Home - Tours - Travel in Sichuan - 14 days' travel to aba tibetan dwelling area of northern sichuan
14 days travel in northwestern sichuan: Aba Tibetan area plus a trek in Mount Siguniangs
by 4wd car
Alert: the tour starts at your hotel in Chengdu city and ends at Chengdu shuangliu international airport; to start this tour, you are required to get to Chengdu before Day01
Day01: Chengdu -------------- L ----------- 3* Khamding hotel
In the morning, start the tour at 0830AM, go and visit Jinsha museum, the museum to 'Old-Shu' civilization; the exhibits inside the Jinsha museum presents the arts and technology about 5000 years ago of ancient people dwelling in the present land of Chengdu plain. we suggest to have lunch in Longchaoshou snacks restaurant, which is one of the famous brands in Chengdu for its snacks
In the afternoon, first visit is to local arts and crafts market - Songxianqiao market; after here, do visit to Qingyanggong palace, a Daoist temple wish a history over 1300 years; and in the end of the day, finish the tour sightseeing at Wenshu temple, located in the northeast corner of the city inside the 1st ring road of Chengdu city (Chengdu city has 3 ring roads).
Day02: Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou ------------------ L/D ----------------- 4* Hotel
In the morning, Leave Chengdu at 0730AM, drive northward to Jiuzhaigou along Minjiang River; Minjiang river is one of the famous 6 rivers in Sichuan , which stems from Jiuzhaigou area and pours itself into Yangtse river; other most famous rivers are Tuojiang River, Jialingjjiang river, Yalongjiang river, Jinshajiang river and Yangtse river. Today we will drive about 8 hours or more to get to Jiuzhaigou; lunch will be served at Maoxian countytown; on the way, you can see Minjiang River valley, Diexi Lakes, old wall in Songpan township as well as the local buildings of Qiang and Tibetan people on either side of the road.
Day03: Jiuzhaigou sightseeing ---------------- B/L ---------------- 4* Hotel
You have a full day tour to Multi-coloured Lakes which are scaterred through the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, such as Rorhilang Water Falls, Shuzhen water fall, Water fall of pearls, Long Lake and the Panda lake, and more...., if the weather is sunny, it is my promise that here will be your paradise of photo taking.
Generally, Jiuzhaigou looks like a big "Y" on its shape, the netrance to the nature is at the bottom of the "Y"; if you are real photo lover, I suggest you a a 4 day round-flight tour or a 5 days coach tour to this breamland.
In the evening, you can enjoy the local performance (self pay).
Day04: Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong to Chuanzhusi ----- B/L ---------------- 4* Hotel
At 0700AM, leave Jiuzhaigou and drive to Huanglong Nature Reserve; Huanglong is located in a valley 55 kilometers to the east of Chuangzhusi town; it is about 100 kilometers between Chuanzhusi and Jiuzhaigou; visit the Huanglong Monastery and the Multi-coloured Pools which scaterred like stars in Huanglong nature reserve.
Huanglong is famous for is colorful calcificated deposit from water rich of calcium, the deposit looks golden under the flowing water; its shape and its colour is like a swiming dragon in the shining ripple of the down flowing waters.
There is a zigzag wooded path leading you to the top, at the end of the climbing is a huge snow covered peak, looking beautiful agaist the sunshine. you need two hours to get to the top and then another 2 hours to jump down.
At the half way of the road between Chuanzhusi and Huanglong is a 4200 mountain pass, standing there, you can view the 5588M Xuebaoding snow peak; this peak is a famous peak for greed hand mountaineers. although it is not high, there were several climbers immortal in the past years.
In the end of the day, drive to Songpan county for night.
Day05: Chuanzhusi to Ro'ergai - Langmusi monastery ----- B/L ----- Local Hotel
At teh agreed time, leave Chuanzhusi for (Hongxing) Langmusi monastery, which is located at north edge Sichuan/Gansu provincial border; in fact, there are 2 monasteries at Hongxing, the one located inside Gansu is called Langmusi ( its full name is Amdo Darcang Langmusi), the other, in Sichuan side, is called Kirdhi monastery; a river, named Bailongjiang river, flows between as the provincial bondary. At Hongxing, Tibetan monasteries (as mentioned here) and Muslim mosque co exist peaceful, like the good relationship of the people who live here here.
today, drive around 260 kilometers
Day06: Langmusi to Ruo'ergai ----------- B/L -------- Ruo'ergai hotel
Most of the day, touring around Langmusi area; do a trek in Namu valley; in mid afternoon, leave Langmusi for Ruo'ergai,, the county town which youhad passed on Day05
Day07: Ruo'ergai to Tangke to Hongyuan to Aba -------- B/L --------------- Aba hotel
drive 60 kilometers to Tangke from Ruo'ergai county twon; the drive today is through the wide and open Ruo'ergai grassland, the biggest grassland and the widest wetland under national protection in Nothern Sichuan; the grassland is about 16,6570 square kilometers with an elevation over 3450M. during summer time, because of the rainfall, it is the best time for a trip through.
At Tangke, we cam and spend ttime there for enjoying the great view of the first curve of Yellow river. Right at the site is a wide spread Tibetan monastery - Suokezang monastery, which faces Yellow river and the first curve.
at the midway from Tangke to Hongyuan, visit the Maiwa monastery at Waqie, the biggest Gelupa monastery at Hongyuan, now a white pagoda, about 100 meters in heigth, is built; in late afternoon, get to Aba.
There are three monasteries in Aba township, they are Kirdhen monastery (Gelupa sect) , Langyi monastery (built in 1107, Bon religion) and Saighe monastery (Juelangpa sect, built in 1862).
today, drive around 200 kilometers
Day08: Aba touring --------------------B/L --------------- Aba hotel
Whole day touring in Aba county town, visit monasteries there
Day09: Aba to Mar'erkham ------------------- B/L ------------ 3* Hotel
In the morning of today, go and visit Langyi monastery; then drive 250 kilometers to get to Mar'er kham, the governing center of Aba prefecture of Sichuan.
Day10: Whole day tour in Mar'erkham ------------- B/L ------------ 3* Hotel
Whole touring in Mar'erkhamm area. There are many interesting visits around Mar'erkham city, we will do all the visit in the range of our time allowed, such as visit old building coplex, local traditional villages, monasteries and natural beauty.
Day11: Mar'erkham to Xiaojin to Rilong ------------ B/L ------------4* Hotel
Drive 200 kiloeters southward to reach Rilong where the Mt. Siguniangs is located; Mt. Siguniangs is made up of 4 peaks, all are above 5000 meters, the highest peak is Yaomeifeng (the 4th peak, 6250M), the lowest peak is Dafeng (5355M). Mt. Siguangs has become the ideal training site for green hand mountaineers and also a favorite place to adventure lovers.
When getting to Rilong around 1300PM, starting the tour to Shuangqiaogou valley, this valley is relatively flat and even, but this doesn't reduce its beauty. spending the afternoon in Shuangqiaogou valley (Double bridge valley); this valley is good for photo taking and view fantastic snow peaks
Day12: Haizigou valley trekking ------------------ B/L-------------- 4* hotel
In the morning, go and do a trekking inside Haizigou valley; the road leading into the end of the valley is not even, you can choose to hike in or ride a horse in; in this valley, you can view the highest peak and have a chane to climb Dafeng (5355M); in summer and October, the valley presents you much beauty, flowers, green grass, sea of clouds and something more than I can name them
Day13: Rilong to Chengdu ---------------------- B/L ------------ 3* Kangding Hotel
Leave Rilong back to Chengdu, visit Panda bears in Wolong panda nature reserve center and dujiangyan water project at Dujiangyan city.
Wolong panda research nature reserve is much bigger in space and also is the biggest reserve in China for studying and protecting panda bears;
Dujiangyan water project is built 2200 years ago and has been benefiting people in Sichuan plain for thousands of years since its construction; till now it is still functioning.
Day14: Leaving Chengdu -------- B
In the morning, free time for relaxing, self arranging the time; in the afternoon, at the agreed time, send you to chengdu airport.
End of the tour