Daocheng Hiking Tour

Itinerary: 5 Days Chengdu - Daocheng - Shangri-La Town - Yading - Zhaguanbeng - Chonggu Monastery - Luorong cattle ranch - five colored sea - Zhuomalacuo - Daocheng - Chengdu 

In the early morning, you can take a direct bus at Chengdu New South Gate bus station to Daocheng, which departs at 06:20 and takes CNY270 per ticket. You're advised to take some snacks and be prepared in advance for the high altitude sickness. Upon arrival, you can stay in a local hostel and have a good rest.

Alternatively, you can also fly from Chengdu to Daocheng, which takes only 1 hour and 10 minutes. After arrival, take the bus at a fee of CNY35 per person for around 1 hour to Daocheng or at a fee of CNY85 per person for around 3.5 hours to Shangri-La Town directly. The flights are mainly in the early morning, so you can use the rest time to adapt to the high altitude.

Today, you can take the bus at a fee of CNY50 per person for around 3 hours from Daocheng bus station to Shangri-La Town. Upon your arrival, you can take the green minibus for around 34 kilometers (21 miles) to Yading village (4060m, 13,320ft) (Note: As no private vehicles are permitted to drive into the reserve, all travelers must take the green minibus). It costs CNY120 net per person for the round trip and the admission fee is CNY146 net per person during the peak season from 1st, Apr to 30th, Nov and CNY120 for the other time. Upon arrival, you can hike around the village and stay overnight in a local hostel. By the way, please kindly note that the accommodation will be relatively simple.

Brief introduction: Yading, the "Shangri-La" discovered by Joseph Rock in 1928, is renowned for 3 holy peaks, Xiannairi Peak (6,032m, 19,790ft), Yangmaiyong Peak (5,958m, 19,547ft) and Xianuoduoji Peak (5,958m, 19,547ft), which were consecrated by Buddha Padmasambhava in the 8th century and were named after three bodhisattvas, Guanyin (the Bodhisattva of Mercy), Manjusri (the Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Vajrapani (the Bodhisattva of Wrath) separately.

The 3 peaks are the patron saint of the Tibetan. It's said that if a Tibetan pilgrimage to the shrine 3 times in life, he can be blessed with all he desires. Therefore, it is a long-cherished wish of every Tibetan to make a pilgrimage to these holy mountains.

Yading, Tibetan's holy land, is one of China's most awe-inspiring nature reserves. During this adventurous trip, you will learn about the Tibetan culture in remote areas, such as the small towns in the wild west, the rolling landscapes characterized by wheat and barley fields as well as the Tibetan houses.

Today, you can take the green minibus for 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) to Zhaguanbeng first and then hike for around 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles), about 20 minutes to Chonggu Monastery (3880m, 12,730ft), from where you can see the north face of the Shiannairi Peak. Then you can take the electric vehicle to Luorong cattle ranch (4180m, 13,714ft). It takes around half an hour and CNY80 for the round trip. Afterwards, trek to Niunaihai (4600m, 15,092ft), which takes 3-4 hours for the ascent and around 2 hours for the descent. This section is extremely difficult to climb, so please be fully prepared. Then if you're still energetic, you can still trek for around 20 minutes to the five colored sea (4700m, 15,420ft). After that, you can return back to Yading village.

Today, you can take the green minibus to Zhaguanbeng first and then trek for around 1.5 hours to Zhuomalacuo (4080m, 13,386ft) through Chonggu Monastery. The scenery here is amazing, so you can stay here for a while to immerse yourself in nature. Then get back to Daocheng the same way and stay in a local hostel here.

Today, you can either take the bus, which departs at 07:30 and takes CNY309 and around 12.5 hours or take the flight back to Chengdu. Your Yading hiking tour will end here.