[Western Sichuan Small Loop + G318] Chengdu + Mount Siguniang + Danba + Xinduqiao + Batang + Rawu + Nyingchi + Lhasa Classic 11-Day Tour

Welcome to Chengdu. Our guide will meet you at the airport/train station exit and escort you to the hotel for check-in and rest. If you arrive in Chengdu in the morning, you can stroll around Chengdu's fashion center, Chunxi Road, and the thousand-year-old Daci Temple, and check in at the Chinese-Western fusion Taikoo Li and the IFS climbing panda. If you arrive in Chengdu in the afternoon, you can go to Jinli and Kuanzhai Alley to experience the most leisurely and comfortable slow life of Chengdu, or check in at the Little Bar from Zhao Lei's song "Chengdu." In the evening, our tour leader will hold a brief pre-departure briefing for everyone at the hotel.

After breakfast, depart from Chengdu and head upstream along the Min River, passing through Dujiangyan and the Duwen Expressway to Yingxiu, then follow the famous scenic route—China Panda Avenue—accompanied by beautiful canyons, snow mountains, and seas of clouds along the way, to visit Mount Siguniang. [Mount Siguniang] is known as the Oriental Alps and is famous for its magnificent snow mountains and canyon scenery. Today you will mainly tour the most fully developed, relatively concentrated, and easier sightseeing route in the Mount Siguniang scenic area, Shuangqiao Valley. You can take the sightseeing bus from the valley entrance and tour the magnificent scenery of snow mountains, forests, meadows, streams, and waterfalls in sequence, all the way to the end of the valley. After the tour, head to Danba for overnight stay.

In the morning, head to visit Jiaju Tibetan Village in Danba, ranked first among China's six most beautiful rural ancient towns. The entire Tibetan village is built along the mountain. On slopes with a drop of nearly 1,000 meters, Tibetan-style houses stand amid lush green trees, some scattered like stars, some densely clustered, some on high cliffs, and some among green riverbanks. You can stroll through the Tibetan village, learn about Tibetan architectural styles, and deeply experience the local culture and customs. After lunch, set off along the Yak River Valley to visit Tagong Grassland. [Tagong Grassland] is the most famous grassland in Garze Prefecture. The terrain here is flat, the water and grass are abundant, and cattle and sheep roam in herds. In the distance, the sacred Yala Snow Mountain and the Muya Golden Pagoda form a beautiful plateau scene. The tranquil Tagong Temple appears even more resplendent against the snow mountains and grassland. [Tagong Temple] is a famous temple of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, known as the "Little Jokhang," with a history of more than a thousand years. You can enter the temple to see various thangka paintings, Tibetan reliefs, painted sculptures, and other works, and also gain a deeper understanding of Tibetan Buddhist culture. After the visit, drive to Xinduqiao, the paradise of photographers, for overnight rest.

This morning you can get up early to enjoy the beautiful scene of Xinduqiao's Tibetan-style houses shrouded in morning mist. After that, you will bid farewell to the scenic Xinduqiao, pass through Yajiang and Jianziwan Tunnel, then cross 【Kazila Mountain】 at an altitude of 4,718 meters and arrive in Litang, the hometown of Ding Zhen, and visit Changqingchun Ke'er Temple. 【Changqingchun Ke'er Temple】 is the oldest and largest Gelug school Tibetan Buddhist temple in the Kham region, known as the holy land of Buddhism in southern Kham. The temple buildings rise along the mountain, with uneven heights and clear layers. The temple houses various types of gilded bronze statues of Shakyamuni, Buddhist scriptures, murals, and other precious cultural relics. Afterward, you will pass through the beautiful 【Maoya Grassland】. If the weather is clear, you can not only enjoy the beautiful grassland scenery but also see the snow line formed by a row of snow mountains on the horizon, a truly spectacular sight. Then you will continue forward, cross Haizi Mountain Pass, and arrive at Haizi Mountain's 【Sister Lakes】, two plateau lakes nestled together on the desolate mountain plain, like two beautiful gems, and also like tears of divine compassion scattered into the human world, pure and flawless. After visiting the Sister Lakes, continue forward and arrive in Batang, the last county town in Sichuan before entering the Tibet region, and check in for a rest.

After breakfast, depart from Batang, passing through the Jinsha River Gorge with its high mountains, deep valleys, and surging rapids. After crossing the Jinsha River Bridge, you officially enter Mangkang County in the Tibet region. Then continue onward, first crossing the 4,376-meter-high Lawu Mountain, passing the Lancang River Bridge, and then crossing the 5,130-meter-high Dongda Mountain Pass. Dongda Mountain Pass is the second-highest pass on the South Sichuan-Tibet Route. From the snow-capped pass reaching into the clouds, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and the Lancang River look like two glistening ribbons, faintly visible among the countless mountains and ravines. Finally, arrive in Zuogong County.

After breakfast, depart from Zuogong and follow the beautiful Yuqu River upward to Bangda Town. Bangda in Tibetan means "a grassland where even eagles cannot fly out." Then pass through Bangda Grassland. [Bangda Grassland] is a true great grassland within Tibet and also the watershed between the Lancang River and the Nu River. Here the water and grass are abundant, the grassland is vast, and herds of cattle and sheep scatter across it grazing leisurely, making the scenery very beautiful. After a brief stop, continue onward and cross the [Yela Mountain Pass] at an elevation of 4,658 meters. This is the best viewpoint for gazing at the most imposing road on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway—the Nu River 72 Turns. [Nu River 72 Turns], as a necessary route on the southern Sichuan-Tibet line, is precisely because of its danger that it has even more challenge value for many cyclists or drivers. Every year, travelers passing this road are full of admiration for it. After resting and taking photos, you will descend along the 72 Turns all the way to the grand canyon, then follow the grand canyon forward, passing through Basu to Ranwu, and visit Ranwu Lake. [Ranwu Lake] is a famous plateau glacial lake. Its blue lake water and snow-capped peaks form a picturesque and beautiful scene. Depending on the season, the water of Ranwu Lake also presents several colors such as blue or turquoise, making the scenery very beautiful.

After breakfast, bid farewell to Ranwu, take one last look back at the beautiful scenery of Ranwu Lake, and then continue the journey to visit Midui Glacier, known as China's most beautiful glacier. [Midui Glacier] is the lowest-altitude glacier in the world. The entire glacier is as pure as jade, with beautiful scenery, various forms, and charming postures. Around it are herds of cattle and sheep, simple Tibetan dwellings, majestic snow mountains, and wild animals such as rock-climbing sheep and monkeys that stay year-round. After visiting Midui Glacier, continue onward and arrive in Bomi County, Nyingchi, for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will depart from Bomi. After passing through a stretch of primitive forest, head to the Tongmai perilous section. In the past, along the 15-kilometer section from Tongmai to Pailong, mountain torrents and mudslides during the rainy season often triggered landslides and interrupted the highway. Now the perilous route has become accessible: several tunnels and one large bridge have opened up the Tongmai and Pailong perilous passages. Afterward, you will pass through the dense 【Lulang Forest Sea】, where lush primitive forest stretches broadly, forming a stunning peerless landscape. Then cross the Sejila Pass at an altitude of 4,728 meters. 【Sejila Pass】 is located on the southeast side of Bayi Town and is a famous landmark on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Here you can look far into the Lulang Forest Sea and Namcha Barwa behind it, making it a great spot for photos. If you travel in May or June, you can also see azaleas blooming all over Sejila Mountain. Finally, arrive in Nyingchi for the night.

After breakfast, depart from Nyingchi, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Nyang River along the way, and then come to the Linla Highway, known as "Tibet's most beautiful high-grade highway." Then exit the highway at Bahe Town and turn right for about 50 kilometers to reach the beautiful Basum Tso. Basum Tso, also called "Tso Gao Lake," is the largest barrier lake in eastern Tibet. The lake is shaped like a crescent moon set in a deep valley, and the green mountain peaks around it are topped with perennial snow. Tender in spring, passionate in summer, elegant in autumn, and pure in winter, no matter when you come to Basum Tso, you will be captivated by its landscape painting, as serene and beautiful as ever. Climb onto the small island in the middle of the lake, where there is the Tang Dynasty building Tsozong Gongba Monastery, a famous red sect Nyingma monastery in Tibet. Built in the late Tang Dynasty, it has a history of more than 1,500 years. After sightseeing, head to the holy city of Lhasa for overnight stay.

After breakfast, go to visit the world's highest ancient palace-fortress architectural complex—the Potala Palace. [Potala Palace] is located on Maburiri Mountain in the northwest of Lhasa city. It is a magnificent building integrating palace, fortress, and monastery, and is also the largest and most complete ancient palace-fortress complex in Tibet. The Potala Palace is built against the mountain, with 13 stories in total, 117.19 meters high, and more than 400 meters long from east to west. You will climb up along its long stairs, overlooking Lhasa as you walk, taking in the grandeur of Lhasa city. While taking photos as souvenirs and resting, you will then enter the Potala Palace to explore this mysterious and ancient palace for which very few images are shown online. Then go to visit the holy site in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhist believers—Jokhang Temple. [Jokhang Temple] was first built in 647 AD and has a history of 1,350 years. It is the most glorious surviving Tubo-period building in Tibet, with 5 golden roofs and 108 Buddhist halls. Here, you can see the world's rare life-size statue of Shakyamuni at age 12 and devout pilgrims worshipping in front of Jokhang Temple. After leaving Jokhang Temple, you can walk clockwise around Jokhang Temple as the center, imagining yourself as a Tibetan doing a kora, or go to the handicraft market on [Barkhor Street] for a shopping spree, or simply stroll slowly on the street, feel the warmth of the City of Sunlight, or find a sweet tea house and learn the tranquility and contentment of Tibetan friends.

At this point, this wonderful journey of the Western Sichuan Mini Loop plus the Southern Sichuan-Tibet Route will come to an end. You may choose to leave Lhasa, and our guide will take you to the airport/railway station, or you may choose to extend your trip and travel in Tibet. Whether it is an economical group tour in Tibet or a comfortable and flexible private customized tour, we can make proper arrangements for you.