Qamdo Travel Guide

Owning the ancient history and vantage geographical position, Chamdo has always been the center of politics, economy, culture and transportation in eastern Tibet Kham Region, famous for its unique and fascinating Khampa culture. So Tibetan people living here are referred to as Khampa. Most of them believe in Tibetan Buddhism so there are many ancient monasteries, murals and sculptures that have been left in the name of Tibetan Buddhism. Chambaling Monastery is the largest temple in Chamdo. Splendid sacred mountains and holy lakes are also scattered throughout the region.

Chamdo is also known for the ancient Tea-Horse Road (South Silk Road). Most trade caravans departed from Yunnan and Sichuan and then passed through Chamdo to Lhasa. Even today, you can also trace back to the glorious past while traveling overland to Tibet from Chengdu via Sichuan Tibet Highway G318&G317 and Lijiang via Yunnan Tibet Highway G214. Sounds fantastic? Please kindly follow our ultimate Chamdo travel guide and work out a wonderful eastern Tibet Kham Chamdo tour with our Tibet travel guru.

Basic Facts:

Chinese Name: 昌都 Chāng Dū

Location: 1,114km away from Lhasa; third largest city in eastern Tibet, West China

Altitude: 3,240 m (10,630 ft)

Area: 110,154 square kilometers

Administrative Division: 1 district, 10 counties

Highlights of Chamdo Tour: Galden Jampaling Monastery, Rawok Lake, Riwoqe Monastery, Lhegu Glacier, Wara Monastery, Kamaduo Stupas

Best Time to Visit Chamdo: May, June and September for the stable weather, better road condition and the landscape reaches its best.

Dining & Accommodation in Chamdo: Here you can taste some traditional Tibetan food and spicy Sichan cuisine. Luxury hotels are not available, but economic hotels and hostels are good enough to meet your needs.

How to Get to Chamdo: You can either take flights from Lhasa, Chengdu, Chongqing to Qamdo Bamda Airport or travel overland to Chamdo via Sichuan Tibet Highway G318&G317 or Yunnan Tibet Highway G214.

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Chamdo Photo Gallery

Ultimate Chamdo Travel Guide

To make sure you can enjoy the best Chamdo travel experience available, we kindly prepare the latest and most easy-to-use Chamdo travel and tour guides below for you. From Qamdo weather and temperature to Chamdo food and restaurant, from Qamdo Bamda Airport and travel maps to Chamdo tourist attractions and tour planing, etc., you can follow the insider’s tip and won’t miss a single moment when visiting Chamdo, the major hub of Ancient Tea Horse Roads to Tibet.

Map of Chamdo Prefecture, the East Gate to Tibet
Chamdo is one of the six districts of the Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of the People’s Republic of China, and was once a part of the ancient region of Kham. Known as the cradle of the Khamba culture in Tibet, this ancient land was a home to the precursors of the Tibetan people more than 4,000 years ago. The seat of Karub District, Chamdo Town, is the third largest city in Tibet, after Lhasa and Shigatse, and is the location of the stunning Galden Jampaling Monastery, built in the 15th century on the recommendation of the Gelug founder, Je Tsongkhapa.
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Chamdo Tourists Attractions
Chamdo (Khamba; Eastern Tibet) in the east of Tibet, is the home of Khamba culture. Chamdo is also a nest of many tourist attractions. Its complicated topography and wonderful landscapes make many great tourist sights in Chamdo, like snow-capped mountains, fast-running rivers, thundering waterfalls, and dense forests. Besides, ancient monasteries, buildings, steles, villages, and workshops are also tourist attractions in Chamdo. Just list a few of the famous spots in Chamdo: Chambaling Monastery, Karma Temple, Riwoche Monastery, Tsedrug Temple, Carnot Ruins and Rawok Lake.
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Chamdo Travel Advice
Towering in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Chamdo (also known as Qamdo and Changdu), the third largest city in Tibet, covers an area of 110,154 square kilometers with one district and 10 counties. With Jinsha Rvier, Minjiang River and Nujiang River passing through the Hengduan Mountains, Chamdo offers you a great chance to explore the sacred mountains and holy lakes in eastern Tibet as well as the rare fauna and flora hidden in the deep valley. Besides, you can also time your travel with the exotic festivals held in the Galden Jampaling Monastery!
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Hotels in Chamdo
Hotels in Chamdo located in the Kham region of east Tibet offer lodging conditions relatively lower than in most places of Tibet. Despite this, excellent lodging options of starred hotels are available Chamdo and Markham counties.
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Recommended Chamdo Kham Tour Itineraries

Either enter Chamdo from the east province like Sichuan and Yunnan or travelling west to Chamdo from Lhasa, Tibet capital city, you can always enjoy the stunning scenery en route, including Bangda Grasssland, Ranwu Lake, Lulang Forest, Galden Jampaling Monastery, etc. Check the top 4 highly recommended eastern Tibet Kham Chamdo tours that start from Lhasa, Chengdu and Lijiang.

15 Days World-Class Overland Route: Chengdu to Lhasa via G318 National Highway
Chengdu - Kangding - Xinduqiao - Litang - Markam - Zogang - Ranwu - Nyingchi - Lhasa - Shigatse - Lhasa
from USD2470
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15 Days Chengdu Lhasa EBC via 318 National Highway Overland Tour
Chengdu - Xinduqiao - Litang - Batang - Zogong - Rakwa - Bomi - Nyingchi - Lhasa - Shigatse - EBC - Lhasa
from USD2650
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12 Days Yunnan to Tibet Overland Journey
Lijiang - Shangri-la - Deqin - Zuogong - Ranwu - Pomi - Nyingchi - Lhasa
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20 Days Northern and eastern Tibet Kham Culture Loop Tour
Lhasa- Nyingchi-Chamdo- Markam - Tengchen- Sok D Zong-Nagchu-Namtso-Lhasa
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