Sichuan-Tibet overland tour

The Tibetan areas of western Sichuan are a cultrural and geographical extension of the tibetan plateau in all but name.The area was once part of the eastern Tibetan region og Kham,before it became part of Sichuan province.The northern and southern roads offer the main sights,including the big monasteries of Ganzi,Derge and Litang.Off the main roads are several spectacularly situted and rarely visited monasteries.Hikers can find bliss in the sublime sceneryof Yading Nature Reserve or on horseback in the lovely valleys around Derge

Sichuan- Shangrila Overland 9 day Tour

	Sichuan- Shangrila Overland 9 day Tour	HOTEL	B+L+D
D1	Arrive Chengdu
	Be met at the airport and transfered to your hotel. In the evening, you have the option of enjoying a wonderful performance of 'Face changing 'and 'Flame Spitting -Out' of Sichuan Opera (25 US$ extra).  Overnight in Chengdu.
D2	Chengdu - Kangding	2 star
	Drive to Kangding, traversing the Western Sichuang Plain (376km, 6 hours). Upon arrival in Kangding, -the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, we will explore this town, enjoying the mountain scenery and visiting the local people. After dinner, enjoy a soak in the hot springs at Erdaoqiao.
D3	Kangding - Litang	Local hostel
	In the early morning, visit Anjue monastery-the very first Tibetan monastery on this trip, and enjoy a rare chance to see their morning ceremony! Drive on to Litang. Today's journey from Kangding to Litang will take us approximately 5 hours (306km). At an altitude of just over 4000m, Litang is one of the highest towns in the world. Situated high on a grassy plateau, Litang has the feeling of a 'Wild West' town with Khampas dressed in yak skin coats with long daggers hanging from their belts wandering the streets. This small town is great for people watching and just strolling around. We will also visit the famous Chang-Qing-Chun-Ke'er-Si monastery and pay homage to the living Buddha with a personal interview. The monastery here is now home to 1400 Yellow Hat sect monks.
D4	Litang - Daocheng - Yading	Yading Local Residence's House
	Today we will reach the highlight of this journey - Yading Nature Reserve, home to three sacred Tibetan mountains - Chenresig (Avalokitesvara, 6032m), Jambeyang (Manjusri, 5958m), and Chanadorje (Vajrapani, 5958m). Tibetan Buddhists believe that making a kora (pilgrimage) around these mountains brings them favor with the gods. To them, the three mountains represent compassion, wisdom and energy - attributes one must cultivate on the path to enlightenment. The scenery here easily rivals that of national parks of the west such as Yellowstone and Yosemite in terms of spectacular, pristine mountain scenery. The drive from Litang to Daocheng will take approximately 4 hours (180km), and the trip from Daocheng to Yading (60km) will take approximately 3 hours as much of the road to the park is dirt track. We will spend the night in a tent hotel.
D5	Yading Nature Reserve	Tent hotel
	We will visit Yading by horseback riding or hiking. From the reserve entrance we will traverse a beautiful wooded pathway leading to a valley set at the foot of the spectacular Mt. Chanadorje. We'll visit Tshonggo Gonpa (Chonggu Si in Chinese) - a small Tibetan temple, which Joseph Rock nicknamed the 'Bandit Monastery.' (Joseph Rock, a botanist and explorer, conducted extensive explorations of northwest China and Tibet for Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology and National Geographic in 1924.)  We will continue our hike to the foot of Mt Chenresig, where we'll ascend a small but steep hill to view a picturesque emerald green lake. Local lore has it that this magical lake can reveal your future if you spend a few moments in quiet contemplation by its side. We'll return to the meadow at the foot of Mt. Chanadorje and spend the night in a tent hotel.
D6	Yading - Daocheng	Hostel
	We will spend the morning doing a shorter hike or horse ride around the reserve. In the afternoon we'll drive back to Daocheng where we'll spend the night.
D7	Daocheng - Xiangcheng - Zhongdian	Hostel
	Today we will take a long (5 hours, 290km) but scenic drive to Zhongdian (3,300m, 10,000 ft), a small town on the Tibetan Plateau. Zhongdian is also known as the Shangrila of Yunnan province.
D8	Zhongdian
	Full day sightseeing around Zhongdian including Bita Lake, Songtzanlin Lamasery Temple and a visit to a Tibetan Family. Songzanlin Monastery, or 'Little Potala' as it is affectionately known, is a spiritual place that invites you to discover the mystery and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the 5th Dalai Lama chose the site through divination in 1679, the monastery has grown into the most important community of its kind in Yunnan. Overnight in Zhongdian.
D9	Zhongdian -Lijiang
	Today will be a very long day of driving traveling via the eastern scenic route to Lijiang. Our first stop will be Baishuitai (White Water Terraces) where you will see a geological wonder- a series of spectacular terraced pools formed from minerals deposited by spring water. Continue on to the Tiger Leaping Gorge where you get spectacular views of both the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains and Haba Snow Mountains with the Jinsha Jiang River raging in between. We will arrive in Lijiang in the evening and check into our hotel. End the tour.

Price of this tour
because the itinerary of the overland tour is changeable by the weather, please send us e-mail or contact us diretly to get the final price, thanks for you comprehension.

Quotation Include: 
1. Main Entrace fee above mentioned  
2. Hotel: 8N hotel+hostel   
3. Transportation: Lancruiser     
4. Guide: English speaking guide    
5. Travel insurance    

Quotation Exclude:
1. Meals
2. Your own expense
3. Tips for driver and guide.