Overland Tour from Sichuan to Tibet: 2 Routes Available, How to Choose?

Overland travel from Sichuan to Tibet is the most popular way to get to Tibet by road. Starting from Chengdu, there are two highway routes, offering different landscapes and travel experiences to Lhasa. The southern route via the G318 National Highway is the most beautiful overland route, while the northern route via the G317 National Highway takes you through an off-the-beaten-path route from Chengdu to Lhasa via the northern Tibet grassland and Namtso Lake.

How to choose the best travel route for your next overland journey from Sichuan to Tibet? Here, we’ll compare the two routes in detail and help you better arrange your overland trip to Tibet.

#1 Overland Route from Sichuan to Tibet: the Southern Route via G318 National Highway (Most Beautiful)

The southern route of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway follows the G318 National Highway from Chengdu to Lhasa. The entire journey covers 2,140 kilometers and usually takes 7 to 10 days to complete.

Departing from Chengdu, you’ll travel westward across the West Sichuan Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains, entering the Tibetan Plateau through the Nyingchi region of eastern Tibet. Along the way, you’ll experience an elevation rise from Chengdu Plain (500 meters above sea level) to areas over 2,000 meters, crossing 14 snow-capped mountains over 4,000 meters, and finally entering the Tibet Autonomous Region from its lowest-altitude eastern part before reaching Lhasa (3,650 meters).

Praised as the most beautiful overland route to Tibet, it takes you to travel through various kinds of landscapes, from snow-capped peaks, great canyons, vast grassland, and lush forests.

Attraction	Altitude	Highlight
Kangding	2,560 m	A small town located surrounded by snow-capped mountains, where Han and Tibetan cultures blend.
Xinduqiao	3,300 m	The ‘Paradise for Photographers’ for its stunning pastoral scenery.
Litang	4,010 m	One of the Highest towns in the world and home to the annual Horse Racing Festival.
Ranwu Lake	3,850 m	One of the most beautiful lakes in eastern Tibet, surrounded by snow-capped peaks.
Midui Glacier	2,400 m	One of the lowest-altitude glaciers in the world with stunning views of surrounding forests and villages.
Lulang Forest	3,700 m	Famous for its lush meadows, wildflowers, and wooden houses.
Namcha Barwa Peak	7,782 m	The highest Himalayan peak in eastern Tibet.
Basumtso Lake	3,480 m	A sacred lake with an island monastery, surrounded by forested mountains.

Route Overview: Chengdu - (149 km) - Ya'an - (166 km) - Luding - (54 km) - Kangding - (156 km) - Yajiang - (129 km) - Litang - (189 km) - Batang - (105 km) - Mangkam - (158 km) - Zuogong - (107 km) - Bangda - (95 km) - Basu - (217 km) - Bomi - (215 km) - Nyingchi - (147 km) - Gongbu Gyamda - (200 km) - Medog - (73 km) - Lhasa

Sichuan Tibet Highway Southern Route Map

Enjoy the overland journey via the scenic G318 from Chengdu to Lhasa, blending culture and stunning landscapes.

#2 Overland Route from Sichuan to Tibet: the Northern Route via G317 National Highway (Richer Cultural Experience)

The northern route of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is around 150 kilometers longer than the southern route, offering a very different overland journey to Tibet. Generally, the entire 2,410-kilometer journey takes around 10 to 12 days by land through the G317 National Highway.

Departing from Chengdu, you’ll pass through Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan and enter the Tibet Autonomous Region from Qamdo, cross the northern Tibet grassland in Nagchu, and finally arrive in Lhasa. Along the way, you will experience diverse ethnic cultures of different Tibetan-inhabited areas and explore some of the hidden gems that are less traveled by tourists.

Attraction	Altitude	Highlight
Danba	1,800 m	Known as the "Valley of Tibetan Villages," famous for ancient watchtowers and beautiful Tibetan stone houses.
Ganzi	3,400 m	A cultural and religious hub with stunning monasteries, including Ganzi Monastery.
Dege Scripture Printing House	3,270 m	One of the most important Tibetan Buddhist scripture printing houses, preserving ancient texts.
Chamdo	3,240 m	A historical town where the Mekong and Yangtze Rivers flow close together, featuring Galden Jampaling Monastery.
Nagqu	4,500 m	The heart of the northern Tibetan Plateau and home to vast grasslands where Tibetan nomads live.
Namtso Lake	4,718 m	The most famous holy lake in Tibet, offering stunning views of sparkling waters and surrounding Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains.

Route Overview: Chengdu - (48 km) - Dujiangyan - (42 km) - Yingxiu - (175 km) - Rilong - (118 km) - Danba - (78 km) - Bamei - (82 km) - Daofu - (72 km) - Luhuo - (97 km) - Ganzi - (93 km) - Manigango - (112 km) - Derge - (26 km) - Jinsha River Bridge - (85 km) - Jiangda - (228 km) - Chamdo - (290 km) - Dingqing - (232 km) - Baqing - (260 km) - Nagqu - (164 km) - Dangxiong - (153 km) - Lhasa

Sichuan Tibet Highway Northern Route Map

Road Conditions: A Smoother Drive along the Southern Route via G318

As a well-developed overland route to Tibet, the road conditions of the southern route (G318) are much better than the northern route. 90% of the road is well-paved asphalt road, suitable for both SUVs and sedan cars. However, in some mountainous sections, it is easy to suffer from natural disasters such as falling rocks, mudslides, and landslides due to heavy rain in summer.

In contrast, the northern route via G317 is about 80% asphalt, with some remote sections still consisting of dirt roads. For the G317 overland journey from Sichuan to Tibet, off-road vehicles are recommended. The road conditions of the northern route are relatively backward, with fewer supplies along the way. It is easy to be blocked by heavy snow in winter.

Aspect	The Southern Route (G318)	The Northern Route (G317)
Road Surface	90% paved, well-maintained, tourist-friendly	80% paved; some gravel/muddy sections, remote areas prone to damage
Highest Altitude	Dongda Mountain Pass (5,130m)	Chola Mountain Pass (5,050m, now tunnel at 4,300m)
Recommended Vehicle	SUVs or sedans (with caution)	4WD off-road vehicles (e.g., Toyota Prado, Tank 300)
Fuel Stations	Every 100–150km (limited 95-octane fuel)	Sparse (200km+ gaps, e.g., Dege–Qamdo)
Rescue Difficulty	Easier (frequent towns and services)	More remote; may rely on local herders for help

"The well-maintained road conditions of the southern route from Sichuan to Tibet.

Scenery and Topography: More Beautiful along the Southern Route via G318

While the elevation differs only slightly, the topography of the two routes varies greatly. The Northern Route has a more level road, from Xinduqiao to Chamdo, as it traverses the high-altitude plains and grasslands, skirting the higher mountains until it reaches Chamdo. From there the topography changes as the road winds its way up and down mountains and along valleys towards the Nagqu grasslands. Then, it becomes more level again, as it crosses the vast prairie and heads up to Nagqu Town. This level road continues from Nagqu, passes by Namtso Lake, and stretches along the valley floor until it once again moves into a more mountainous landscape as it reaches Lhasa. Sceneries along the northern routes are almost vast grassland and snow-capped mountains.

On the Southern Route, however, it is a very different matter, as the majority of the route traverses mountainous areas, with the road winding between the high mountains, crossing passes, and wending its way west in a snake-like pattern. The Southern route crosses more mountainous terrain from Xinduqiao to Maizhokunggar, where it turns into the Lhasa River Valley, and follows the valley floor to Lhasa. Along the way, you’ll experience more diverse landscapes and discover a wealth of vibrant plants and abundant wildlife. This is no doubt a better choice for natural lovers to travel overland from Sichuan to Tibet.

Landscape	The Southern Route (G318)	The Northern Route (G317)
Mountain Passes	Zheduo Mountain (4298m), Dongda Mountain (5130m), Mila Mountain (5013m)	Queer Mountain (5050m), Aila Mountain (4245m), Xigala Mountain (4772m)
Lakes	Mugecuo Lake, Zimei Lake, Ranwu Lake, Basom Lake	Yulong Lacuo Lake, Namtso Lake
Rivers	Lancang River (Upper Mekong), Nujiang River (Upper Salween), Yarlung Tsangpo River	Jinsha River (Upper Yangtze), Lhasa River
Forests	Dense forests in eastern Tibet and Sichuan, such as Lulang Forest in Nyingchi	Sparse vegetation, mainly alpine meadows and steppe
Scenery	Dramatic alpine landscapes, deep gorges, lush forests, and glacier-fed lakes	Vast grasslands, high-altitude plateaus, and rugged terrain

Join our popular overland adventure to Tibet on the most breathtaking highway from Chengdu to Lhasa.

Cultural Landscapes: More Distinct along the Northern Route via G317

While the southern route offers a greater variety of nature landscapes to witness, the northern route of the Sichuan Tibet highway brings you more culture and religious heritages to explore.

The G317 National Highway passes through several Tibetan-inhabited areas, starting from northwest Sichuan and going to northern Tibet. You’ll travel through both Kham Tibet and Amdo Tibet inhabited areas, visiting several important monasteries of local Tibetan groups.

One of the featured monasteries on the northern route from Sichuan to Tibet is the Dege Scripture Printing Press Monastery. It houses more than 217,000 engraved blocks, used for printing the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, from all the Tibetan orders including Bon. This single collection makes up over 70% of the region’s literary heritage, and includes texts on music, medicine, geography, and astronomy. The monastery is still working, and the monks there produce over 2,500 scripts per day.

Before reaching Lhasa, you’ll travel across the northern Tibet grassland in Ngachu, where Tibetan nomads live. It is a rare chance to explore the life of this unique group of Tibetans.

The southern route of the Sichuan Tibet Highway mainly passes through the Kham Tibetan area, where you can experience the classic Kham culture. After entering Nyingchi in eastern Tibet, you’ll encounter the unique culture of the Gongbu Tibetans, whose costumes and traditions are slightly different from those in Lhasa.

Explore the majestic Zizhu Temple in Chamdo along the G317 National Highway to Tibet.

For First-time Overland Travel from Sichuan to Tibet: the Southern Route via G318

The southern route via the G318 is the ideal choice for your first-time overland journey from Chengdu to Lhasa. The well-paved road makes a smoother and more enjoyable drive from Chengdu to Lhasa. As the most popular overland route to Tibet, it is tourist-friendly, with better services along the way. You can find well-maintained accommodation options and a variety of food supplies in town and scenic spots.

While driving through the southern route to Tibet, you will experience changeable landscapes from vast grassland and lush forests to deep valleys and snow-capped mountains. It could be an unforgettable overland journey with the most scenic landscapes into Tibet.

Enjoy a lifetime Overland Travel from Sichuan to Tibet with Us!

The most popular overland travel from Chengdu to Lhasa via the scenic G318 National Highway.

For More Ways to Travel: Cycling and Self-drive Tours are Available by the Southern Route via G318

The G318 National Highway to Tibet is also the popular route chosen by cyclists and self-drivers for its stunning scenery, challenging terrain, and excellent tour support along the way.

However, the cycling tour from Chengdu to Lhasa via the G318 National Highway is physically demanding, requiring good endurance and preparation for high-altitude riding. You should pay special attention to steep climbs, especially when crossing mountain passes like Dongda Mountain Pass and Mila Mountain Pass. But the sense of achievement upon reaching Tibet makes the effort worthwhile.

For a self-drive tour from Sichuan to Tibet via the southern route, you need to pay attention to the winding mountain roads. It is suggested to avoid self-driving in rainy seasons (June, July, and August), during which the road may be affected by landslides and other natural disasters caused by heavy rain.

Cycling across snow-capped peaks and conquering the highway from Sichuan to Tibet - it’s an adventure of a lifetime!

Travel with Us for a Hassle-Free Overland Journey and a Guaranteed Tibet Travel Permit!

No matter which way and which route you choose to travel overland from Sichuan to Tibet, you need to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit in advance. Though you can travel dependently in the Sichuan area, once you enter the Tibet Autonomous Region, the permit will be checked and you need to travel with a local tour guide arranged by a local tour operator.

With local offices in both Chengdu and Lhasa, we at Tibet Vista provide hassle-free Sichuan to Tibet overland tours. From the travel route arrangement to the necessary travel permit application, we take care of every aspect of your journey, ensuring a safe and enjoyable overland travel from Sichuan to Tibet. Just tell us your travel ideals, and we will tailor the best trip for you.

Explore the best along the highway from Sichuan to Tibet with our hassle-free small group tour!

Conclusion

Traveling overland from Sichuan to Tibet can be done by two routes, namely the southern route via G318 National Highway and the northern route via G317. From Chengdu to Lhasa, the two routes offer different landscapes and travel experiences. Among which the southern route via G318 is the most popular one chosen by over 95% of tourists to travel from Sichuan to Tibet by overland.

As the best-known local Tibet travel agency with a branch office in Chengdu, we not only provide join-in Chengdu to Lhasa overland small group tours but also tailor-made trips for your different needs. Contact us now to start your overland adventure from Sichuan to Tibet!