Trans Kham, Sichuan Tibet Highway 10 days overland tour

Tour Code:SCT-1005
Start in:Chengdu
End in: Lhasa
Destinations:Chengdu-Kangding-Dawu-Garze-Dege-Gyamda-Chamdo-Bangda-Baxoi-Ranwu-Bome-Nyingchi-Basum Tso lake-Lhasa

Main Attraction Pictures

Lhasa Ganda monastery Nyingchi city Basum Tso lake Ranwu lake Chamdo Glacier Dege Sutra Printing House Kangding night view Axu grassland
Tour Highlights
Trans Kham, seeing spectacular highland-lakes and grasslands. Experiencing the cultural center of the Khampa --- Dege scripture printing press Enjoying beautiful landscapes around Nyingchi. Exploring the "roof of the world"---Holy city Lhasa. This epic journey through Sichuan, across the Tibetan Plateau to Lhasa, has attracted explorers and adventurers, pilgrims, traders, and even missionaries for hundreds of years. The journey is a long one, and requires a certain dedication on the part of the traveler, as well as a certain resilience to bumps! We have considerable experience of this route and know exactly what is required in terms of transportation, accommodation, and red tape, not to mention the fascinating sights along the way. The first step of this great overland adventure takes us to We head west to Garze via Kangding. and then continue to the sacred lake of Yilhun Lhatso (Xinlu Hai Lake) and finally the cultural centre of Dege where we can relax for a day. Cross Jinsha Jiang (upper reaches of Yangtse) we entry in Tibet. In Chamdo, the biggest city in East-Tibet we'll visit Kalden Jampaling Monastery which dates from the 15th century, and forms the focal point of this important market town at the confluence of two tributaries of the Lancang Jiang (Mekong). At this point we take the southern route to Lhasa: cross Nu Jiang (Salween), pass by Ranwu Lake, cross Lulang forests and visit Basum Tso Lake, at last we reach the holy city Lhasa, our service end in Lhasa. In Lhasa you may visit the Potala Palace, which stands on the Red Hill in the city proper, the holiest place Jokhang as well as Drepung and Sera
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 Chengdu / Kangding
Drive to Kangding, overnight and sightseeing in Kangding. It is 376Km and 6hrs on the expressway from Chengdu to Kangding While traversing the Western Sichuan Plain, you will arrive at Kangding-the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the afternoon. we can appreciate the idyllic scenery and visit the local people. After dinner, enjoy the hot spring at Erdaoqiao.

Day 02 Kangding / Dawu
In the early morning, visit Anjue monastery-the very first Tibetan monastery on this trip, an rare chance to see their morning ceremony per day! Drive for 210 km to Dawu. On the way visit Tagong monastery. After arrival at Dawu visit a Tibetan Buddhism school, was built in October 1981. In this school more than 30 lamas including adults and kids study obligatory subjects like Tibetan, Tibetan literature, Buddhist philosophy, painting and Chinese. Panchen Erdini once was the honorary president of the school.

Day 03 Dawu / Garze / Dege
Drive for 182 km to Garze. After arrival at Garze the real cultural, religious centre for the Tibetans living in Sichuan, visit Garze monastery of yellow hats-sect (Gelukpa), with more than 1100 monks living in this biggest monastery in Kham and the constructions of this monastery just like a huge free market. Drive 178 km from Garze to Dege. On the way cross over Que'er pass (4900 m). Then have a break at the foot of the mountain to take photos by the Xinluhai Lake (4500 m), which is so quiet, beautiful that you feel just in a fabulous world. In the evening arrive in Dege which lies on the border between Tibet and Sichuan.

Day 04 Dege / Gyamda
The inhabitants in Dege are Khampa-Tibetans who have independently lived here for hundreds of years and the influence of Lhasa reaches this region just in a slight way. Different religions like red sect, yellow sect, white sect, black sect exist together in peaceful harmony.  In the morning visit Dege scripture printing press which was built in 1729 and the biggest scripture printing press in the world today. Dege is the cultural center of Kham area as well as Tibetan Printing Center, we will visit a Tibetan library-Dege Press-printing House, and appreciate the ancient woodcut for printing. In the afternoon, we will visit Tibetan hospital. 
 
Day 05 Gyamda - Chamdo
Drive across the Jinsha River (upper reaches of Yangtze) Bridge connecting Sichuan and Tibet heading for Chamdo. We will cross over no less than four passes: Khargang La (4,352 m), Lashi La (4,450 m), Jape La (4,680 m), and Tama La (4,511 m), with clutters of prayer flags waving in the wind on the peaks and friendly nomads waving at us from the grasslands. Straddling the Mekong river,

Day 06 Chamdo Sightseeing
Chamdo (3200 m) was the former capital of Kham in East-Tibetan area and has a rich history as one of the earliest centers of the Tibetan plateau and home of Kalden Jampaling (Qiangbalin Monastery), the great monastery founded between 1436-44 and developed through the centuries by successive Living Buddhas. The Karub site in Chamdo dating back 4,000 to 5,000 years is the first site of the Neolithic Age scientifically excavated in Tibet, displaying the ancient civilization created by Chinese ancestors in the Lancangjiang river range.

Day 07 Chamdo - Bangda - Baxoi
We follow the Mekong downstream through alpine forests to Kyitang village, where the Khampa houses are sturdily built on horizontal timbers. Then we turn west to cross the Lona Pass (4,511 m) and follow the Yu-chu River downstream to Bangda, a town junction where Lhasa connects to the Chamdo-Kunming Highway. The Yu-chu valley lies north of the Salween gorges in the highlands of Tsawagang, where the immense geographic spatial dimensions of the land dwarf our presence. While distance covered is less than 100 km and probably half that by the way the crow flies, the terrain is steep, as defined by the 180 switchbacks we will conquer when we cross Gama La Pass at an altitude of 4,618 meters.
 
Day 08 Baxoi - Ranwu - Bome
On the road to Bome, we will stop in Ranwu to cast our lines in the pristine waters of Ngan Tso (Ranwu Lake), a spectacularly crystal blue lake cupped by snow peaks.  After our lunch of freshly caught fish, we will wander along the Poto-chu Valley at Tramog (2,743 m), located deep in the thickly forested gorge of Parlung Tsangpo with glacial waterfalls streaming from the mountainsides.
 
Day 09 Bome - Nyingchi (or Bayi town)
We will go down several hundred meters in altitude as we reach the lowland jungle settlement of Tongmai where the Tsangpo and Parlung Tsangpo rivers meet. Crossing Serkhyem La Pass (4,515 m) we will have spectacular views of Mount Gyala Pelri (7,150 m) and Mount Namchak Barwa (7,782 m). Late in the afternoon arrive in Nyingchi (Nyingtri, Linzhi).
 
Day 10 Nyingchi - Basum Tso Lake - Lhasa
The garrison site Nyingchi is an ideal place for the discovery of two neighbouring high points: From the golden roof of the Gelugpa monastery Buchu to view the unique scenery of the Lamaling temple which is only a few kilometers runway. Afterwards we drive to the Basum Tso Lake. ore than 6000 m high snow covered mountains make the lake film like, well, the leading actor is, without doubt, is the island monastery - Tsodzong. We take a boat travel around the island and up to the Tsodzong monastery on it. In the afternoon we drive on along the Niyang river for Lhasa. Afterwards we pass through scenic terrain with lush alpine forests and clear snow-melted streams and over the impressing Mi La pass (4865 m) to Lhasa. Late in the afternoon arrive in Lhasa (3650 m), capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. The city is situated on the bank of the Kyichu River and has long been the 'Holy Land' of Tibet. Arrive Lhasa, check into hotel, service end !

Private Tour Prices (Based on per person and shown in US dollars)

Group size
Season
2-5Pax
Travelers
6-9Pax
Travelers
10Pax&above
Travelers &above
Single
supplement
Children
price
Booking..
Nov.16.2010-Apr.2011 N/A N/A N/A - -
May.2010-Nov.15.2010 1680 1560 1500 120 -
Remark : We will give the visitors some discounts from 2% to 5% depending on the time they book this tour but it should be at least 1 month earlier. The booking will be confirmed once the deposit is received.

Service included

* Service of English speaking tour guide during all transfers and sightseeing
* All transportation by 4 wheel drive Japan made jeep, Mitsubishi or Toyota.
* Hotel accommodation based on twin share
* All necessary permission to Tibet.

Service excluded

* All meals, you may buy some food in Chengdu from supermarket such as Carrefour or Metro.
* All entrance fees
* Chinese visa and Airline tickets or train tickets
* Insurance
* All optional programs;
* Personal expenses(fees due to landslides, road blockade, personal nature: telephone, laundry, etc.) tips and gratuities to service staff.

Notes

* Please note: Due to the road conditions, weather and availability of room, Minor program changes sometimes are necessary, All above is subjected to our confirmation.
* The above quotation is based on twin sharing room. Single supplement will be charged only when you are the 3rd, 5th person in this group, and need to stay in one single room, which means no one in the group can share the cost of accommodation with you.

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