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What you'll see

Day 1

Arrival in Chengdu…I’m filled with anticipation…
You arrive in Chengdu according to your own arrangements at any time.

Day 2

Getting your Chinese driving license…and seeing a bit of Chengdu
There are two steps to getting your license: one is to assess your basic fitness to drive (e.g., test your eyesight); the other is to apply for the license itself. We will have all the documents ready; you will just need to show up and sign. In between the formalities, we’ll make sure to give you a taste of Chengdu. The day ends with a dinner together and a genuine Chengdu foot massage.

Day 3

Chengdu to Ya’an and a visit to the world’s largest Buddha en route…
You’re on the Road in China! Leaving Chengdu, you will first drive on a broad, world-class highway embedded in rice fields and tea groves. As you drive, gradually the air gets fresher and the landscape greener until you arrive at the site of the Leshan Big Buddha. This, your first day of being on the road, is very relaxed – there is ample time to wander around the lovely, lush park in which this enormous stone Buddha statue is situated.  In the afternoon, you take a small detour to the Thousand Buddha Cliffs. In these cliffs, situated by a lovely river, thousands of Buddha statues have been carved.  From there it’s a short drive on a country road to Ya’an where you’ll stay overnight.

Day 4

Ya’an to Kangding… Gateway to the Tibetan Highlands
Today, you will climb up to the Tibetan Plateau, first meandering along a beautiful river, then driving higher and higher to the Erlang Mountain tunnel. When you emerge out at the far end, you will be on the edge of the vast Tibetan Plateau. After a short descent you reach Luding Bridge, which though diminutive in size, looms large in Communist history, before reaching your overnight stop in Kangding. At the end of the day, if you are up for it, you can join us for a drink or a dance in one of Kangding’s discos.

Day 5

Kangding to Danba through the Tagong grasslands…
Only two hours after today’s departure, you will be driving across a 4,500m mountain pass which is made all the more beautiful by a gorgeous chorten that welcomes you to the Tibetan highlands. In Xinduqiao you can visit a school for young Tibetan lamas; it is a visit that is unique to On the Road in China. Then you will drive on to Tagong, which is set in lovely grasslands that sparkle with flowers in spring and wear the colours of autumn in September and October. The afternoon drive takes you on wonderful roads across another 4,000m mountain pass and through some stunningly beautiful valleys.

Day 6

Danba to the Four Sisters… Walking amongst the peaks
Today you drive to the beautiful Four Sisters National Park. The Four Sisters are a magnificent mountain range; the tallest peak is 6,300m tall! In the afternoon, you can choose how to enjoy the stunning scenery – do a half-day trek, take horseback ride or a leisurely bus ride amidst the splendor of these mountains.

Day 7

Four Sisters to Baoxing
You will slowly begin your return journey over a back road very few people drive. At first it climbs across a 4,000m mountain pass, before descending, turn after turn, to 900m. You’ll have lunch in a tiny Tibetan village and then drive up a dirt track to a rare find – a remote 19th century Catholic church built by a French monk who is credited with discovering pandas in this part of Sichuan and telling the world about them. Visiting this wonderful wooden house of worship perched high above the valley, you will wonder at the faith that inspired this monk to persevere in building it!

Day 8

Into the lush valleys of the Chengdu plains… up-close-and-personal with pandas…
After an early departure, you visit two fascinating old towns in the Sichuan plains. Then you’ll take little-travelled country roads through the lush, fertile lowlands of Sichuan on your way to the Panda Reserve north of Chengdu. This Panda Reserve is set in a beautiful bamboo park, so why not wander awhile and enjoy watching the pandas in their natural habitat?

Early the next morning you can start your return journey or we can help you make arrangements for sight-seeing in and around Chengdu. Why not pamper yourself by extending your journey with our 3-day Culinary Chengdu package?