Itinerary · 7 days · active
Eastern Tibet — Chengdu to Kangding, Litang and Daocheng, 7 days
Seven days driving west from Chengdu into the Kham Tibetan highlands of Sichuan — Kangding, Litang and the sacred Yading Nature Reserve near Daocheng. No Tibet Autonomous Region permit required.
The eastern edge of the Tibetan cultural world lies within Sichuan province — no Tibet Autonomous Region permit is required. The Sichuan–Tibet Highway (G318) runs west from Chengdu into increasingly dramatic plateau landscape. Litang sits at 4,000m; Daocheng is at 3,700m; Yading's Chenrezi peak reaches 6,032m. This is physically demanding territory — altitude sickness is a genuine risk and a gradual ascent profile is essential. Hire a private vehicle and driver from Chengdu; most travellers do this in a group of four to share costs.
Day by day
Day 1 · chengdu
Depart Chengdu, drive to Ya'an
Depart Chengdu early morning by hired 4WD (or take the HSR to Ya'an and hire there). Ya'an is the last sizeable Han Chinese city before the Tibetan highlands begin. Luding Bridge (the 1935 Red Army crossing) makes a worthwhile afternoon stop.
Stay in: Ya'an or Luding.
Hired 4WD from Chengdu, 3–4h to Ya'an.
Day 2 · kangding
Drive to Kangding (2,560m)
Kangding (Dardo) sits in a narrow gorge at 2,560m — a Tibetan market town historically on the tea-horse road to Lhasa. The Paoma Mountain cable car gives views over the valley and the surrounding 4,000m+ peaks. An acclimatisation night here is valuable before going higher.
Stay in: Kangding city.
4WD Luding → Kangding, 1.5h.
Day 3 · litang
Drive to Litang (4,000m) via Xinduqiao
Morning stop at Xinduqiao — a flat valley at 3,400m with open grasslands, prayer flags and the eastern face of the snow peaks. Continue to Litang (4,000m) — one of the highest towns in China, a major centre of the Kham Tibetan horse culture. The Litang Monastery (Changqing Spring Science Monastery) has over 1,000 monks.
Stay in: Litang town — simple guesthouses.
4WD via Xinduqiao to Litang, approx 5h.
Day 4 · litang
Litang grasslands, horse culture
Rest and acclimatise. Morning at the Litang Monastery and the surrounding sky burial site (observe respectfully and from a distance). Afternoon walk on the grasslands above town — the plateau above 4,000m has an intensely clear light quality. Yak butter tea at a nomad encampment if a guide can arrange.
Day 5 · daocheng
Drive south to Daocheng
Half-day drive south to Daocheng (3,700m, 4h). The road crosses several passes above 4,500m with views of the white granite Yading peaks. Daocheng is the gateway town for Yading Nature Reserve — rest for the afternoon to acclimatise for tomorrow's walk.
Stay in: Daocheng or Yading village.
4WD Litang → Daocheng, 4h.
Day 6 · yading
Yading Nature Reserve — Chenrezi Peak
Full day in the Yading reserve (entry ¥270). Electric bus and short hike to the sacred lakes below Chenrezi Peak (6,032m) — Milk Lake and Five Colour Lake are the highlights of the upper circuit. The three snow peaks of Yading (Chenrezi, Jambeyang, Chanadorje) are among the most sacred sites in Kham Tibetan Buddhism.
Attractions: siguniang-mountain
Day 7 · chengdu
Fly Daocheng → Chengdu, depart
Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY) is the world's second-highest commercial airport at 4,411m. The 45-minute flight back to Chengdu is a striking reversal of the five-day overland ascent. Afternoon depart from CTU.
Flight DCY → CTU, 45 min.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥2000 |
| Mid-range | ¥5000 |
| Comfortable | ¥11000 |
Per person total 7 days. A shared 4WD hire (4 people) from Chengdu for the full loop is approximately ¥2,000–3,000 per person. Yading entry ¥270. Return flight DCY → CTU ¥600–800. No Tibet TAR permit required — only standard Chinese visa. International flights excluded.
Cities covered
Attractions covered