Festivals & Cultural Tour in Tibet and Sichuan

Festivals & Cultural Tour in Tibet and Sichuan Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Chengdu

Welcome to China! You will be picked up from the airport or railway station, depending on how you arrive in Chengdu. Head to your hotel to settle in, and if you have time, take a stroll around the area to get acquainted with the city.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Chengdu
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 2 Explore Chengdu + Wolong Nature Reserve

This morning, you will take a walking tour of the old part of Chengdu to see the traditional and ancient houses. Many of the ancient houses have been converted into pubs, teahouses, and restaurants with very eclectic styles. Pass through the People’s Park in the centre and indulge in a tea ceremony with the locals. After the city tour, the group heads to the UNESCO-protected Wolong Nature Reserve, an enormous area that encompasses ancient forests and bamboo groves. It’s home to many species including the iconic panda. Continue into the mountains by car until reaching Siguniangshan Town, a town surrounded by several 5000-metre peaks, and settle in for the night.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Siguniangshan Town (3,160 m / 10,367’)
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 3 Maobiliang Sunrise + Jiaju Tibetan Village

Wake up among the moments and look out the window in time for the sunrise. You’ll see epic shades of pink and orange across the range, and get a panoramic view of Siguniang Mountain. After breakfast, hop in for a transfer through winding mountain roads and make a stop in Jiaju Tibetan Village. Note the traditional architectural style of the houses decorated red, white, and black. Continue to Bamei amid alluring landscapes to settle in for the next two nights.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Bamei (4,507 m / 14,786’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 Mask Dance Festival + Bamei Stone Forest

After breakfast, jump right into today’s activity of the Mask Dance in Huiyuan Temple. This monastery, built in the 18th century, has cultural significance being the place where the 11th Dalai Lama was born. Learn about the fascinating traditions here through dance. When the performance ends, you’ll walk through the Bamei Stone Forest before returning to the hotel to sleep.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Bamei (4,507 m / 14,786’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 Visit Han-Chinese + Garze Monasteries

Today you’ll experience the pulsing centre for Tibetans in the West Sichuan area by visiting two significant monasteries in the area. The Han-Chinese Monastery symbolizes the connection between the Tibetan people and the Chinese established in this area in the 13th century. Later, you’ll visit the Garze Monastery, built by the Qosot Mongols in 1662. It sits atop a hill overlooking their castles. You’ll see monks who live there and have a unique opportunity to witness their practices. Stay the night in a hotel near the Garze Monastery.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Garze (3,400 m / 11,154’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 Dargye Monastery + Yihun Lhatso Lake

Once you finish breakfast, you’ll be heading into higher altitudes to spot some gorgeous scenery and visit another mountain monastery. This monastery, founded in 1642 and built on a hillside, will offer set the tone for a spiritual day of visiting attractions. After the monastery, drive to a breathtaking vivid blue alpine lake, Yihun Lhatso, at the base of Chola Mountain. The lake sits at 4040 m / 13,255 ft, with wild native species of trees dotting its perimeter—keep your eyes peeled for white-lipped deer sauntering by for a drink. Spend a bit of time strolling around the lake, taking pictures, and soaking in the magical scenery before getting back in the car to continue to Dege.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Dege (3,100 m / 10,170’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 Dege Temple + Printing House

Rise early in the morning and meander through the Dege Temple, a monastery of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism where about 300 monks live. The other main attraction in Dege is its Printing House, a cultural icon in the area, and one of the most prominent buildings in the town centre. When you’re not exploring the monastery or printing house, stroll the market place for souvenirs or grab some veggie and meat kebabs for a snack.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Dege (3,100 m / 10,170’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 Pelyul Monastery

Wake up with the cool mountain air and pack up to continue the journey into the mountains towards Pelyul. As you drive through the peaks and valleys, you’ll be awarded stunning views of vast, untouched landscapes. Approaching the valley village, you’ll notice the Pelyul Monastery perched on a hilltop overlooking the town. Spend the afternoon and evening strolling the narrow streets.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Pelyul (3,025 m / 9,924’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 Mask Dance Festival

After filling up on your first meal of the day, take local transportation to Katok Monastery to witness the Dance Festival, where the monks dance with traditional Buddhist masks, chanting to expel evil spirits. They will unveil the Thangka, a painting of a deity upon cotton or silk when the sun is at its peak at noon. Relax in the afternoon and stay in Pelyul another night.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Pelyul (3,025 m / 9,924’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 Yarchen Gar Nunnery

Continue your journey through the snow-capped peaks of the Tibetan Plateau to stop at Yarchen Gar, considered one of the largest concentrations of monastics in the world, the majority being nuns associated with the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s also known as “The City of Nuns,” earning its name by the sheer size of the complex that houses 10,000 nuns. Explore the complex at your leisure, taking time to see the enormous religious statues, monuments, and temples among the tranquil gardens. Be respectful as you walk past nuns deep in their practices of meditation, reading scriptures, or accomplishing daily duties. After a few hours of wandering through this palpably mystical complex, your soul will be filled, and you may feel like you’re floating to your hotel for the night in Luhuo.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Luhuo (3,400 m / 11,154’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 Mask Dance Festival + Gyergo Nunnery

Wake up refreshed among the vibrant green fields of Luhuo and prepare for another spiritually-packed day. At the Lhagang Monastery, you will be audience to another Dance Festival performed by monks of the Sakya sect. Upon completion of the performance, you’ll head to the Gyergo Nunnery with its sacred walls around it. You’ll reach a vantage point from where you can catch sight of Yala Mountain. Stick around here until sunset to admire the sky’s colorful spectacle as a backdrop to the gold-roof temples.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Tagong (3,700 m / 12,139’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 12 Mask Dance Festival

Enjoy your breakfast, and head outside for a casual stroll around Tagong. Spend the day experiencing various spiritual activities of praying and dancing at the festival in the Lhagang Monastery. Immerse in complete relaxation, sipping tea, and admiring the mountain landscapes around you. Perhaps take this quiet time to write thoughts down in a journal, or go for a photo walk.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Tagong (3,700 m / 12,139’)
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 13 Tagong Horse Racing + Xinduqiao

Wake up with extra enthusiasm because this morning, you will see a traditional horse race. From the Tagong Monastery, the monks chant their scriptures and pray for the horses, then the riders will hit the path in the direction of the holy Yala Mountain. Don’t forget to take pictures! Pack up into your transportation and head along the Sichuan–Tibet Highway and stop at Xinduqiao for an uninterrupted panoramic view of Gongga Mountain, known as the “King of the Mountains in Sichuan”—that should give you an idea of its might and majesty. Get back in the car and continue driving through high altitudes, including Zheduo Shan Pass at 4298 m / 14,101 ft, then through the 4.1-km tunnel of Mount Erlang to Ya’an, a city renowned for its rain. Get a great night’s sleep after nearly two weeks of spiritual exploration.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ya’an
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 14 Departure

Enjoy your final breakfast with the group and take a short morning tour around the old town of Ya’an, a significant post on the Silk Road. Pack up and receive your transfer to the airport or railway station in Chengdu to bid farewell! Zaijian!
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast