Self-drive with rental car through Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibetan area

Day 1 Arrival in Chengdu

Warm welcome by local guide (you can choose the language).
You will have a short health test to confirm that you are able to drive a car safely.
Applying Chinese driving license at traffic police station with your passport, original driving license and health examination table.

Day 2 Chengdu

The traffic police office will take one day to prepare your new temporary Chinese driving license, so you could have a leisure day in Chengdu. Hanging out and exploring the city by yourself. People’s park may be a good place to visit local people’s life, drinking Kung fu tea and playing Tai chi. Jinli is a nice place to catch night view of the city.
Or you can choose to visit panda base at the suburb of Chengdu city.

Day 3 Chengdu – Kangding (284km, 4.5 hours driving, altitude: 2560m)

Loading your travel luggage on car and you will start this trip with full fuel tank.
Start to driving to the west part of Sichuan province. You will drive on the highway for a while and then turn into G318, visit luding bridge and Namo monastery along the way.

Day 4 Kangding – Tagong – Xinduqiao (149km, 3 hours driving, altitude: 3700m)

Crossing over Zheduo Mountain, you will arrive the place full of Tibetan culture. Tagong grassland is at the altitude over 3700 meters above the sea level.There are the biggest Mani stone in Kham area and monastery especially for Juemu (the female monks).
If you have a good weather, Muya golden pagoda is a good place for photographing too, with the Yala snow mountain as background.

Day 5 Xinduqiao – Litang ( 195km, 4 hours driving, altitude: 4000m )

High altitude grassland landscape along the way, it is extremely beautiful. Litang is quite high in altitude, you may have a bit headache or other altitude sickness reaction. Here are some tips for altitude sickness: drink more water or eat fruits, do not eat food that hard to digest, do not exercise too much, avoid being cold.

Day 6 Litang

Litang is the highest city in the world, surrounded by snow mountains at four sides. It is the birth place of 7th Dalai Lama, you can visit it at Renkang ancient town and still can see some miracle signs when Dailai Lama got birth.

Long Youth Cole monastery is the biggest monastery in Kham Tibetan area, you can watch the Karma Gon Cho in the moanstery.

Day 7 Litang – Daocheng (150km, 2.5 hours driving, altitude: 3750m)

The road from Litang to Daocheng is unbelievable beautiful.

Day 8 Daocheng – Yading ( 78km, 1.5 hours driving, altitude: 3800m )

Arrive Yading nature reserve in the morning, get tickets and sightseeing bus inside (Yading is not allow to drive your own vehicle inside, only sightseeing bus)
Start to hiking in the afternoon, visiting Pearl sea and Chonggu monastery this afternoon.

Day 9 Yading Nature Reserve

Today is a big hiking day, you need to walk the mounttain above 5000 meters to see the milk sea.
You can rent horse from local people and ride horse up to the mountain.

Day 10 Yading – Xiangcheng (120km, 2.5 hours driving, altitude:2900m )

Day 11 Xiangcheng – Shangri-La (220km, 8 hours driving, altitude: 3500m )

Big driving day, but the scenery along the way is worth it. The road is circle two giant snow mountain with primitive forest and cool rocks.

Day 12 Shangri-La

Shangri-La formerly known as Zhongdian and sometimes called ‘Gyalthang’ in Tibetan, is where you begin to breathe in the Tibetan world. That’s if you can breathe at all, given its altitude (3200m). Travelling here allows you to experience an intriguing blend of Tibetan and Han Chinese culture.
Visit Karma Dan·Songzanlin Temple in the afternoon. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhism monastery in Yunnan Province. Covering an area of 30 hectares, it looks like a mini Kumbum (Ta Er) Monastery.

Day 13 Shangri-La – Tiger Leaping Gorge (108km, 2 hours driving, altitude: 1800m)

Visit upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, The vertical elevation difference of the gorge is 3790 m which is one of the deepest valley in the world. The narrowest part of the gorge was just 30 m, which is so narrow that a tiger can jump over the gorge, hence the name.
Drive to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, parking and having lunch at Zhang’s house. Start to hiking down to the middle tiger leaping gorge in the afternoon, which is less tourist and more

Day 14 Tiger Leaping Gorge – Lijiang (85km, 1.5 hours driving, altitude: 2500m)

Driving along the stunning mountain landscape to Lijiang, one of the UNESCO world heritage ancient town. Someone said that Ljiang is the only fairyland which was left by God on the earth. Lijiang Ancient Town is in the embrace of snow mountains, accompanied by serene rivers, and bathed in the fragrance of flowers. People live leisurely in harmony with the nature and reserve their primary living styles. It is a virgin land untouched by the modern civilization, and the last pure land for the spiritual quietness.

Day 15 Lijiang – Dali (190km, 3 hours, altitude: 1900m )

You can take the old road from Lijiang to Dali, and pass several small villages and watch the farmers working in the field.
According to literature, this Dali Ancient City was a gateway to the Silk Road in Southwest China, Bai minority people mainly lives here, The traditional Bai ethnic minority folk houses give the Dali Ancient City distinctive feel, unlike any other Chinese city.

Day 16 Dali

Leisure day, You could choose to rent a bicycle or scooter to circle the lake. Or enjoy your leisure time wandering in the ancient city.
Places to go in Dali: three white pagoda, Mountain Cang hiking, Caicun Dock and Longkan Dock, Shuanglang, Wuwei temple.

Day 17 Dali – Lugu Lake (374km, 7 hours driving )

The Lugu Lake area keeps the matriarchal society way of living, the people and minority is regarded as the “living fossil of matriarchal society of human”, unique and quite interesting.

Day 18 Lugu Lake – Xichang (250km, 5.5 hours driving)

The road condition is good from Lugu Lake to Xichang. Xichang is the seat of the district government of the Yi Autonomous Region. Attractions include the Xichang Old Town and Qionghai Lake.

Day 19 Xichang – Leshan (408km, 6 hours driving)

Day 20 Leshan -Chengdu (141km, 2.3 hours driving)

Visit leshan giant Buddha and back to Chengdu return the car.