Driving Journey through the Tibetan Highlands

Spring and autumn when the Tibetan skies are deep blue and the mountain peaks are dusted white are the ideal months for this driving journey from Sichuan province across beautiful mountain ranges as you ascend the Tibetan Plateau to the gilded temples of Lhasa.

Day 1 - Arrive Chengdu
Arrive in Chengdu today and settle in to your hotel.

Day 2 - Chengdu
All the documents will be prepared for your temporary Chinese driving license; you will just need to complete the formalities and the day is yours to have a taste of Chengdu - visiting the giant panda research base or quite literally with a cooking lesson in a riverside restaurant.

Day 3 - Chengdu/Ya'an
Begin your driving journey as you depart Chengdu for Ya'an, the start of the famous Tea and Horse Caravan Road. You won't miss the Leshan Buddha en route; the world's largest stone Buddha standing 70 metres tall at the confluence of two rivers.

Day 4 - Ya'an/Ma'erkang
Today's drive will take you north over your first 4,000 metre mountain pass and through beautiful valleys towards the town of Ma'erkang surrounded by apple and walnut orchards. This region is an ethnically Tibetan region; the most obvious sign of which is the prayer flags flapping in the breeze.

Day 5 - Ma'erkang/Ganzi
As you drive west along the G317 deeper into the wild countryside of the Ganzi region, pass through the area around Luhuo that was once home to gangs of bandit. The road winds through forested valleys before cresting a 4,000 metre pass and dropping down into the stunning Yalong River valley towards Ganzi.

Day 6 - Ganzi
Today is yours to relax, acclimatise to the high altitude and prepare for more strenuous driving days ahead. You may like to visit a secluded Buddhist nunnery or observe daily life from a local teahouse.

Day 7 - Ganzi/Mount Chola Pass/Dege
The drive to Dege is a real experience - a slow drive along the Yalong River valley to the wild frontier town of Ma'nigange, stopping by the side of Lake Yilhun-La Tso for a picnic, before tackling the climb across the magnificent Mount Chola Pass. Dege is the edge of the 'Roof of the World' where the Bakong Scripture Printing Monastery built during the Qing Dynasty still produces over 2,500 handmade religious tracts each day.

Day 8 - Deg/Chamdo, Tibet
Cross the border from Sichuan into Tibet through valleys dotted with farms and herds of yaks. Between Jomda and Chamdo the countryside changes dramatically to high plateau and the road snakes around smooth green hillsides to the old capital Chamdo, home to the Galden Champaling monastery that is one of the largest in the region.

Day 9 - Chamdo/Rawok
Join China's longest national road (G318) winding from Shanghai all the way to the Mount Everest Base Camp. This road will take you up the Mount Yela Pass on a well-paved road and down through 72 turns on one of the most exciting descents. Rawok lies on the shores of Lake Rawok, perfect for watching the sun set over the nearby glaciers that feed the lake.

Day 10 - Rawok/Pomi
Driving through the Sundzom Valley towards Pomi, turn off the main road to explore the valleys around Midui Glacier, perhaps hiking or taking a ride on horseback before a picnic lunch.

Day 11 - Pomi/Bayi
Experience the extremes of the G318, leaving smooth pavement behind as the road narrows and winds along a steep hillside. You will need to take this short section of road slowly before the road improves dramatically and turns towards the Serkym-La Pass where on a clear day you will be rewarded with a view of eastern Tibet's highest mountain, Mount Namjagbarwa.

Day 12 - Bayi/Lhasa
The highest pass of the trip, the 5,025 metre Pa-La Pass lies before you and the valley gradually opens up to the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Why not celebrate having completed your drive with a Tibetan meal and evening dance performance?

Day 13 - Lhasa
Lhasa's old city is a warren of prayer-wheel workshops, pool halls and teahouses among the scores of pilgrims waiting to worship at the holiest shrine of Tibetan Buddhism - the golden-roofed Jokhang. Lhasa is a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by, and however you spend it, today is sure to be a fitting end to your amazing journey.

Day 14 - Depart Lhasa
Return to Chengdu by plane while the cars are driven back. You may like to extend your journey in Lhasa or Chengdu or travel to the Mount Everest Base Camp.