CUT003-2: Overland from Kunming to Lhasa

Introduction

Tibet, known as the Roof of the World, has become a dream destination for pilgrims, rugular tourists, adventurers and climbers from all over the world. Visitors are guaranteed to enjoy the enthralling year-round snow, aerial mountains, mysterious religions, exotic customs and spectacular inhabitants of Tibet.

Overland from Kunming to Lhasa

This journey, you will all the way from Kunming to Lhasa, to enjoy the pleasure of travel. The scenery along the way you will not miss. And also after Dali, Lijiang, to feel the charm of the old city.

Day1: Arrival in Kunming 

Arrival in Kunming, Capital of Yunnan Province, Meet at the airport our tour guide and driver, transfer to hotel and then free time.

Day2: Kunming - Stone Forest - Kunming  

Full day tour to visit the Yunnan Stone Forest. Stone Forest (Shilin) a 270 million year old limestone Karst formation of tightly bundled gray rocky outcrops, a natural wonder acknowledged as "World Karst Landscape Museum", the Stone Forest show a variety of unique shapes such as sword, mushrooms, tower, pillar, castle representing the greatest miracle that the nature can present to human beings.

Day3: Flight Kunming - Dali 

In the early morning transfer to airport and fly to Dali. Visit the symbol of Dali – the Three Pagodas, has a history of over 1,800 years; it is a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. Then trek to Zhonghesi Monastery of Taoism in Cangshan Mountains, then overlook the city of Dali and the Erhai Lake from here.

Day4: Dali – Lijiang

Transfert 200km to Lijiang, in the afternoon walk around in the old city.

Day5: Visit in Lijiang

In the morning sightseeing in the city: Heilongtan Park, has a large pool with a five-arch bridge over it and a pavilion on a beautiful background of snow-covered and pyramid-shaped. The museum of Naxi. The Lion Hill, with the appearance looks like the sleeping lion, so named lion hill, there is a magnificent structure named WanGu tower was made of wood on the hill. Wanggulou and Mufu Palace. Free activities in the afternoon.

Day6: Lijiang – Zhongdian

Drive to Zhongdian, on the way visit Hutiao Xia, in the afternoon visit Songzanlin monastery in Zhongdian.

Day7: Zhongdian – Deqin

About 4-hour drive to Deqin(180  km) , it  is the last town before the Tibetan border, perched at an average altitude of 3550m and is peppered with views of majestic “snow mountains” in all directions.

Day8: Deqin - Markham                                            

Drive to Markham, this part of road used to be of economic significance in ancient China, called “Tea-Horse Road”, as famous as the “Silk Road”. Markham is the intersection of Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

Day9: Markham - Bangda - Basu                            

Full day driving to Basu, 270 km. Overnight in Basu, Guesthouse.

Day10: Basu - Bomi                                                  

The scenery east of Bomi is beautiful. The road heads up the Parlung Tsangpo valley, passing a gorge and several stunning side valleys before you get your first magical views of the blue waters and sandy beaches of Rawoktso.

Day11: Bomi - Ningzhi                                               

Drive to the beautiful town Ningzhi, the scenery there is very beautiful.

Day12: Ningzhi - Lhasa                                              

Drive to Lhasa. Lhasa is rightly one of the most featured and dreamt-about cities in the world. This is not only because of its remoteness, its high altitude at 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) means limited accessibility.

Day13: Lhasa                                         

In the morning visit Potala, which was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. In the afternoon visit Jokhang temple, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where innumerable pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Surrounding the Jokhang Temple is the bustling Barkhor Market place which is the religious and social focus of Lhasa.

Day14: Lhasa                                                

In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred land of Gelukpa sect., which was created in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there.

Day15: Flight Lhasa-Chengdu                                                  

In the early morning transfer to airport and fly to Chengdu. Then fly to home.

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