15 Days Sichuan - Tibet Overlands Adeventure

Welcome to Chengdu, a well-known city in Sichuan Province. Upon your arrival, our tour guide and driver will meet you at the exit of the airport/train station and escort you to your hotel. After lunch, visit the People's Park, which is the perfect way to observe the locals playing cards and ear-cleaning service. The Tea-house with endless refills. You are walking around Kuanzhai Alley, which is a back alley adjacent to the broad (Kuan) and narrow (Zhai) lanes. It offers a variety of Sichuan foods, stage shows, souvenirs.

After breakfast, drive to Ya'an along Chengya Highway. Visit of the giant panda at China Giant Panda Breeding and Research Institute in the Bifeng Xia Gorge (Green Peak Gorge) en route. Keep driving on the Sichuan – Tibet National Highway 318 to Kangding. Passing by Tianquan, cross Erlang Mountain to Luding and then get to Kangding. Along the way, you can enjoy the beautiful rural views of Western Sichuan and the Grand Canyon of the Qingyi River.

Afterwards, drive to next stop Tagong, and pass the Xinduqiao on the way. You can overlook the magnificent views of Gongga Mount and other mountains. Upon arrival, we will visit monastery Lhagang (Tagong Si), Peace Dharma (including Gyergo Nunnery of Nun Temple, Dashijing Wall).

We will begin the tour at the Yajiang county, which was once one of the famous crossings of the Yalong river ravine, keep driving to the “world highland city" Litang (4014 m), which is the homeland of the 7th Dalai Lama. Upon arrival, we visit Changqingchunke'er Monastery (also admits as Litang monastery), developed by the 3.th Dalai Lama in the year 1580, has become the largest monastery of the Gelukpa Sect in south Kham.

Depart from Litang we will get into the Haizi Mountains. It was called Haizi Mountain and the road condition from east to the west is good. And you will be surprised how fast and easy the summit can be reached before you know.

And then we will go down to the Batang, the well-known supplier of good fruit in eastern Tibet, which located in the bank of Jinshajiang River. It was said that the apple had been planted by a foreign preacher firstly. And the Christian churches here are still well protected now.

Today we will go through many tunnels, all of which are without lights. Batang is our last stop before Tibet.

Today we will drive to Zuogong County via Mangkang County. Afterwards, you cross two high passes in this section of the drive, one at around 3,900 m(12,795 ft), the other is Dongdashan Mountain Pass at 5,008 m(16,430 ft). Driving past local Tibetan houses scattered around the feet of snow-capped peaks, the expressions on innocent Tibetan girls would make you realize that you are one of the first foreign visitors to this isolated region.

You will drive along the deep valleys of the Nu River (the Salween River), which is a long and tough journey, but your destination, the Ranwu Lake, is another Shangri-la, stay in the tent beside the Lake.

Drive 35KM to the old Zuogong, then drive along the Yuqu River to Kuatiantuo Bridge, continue the driving along Yuqu River to Bangda Grassland, and Yelashan Mountain(业拉山）at 4828M. Cross the Nujiang-Salween River, you will visit the Hengduan Mountain Ranges and arrive at Basu County. After lunch, continue the driving to Yuqu River and arrive in Anjiula（安久拉山） Mountain (4468M), arrive at Ranwu Lake in the late afternoon.

A drive of 305km would take us about 5 hours to Bomi. You will wander along the Poto-chu Valley at Tramog (2,743 m/8999 ft), located deep in the thickly forested gorge of Parlung Tsangpo with glacial waterfalls streaming from the mountainsides.

And visit Midui Glacier, located at Yupu Town, Bome County in Nyingchi, a typical maritime glacier in Tibet as well as the lowest glacier in the world with its snow line no more than 4,694 meters (15,400 feet) high. It lies at the junction of the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains and Boshula Mountain, where maritime monsoon glaciers are mainly distributed.  You will go down several hundred meters in altitude as you reach the lowland jungle settlement of Tang-me where the Tsangpo and Parlung Tsangpo rivers meet. Overnight stay in Lulang town.

Drive across Serkhyem La Pass (4,515 m/14813 ft), the last major pass before reaching Lhasa. You will have spectacular views of Mount Gyala Pelri (7,150 m/23458 ft) and Mount Namchak Barwa (7,756 m/25446 ft). On the way to Nyingchi, you pass through Niyang River, one of the branch river of the Brahmaputra river, the local people, see it a mother river for Kongpo rigion. Drive to Basongtso for overnight stay

The morning we will be driving back to Lhasa along the beautiful Niyang River, a major river in southeast Tibet and the longest tributary of Yarlung Tsangpo River. You can enjoy grand and superb natural scenery on the way back. Overnight at Lhasa.

In Lhasa, you will find religion blended into every aspect of life - the city is the spiritual anchor of Tibet. 

Today we will visit the highest palace in the world - Potala Palace, which is the Dalai Lama's winter palace. It locates on the red hill, a good viewing point in Lhasa. In the afternoon, we will visit the renowned Jokhang Temple, which will provide us one of your first sights of devout Tibetans; furthermore, in the temple, we will see the glistening Sakyamuni statue which considered as Tibetan Buddhism's rarity. After then, you can also stroll around the bustling Barkhor Street.

Today is another day to explore Lhasa. We will climb the Palaupu Temple in Yaowang Mountain to have a panoramic view of the Potala Palace. Pay a visit to Norbulingka Palace, situated on the west side of Lhasa, is just around a km southwest of Potala Palace. Norbulingka meaning 'Treasure Park', which is considered to be the biggest human-made garden in Tibet. You will be amazed to know that there are more than 370 rooms inside its premises. It is called summer palace because, after the 7th Lama, Dalai Lamas used to visit here during summers to hold religious and government-related activities.

Then we will go to visit the Sera monastery, it is the best place where lively lama debating will be seen (except Sundays). Which is quite impressive. Many lamas sitting or standing in the yard debate a specific topic their teacher has given.

The most famous attraction for today is Yamdro-tso Lake and Kubum Monastery (Pelkor Chorten) in Gyantse. Yamdro-tso Lake shaped like a coiling scorpion with deep blue, and the Kubum monastery has a 35m-high Chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome

We will visit the largest monastery in west Tibet-the Tashilhunpo Monastery, as the last but famous historic sites for your Tibet tour. Tashilunpo monastery is one of the six great Gelukpa institutions and was founded in 1447 by a disciple of Tsongkapa, containing the world’s largest gilded copper image (26m high) of future god Jampa. Keeping drive to next stop Rongbuk Monastery and passing by Tingri county. Stop at the foot of Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. Enjoy the intoxicating view of Mt. Everest

Wake up early to enjoy the marvelous sunrise at the peak of the world. Drive about 7 hours to Gyirong Town for accommodation. The views along the road are stupendous. On bright days, you can see the clear face of Shishapangma Peak and enjoy the beautiful view of Pekutso Lake.

Today you will end the tour in China, you will be transferred and take the bus to Kathmandu, with assisting in going through the exit formalities. Wish you a pleasant journey!