Explore the route, then refine the details.
A China Adventure Club route through western China’s varied heritage and scenery. Explore the operator’s itinerary outline, then refine its pace and arrangements for your dates.
Adapted from China Adventure Club’s original regional and national collection. The outline below describes the source route; your written proposal establishes the current order, overnight stops and service arrangements.
Itinerary outline
Select a route section to explore the map. Tap a stop for its location or use the directions link for the next leg. Flights, trains, cruises and hiking arrangements follow your itinerary.
1 Chengdu Directions to Panda Valley
2 Panda Valley Directions to Jiezi Ancient Town
3 Jiezi Ancient Town Directions to Anren Ancient Town
4 Anren Ancient Town Directions to Wugen Mountain
5 Wugen Mountain Directions to Pingle
6 Pingle Directions to Shangli
7 Shangli Directions to Bifengxia
8 Bifengxia Directions to Kangding
9 Kangding Directions to Xinduqiao
10 Xinduqiao Directions to Tagong
11 Tagong Directions to Bamei
12 Bamei Directions to Huiyuan Monastery
13 Huiyuan Monastery Directions to Danba
14 Danba Directions to Ya’an
15 Ya’an Directions to Mount Emei
16 Mount Emei Directions to Leshan
17 Leshan Directions to Meishan
18 Meishan Directions to Chengdu
19 Chengdu
At A Glance
Day 1: Arrival in Chengdu. Welcome dinner. We'll offer you a trip briefing.
Day 2: Dujiangyan Panda Valley to Jiezi Ancient Town. Say hello to the pandas. Start riding on Tibetan Plateau by Qingcheng Mountain and then ride on to Jiezi Ancient Town, historically one of the last towns before the Tibetan Plateau on the Tea Horse Road. In the afternoon, hike Fengqi Mountain and walk in the trails winding in the bamboos and woods of the mountain.
Cycling Distance: 20km
Hiking Distance: 6km
Day 3: Jiezi-Chongqing Road-Anren Ancient Town. Ride Sichuan's most beautiful country road - Chongqing Road and reach Anren Ancient Town. Visit two history museums, including Liu's Compound, the richest man in the 1930-40's.
Cycling Distance: 50km
Hiking Distance: N/A
Day 4: Wugen Mountain Hike. Starting from White Pagoda Monastery, start the hike the trails and explore the hidden villages scattered around the woods and mountains. The walk ends by White Pagoda Lake. Visit Wuxing Village famous for high-quality rice production.
Cycling Distance:11km
Hiking Distance: 12km
Day 5: Pingle to Shangli Cycling. Tour Pingle Ancient Town, one of the best regions for tea producing in Sichuan, enjoy the tea culture along the riverbanks. Reaching up to 1200 m altitude, accent the mountain with rewards of amazing sound of White Horse Spring. The hike ends by Shangli Ancient Town, where Tibetan tea traders gathered to shop for tea.
Cycling Distance: 45 kilometers
Hiking Distance: N/A
Day 6: Beifengxia Valley Hike. The hike starts at Bifengxia Forest Park where lush forests and many big and small waterfalls around. After lunch, reach Kangding, a gateway from Sichuan to Tibet, with a farily equal ethnic split between Han Chinese and Tibetans - your first taste of Tibetan culture is found here.
Cycling Distance: 14km
Hiking Distance: 13km
Day 7: Kangding-Xinduqiao Cycling. Keep accenting to Zheduo Mountain Pass at 4,298 m above the sea. Meet with Kangding Airport, the airport of the highest altitude in the world. Explore Xinduqiao in the afternoon to enjoy the rolling hills, mountains, streams, pastures and Tibetan architecture. Adapt yourself to the high altitude today.
Cycling Distance: 5 to 10km
Hiking Distance: N/A
Day 8: Cycle from Xinduqiao through Tagong toward Bamei. Pass traditional Tibetan homes and the painted Buddhist murals and prayer-flag-covered bridges of Songlinkou. Explore Tagong and its monastery, then continue through the grasslands. On clear days, look for Ya’la Mountain, which rises to 5,884 meters. Pass Bamei Stone Forest before arriving in Bamei.
Cycling Distance: 72km
Hiking Distance: N/A
Day 9: Bamei-Huiyuan Monastery Cycling to Danba. This today starts with biking to Huiyuan Temple, a stunning Buddhist complex with history reaching back to the Qing Dynasty, where the 7th Dalai Lama and the 11th Dalai Lama were born. Walk in Jiaju Tibetan Village where Gyalrong Tibetans are living. A family tour will be the highlight for this afternoon.
What to refine before booking
Protect the travel days
Review the full hotel-to-hotel transfer for every intercity leg. Avoid relying on a flight or train arriving early enough for a tightly timed major attraction unless the final schedule supports it.
Choose a comfortable pace
Confirm stairs, slopes and time on foot. Ask which optional visits can be shortened or removed, and where an additional night would make the biggest difference.
Make inclusions explicit
Request the actual hotel and room choices, guide language, vehicle arrangements, admission coverage, meals and any activity-specific support in the written quotation.
Current permits, access, elevation and a realistic arrival schedule must be reviewed before booking. This outline does not confirm present border operation, permit approval or suitability for every traveler.
Participation, eligibility and permitted tasks depend on the center’s current program. Close contact, feeding, holding and volunteering are not guaranteed by this outline.
Compare another approach
For a more spacious route, explore the original journey briefs in our national and regional collections. These show overnight allocations, transfer days and the tradeoffs behind each route.