PHYSICAL GRADING – 1/5 (Easy)

Western Sichuan, historically known as Kham, incorporates the Eastern region of Tibet. Inhabited by the Khampa Tibetans, it is an essential centre of ancient Tibetan culture.

In this expedition, you will have the opportunity to pass through the rugged mountainous areas, beautiful lakes, grasslands, snow peaks and forests.

With the picturesque landscapes, this journey will take you to villages and communities previously closed to most travelers, both geographically and culturally.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ancient Qiang and Tibetan villages
Larung Gar Buddhism Institute (largest Buddhist School in the world – WuMing Buddhist School)
Karsa and XinLuHai Lakes (YuLong Lake)
DeGe Scripture Printing House
Friendship Grassland

INFORMATION

Duration: 10-12 days

Inclusion:   

4 wheel drive vehicle

Airport transfers

All accommodation

All meals while on trip (B,L,D)

Local bilingual guide

Entrance fees

Trip preparation and pre-departure briefing

Exclusions:

International airfares

China visa

Tips for guide and driver

Personal expenditure

All other items not mentioned

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

DAY01 : Arrive in ChengDu

Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport by our guide and transferred to hotel.

(Hotel)

DAY02 : ChengDu / WenChuan / MaErKang
Set off from ChengDu early in the morning. Enter WenChuan – rebuilt after the 2008 earthquake. Visit ancient villages of Qiang and Tibetan ethnic minority and stay overnight at MaErKang. MaErKang was an important trade hub long the ancient tea and horse caravan route. A wide river cuts through the town. Houses stand on the ascending slopes of the banks.

(Hotel)

DAY03 : MaErKang / Sertha (SeDa)
Our journey continues westwards to the town of Sertha. Larung Gar Buddhist Institute (or Sertha Buddhist Institute) is a striking cluster of red buildings in the remote valleys of Larung near Sertha. It is the largest and most influential Buddhist school with approximately 10,000 monks, nuns, and lay students at its highest count, attracting students from all over the world.

(Hotel)

DAY04 : Sertha / GanZi
Heading west of dreamland Garze, you will find the landscape becomes more picturesque after LuHuo. Here you will see endless mountains and the turquoise Kasa Tso (Kasa lake). Spend the night at the beautiful Garze county.

(Hotel)

DAY05 : GanZi / MaNiGanGe / XinLuHai
After breakfast, we will head towards Mt QueEr. On the way, there are numerous monasteries, grasslands and lakes. Huge mani rocks stand silently on the coast of the shimmering XinLu Lake. The majestic Mt QueEr is merely at a distance.

(Hotel)

DAY06 : XinLuHai / DeGe / BaiYu
Leaving the sacred XinLu lake, we will cross the highest pass of the journey at MtQueEr. Next is DeGe – hometown of legendary Tibetan King Gaersa and famous DeGe Printing Institute. Dege Printing Institute is the largest and one of the oldest printing institutes in Tibet. Its huge collection of about 280 thousand printing blocks is a precious treasure trove of Tibetan life, history and culture.
We will spend the night at BaiYu, a pleasant little town with a splendid local monastery.

(Hotel)

DAY07 : BaiYu / Friendship Grassland
The highlight of the day is Friendship Grassland. Vast and silent, its beauty cannot be described by words. Just drown your soul in sensory pleasure.

(Hotel)

DAY08 : Friendship Grassland / XinLong
We are entering the forest zone. Deep within is the mysterious 700-year-old Ningma monastery – WoBu Monastery. We will pass through PiCha Gou, a stunning place in autumn, and rest at Xinlong county.

(Hotel)

DAY09 : XinLong / LiTang
XinLong is a laidback town where you can experience the authentic culture of the Khampa Tibetans. Linger, people watch and soak up the atmosphere of this town. You will see rugged Khampa men in their fur hats, equestrian attire, armed with silver carved knives. They may use motorbikes or jeeps but out there in the grassland, they are still superb horsemen like their forefathers. We will leave for LiTang in the afternoon.

(Hotel)

DAY10 : LiTang / KangDing
LiTang at 4100m is one of the highest town on earth. A grassland plateau surrounded by mountains, it is an important center for the rural population and nomads of the border area of Yunnan, Sichuan and the Tibetan Autonomous Region. We will wake early and go to the Ganden Thubchen Choekorling Monastery for a panoramic view of LiTang. Get your cameras ready! The majestic monastery itself – a Yellow Hat Sect monastery – is an attraction too. If we are lucky, we may catch the intense monks’ debate session.
We will leave for KangDing in the afternoon. You can look forward to a relaxing hot spring and a good night’s sleep!

(Hotel)

DAY11 : KangDing / ChengDu
Our journey is coming to an end. It’s time you ponder on the wonderful experiences. In a few hours, we will be back in ChengDu for relaxation and recovery.

(Hotel)