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What you'll see

Day 1

Arrival in Chengdu – Preparing for Your Journey

You will arrive in Chengdu according to your own arrangements.  We will meet you from the airport and take you to complete your temporary driving license application – everything will have been prepared in advance, and all you will need to do is take a simple eye test and sign the forms.  With your license complete, you will enjoy dinner in a lovely riverside restaurant.

Day 2

Flying to Xining – The Adventure Begins!

After enjoying a morning visit to Sichuan's most famous residents – the giant pandas at Chengdu's Panda Research Base – you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xining (an economy-class flight from Chengdu to Xining is included in the journey).  We will meet you from the airport and transfer you to your hotel, which is located in the centre of the city.  In the evening, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and join our pre-departure safety briefing.

Day 3

On the Road – Your Adventure Begins

In the morning, we will set out to Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si in Chinese) – Qinghai's most vibrant monastery.  From the monastery, you will continue south and cross the first mountain pass of the journey on your way to Lake Qinghai, China's largest saltwater lake.  Here you will get a taste of the scale of the landscape that awaits you in days ahead as the vast lake and mountains beyond it invite you to explore further.  In the late afternoon you will arrive in the small town of Chaka, on the edge of Chaka Salt Lake and take a train into the centre of the lake to watch the salt being mined.

Day 4

Across the Qaidam Basin to Golmud

Today's road is spectacular as it stretches across the edge of the Qaidam Basin, with the Kunlun Mountains to the south separating it from the central Tibetan Plateau beyond.  After reaching the highland town of Golmud in the early afternoon, you are free to relax or explore the town – perhaps shopping in the town's enormous market or visiting one of Golmud's mosques.  In the evening we will head for dinner in a colourful local restaurant serving Qinghai specialties.

Day 5

Up, Up, Up - Onto the Plateau

Today you will ascend to the Tibetan Plateau over the Kunlun Mountains on a great road that arches and curves across the plains.  See Tibetan antelope from the road and learn about the species' return from the brink of extinction, and soak up the open spaces that define this corner of Asia. Stop for the night in the tiny settlement of Tuotuohe, which is the first town on the Yangtze – the river runs nearby, already broad and swift-flowing even this close to its source.  Gaze out over the river and mountains, and imagine the journey that the river will undergo before it reaches its mouth near Shanghai – worlds away from the dusty streets of Tuotuohe…

Day 6

On the Road and Off it

After a short drive south along the main road we used yesterday, you will leave the tarmac behind as you drive west towards Mount Geladandong (6,621m/21,722ft).  After practicing some off-road skills – including crossing several small rivers – you will climb to a lookout from where you will be able to see the mountain and the massive glaciers that feed the Yangtze.  Stop for a picnic lunch in the wild before returning to the road and entering Tibet over the Tanglha Range, taking in the highest pass of the trip – at 5,231m or 17,160ft – before dropping to Nagchu, one of Tibet's highest towns and your overnight stop tonight.

Day 7

To Lake Nam-tso

Today's drive from Nagchu to Damxung is a short one through a beautiful landscape.  After lunch in Damxung, you will drive over the Laken Pass to catch your first sight of Nam-tso's glittering blue waters and drive to the island of Tashi Do – the best place to enjoy the dramatic scenery.  The saltwater lake lies at 4,750m/15,580ft, and is ringed to the south by the Nyechen Tanglha mountain range, whose snow-capped peaks soar to over 7,000m/22,960ft – a truly awe-inspiring setting.  After walking around the edge of the island on a kora circuit used by pilgrims, or taking a ride on horseback, you will return to Damxung for dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 8

Through the lovely Lhundrub Valley to Lhasa

Leave the G109 behind you as we drive towards the Lhundrub Valley, where life seems to have continued unchanged for centuries.  Villages and orchards line the peaceful valley and present a gentler side of Tibetan life after the drama of the high plateau.  Although the road to Lhundrub is unsealed, the prettiness of the surroundings will be ample compensation for any discomfort. Spend the late afternoon on a gentle walking tour through Lhasa's old town, or simply relax with a drink in a rooftop café overlooking the Jokhang Temple's golden roof, before enjoying a Tibetan-style farewell dinner and looking back over the amazing journey you have undertaken over the past week.

Day 9

Experience Lhasa before bidding Tibet Farewell

Start the day by entering the holy precincts of the Jokhang Temple, one of Tibet's most atmospheric religious sites with its yak butter lamps, clouds of juniper incense and pilgrims murmuring prayers around you.  Move on to visit the magnificent Potala Palace, which lies on the slopes of Marpo Ri in the centre of the city, and wander through the richly decorated halls and chapels that were home to generations of Dalai Lamas.  We will arrange for you to transfer to Lhasa's Gongkar Airport in time to catch your flight home in the afternoon.