Explore Daocheng & Yading in Western Sichuan

Welcome to Chengdu! Our private Chengdu to Yading tour begins the moment you touch down at Chengdu Airport. Your guide and driver will meet you and escort you to a downtown hotel.

After check-in and a short break, we will head to Wuhou Temple, dedicated to Zhuge Liang (181-234), an outstanding politician, militarist, diplomat, and astronomer of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Then, follow your guide to Jinli Street, lined with traditional architecture. Here, you can discover unique handicrafts and enjoy appetizing snacks while immersing yourself in the vibrant atmosphere. Finally, the guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel.

► Recommended Dinner Site near Jinli Street (at your own expense)
As a Bib Gourmand Restaurant, Rongyuan Restaurant has captured the hearts of numerous diners with its authentic, home-style Sichuan cooking, characterized by the liberal use of pickled peppers. You might try its signature spicy mandarin fish, a dish of steamed, freshly caught fish cooked with chili that uses exceptional heat to keep it tender and also tasty, with a rich, aromatic flavor.
Average Cost per Person: CNY 80 (USD 11)
Address: Annex No.2 of No.10, Shuhan Street, Wuhou District, Chengdu

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza (4 stars)

This morning, the guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to Mount Siguniang, with a stop at the Wolong Panda Reserve en route after a two-hour drive. Located in a mountainous valley with lush forests, the reserve offers natural scenes of pandas in the wild habitat. Here, you can observe dozens of giant pandas, including panda cubs, sub-adults, and adult pandas, as they exhibit their preferences of different ages for eating, playing, and climbing trees. Get ready with your camera to capture adorable moments!

In the afternoon, we will continue driving for another two hours, crossing the lofty Balang Mountain to reach the town at the foot of Mount Siguniang, which translates to “Mountains of Four Girls” in Chinese. The name is derived from a Tibetan legend about four maidens who fought demons and ultimately became four undulating mountains guarding this land, with snow covering the peaks like their veils. Upon arrival, the guide will assist you in checking into a local hotel. Look forward to tomorrow’s Mount Siguniang tour!

► Notes for Touring High-altitude Scenic Areas
1. It is recommended not to take a shower or wash your hair tonight to avoid catching a cold.
2. You can buy a small bottle of oxygen and a can of Coke, which can help relieve mild altitude sickness.
3. The ultraviolet rays in the plateau area are so intense that you’d better wear a sun hat, sunglasses, and SPF 50+ sunscreen.
4. There is changeable weather and significant temperature differences in the mountains; please wear windproof and warm clothes.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: MT. YUE Hotel, Siguniangshan Town

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to Double Bridge Valley (Shuangqiao Valley), which rises from 3,200 to 3,800 meters (10,500 to 12,470 feet), offering a most enchanting and relaxing trail to explore Mount Siguniang. Follow the guide to experience the tranquility and primitive ambiance of the plateau forest in the redwood forest at Double Bridge Valley’s highest point, appreciating the snow-capped peaks, such as Eagle Rock, up close, capture the meadows, roads, and the Potala Peak, which resembles the Potala Palace in Tibet, in the same frame, and take in the gripping scenery of snow-capped mountains that enhance each other’s beauty with Sigu Nacuo Lake.

Go downhill, have a lunch break, and continue our private Sichuan tour itinerary to Danba County. During the 3-hour car ride, we will make a brief stop at Tibetan villages and visit relics from the Long March (1934-35), a 6,000-mile (10,000-km) historic trek undertaken by the Chinese Red Army. On our arrival in the late afternoon, we will stay in a Tibetan-style homestay tonight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Herui Buke Yard Inn, Danba County

In the morning, your guide and driver will take you to Suopo Tibetan Village to admire the distinctive Suopo Watchtowers, which were once the outpost and granary of Tibetan tribes with a centuries-long history. Known as the “Country of Thousands of Watchtowers,” Danba had no less than 3,000 watchtowers in its heyday despite only 166 remaining. It is easy to imagine how magnificent it must have been when densely packed watchtowers lined both sides of the deep river valley. Having experienced wars, erosion from wind and rain, and earthquakes, they still stand tall, with some having leaned for a long time but not collapsed, and some even bent like a bow, forming an incredible scene. From a distance, you can enjoy a full view of these watchtowers.

Around noon, we will devour a home-cooked lunch at a local home. At the Tibetan table, Zanba, a roasted flour made from highland barley, is an essential staple food, especially when paired well with butter tea. Since Zanba is rich in nutrients and high in calories, it helps resist cold and satisfy hunger and is also easy to store and carry. This makes it the perfect choice for herders on plateaus, where natural food is scarce and roadside restaurants are unavailable. Later in the afternoon, keep moving on to the Jiaju Tibetan Village to visit hundreds of local dwellings terraced against the hillside. Finally, the guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel in Danba County.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Herui Buke Yard Inn, Danba County

Today, we will leave Danba for Xinduqiao Town, highly praised as a paradise for photography by boasting mesmerizing natural scenery. Along the way, you’ll see gurgling streams running at the foot of rolling hills, white Tibetan-style buildings, stacked Mani stones for praying, and colored flags dotted among lush plants on the hillside, with the all-year-round snow-covered Mount Yala rising in the distance, whose silver sword-like steep ranges are pointing to the sky, easy to take stunning pictures from any angle. When making a brief stop at the revered Huiyuan Temple en route, the guide will lead you to admire its blend of traditional Tibetan architecture and Buddhist culture, allowing you to experience the vibrant historical atmosphere and the solemnity of the religious ambiance.

After having lunch in Bamei Town, we will continue driving to Xinduqiao, with stopovers to marvel at the rugged beauty of Moshi Park (Bamei Stone Forest) and worship at the sacred Tagong Temple, which is over 1,000 years old and translates to “the place that Bodhisattvas like” in Tibetan. Its golden summit sparkles in the sunshine, with endless snow-capped mountains and the Tagong Grassland as the backdrop, forming an unforgettable scene that lingers in your memory. Ultimately, reach the hotel in Xinduqiao Town at an altitude of 3,300 meters (10,800 feet); therefore, it is suggested to slow down your pace to avoid altitude sickness.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Xinduqiao Paradise Hostel

Today, set out from Xinduqiao Town and continue the private Chengdu tour to Daocheng Yadaing with your guide and driver. As the roadside scenery gradually transitions from towering mountains to vast prairies dotted with distinctive Tibetan residences, we’ll reach Litang County, nicknamed “the city in the sky” for its altitude of 4,014 meters (13,169 feet), where the grasslands and snow-capped peaks are set against a blue sky accented with white clouds, making it difficult to distinguish the boundary between sky and earth.

After a simple lunch, the guide will accompany you to the Changqingchun Ke’er Monastery, also known as Litang Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and one of the oldest temples in the Kangding region. Monks from the temple live among ordinary locals, commonly seen on the streets of Litang, allowing Buddhism not only to be confined to the temple but also to be integrated into everyday life. Climbing the Incense-Burning Platform of the temple, you can also gain a panoramic view of Litang County.
 
Then, let’s keep moving on to Yading Village, passing by Haizi Mountain, which features clear lakes embedded in the pediment; if interested, you can ask for a stop to take stunning pictures. Ultimately, after a 6-7-hour fulfilling and enjoyable journey, we’ll arrive at Yading Village in Daocheng County, and the guide will escort you to check into our hand-picked hotel.

As the altitude of Yading Village is approximately 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), we recommend refraining from strenuous exercise. If you feel uncomfortable, take your oxygen or medication promptly, and remember to bring it with you tomorrow, as the altitude of Yading Nature Reserve is nearly 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). Get a good night’s sleep tonight to rest well!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tibet Ga Ji Lin Hotel

Today, follow your guide to spend a whole day exploring the Yading Nature Reserve, often referred to as the “last pure land on our blue planet.” Famed for its three holy mountains, which symbolize the Bodhisattvas of wisdom, wrath, and mercy separately, Yading is praised as “Shangri-La,” a hidden utopian world boasting snow-covered peaks, vast verdant meadows, dense forests, and crystal-clear lakes.

After breakfast, we will drive for around 1.5 hours to Yading Nature Reserve. The first unmissable destination is Chonggu Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist temple built 700 years ago, whose golden roofs sparkle against the snow-clad Chenresig Mountain and the exuberant emerald woods. Then, take the sightseeing car to Luorong Pasture, situated in a mesmerizing valley, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the three holy peaks. Taking a short visit here and having a boxed lunch, a challenging trail to Milk Lake and Five-Color Lake awaits you. Your guide will accompany you on a trek to appreciate the marvelous, bright green Milk Lake and continue climbing a gentle slope of 300 meters (330 yards) to Five Color Lake, whose colors change dramatically from green to aquamarine blue and then to ocean blue under the light. After walking downhill, your guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel in Yading Village.

► For Your Information
1. If you want to maintain physical strength for the later walk-only route and save time, you can take a horseback ride for the first 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of the trail from Luorong Pasture to Milk Lake, which costs CNY 300 (approximately USD 40) per person at your own expense and is only available for going up the mountain. However, be sure to exercise caution when riding, as some sections are pretty steep. Additionally, the number of horses available each day is limited, so if you wish to ride a horse, please inform your guide in advance to arrange the schedule and be ready for an early get-up.
2. Since high altitude requires a lot of physical energy, it is recommended that you bring only essentials, such as oxygen, chocolate, or other foods that can quickly replenish calories.
3. Due to significant temperature differences and intense ultraviolet rays, it is advisable to wear windproof and warm clothing, sunglasses, and a sunhat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tibet Ga Ji Lin Hotel

Today marks the final day of our 8-day Chengdu to Yading tour package. After checking out, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport. Considering most flights depart from Yading Airport early in the morning due to weather restrictions in high-altitude areas and the 1.5-hour drive between the hotel and the airport, you may need to get up early with a boxed breakfast provided by the hotel.

► Flight Tip
For most of the year, Daocheng Yading Airport has only direct flights to Chengdu, mainly from April to October, with 1 to 2 flights per day, but may be greatly reduced or suspended in winter (November to March of the following year). In the peak season from July to August, there may be add-on direct flights to Chongqing, Kunming, and Xi’an. Therefore, please arrange the two journeys from Yading to Chengdu and then back to your country in advance.

If you would like one or two more days to explore the Yading Nature Reserve or wish to extend your journey to Tibet, Yunnan, or other nearby destinations, please feel free to contact our travel consultant for a personalized itinerary tailored to your specific needs.

Meal: Breakfast