Trip Overview
Sichuan, the Kingdom of Abundance, is also home of giant pandas and high mountains. Since the first Giant Panda was discovered by Americans in Baoxing County in early 1900\'s, Sichuan has hosted 2/3 of the wild giant pandas. Wolong Natural Reserve has done a great job to save the extinct pandas and they have made a great success. Sichuan also is a home of high mountains of China next to Tibet and Xinjiang, Minya Konka is well known as the king of Sichuan Mountains with height of 7,556 meters while the Four Maiden Mountains are popular among mountaineers and tourists for its beautiful landscape, particularly with the Tibetan villages at its bottom. Besides offer you opportunity to get intimacy of pandas, this route will take you to one of the most beautiful countryside of China and give you a taste of Kham Tibet. Also, we will take a glimpse at Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Chengdu
Fly to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province. After check in, we start to stretch our body visit Wenshu Temple and enjoy a specific vegetarian dinner there.
Wenshu Temple, a monastery which dates back to the Tang dynasty, is Chengdu\'s largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple. Originally known as Xinxiang Temple, it was renamed after a Buddhist monk who lived there in the late 17th century.
Perhaps the best thing about the monastery is the bustling crowd of worshippers who flock to the place. Together with the exquisite relief carvings that decorate many of the buildings in the complex, they render the temple well worth a visit.
Over dinner, have our trip orientation.
Overnight Buddha Zen Hotel
Day 2 Chengdu to Dujiangyan
Today, after a leisure morning in Chengdu, we start our 50km biking right from our hotel to Dujiangyan Irrigation system and take a visit there. We will bike on the fertile Chengdu Basin, through the small villages and see the daily life of local people, if it is in season, we could see how the farmers work in the field to plough paddies, transplant rice shoots, or harvest crops.
Dujiangyan Irrigations system is an ancient project built over 2000 years ago and since after; it has kept Chengdu Basin from flood and become the land of abundance.
Today, the road is quite flat and all roads are well paved. While in the city of Chengdu and the way from Chengdu to Dujiangyan City, the traffic is quite busy.
Biking distance 50kms/30miles
Overnight Dujiangyan Guyan Erwang Temple Hotel
Day 3 Dujiangyan to Wolong
After the warm-up of yesterday, we start our demanding biking this morning. Today, the biking distance is about 85km/52miles and mostly on the mountain road with slowly uphill.
We will bike upstream along the Min River. The Min River Valley now is fitted with hydro-power stations. And the altitude starts to go up. After 25 km, we will get to Yingxiu, a small town where we follow a tributary of Min River to west and the scenery also gets more and more beautiful with dense vegetation. Gradually we will see more and more arrow bamboos showing up. Arrow bamboos are main food of giant pandas and we start get into the land of Giant Pandas. The 60 km road to Wolong will take us about 5-6 hours to bike.
Biking distance 85kms/52miles
Overnight Hotel in Wolong (2,215m/7,265ft)
Day 4 Wolong
Today, we will share one day with the giant pandas in the Breeding Center.
In the morning, Giant pandas will get pretty excited when they have breakfast. We will visit the breading center in the morning to see how the pandas have their breakfast. And there is an option to play with giant pandas in their yard if you prefer to. Before or after lunch time, a panda expert will give us a lecture about the Breeding Center and the process of protecting the Giant Pandas.
In the afternoon, when we get back hotel, we visit the Panda museum next to our hotel and have good rest after dinner for our challenging biking of the coming day.
Overnight Hotel in Wolong
Day 5 Wolong to Rilong
Today, we will conquer Mount Balang which is 4,523m/14,835ft high, the mountain pass is just 4,100m/13,448ft. The 31km/19 miles uphill biking is breathtaking and we will at times use the motor vehicle for transportation.
On Balang Mountain, nobody can stop admiring the beautiful landscape of snow capped-mountains, green grassland, and the Tibetan villages nestled at the foot of the mountain. We then start our 67km/40miles downhill ride to Rilong town which is located at the foot of the Four Maiden Mountains. We will travel in our motor vehicle when necessary.
In the late afternoon, we arrive at Rilong town and get refreshed.
Biking distance 98km/60miles
Overnight Jinkun Hotel (3,100m/10,168ft ASL)
Day 6 Rilong to Danba
Today, we will bike through the so appraised most beautiful countryside of China. We start our biking right from Rilong and then mostly descend hill to Danba. En route, we will take stops to Wori and Xiaojin to visit the traditional defensive towers of the local Gyarong Tibetan, some Buddhism monastery and a Catholic Church as well.
Gyarong Tibetan is an old Tibetan tribe which has been well known for their bravery and straightness. Vehicle will partially use when necessary.
Biking distance of today is 122km/74miles Overnight Dongnvguo Hotel (1,860m/6,138ft)
Day 7 Danba to Xinduqiao
Today, we drive uphill to the mountain about 50km to the mountain pass and then start our 95km biking. Firstly, we descend mountain to the grassland which is dotted with white sheep, black yaks and the nomad tents or local villages. Once we get to Bamei Village, the grassland is getting more and more beautiful. Then, we bike southward to Xinduqiao via Tagong grassland with Yala Holy Mountain to the left hand side. We will take a stop in Tagong monastery. This area is highly appraised by Chinese Photographers as Paradise of Shooting. If weather permits, we might see Minya Konka in distance in Xinduqiao. Vehicle will partially use when necessary.
Biking distance of today 95km/58miles
Overnight Xintai Hotel (3,300m/10,890ft)
Day 8 Xinduqiao to Kangding (Dartsedo)
From Xinduqiao village, we start biking firstly on flat road then gradually uphill to Tsedo Mountain which is about 4,298m/14,097ft. The road is a little bumpy and dusty. Once we get on the top of the mountain after a 30km/18miles, we get on the top of the mountains and a miracle scenery will spread out of us, the white clouds extend to far away in all directions and the mountains with forests is just like a fairy land.
After the mountain, we start descend about 2 hours to Kangding (Dartsedo) and have good rest. Kangding is the capital of Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture and has played a very important role in history. It is a lovely town with Tsedo River runs through it. Vehicle will partially use when necessary.
Our biking distance today is about 83kms/50miles.
Overnight King Gesar Hotel (2,700m/8,856ft ASL)
Day 9 Kangding to Hailuogou
Hailougou is well known because of the glacier snout of Minya Konka. The Hailuogou Glacier has one of the lowest altitudes of any glacier on the planet.
Minya Konka, rising 7,556m/24,784ft from the sea to the clouds, is the highest mountain in Sichuan and also one of the hardest Hailougou is well known because of the glacier snout of Minya Konka. Hailuogou Glacier is one of the glaciers with lowest altitude on this planet.
Minya Konka, rising 7,556m/24,784ft from the sea level up to the clouds, is the highest mountain in Sichuan and one of the hardest mountains to climb.
Today, we will bike mostly downhill from Kangding along the Tsedo River and then Dadu River to Moxi town (1,600m/5,248ft), from where we start driving to see the glaciers of Minya Konka and admire the beautiful landscape. Vehicle will partially use when necessary.
After the tour, we enjoy a hot spring.
Biking distance 49km/30miles
Overnight hotel in Hailuogou (1,900m/6,232ft ASL)
Day10 Hailuogou to Chengdu
If weather permits, we get up early to admire the sunrise over Minya Konka.
After breakfast, we load our bikes onto our support vehicle and drive 5-6 hours back to Chengdu. After check in, we enjoy our farewell dinner and then have the option of enjoying Sichuan Opera or a foot massage.
Overnight Buddha Zen Hotel
Day 11 Depart Chengdu
Drive to the airport for our flight to next destination or back home.
Trip ends.
