12 Days Sichuan to Tibet Overland Tour G318: Chengdu, Nyingchi, Lhasa, Yamdrok

Distance: Airport transfer only | Meals: None | Accommodation: Complimentary airport hotel near Chengdu Tianfu International Airport

Arrive in Chengdu and transfer to the hotel near Tianfu International Airport. Nothing else is scheduled today, so the evening is left free to rest and organize your luggage before the long overland journey begins tomorrow.

Chengdu is the starting point rather than a sightseeing stop on this route. The road trip starts in earnest on Day 2, when the group heads west toward Kangding and the Tibetan areas of western Sichuan.

Distance: Full-day overland drive | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Kangsang Manor, Kangding (or similar) - oxygen supply & air conditioning

Leave Chengdu and travel west through the mountains toward Kangding, an old gateway between Sichuan and the Tibetan plateau. The road begins to climb quickly, and the landscape shifts from the Chengdu basin to steeper valleys and highland scenery.

Continue to Tagong Grassland, where broad pasture, streams, wooden bridges and Tibetan villages spread across the valley. Nearby Tagong Monastery is linked to the story of Princess Wencheng and the sacred Shakyamuni image she carried toward Tibet.

The journey continues toward Xinduqiao, a region known for open valleys, Tibetan homes and changing mountain light. The supplier lists Kangsang Manor in Kangding, or a similar hotel, for tonight.

CHIBET Travel Advice: This is the first major altitude gain of the trip. Drink water regularly and avoid rushing around after arrival, even if you feel fine during the drive.

Distance: Approx. 420 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Fengmayao Boutique Hotel (or similar) - floor heating & oxygen supply

The road continues through Yajiang and climbs over a sequence of high passes, including Gao'ersi, Jianziwan and Kazila. If timing and weather line up, the early light around Gao'ersi Mountain can be one of the quieter moments of the long driving day.

Reach Litang at roughly 4,014 meters, one of the highest county towns on the route. Visit Changqingchun Monastery, founded during the time of the Third Dalai Lama, before continuing across the surrounding grasslands.

The afternoon drive crosses the Haizi Mountain Nature Reserve and passes Sangdui and Daocheng before reaching Shangri-La Town near Yading. The scenery is wide and exposed for much of the day, with fewer settlements between the major stops.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Most of today is spent between about 3,300 and 4,000 meters. Keep the evening quiet so you are ready for tomorrow's higher-altitude walking in Yading.

Distance: Minimal driving + high-altitude hiking | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Fengmayao Boutique Hotel (or similar)

Take the sightseeing bus into Yading Nature Reserve. Three sacred snow peaks shape the entire day: Xiannairi, Yangmaiyong and Xiannuoduoji, associated respectively with Chenrezig, Manjushri and Vajrapani in Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Begin around Chonggu Monastery and Chonggu Meadow, then continue toward Luorong Pasture. From here, guests can either hike or use the optional electric shuttle for part of the route.

The higher trail leads toward Milk Lake and Five Color Lake, both set below glaciers and steep mountain walls. On the return, the route also includes Pearl Lake beneath Xiannairi before heading back to the hotel.

CHIBET Travel Advice: The route reaches roughly 4,700 meters and is physically demanding. Do not treat the optional shuttle as a shortcut you need to avoid; using it can be the sensible choice if altitude or fatigue is slowing you down.

Distance: Approx. 450 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Kangyuan Holiday Hotel - high-quality oxygen rooms

Leave the Yading area and travel back through Sangdui and Litang. The route crosses Maoya Grassland, a broad highland pasture where the colors change sharply with the season.

Continue past the Sister Lakes and toward the Jinsha River. The paired alpine lakes sit beneath barren mountain slopes and make a natural break in another long road day.

Cross the Jinsha River Bridge and enter the Tibet Autonomous Region, then continue to Mangkang for the night. From this point onward, the journey follows the eastern Tibetan section of the G318.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Border and checkpoint procedures can take time when entering the Tibet Autonomous Region. Keep your passport and travel documents accessible and follow the guide's instructions about photography at checkpoints.

Distance: Approx. 360 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Kangcheng Oxygen Hotel - oxygen supply, humidifier & blackout curtains

The road first follows the Lancang River before climbing toward Dongda Mountain Pass, which rises above 5,000 meters. From the higher sections, the G318 seems to fold through the mountains below.

Continue through Bangda and reach the famous Nujiang 72 Hairpin Bends. The road drops sharply through one switchback after another, turning a huge change in elevation into one of the most recognizable driving sections of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

After the descent, continue toward Basu and check in for the night.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Dongda Mountain is one of the highest points on the road. Keep stops at the pass short if you feel headache, dizziness or shortness of breath.

Distance: Approx. 230 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Shanshui Hotel - air conditioning & smart toilets

The scenery softens noticeably today as forests begin to replace the barer mountain slopes. The first major stop is Ranwu Lake, where calm water can reflect the surrounding snow peaks when wind and weather cooperate.

Continue to Midui Glacier, a large monsoon maritime glacier descending from the mountains above the forested valley. The contrast between ice, trees and village scenery makes it very different from the open high-pass landscapes of the previous day.

The road then continues to Bomi, a lower and greener stop surrounded by forest and snow mountains.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Glacier access and viewpoints can change with weather, road conditions and local safety controls. Follow the route confirmed by the guide on the day.

Distance: Approx. 230 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: New Century Mingting Hotel, Nyingchi (or similar) - smart rooms, complimentary laundry & oxygen rooms

Leave Bomi and pass through the Tongmai section before stopping around Guxiang Lake. Forest, village land and still water make this a much quieter landscape than the high passes farther east.

Continue through Lulang Forest, where spruce-covered slopes and pasture fill the valley. The road then climbs to Sejila Pass at about 4,702 meters.

When the weather is clear, Sejila gives one of the better distant views toward Namcha Barwa Peak. After crossing the pass, descend into the Niyang River valley and continue to Nyingchi.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Namcha Barwa is often hidden by cloud. A clear view is weather-dependent and should be treated as a bonus rather than a guaranteed sight.

Distance: Approx. 420 km | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Zhaxi Pozhang Oxygen View Hotel (or similar)

Follow the Niyang River west toward Basum Tso. The drive remains green for much of the morning, with forested slopes and river scenery beside the Lhasa-Nyingchi Expressway.

Visit Basum Tso, a sacred lake associated with the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. The emerald-green water sits below forest and snow mountains, with the lake curving through the alpine valley rather than opening into one broad basin.

Continue west to Lhasa. The forest gradually thins and the landscape becomes drier as the route returns to the central plateau.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Lhasa is higher than Nyingchi. Even after several days on the road, give yourself an easy evening after arrival rather than adding extra sightseeing.

Distance: Approx. 300 km round trip | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Zhaxi Pozhang Oxygen View Hotel (or similar)

Leave Lhasa in the morning and climb toward Gampala Pass, around 4,900 meters. The high viewpoint opens over Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's three sacred lakes, with turquoise water winding between dry mountain ridges.

Spend time at the viewpoints and closer to the lakeshore before returning the same way to Lhasa in the afternoon. There is no onward drive to Shigatse on this route.

CHIBET Travel Advice: The pass and lakeshore can be windy and much colder than Lhasa. Keep a warm outer layer in the vehicle even when the city weather looks mild.

Distance: Local sightseeing in Lhasa | Meals: Breakfast, Tibetan Welcome Dinner | Accommodation: Zhaxi Pozhang Oxygen View Hotel (or similar)

Begin at the Potala Palace, the former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. Inside, murals, Buddhist statues, sacred relics and golden stupas fill the vast palace complex above Lhasa.

In the afternoon, continue to Jokhang Temple, Tibet's most revered Buddhist temple, then walk onto Barkhor Street where pilgrims follow the traditional clockwise kora around the temple.

Authentic Tibetan Cultural Experiences:

Stop in a local teahouse for Tibetan sweet tea. The setting is informal and busy, giving the day a little time among local customers rather than moving directly from one monument to the next.

A Tibetan dress photoshoot is also arranged around the old quarter. Traditional clothing, hair styling and makeup are prepared before the photographer works with you around selected streets and Tibetan-style backdrops.

In the evening, meet the group for a Tibetan welcome dinner. If you still want to go out afterward, the illuminated Potala Palace can be viewed independently from the city.

CHIBET Travel Advice: Potala Palace entry times are assigned in advance, so the sightseeing order may change. Photography and video are restricted inside parts of Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.

Distance: Hotel to airport or railway station transfer | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: None

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Lhasa Airport or Lhasa Railway Station according to your confirmed departure schedule.

There is no sightseeing scheduled today. The overland journey ends in Lhasa after crossing western Sichuan, the G318 mountain corridor and eastern Tibet.