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Private journey · 12 days / 11 nights

Wild Sichuan

Everything in Best of Sichuan — then west, onto the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau: Tagong's horse-grasslands, Danba's watchtower villages, a glacier viewpoint on Minya Konka (Mt. Gongga), and the monastery towns in between.

US$2,890 / person Max altitude 4,298 m Altitude-trained guide Max 6 · from age 12

Day by day

Days 1–8

The Best of Sichuan, in full

Panda Keeper day, opera and hotpot in Chengdu; the Leshan Buddha cruise; Emei's cloud-sea sunrise; Jiuzhaigou's blue lakes and Huanglong's terraces — the complete 8-day route, detailed here.

As per Best of Sichuan itinerary
Day 9

West: over the mountains to Kangding

Morning drive onto the G4218 west of Chengdu. The plateau announces itself gradually — tunnels, then gorges, then suddenly open sky. Afternoon in Kangding, the historic gateway town where the famous love song comes from; altitude ~2,500 m is tonight's gentle acclimatisation. Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and knows the honest answers about altitude — you'll get a briefing over dinner, not a leaflet.

Breakfast, dinner included
Day 10

Zheduo Pass → Tagong grasslands

Over the 4,298 m Zheduo Pass — highest point of the trip, short photo stop only — and down to Tagong's enormous grass basin: yaks, Tibetan houses, prayer flags and the stupa-lined monastery. Afternoon horse trek with local Tibetan horsemen across the grasslands. Evening: butter tea and a Tibetan family dinner at our hosts' home.

Breakfast, lunch, Tibetan family dinner included
Day 11

Danba — watchtowers and village terraces

Morning monastery visit with the early chanting, then the drive north to the Danba valley: thousand-year-old stone watchtowers, Jiaju village's houses stacked like terraces above the river, and a private-room homestay with a valley-view balcony. Sunset here is the photographers' hour — your guide knows which terrace.

Breakfast, dinner (homestay kitchen) included
Day 12

Gongga viewpoint, then home

Dawn start for the Mt. Gongga (Minya Konka) viewpoint at Xinduqiao on clear mornings — the 7,556 m peak is visible roughly half the time in the right season. Then the drive back to Chengdu (or the airport at Kangding, if your onward flight fits better) — portable oxygen in the car, memory cards full.

Breakfast included

What's included

Included

  • Everything in Best of Sichuan (7 nights)
  • 4 more nights: Kangding hotel, Tagong guesthouse, Danba homestay (private room & bath)
  • Private altitude-trained guide & vehicle, days 9–12
  • Horse trek with local horsemen, monastery visit
  • Tibetan family dinner + homestay kitchen dinner
  • Portable oxygen in vehicle, pulse-oximeter checks
  • All plateau road permits and entry fees
  • eSIM with data, Alipay setup, point-and-show card

Not included

  • International flights
  • Visa or entry permit fees
  • Travel insurance (required for this trip)
  • Personal horse trek tips for horsemen (optional)
  • Personal purchases, drinks beyond listed
Honest notes — altitude: maximum sleeping altitude is ~3,700 m (Tagong). We build the route to climb gradually, brief you properly, and carry oxygen — but if you have heart or lung conditions, talk to us (and your doctor) before booking this one. Best months: May–June and September–October. July–August is rainy season on plateau roads; we reroute rather than risk. More in our season guide.