Overview

Tour Name:- A Cross Cultural Journey (Chengdu to Kham)

Duration:     15 Nights / 16 Days

Destination Covered: Jiaju, Daofu, Baiyu, Xinlong, Litang, Dechen, Zhongdian

Package Details

Tour highlights

 Chengdu

 Explore city on your own

Jiaju

 Zhonglu & Suopo, Qiang Watchtowers, Medor Monastery. Wolong Nature Reserve,   Qiang and Tibetan Villages

Daofu

 Yak Valley, Yala Snow Mountain, Longdeng Grassland, Yuke Grassland and Rural   Farmland  sceneries, Nique Gompa Monastery

Baiyu

 Baiyu Monastery, Nyingmapa Monastery, Gatuo (Katoic) Monastery

Xinlong

 

 Yixi Monastery & Bon Sect Monastery in Kham

Litang

 Genyen Holy Mountain area, Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling   Monastery, Litang River

 Dechen

 Monastery of Dhodrupling, Nyithong Villages

 

  Zhongdian

 

 Napa Lake & Sumtsenling Monastery

 

Package Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Chengdu

Arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China .Our airport representative would meet you & transfer you to the hotel for check in. After your check-in, rest of your day at leisure or explore the city on your own.

Overnight Hotel – Chengdu 


Day 2 - Chengdu to Jiaju enroute visit Danba

Drive along the Sichuan Tibet Highway, on the way to Jiaju make a detour to visit Danba via Dujiangyan, Wolong and scenic Four Ladies Mountain. At Wolong Nature Reserve, visit 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. Later proceed  to Jiaju, 12km northwest of town and perched at the top of a multiswitchback road that winds up a steep river gorge. With fruit trees, charming Tibetan stone houses Jiaju proclaimed as the best village in China.

Overnight Hotel - Jiaju


Day 3 - Danba Sightseeing

Today proceed to visit the sightseeing places in Danba : The  Zhonglu & Suopo village, visit the local families & see some of the remarkable Qiang Watchtowers of the region, visit Medor Monastery with unique combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity.

Overnight Hotel - Jiaju


Day 4 - Gantze to Daofu

Check out and proceed to  Gantze via Daofu and Luhuo by road .Enroute pass  through the spectacular Yak Valley, regarded as the Natural Bonsai Garden, then cross Yala Snow Mountain, Longdeng Grassland, Yuke Grassland and rural farmland sceneries. Daofu  is nestled between the counties of Kangding and Yajiang to the south, Xinlong to the west, and Jinchuan, Zamtang, and Luhuo to the north, It is known for its high-quality Tibetan architecture displayed in its folk houses as well as furniture.In Daofu, Tibetans have built their houses on mountains surrounded by green woods.Also visit the Nique Gompa Monastery,located at the center of town, Nique Gompa belongs to the Geluk sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It offers a good vantage point of the three sacred mountains in the surrounding area. It was built in 1662 and houses famous sculptures made from Highland Barley Butter (tsampa).

Overnight  Hotel - Daofu


Day 5 - Gantze to Dege

Check out and drive through vast farmlands, nomadic settlements & pass the 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.

Overnight Hotel - Dege


Day 6 - 7 - Baiyu Tour

In the morning, visit the famed Derge Parkhang Scripture Printing Monastery, a storehouse of engraved blocks of Tibetan scriptures. The monastery is the storehouse of cultural Tibetan world in many respects.

Then drive along the Jinshajiang River to Baiyu or Paiyul.  Check in to your hotel.

Next day take easy and stroll around in Baiyu. Baiyu is rich in gold mine, and the biggest gold in size was found here. The people here are still finding gold in riverbeds and mountainside. The other famous produce here is Baiyu knife, enjoying high reputation in Tibetan area. A uniqueness of burial ceremony in Baiyu across Tibetan area is Tree burial, that means after a person dies (esp.young kids), their bodies are put on the crotch high in the tree instead of being buried or cremated. Baiyu Monastery is located on the grand hill in the north side of Baiyu town. It is a famous Nyingmapa monastery..built in 1675,  The other world known Nyingmapa monastery is Gatuo (Katoic) Monastery located on the top of a mountain in Hepo village.

Overnight Hotel - Baiyu


Day 8 - Baiyu to Xinlong

Check out and head through the wild of Nyarong, that is a rarely visited region off the main road of eastern Tibet. Nyarong was once known as the home to the feared Khampa brigands, it is now a medium sized Tibetan town with two major monasteries. One is Yixi Monastery, the other is Bon Sect Monastery in Kham.

Overnight Hotel - Xinlong


Day 9 - Xinlong to Litang

Check out & 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.

Overnight Hotel - Litang


Day 10 - Litang Sightseeing

Next day, visit the beautiful Genyen holy mountain area, the home to farming and herding families, and visit the Litang Monastery which is also known as Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery, meaning Happy Buddha Dharma, symbolizing the moral dharma turning and the true essence holds forever. This monastery was founded by the Dalai Lama III in 1580. Back then, the Dalai Lama III traveled to Litang, seeing the unique trend of the mountain here, with the mountains at the north holding like a statue of the God of Wealth, hand-holding treasures, to the west like a giant eagle wings to fly, to the east like a giant elephant bending over and lying, while to the south unusual mountain stands. At the foothills, the Litang River looks like a dragon hovering.

Overnight Hotel - Litang


Day 11 - Litang to Xiangcheng

Check out and head to Xiangcheng. After crossing the Bamu mountains, be mesmerized by the sight of  beautiful villages scattered amongst wheat-field-paddies in the valley with 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.

Overnight Hotel - Xiangcheng


Day 12,13,14 - Derong & Dechen

Check out and drive to Derong and Dechen.

Proceed on a long drive to Dechen. We make an overnight stop in Derong situated on the banks of the river. Next day proceed to 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.

Also  take a scenic side trip in the Mekong River watershed to visit Nyithong villages, enjoy fabulous views of Mount Khawakarpo (Meili) and Metsomo, the tranquil yet divine consort of Mount Khawakarpo

Overnight Hotel - Dechen


Day 15 - Zhongdian (Gyalthang)

Drive along the southern road  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, explore on own.

Overnight Hotel - Zhongdian


Day 16 - Departure

Check out and our representative will transfer you to the airport to connect to your onward flight home.