02 Shangri La
Day 03 Shangri La-Deqin
Day 04 Deqin-Yanjing in Tibet
Day 05 Yanjing –Zuogong
Day 06 Zuogong –Ranwu
Day 07 Ranwu
Day 08 Ranwu-Bomi
Day 09 Bomi-Bayi-Nyingchi
Day 10 Nyingchi-Lhasa (270 kilometres)
Day 11 Lhasa
Day 12 Lhasa
Day 13 Lhasa-Namtso-Lhasa
Day 14 Leave Lhasa to your next destination
 

Detailed Itinerary

Day01 Star the trip from Lijiang, Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri La
Sightseeing:  the First Bend of the Yangtze River, Shigu Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge
NextFrom Lijiang, you'll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks.

Continue the driving 40KM more to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys.

Day 02 Shangri La
Sightseeing: the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the Bita Lake & Shudu Lake and the Guishan Park.
Special Experience: Tibetan home made with butter oil tea and Tibetan food.
NextIn the morning, you'll visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. And afterwards you'll go and visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake. After having finished touring the Bita Lake & Shudu Lake, you'll visit the Old Town of Shangri La and the Guishan Park.

Tibetan home made at night and have dinner in Tibetan family with butter oil tea and Tibetan food.

Day 03 Shangri La-Deqin
Sightseeing: Bengzilan Town and the first bend of Jinsha(Yangtze) River, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima (white horse) Snow Mountain.
NextIn the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County(3400m altitude) which is 187km away from Zhongdian through Baimang Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, you will be able to view Baimang Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km.

After traversing mountain ranges, you will make a short stop and have lunch at Benzilan town, take some shots on the first bend of Jinsha(Yangtze) River, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima (white horse) Snow Mountain. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages. Stay at Feilaisi.

Day 04 Deqin-Yanjing in Tibet
Sightseeing: Mingyong Glacier,Sunrise of Meili Snow Mountain, Mingyong Village.
NextTry to get up early in the morning, drive 10km to Feilai Monastery to view the magic sunrise of Meili Snow Mountain. Then drive another 1.5-hyour to Mingyong village, where you will walk on the trails for about 4km to the bottom of Mingyong Glaciers, walk another one hour or so, you will get to Tibetan Taizi Monastery-another good spot to view the magnificent Mingyong Glaciers. (You can choose to hire a horse to go up to the glacier on your own expense in order to save your energy.) After the tour, get back to Deqin County.
 
If you are lucky enough to have a good weather, you could see the golden snow-covered Kawagebo peak (6,740m, the Peak of Mt. Meili. Then you travel along the north of Mekong River valley into Tibet. Once into Tibet, your first stop will be in the town of Yanjing, which was once the main source of salt for half of the Kham Tibetan area, which ranged from northwestern Sichuan down into Yunnan. You will visit to the salt fields, followed by a stop at the hot springs, where each of us could pick your own natural hot bath overlooking the Mekong. Certainly the best way to relax your body for the adventure ahead!

Day 05 Yanjing –Zuogong
Sightseeing: mountains and farmaland
NextYou cross two high passes in this section of the drive, one at around 3,900 m(12,795 ft), the other at 5,008 m(16,430 ft). Driving past local Tibetan houses scattered round the feet of snow-capped peaks, the expressions on innocent Tibetan girls would make you realize that you are one of the first foreign visitors to this isolated region.

Day 06 Zuogong –Ranwu
Sightseeing: the Nujiang-Salween River, the Ranwu Lake
NextYou will drive along the deep valleys of the Nu River (the Salween River), which is a long and tough journey, but your destination, the Ranwu Lake, is another Shangri-la, stay in the tent beside the Lake.

Day 07 Ranwu
Sightseeing: Ranwu
NextA rare day which involves no driving! You have two options available: for those interested in a day hike, your photographer/guide would take you onto a scenic day hike; while those who'd rather opt for a day of retreat would find this place ideal for relaxing, writing your travel notes and washing off the dust accumulated in the journey so far.

Day 08 Ranwu-Bomi
Sightseeing: Ranwu, gan Tso Lake, the Poto-chu Valley, Parlung Tsangpo gorge,Bomi
NextA drive of 129km would take us about 5 hours to Bomi, stay in the guesthouse.
You will wander along the Poto-chu Valley at Tramog (2,743 m/8999 ft), located deep in the thickly forested gorge of Parlung Tsangpo with glacial waterfalls streaming from the mountainsides.
 
You will go down several hundred meters in altitude as you reach the lowland jungle settlement of Tang-me where the Tsangpo and Parlung Tsangpo rivers meet. Stay in a guesthouse in Bomi.

Day 09 Bomi-Bayi-Nyingchi
Sightseeing: Serkhyem La Pass, Mount Gyala Pelri and Mount Namchak Barwa, Bayi Town
NextDrive across Serkhyem La Pass (4,515 m/14813 ft), the last major pass before reaching Lhasa, you will have spectacular views of Mount Gyala Pelri (7,150 m/23458 ft) and Mount Namchak Barwa (7,756 m/25446 ft). On the way to Nyingchi, you pass through Bayi, originally a military base, which has now become the capital of Nyingchi District.
 
North of Bayi, Bajie village lies on the edge of a primary dense forest with sacred cypress trees which are more than two thousand and five hundred years old. Around May, you would be able to see three to five-meter rhododendrons in full bloom. Stay in a 3 star hotel in Bayi.

Day 10 Nyingchi-Lhasa (270 kilometres)
Sightseeing: Bayi Town, Nyingchi, Lhasa City
NextYou will pass through a scenic terrain with lush alpine forests and clear snow-melted streams. Relax in Lhasa hotel, the best hotel in Lhasa.

--Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has a history of more than 1,300 years. It is the political, economic, cultural and transportation center of the region. With a population of 400,000, Lhasa covers an area of 30,000 square km, in which the downtown covers 544 square km and holds a population of 140,000. Tibetan ethnic group makes up 87 percent of the total population; the rest consists of Han, Hui and other ethnic groups.

Day 11 Lhasa
Sightseeing: Jokhang Temple, Barkor Street, the Potala Palace
Next On this second day morning you will take an easy visit to Jokhang Temple. This temple is the most revered shrine in all of Tibet and is constantly bustling with devout worshippers. You will also be given the opportunity to shop in Barkor, the crowded central market of Lhasa. In the afternoon you will visit is Sera Monastery, a fifteenth century sprawl of golden roofs and whitewashed walls. This well preserved monastery is located just a few miles North of Lhasa and is home to several hundred monks. Its famous debating activities are happening 3-4pm quite regularly every day, so remind your guide not to miss it.

At last a trip to Tibet would not be complete without experiencing the vital Potala Palace. This palace is Lhasa's cardinal landmark and is a wonder of Eastern architecture. Your first site of this massive structure will be a magical moment remembered for years to come. It has been a palace since the fifth or sixth century and was once home to the Dalai Lama.

Day 12 Lhasa
Sightseeing: Norbulingka Palace, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
NextYou will visit Norbulingka Palace, situated in the west side of Lhasa is just around a km southwest of Potala Palace. Norbulingka meaning 'Treasure Park' covers an area of around 360000 sq. m. and is considered to be the biggest man made garden in Tibet. You will be amazed to know that there are more than 370 rooms inside its premises. It is called summer palace because after the 7th Lama, Dalai Lamas used to visit here during summers to hold religious and government related activities. As a part of "Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace", UNESCO added Norbulingka in its list of world heritage sites.
Then you will visit Sera Monastery, founded in 1419, at its height, Sera monastery was residence to more than 5,000 monks and five monastic colleges. Although much less active now, with only several hundred monks currently in residence, one of the most interesting times to visit the monastery is in the afternoon when monks, after finishing their morning scripture classes, can be seen debating in the courtyard.
 
This truly amazing day will ended with a visit to the Drepung Monastery. Once the world's largest monastery, housing 10,000 monks, Drepung monastery lies hidden in rocky ridges just beyond the city. Surprisingly much of the building was left untouched throughout so many hundreds of years.

Day 13 Lhasa-Namtso-Lhasa
Sightseeing: Namtso Lake
NextNamtso, one of the 4 famous holy lakes in Tibet, is amazing and travelling here is needed experience, all of your guests have never complained for it. You are going to bypass the great grasslands, sightsee so many Tibetan Shepherds, experience the clean and great holy lake, do meditation in the caves in Tashiduo Island in the lake...
 
You will feel comfortable in your private tour car or bus in which you will spend around 6 or 7 hours, and you can stop anywhere you like to take photos, just ask tell your driver or guide.

Day 14 Leave Lhasa to your next destination
A private car will take you to the airport for your flight to next destination.
On the other hand, if you prefer to stay longer in China, you can extend your trip to other parts of Tibet like Shigtse,Tsedang, Everest Base Camp etc. – if you need, please ask us.

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