The Last Shangri-La 9-Day Overland Tour (Kham Tibet And Yadi

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, as well having 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: Buddha Zen Hotel, 4-star standard boutique hotel. 

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Chengdu. After that we’ll drive for about 2.5 hours to Bifengxia Park of Ya’an. It’s a beautiful park with a panda base and two valleys inside. We will take a close look at China’s national treasure-the giant panda at the panda base of Bifengxia. Then if you like, you may hike at one of the valleys scattered with lush trees and small waterfalls. We will also take a visit of Shangli Ancient Town located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Bifengxai. Shangli used to be an important town along the Ancient Tea and Horse Route. It’s a trading route along which the merchants used horses to transport tea and silk products from Chengdu to the Tibetan area in ancient times. We will continue to drive to Kangding in the afternoon and stay overnight there. Driving Distance: 285 kilometers (177 miles) Meals provided: breakfast, lunch, dinner Overnight: Kangding Kamba Hotel (4-star) Altitude: 2,560 meters (8,399 feet)

Today we will continue to drive on 318 National Road of China, which is also known as North Sichuan Tibet Route. We will first drive on the winding mountain road leading to Zheduo Mountain Pass, which is 4,298 meters (14,101 feet) above sea level. Kangding airport is situated just a few kilometers away. It is the third highest civil airport in the world, with an altitude of 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) above sea level.  Then we will head for Tagong Grassland where you can ride a horse if you are interested. If the weather is good and clear, you could see Yala Holy Mountain, which is worshipped by local Tibetans and has an altitude of 5,800 meters (19,029 feet) above sea level. We will also explore Tagong Temple and learn about Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism culture there. In the afternoon we will continue to drive westwards along Sichuan Tibet National Road. Our destination is Litang, the birthplace of the 7th and 10th Dalai Lamas. Driving Distance: 272 kilometers (169 miles) Meals provided: breakfast, lunch, dinner Overnight: Litang Caterpillar Hotel (4-star) Altitude: 4,014 meters (13,169 feet)