Kham Tibet Encompassed: Across Sichuan and Qinghai

Arrive in Chengdu and enjoy a smooth private airport transfer to your hotel. If time allows, dive straight into the city’s vibrant rhythm, sip tea while watching a face-changing Sichuan Opera performance, explore the lively streets of Chunxi Road, pose with the IFS rooftop panda, wander through Jinli Ancient Street, or experience Chengdu’s nightlife energy. Settle in and prepare for the journey ahead.

We begin at Wolong Panda Base, the world’s largest natural-habitat sanctuary, where you can quietly watch giant pandas and their adorable cubs roaming just steps away—no glass, no crowds. After that, Maobiliang Viewpoint offers your first enchanting look at the four sacred peaks of Siguniang, often glowing gold under the afternoon sun. Afterwards, you’ll arrive at Zhonglu Tibetan Village, called the most beautiful Tibetan villages in China. As the sun sets over the old village, warm light spills across the rooftops and fields, offering a peaceful and timeless moment.

After the sunrise, continue your journey to the Tagong Grassland, a sacred place said to be beloved by Bodhisattvas. Guided by our local English-speaking guide, you’ll touch the rescued deer at Muya Monastery, which is under the snow mountains. At Tagong Monastery, listen to a teaching from the monks and offer a touch of light to a butter lamp. In a secluded nunnery, learn the art of Tibetan debate and feel the dynamic exchange of Buddhist philosophy. Then we will take you to Gerima Village, where devotees from across the plateau live and practice their faith.

Today, we journey into the heart of Tibetan life and spirituality. Meditate at dawn with a monk from Tagong Monastery, breathing in mountain air beside ancient white stupas and retreat caves once used by hermits. In the afternoon, visit a Tibetan herder’s camp on the open grassland, guide yaks across the pasture, and step into a black yak-hair tent to make tsampa and butter tea. End the day sharing a simple, heartfelt dinner beneath the vast plateau sky.

Journey across the high plateau to Litang’s sacred heart, Changqingchunkeer Monastery, where monks chant beneath wide Himalayan skies. Climb the hillside for sweeping views over the “Sky City,” prayer flags and whitewashed homes stretching toward distant peaks. Wander through Letong Ancient Town, stay in a Tibetan-style guesthouse, and join locals in an evening Guozhuang circle dance, turning faith and joy into shared movement.

Today, we journey through some of China’s most breathtaking alpine landscapes. Wander across quiet mountain meadows, spot marmots darting through the grasslands beneath snow-capped peaks, and hike gently toward the Eye of Genie Mountain, where a crystal-clear lake reflects sky and glacier alike. Continuing to Zeba Village at 4,000 meters, we venture deeper into the highlands beneath sacred snow mountains before witnessing Mount Genyen glow gold at sunset — a truly unforgettable finale to the day.

Journey on a sacred hike from New Lenggu Monastery to the Old Lenggu Monastery, following quiet forest trails through a remote mountain valley beneath towering snow peaks. Along the way, keep watch for wildlife moving across the highlands, from marmots to birds hidden among the alpine forests. Arrive at the centuries-old Old Lengu Monastery, a secluded retreat site where a handful of monks still continue their spiritual practice in isolation today. After offering incense and quiet wishes, continue onward to Batang, a vibrant frontier town filled with local life and energy.

From today, we journey into the hidden and surreal world of Tibetan monasteries, far from the paths of mass tourism. Crossing high mountain ridges, we arrive at Katok Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries of the Nyingma tradition, home to the world’s third-largest Vajra Mandala. Surrounded by silence and devoted practitioners living in retreat, the monastery feels untouched by time. Red wooden houses cascade across the mountainside, while the intricate architecture and sacred artistry here reach a truly breathtaking level.

Journey to Dzogchen Monastery, often known as the “Harvard of Tibetan Buddhism,” where crimson-robed monks debate beneath vast alpine skies and young monks from across the Tibetan regions come here to study. Share a simple vegetarian meal within the monastery and experience a glimpse of daily monastic life at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level. Continuing onward to Dege County, a historic crossroads of faith and culture where five major Tibetan Buddhist traditions converge, we encounter the enduring spirit of Kham Tibet woven deeply into everyday life.

Step into the Dege Printing House, where artisans still carve and print sacred texts by hand using centuries-old woodblocks, preserving more than 70% of Tibetan cultural and literary classics. Crossing into Qinghai, we pause at Princess Wencheng Temple, a quiet symbol of the historic exchange between Tibetan and Han cultures. By evening, we arrive in Yushu, settling into the vast atmosphere of the high plateau as the journey enters its next chapter.

Climb the hillside to Jiegu Monastery for sweeping views over the entire Yushu valley, where monks chant within vast assembly halls high above the plateau town. Here, you may also encounter animal specimens offered in devotion to protector deities, reflecting the region’s unique spiritual traditions. At Jiana Mani Stone City, home to the world’s largest Mani stone pile, carve your own Mani stone and offer prayers and blessings for the world among countless stones shaped by centuries of faith. Return to Yushu with a quiet sense of reflection and connection to the spiritual heart of the plateau.

Journey to the headwaters of the Yellow River and explore the wild expanse around Zhaling and Eling Lakes at over 4,000m. Scan the plateau for Tibetan wild ass (kiang), Tibetan gazelle, Himalayan marmots, black-necked cranes, bar-headed geese, and flocks of migratory waterbirds. Walk through the shimmering wetlands of Xingxing Sea, where wildlife moves freely across open grasslands. End the day immersed in one of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau’s richest ecosystems.n

Return to the frontier crossroads of Xining and step into the sacred halls of Ta’er Monastery, one of the great monasteries of the Gelug tradition and the birthplace of Tsongkhapa. Wander through incense-filled courtyards, admiring intricate butter sculptures and vivid murals that reflect centuries of Tibetan Buddhist artistry. By evening, explore Xining’s lively night market and sample local flavors shaped by Hui Muslim and Han culinary traditions.

An airport drop-off will be arranged according to your flight time, bringing your memorable journey to a smooth and pleasant close.