Duration

14 days

Persons

10 - 15

places

15

Itinerary:

Beijing – Yinchuan – Helan Mountain – Alxa Left Banner – Alxa Right Banner – Qilian County – Xining – Tongren (Rekong) - Tongren – Xiahe – Luqu – Xiahe – Hezuo – Linxia – Lanzhou – Departure

Journey Highlights

Badain Jaran Desert 4x4 Off-Road & "Everest of the Desert"

Take a 4x4 vehicle deep into the Badain Jaran Desert, climb Bilutu Peak – the "Everest of the Desert" – visit the "Potala Palace of the Sand Sea" (Badain Jaran Temple), and gaze at the Milky Way from a light-pollution-free oasis night.

Alxa Plateau & Mongol Nomadic Civilization

Cross the Alxa Plateau, tracing Bactrian camels across the Gobi and desert steppe. Visit Guangzong Temple to follow the legend of Tsangyang Gyatso, and experience the last stronghold of nomadic civilization.

Zhangye Danxia & Giant Buddha Temple

Admire China's only combination of Danxia landforms and colorful hills, and trace the dialogue between Greek sculpture and Chinese aesthetics in the folds of a Western Xia reclining Buddha.


Crossing the Qilian Mountains: From Hexi Corridor to Qinghai Plateau

Cross the Qilian Mountains and witness the dramatic transition from desert oasis to snowy peaks and grasslands, with breathtaking scenery along the way.

Kumbum Monastery & Qinghai Lake

Make a pilgrimage to Kumbum Monastery, birthplace of Tsongkhapa, and admire its three artistic treasures. Then stand before Qinghai Lake – the "Blue Lake" in Tibetan – a sacred sanctuary in every Tibetan's heart.

Regong (Tongren) Thangka Art

Spend a day exploring Longwu Monastery, Wutun Upper and Lower Monasteries – immerse yourself in the birthplace of Regong thangka art and experience its essence.

Labrang Monastery & the Spiritual World of Amdo Tibet

Follow a monk through the Medical College and Sutra College, walking the spiritual connections between this "Second Tibet" and the Himalayas, Mongolia, and Amdo.

Linxia Muslim Culture & Bingling Temple Grottoes

Explore Linxia, the "Mecca of China," and experience the multicultural fusion of Hui, Dongxiang, and Salar Muslims. Then take a speedboat through the Yellow River canyon to Bingling Temple, home to China's earliest dated grotto inscription, and listen to a thousand-year story of Han-Tibetan fusion.

Design Philosophy

The Alxa Plateau, where three great deserts – Badain Jaran, Tengger, and Ulan Buh – converge. For thousands of years, Mongol herders have led their camels across the Gobi, following the rhythms of their ancestors.

This was a vital branch of the Steppe Silk Road, connecting central China with the northern steppes, the Western Regions, and the Tibetan Plateau.

In the 14th century, the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism arrived. The bells of Guangzong Temple still echo through the valleys. The legend of the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, lives on in Mongol oral traditions. Here, Tibetan Buddhism and Mongol shamanism met and merged.

Cross the Qilian Mountains, and you enter Qinghai. Kumbum Monastery is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa. Qinghai Lake is a sacred lake for every Tibetan. Further east lies Labrang Monastery – the "Second Tibet," the cultural heart of Amdo.

On this journey, we will cross Alxa, climb over the Qilian Mountains, enter Qinghai, and finally reach Labrang – connecting the Mongols, the Tanguts, and the Amdo Tibetans. Follow the camel tracks across the Gobi. Feel the warmth of faith in the echoes of monastery bells.

Follow this little-traveled road, and discover the forgotten links between the Mongolian and Tibetan plateaus.

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    Inclusions

    Round-trip airfare between Beijing and Yinchuan, and between Lanzhou and Beijing;
    Excellent English-speaking tour guide service throughout the itinerary;
    Lunch and dinner daily at local specialty restaurants to enjoy authentic local cuisine;
    Accommodation at city hotels as listed in the itinerary;
    Private vehicle service throughout the itinerary: commercial tourist coach;
    Entrance fees to all attractions listed in the itinerary;
    Daily bottled water and fresh fruit in the vehicle;
    Domestic travel insurance.

    Exclusions

    Optional activities and other personal expenses not mentioned in inclusions;
    Personal expenses incurred during the itinerary.

    Itinerary


    Day 1      

    Beijing – Yinchuan – Helan Mountain – Alxa Left Banner


    Flight from Beijing to Yinchuan. Cross Helan Mountain and visit Guangzong Temple (Southern Temple) and the stupa of the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso. Then proceed to Alxa Left Banner to visit the Prince's Mansion and the Strange Stone Market.

    Accommodation: Alxa Left Banner Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (own expense) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 2      

    Alxa Left Banner – Alxa Right Banner


    Cross the vast Alxa Plateau. Spot Bactrian camels along the way. Arrive in Alxa Right Banner in the evening and visit the local market to prepare for the desert journey.

    Accommodation: Alxa Right Banner Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 3      

    Alxa Right Banner – Badain Jaran Desert


    Enter the Badain Jaran Desert. Switch to a 4x4 off-road vehicle and venture deep into the desert. Visit Badain Lake, Fairy Lake, Bilutu Peak ("Everest of the Desert"), and Badain Jaran Temple ("Potala Palace of the Sand Sea"). Arrive at Sumin Jaran Oasis in the evening and enjoy stargazing at night.

    Accommodation: Tent in Badain Jaran Desert

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 4      

    Badain Jaran Desert – Alxa Right Banner – Zhangye


    Early morning view of Badain Jaran Temple reflected in the lake. Drive out of the desert, have lunch in Alxa Right Banner, then cross the edge of the Mongolian Plateau and enter the Hexi Corridor, arriving in Zhangye.

    Accommodation: Zhangye Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 5      

    Zhangye – Qilian County


    Visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark and the Giant Buddha Temple, home to Asia's largest indoor reclining Buddha. In the afternoon, cross the Qilian Mountains and enter the Qinghai Plateau.

    Accommodation: Qilian County Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 6      

    Qilian County – Xining


    Via Menyuan, arrive in Xining. Visit Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Temple). In the afternoon, visit Qinghai Lake, then return to Xining.

    Accommodation: Xining Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 7      

    Xining – Tongren (Rekong)


    Drive to Tongren (Rekong), passing through Xunhua Salar Autonomous County. In the afternoon, visit the former residence of the 10th Panchen Lama and Gandu Monastery.

    Accommodation: Tongren Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 8      

    Tongren (Rekong)


    Full day exploring the Rekong monastery complex: Longwu Monastery, Wutun Upper Monastery, Wutun Lower Monastery, Guomari Monastery, and Nianduhu Monastery.

    Accommodation: Tongren Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 9      

    Tongren – Xiahe


    Pass through Shuangpengxi Village to visit the former residence of Gendün Chöphel, then pass by Guashi Ze Monastery and Octagonal City. Arrive in Xiahe in the evening – the cultural heart of the Amdo Tibetan region.

    Accommodation: Xiahe Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 10      

    Xiahe – Luqu – Xiahe


    Visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark and the Giant Buddha Temple, home to Asia's largest indoor reclining Buddha. In the afternoon, cross the Qilian Mountains and enter the Qinghai Plateau.

    Accommodation: Qilian County Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 11      

    Xiahe


    Walk to Labrang Monastery ("Second Tibet"). Follow a monk to visit the Medical College, Butter Sculpture Hall, and Sutra College. In the afternoon, visit the Nunnery and the Red Monastery (Nyingma sect).

    Accommodation: Xiahe Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 12      

    Xiahe – Hezuo – Linxia


    Visit the Milarepa Buddha Pavilion in Hezuo – a nine-story pavilion with over 10,000 murals. In the afternoon, proceed to Linxia to explore the Muslim Bazaar and Gongbei (Sufi mausoleums).

    Accommodation: Linxia Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 13      

    Linxia – Lanzhou


    Visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark and the Giant Buddha Temple, home to Asia's largest indoor reclining Buddha. In the afternoon, cross the Qilian Mountains and enter the Qinghai Plateau.

    Accommodation: Qilian County Hotel

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 14      

    Lanzhou – Departure


    Transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule for your return flight to Beijing.

    Accommodation: None

    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (own expense) / Dinner (own expense)