14-Day Cycle & Hike Panda Kingdom And Kham Tibet, Sichuan Pr

We will welcome you at the airport and take you to your hotel. You are free to refresh and relax before we hold a briefing about the trip later in the afternoon. With your guides, you will go through the itinerary and learn about local road safety and cultural considerations, and also have the opportunity to ask us any questions you may have. After being fully briefed, in the evening, we will hold a welcome dinner to celebrate the beginning of your journey. We will feast on some of the best food Chengdu has to offer and eagerly anticipate the coming journey that lies ahead. Meals provided: Dinner Overnight: Chengdu Buddha Zen Hotel, 4-star standard. Altitude: 500 meters

Cycling Distance: 20km Hiking Distance: 6km We will start the day by taking a short drive to Dujiangyan Panda Valley and visiting the adorable giant pandas and cubs at this research base dedicated to rehabilitating pandas back into the wild. Panda Valley, although having fewer pandas, is much quieter than the research base in Chengdu city, allowing for a more intimate experience. From Panda Valley you will begin your ride on a calm country road which provides views of the mountains marking the beginning of the Tibetan Plateau on your right. We will pass the foot of the religiously important Qingcheng Mountain and then ride on to Jiezi Ancient Town, historically one of the last towns before the Tibetan Plateau on the Tea Horse Road. You will spend some time exploring the alleyways and learning about the history of this important riverside town, before sitting down to some traditional local food. In the afternoon hike Fengqi Mountain near Jiezi, and Fengqi Mountain is not as famous as Qingcheng Mountain in the nearby area, and therefore there are less tourists here. But its natural scenery is also quite beautiful. You will slowly walk in the trails winding in the bamboos and woods of the mountain, and you will also pass local houses along the way. When getting to the top, you will arrive at a Buddhism Monastery that is not so well-known, but quite worth a visit. Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Jiazi Hotel at Jiezi Ancient Town, 3-star standard, Altitude:620 meters

Cycling Distance: 50km No hiking today, but you may walk around in the town to visit the museums. Today our ride continues along one of Sichuan’s most beautiful, and less-explored country roads, Chongqing Road. It will take you through beautiful countryside and villages, before we finish the ride on the outskirts of Anren, dubbed ‘China’s Museum Town’. We will drive the final 10km to Anren’s Ancient Town, where we will spend the night. With a more modern history than other Ancient Towns we will visit on this trip, being formed in the early 1900s, it is unique for having more of a focus on culture and education, with plenty of boutique shops, cafes, restaurants and workshops to explore and enjoy in the evening. In the afternoon explore the unique museums at Anren Ancient Town, such as Jianchuan Museum and Liu’s Mansion Museum. At the first museum you will not only learn about the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake and Sichuan people’s contributions to the anti-Japanese war in 1930s and 1940s, but also the traditional lifestyle of the Chinese, such as traditional Chinese furnitures, medicine, and articles of daily use. While at the second museum you will see the traditional house and courtyard of Liu Wencai’s family. Liu was the richest man in Sichuan province in 1930s and 1940s. Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Demen Renli Hotel, 3-star standard. Altitude: 540 meters