16 Days Chengdu to Kham and Shangri-La Overland Tour via G317 National Highway

Welcome to Chengdu, the Land of Abundance!

After landing at Chengdu Airport, if you have not arranged for an arrival pick-up with us, you can take a taxi, subway or the Airport Express Train to downtown Chengdu and reach your hotel by yourself.

The rest of the day free for you to be on your own. You can visit Chengdu city full of mixed flavor of tradition and modernization, such as strolling around the Jingli Street, walking through the ancient alleys and watching Sichuan Opera and Face Changing performance.

Stay overnight in Chengdu

Kindly Note:
1. Chengdu has two international airports: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Please make sure to check which airport you're arriving at.

2. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is about 67 kilometers from the city center, while Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is only 16 kilometers away. 

3. If you need a pick-up service upon arrival, please let your travel consultant know beforehand.

• Jinli Street
• Sichuan opera

After breakfast, we will drive along the Sichuan Tibet Highway (northern route) and make a small detour along this route to Danba via Dujiangyan, Wolong and scenic Four Ladies Mountain. At Wolong Nature Reserve, you can have a close contact with the Giant Pandas.

Danba is a fascinating small but compact town sitting in the canyon dotted with dozens of Qiang and Tibetan villages, along with numerous soaring stone watchtowers perched on the surrounding hills and cliffs. Drive to Jiaju Zangzhai Tibetan village, proclaimed as the best village in China, you can stroll around and meet with local Gyarong Tibetan families and possibly dine with them.

Stay overnight in Jiaju

• Jiaju Zangzhai

After breakfast, Enjoy your time to visit and walk in Zhonglu village and Suopo village the next day, where you can have lunch in local Tibetan Inn, and visit the local families to see some of the remarkable Qiang watchtowers of the region, and visit Medor Monastery with unique combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity.

Stay overnight in Danba

After breakfast, we will drive to Ganzi via Daofu and Luhuo. Along the way, pass through spectacular Yak Valley, regarded as the Natural Bonsai Garden, then cross Yala Snow Mountain, Longdeng Grassland, Yuke Grassland and rural farmland sceneries.

Daofu is well-known for its marvelous local houses with impressive interiors, which you will get a better understanding by visiting a local Tibetan family.

Ganzi is a buzzing small town populated mostly by Tibetans. You can see low wooden houses sprawling the valley, with vast expanse of farm and grasslands, ringed by Chola mountains. You also can pay a visit to a 540 year-old Garze Gompa monastery near the town, and later stroll around the town.

Stay overnight in Daofu

After breakfast, we will drive through vast farmlands, nomadic settlement and arrive in Manigango, a small rural town where you can stop for lunch and then head to Derge. Shortly after leaving Manigango, you will arrive in Yihun Lhatso, a stunning holy alpine lake fed by the glaciers of Chola Mountains.

After visiting the lake, you will traverse across the dramatic Chola (Trola), passing at nearly 5000m with towering snowy peaks. After the pass, descend first through scenery consisting of green vegetations of temperate forests and then through the Derge Canyon, a natural wonder in itself. Free to rest and stroll around in the evening.

Stay overnight in Dege

In the morning, after breakfast, we are expected to visit the famed Derge Parkhang Scripture Printing monastery (Estd. in 1729), a storehouse of engraved blocks of Tibetan scriptures. The monastery is the storehouse of culture or Tibetan world in many respects.

Then drive for about 5hr along the Jinshajiang River to Baiyu or Paiyul. You can make a turn and take the side-valley road to visit the village of Hepo en-route, which is known for the metal crafts, especially in the art of making knifes, swords and silver bowls.

During the Karthok festival, you can spend a night in the village and reduce one night in Baiyu. During the festival at Baiyu, skipping the visit of Hepo on regular tour, you will have one day to take easy and stroll around in Baiyu, a pleasant town located along the banks of Dingchu River, overlooked by an important Pelyul monastery, straddling the hill dotted with lots of beautiful wooden Tibetan houses.

Stay overnight in Baiyu

After breakfast, we will head through the wild of Nyarong, there is a rarely visited region off the main road of eastern Tibet. Nyarong was once known as the home to the feared Khampa brigands, but it is much tamer these days and our destination is the Nyarong town of Xinlong, a medium sized Tibetan town with two major monasteries. One is Yixi Monastery, the largest Bon Sect Monastery in Kham. In the town, you can visit a local Tibetan family and other sites in your available time.

Stay overnight in Xinlong

• Xinlong County
• Yixi Monastery

After breakfast, let's head to Litang. Thousands of yaks, hundreds of nomadic tents, men on horses with rifles strapped to their back can be seen along the road from Xinlong to Litang (4015m), which is one of the world's highest towns, with a “wild west” setting, as Khampas cross eastern Tibet to trade all kinds of goods from sheepskins to yaks to large pieces of turquoise or amber, or even the rare “dzi” beads.

Stay overnight in Litang

Next day, after breakfast, you will head out to the beautiful Genyen holy mountain area, the home to farming and herding families, and visit the sprawling complex of Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling monastery locate near the town and was founded in 1580.

In July, you can enjoy the famous Litang Horse Festival, one of the largest and most colorful horse festivals throughout the whole Tibet. Spectacular horse races, galloping riders in full costume, lively competitions between dance troupes are a delight at this festival. It is a great chance to see Khampa men and women dressed in traditional finery.

Stay overnight in Litang

• Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling monastery
• Litang Horse Festival

After breakfast, we will head to Xiangcheng. After crossing the Bamu mountains, the sights of beautiful villages scatter amongst wheat-field-paddies in the valley ground will appear at once. As you approaching closer, they are quite large, cubicle houses that look like little castles, with white-chalked exterior walls.

Xiangcheng town occupies a high ridge above the river gorge and consists of an old village paired with a modern Chinese downtown. Above the town is large renovated Chaktreng Monastery of Gelukpa sect with great views of the town and the valley below.

Stay overnight in Xiangcheng

After breakfast, drive to Derong and Dechen.

After saying goodbye to XiangCheng, you will spend a night in small Tibetan town of Derong or Songmai (2800m), situated on the banks of the river. You can see Sun Valley en-route. From Derong town, drive into Yunnan and take a diversion north to Dechen or Deqin (3450m).

The drive is through ever-changing terrain as you dip into the Yangtze Valley and then climb over the Baima Snow Mountain passes and descend again through temperate forests. Explore picturesque villages with strong local traditions and visit an active monastery of Dhodrupling en route.

Day 13, you will take a scenic side trip in the Mekong River watershed to visit Nyithong villages, have lunch at a Tibetan home, and enjoy fabulous views of sacred Mount Khawakarpo (Meili) and Metsomo, the tranquil yet divine consort of Mount Khawakarpo. You’ll have the option to take a short one-hour hike along one of the brooks that feed into the Mekong. If you feel a bit more adventurous, we can arrange a 2 hour pony trek.

Return to Dechen for staying overnight

After breakfast, rejoin the southern road and drive to Gyalthang, the capital of the Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Shangrila). Stop at Napa Lake and upon arrival in Gyalthang, you will visit Sumtsenling Monastery, founded in the 17th century by the Fifth Dalai Lama.

In the evening, you are recommended to take a stroll from your hotel to nearby Tibetan square of shops, restaurants and market square, where you can see the local people gathering for evening circle dancing.

Stay overnight in Zhongdian

• Sumtsenling Monastery
• Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery

After breakfast, the driver will transfer you to the airport in time for your flight. Gyalthang is connected by flights to Lhasa and to Kunming, where there are several flights to other destinations.