- Day 01: Chengdu (500m) Hotel in Chengdu
Arrive in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. met and taken to your hotel. We will stroll around Renmin Park and sample the tea at one of tea houses.
- Day 02: Chengdu to Luding (2000m, 271 KM)
We will leave for Luding and will take between five to six hours drive. Visit the nature reserve center of the Giant Pandas at Bifeng Valley. Overnight at Luding Qiao Hotel.
- Day 3 Luding to Bamei(220KM, 5 Hours driving) Stay at a Tibetan style guesthouse in Bamei.
Drive to Bamei via Danba, we will stop at Danba have possibly two hours walking tour visit the towers and also the Jiaju Tibetan Village. Afterwards we will drive to Bamei and visit Huiyuan monastery. The monastery covers 33 hectares of land, and accommodates 200 lamas. The 75 white pagodas that stand before it constitute a wondrous sight that can be seen from afar. Though the monastery is relatively small, it boasts a long and glorious history. The prominence of Huiyuan Monastery was further elevated when the 11th Dalai Lama Kaskhrub Gyamtsho was born in a nearby village.
- Day 4 Bamei to Ganzi (3200m/250 km/ 5 Hours driving)
Road to Ganzi, Lunch at Luohu in a wide valley where they grow barley. We will visit the monastery of Ganzi, completely renovated, one of the greatest Gelugpa monasteries in Kham. It is the cultural and religious center for Tibetans living in Sichuan. Walk through the old Tibetan town with colorful houses. Overnight at a hotel in Ganzi.
- Day 5 Ganzi-Maniganggo-Dzokchen monastery-Derge (3292m/231 KM 6 Hours driving) Over night camping
Head north to Manigange, en route, we will visit Dargye Gompa which is a Gelugpa School and School Begena Kaguypa where lived and hosted by Kalu Rinpoche. Walk around the Rock of Dorje Phamo visited by hermits. we will have a side trip to a small monastery built on the hill above the village. It is the Subsidiary temple of Dzogchen Monastery. Afterwards continue to Yihun Lhatso "Lake of the soul" at 11 km. We will set up our tent at 4 100 m.
Excursion to Dzogchen (50 km - 3 660 m), a large Nyingma monastery founded in 1684. The buildings had some renovation recently; Dzogchen Monastery hosts more than 500 monks, it has ed more than 300 Subsidiary smaller temples throughout the region and overseas. We will walk for 2 hours from the monastery to those hermitages and caves "Shinji Drupuk" (a powerful protector), a
forest at the foot of a glacier. Visit the old and new temples chanting hall and chapel. By late afternoon, we drive back to our camp site.
Camping
- Day 6 Trek from Yilhun Lhatso to Dzenla (4350m/4-5 Hours trekking) Camp
After breakfast we will start trekking. Gathering of yaks or horses and organize the luggage. Walk along the road to the wooden bridge for 2 km. With snow peaks rising from the valley, our trail leads to Dzen La. Encountering with Tibetan nomads. Camp near a small lake at 4350 m on the foot of the pass. Overnight Camping.
- Day 7 Trek from Dzenla to Dingchu valley (4200m/ 5 Hours trekking) Camp
Ascending to the Dzen La Pass. We will hike up to the pastures gaining 600 m in two to three hours walk. Dzen La Pass(4960 m) will be covered by light snow. We will have a view of Trola Mountain. Descending into Ding Chu valley with grasslands covered by flowers where we will set up out tents. Camp at 4200 m.
- Day 8 Trek from Dingchu valley to the foot of Redak la pass (4000m/5-6 Hours trekking)
Walk along the valley of the Ding Chu. We will pass by wooden bridges and small tributaries of Ding Chu. The trail is dotted with nomads¡¯ shelters in summer time. The trail finally leads us into the forest. Approaching to the grassland beneath Redak La Pass. Camp at 4000 m.
- Day 9 Trek from Redak la to the nomads camp (3800m/ 6-7 Hours trekking)
We will walk steady up to Redak La Pass (4180 m) from where we will see vast valley ahead. We will descend 800m to Meshoe in 4 hours walk. Descending through the pastures and coniferous forest. Along way we will see the summer camps of the nomads. Camp on the side of the river at 3800 m.
- Day 10 Trek from nomad camp to Rongmai Karmo Taktsang (4300m/6 Hours trekking)
Descend to the village of Dagma we will continue hiking to the hermitage of Rongmai Karmo Taktsang, one of the three "cave of the tiger" of Padmasambhava Guru Rimpoche, the "very valuable master" who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. Visit this sacred place and do a "khora (circumambulation of the site). Camp at the foot of
rock on a grassy platform at 4300m.
- Day 11 Trek from Rongmai Karmo to Pelma Shelphuk valley (3700m/6 Hours trekking ) Camp
We will hike up to the pass gaining 500 m in altitude, and then crossed over the ridge to another hermitage site Pema Shelphuk (4510 m), a site visited by many locals, also associated with Padmasambhava, which is a meditation cave for the hermits. Picnic and visit the site, afterwards we will descend into the valley. Camp outside the villages at 3700 m.
- Day 12 Trek from Pelma Shelphuk to Dzongsar monastery ( 3690m/4 Hours trekking ) Camp or stay at a local village
Walk into the Meshoe valley, the agricultural center in the region of Derge. Passing the small villages with beautiful decorated houses in the barley and cornfields and gardens. Make a visit to the great Dzongsar Monastery of Sakya Sect, founded by Phagpa in 1259 and built on the hill. Visit this magnificent complex of houses, monks, temples and schools. Today this place is still the most famous School in Tibet for high studies of this Sakya Sect tradition. We will spend the afternoon in the village and rest. Overnight in a village lodge
- Day 13 Trek from Dzongsar to Pelpung monastery (4050m/6-7 Hours trekking) Camp
Hike through the forest of conifers and hardwoods where the "Drepung" brown bear of the Himalayas were sighted. We will hike up for 900 m to Herd La Pass. And descend into a valley of pastures where there are quite a few simple shelters for shepherds. Descend to the confluence of rivers to Pelpung Monastery, one of the most gigantic temples of Tibet, competing only with the Potala Palace. Many lamas are studying in their small colorful wooden houses. Visit this great Kagyupa monastic center, built in 1717 by Situ Rinpoche, one of the 4 regents of the Karmapa. Today there are always practical studies in Tibetan Philosophy. Camp
- Day 14 Drive from Pelpung to Derge ( 4050m/84km) Hotel in Derge
Drive to Derge at the distance of 84km and pass by Yangtse river on the way. Visit Derge (3300 m), former capital of one of the 5 kingdoms of Kham, located at the bottom of a gorge. The extraordinary ¡°Parkhang¡± (printing house) has about 217 000 plates woodcuts. It was destroyed during Cultural Revolution. Founded in 1729 by Sakya, the printing is still being conducted from the old boards, the "Kangyur" sutras Tibetan Buddhist "tangyurs" sacred texts and commentaries by great scholars. Its current structure dates from 1744 and is the most famous printing of all Tibet (300 people work there). The buildings are beautiful and well restored. Visit also the great Sakya monastery completely rebuilt and the chapel of Tatong Gyalpo in the old city. Afternoon an easy trip to the hill opposite the town where we will have a great view. Overnight in Derge.
- Day 15 Derge to Palyul county ( 3150m/180km/ 4 hours ) Hotel in Palyul
Departure for Palyull on a difficult dirt track. The trail goes along the Shi Chu coalesce with the coming Yangtze. Visit the old town of
the monastic complex, one of six major centers of the Nyingma Schools of Tibet, fully rebuilt and still practicing. This will allow us to see the work of artisans of all trades. This large study center was founded by the Nyingmapas during Fifteenth century by Guru Rimpoche Ratna Lingpa. Overnight in hotel
- Day 16 Palyul to Ganzi ( 3200m/230km/ 7 Hours ) Hotel in Kardze
Drive through dusty dirt road and passing by some Tibetan villages of central Kham area. The people who live in the villages are mostly farmers. They mainly grow barley, wheat, potatoes and some kinds of vegetables. You will see some beautiful Khampa styled Tibetan traditional houses.
- Day 17 Ganzi to Dartsedo or Kanding (2500m/380 km - about 8 h) Hotel in Dartsedo
Drive to Dartsedo (Kangding in Chinese). On the way visit Tawu Lhagang and visit Lhagang monastery. Lhagang monastery which is one of the 108 small temples, built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in order to press down the branches of the Supine Ogress. The monastery has over 1300 years history and the most sacred statue of the monastery is Jowo Shakyamuni which dates back to the 7th century. As per the history, the Jowo Shakyamuni was built in Lhagang according to 8 years Jowo after the image of Jowo Shakyamuni magically spoked when it arrived in Lhagang saying that she did not want to move from there but as per the King Songtsen Gampo’s strong wishes to bring the statue to Lhasa, they built the present statue of the Jowo in Lhasa for the stead of the onw which is in Jokang today. The monastery was originaly a Kagyupa sect and then in around 12th cnetury, the monastery was gradually transformed into Sakyapa sect. I thas over 30 monks noadays. We went to visit some nomad camps from Lhagang to the sought west and there is a big Bhuddist community after around 15Km from Lhagang where all the locals, monks and nuns gather to make thousand offering of flowers, water etc. Arrive late afternoon and overnight in a hotel.
- Day 18 Dartsedo to Chengdu (500m/308km) Hotel in Chengdu
Drive back to Chengdu through narrow gorge and a great view of Mount Minyak Ganggar on the way if the weather is clear. Drive through Yangan which is the place where Tibetans used to trade their tea from Sichuna and brought all the way to Lhasa. Afternoon walk around the Tibetan market in Chengdu in the Tibetan section. Hotel in Chengdu
- Day 19 Drive to Shuangliu international airport ( 25km)
Chengdu to Shuangliu international airport. It is always better to start earlier as there is less traffic in the early morning.