Overview
This journey runs on the concealed east Tibet highlands from Chengdu in Sichuan province to Xining in Qinghai province, along the upper reaches of mighty Yangtze, Yellow and Mekong rivers in the extreme northwest of Kham flow through spacious grasslands, towering peaks and wooded valleys. The landscapes change frequently! This is the wild and untamed land for the swashbuckling Khampa horseman and authentic nomads. Some of the Tibetan plateau’s richest nomadic pastures could be seen here, plus with a surprisingly large number of monasteries, most of them are truly impressive! And the surrounding area is dotted with array of perennial snow-capped mountains in distance, famous pilgrim sites and turquoise lakes that are well worth for exploration or hike around. Lesser visited by the outside world, unscathed Tibetan traditions still thrive in these rugged and remote mountain region that offer the best travel opportunities to experience the genuine, undiluted Tibetan culture. We also have great chances to see many wild fauna and flora which add up the fascination of this adventure.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01 Arrival Chengdu & City Sightseeing
Day 02 Chengdu - Kangding (B)
Day 03 Kangding - Tawu (B)
Day 04 Tawu - Gantze (B)
Day 05 Gantze - Manigange (B)
Day 06 Manigange - Serxu (B)
Day 07 Serxu - Yushu (B)
Day 08 Yushu – Mado (B)
Day 09 Ngoring & Kyaring Lakes (B)
Day 10 Mado – Qinghai Lake (B)
Day 11 Qinghai Lake – Kumbum – Xining (B)
Day 12 Xining Departure or Extension (B)
Get Inspired
https://plateautours.com/destinations/qinghai-amdo/intrepid-kham-overland-tour#sigProIde9dfcdebda
Detail Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival Chengdu & City Sightseeing
Upon arrive at Chengdu and transfer to your hotel. Get refreshment in the hotel, we step out for the Wide and Narrow alleys (Kuan Zhai Xiangzi), two ancient streets preserved from the old architectures in Ming and Qing dynasties in Chengdu. In the evening time, enjoy the magical Sichuan Opera and Face Changing Show, the ancient Chinese dramatic art.
Day 02: Chengdu - Kangding (B)
Leave Chengdu for Kangding by passing through Chengdu Plain and along Dadu River gorge. Scenes change dramatically from Sichuan basin into Kham Tibetan highland from today. Overnight in Kangding, the seat of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Day 03: Kangding - Tawu (B)
Climbs up 4,298m Zhedo Pas to tranquil and fascinated Xinduqiao, where make detour to Tawu by passing through a few big grasslands dominated by picturesque Tibetan hamlets. On the route, visit Tagong Monastery, one of the impact monasteries in Kham. Later visit Geda Shambaling Monastery. Tonight you will stay in the local Tibetan family, visit their extraordinary house and ornate decorations, chat with the host, learn about their traditions and cultures.
Day 04: Tawu - Gantze (B)
The road stretches into the wide fertile valley of Kham and through the picturesque farming Tibetan villages, fields of green or golden barley extend on both sides as far as the distant foothills. Visit Gantze Monastery, the region’s largest lamasery.
Day 05: Gantze - Manigange (B)
Continue to driving up northwest to Manigange, visit a fabulous turquoise-blue lake located, the scared alpine lake of Yilhun Lhatso. Overnight in Manigange, a tiny crossroads town for Sichuan and Qinghai provinces.
Day 06: Manigange - Serxu (B)
From Manigange, the road ascends to Serxu by crossing Sichuan-Qinghai provincial border. The drive is really beautiful and ever changing, as we run on the vast prairie grasslands with many wildflowers mixed in with large snow-capped mountains in the distance, where nomads can be found living in traditional style tents. At Serxu, visit local largest Serxu Monastery.
Day 07: Serxu - Yushu (B)
The road heads out the large grasslands to arrive in Yushu town, the capital of Yushu Tibetan Prefecture. Here visit Gyanak Mani temple and the largest Mani gallet in Tibetan region. Later visit Princess Wencheng temple, a commemorative site for the Tang-dynasty Chinese Princess Wencheng paused here for a month en route from Xi’an to Lhasa for marriage with the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo.
Day 08: Yushu – Mado (B)
Leave for Mado after visited a monastery of Dungkor. The highway gradually ascends through the rolling swamplands of the upper Yangtze to cross the Bayankala Pass (5,082m) till the high lakeland and the valley of the Yellow River to arrive in Mado. Wild animals and lots of birds are sighted along roadside. Mado, at 4300m is one of the highest and coldest regions of Amdo.
Day 09: Ngoring & Kyaring Lakes (B)
Off the main road and take the tough and dirt trail to visit two beautiful highland lakes. Ngoring Lake (4272m) and Kyaring Lake (4294m), two particularly large freshwater lakes, mosaic on the Mado marshy plain at the upstream of the Yelllow River. In the afternoon, drive back to Mado.
Day 10: Mado – Qinghai Lake (B)
Drive through the rolling grasslands to Qinghai Lake (Kokonor Lake), yellow poppies and nomad’s tents are commonplace along the way. Wonder around the Qinghai Lake, the China’s largest salty lake, enjoy amaze beauty of it. Many birds will stop here when they migrate across Asia. Spend a serene night at the lake side.
Day 11: Qinghai Lake – Kumbum – Xining (B)
Wake up early morning to view the possibly sunrise over the Qinghai Lake. Then drive to Xining across Sun & Moon Mountain. En the route, stop to visit Qinghai’s symbolic site of Kumbum Monastery. It is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa sect, and is also famous for the artworks of Yak Butter sculptures, frescoes and embossed embroidery made by lhama artists. Later visit the Grand Mosque, one of the four largest mosques in China, worshipped by local Muslim.
Day 12: Xining Departure or Extension (B)
Extend the tour to Tibet or transfer to the airport/train station for other destinations.
Experiences & Activities
- Explore the beautiful landscapes along upstreams of the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers
- Visit region’s principal monastery of Tagong & Kumbum, and many rarely visited religious sites
- Lose breath for alpine lakes including Yilhun Lha Tso, Kokonor, Ngoring and Kyaring
- Passes rolling mountains and verdant pastures to see the wild birds and mammals
- Get insight of the warlike Khampa men and genuine Tibetan nomads
