Amdo Labrang Via Songpan Tour
Amdo is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Ü-Tsang and Kham. Amdo encompasses a large area from the Machu River (Yellow River) to the Drichu river (Yangtse). Since the 1950s, Amdo has been divided into Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. Today, ethnic Tibetans predominate in the western and southern parts of Amdo, which are now administered as various Tibetan, Tibetan-Qiang, or Mongol-Tibetan autonomous prefectures. Many people in this area are nomads. The people in this area are very friendly and you will always be welcomed for a visit in a nomad tent!
Highlights:
Duration: 08 Daysdays
Destination: Lanzhou,Labrang Monastery,Lhamosi Monastery and Chengdu.
Maximum Altitude: 2500mm
Best Season: Jan to Oct
Photo Spot: Labrang Monastery,Lhamusi and Songpan.
Day01 FLY TO LANZHOU OR STATION
Arrival in Lanzhou and transfer to Xiahe. You will be picked up from Lanzhou airport or train station and transferred to Xiahe. This takes about 5 hours, including a stop in Linxia for bite to eat. Around Lanzhou, we can see many houses made of earth and the mountains are dry and brown. After three hours driving, we come into the beautiful green mountains of Xiahe.
Day02 DRIVE TO LABRANG COUNTY (XIAHE)
Today you will visit the Labrang Monastery. This is the largest Tibetan monastery outside of Tibet province. It houses more than 2000 monks from the Yellow Hat tradition and there are 6 schools of Buddhist teachings. In the morning you will join in with the monastery tour. A monk from the monastery guides this tour in English. In the afternoon, our guide will take you to see the nunnery, with its many sky nuns, and the tantric Red Kap monastery. If you wish, you can climb up one of the hills surrounding the monastery for a bird's eye view of the whole complex.
Day03 EXCURSION
Today you will explore the grasslands
around Xiahe where nomad families live in tents. When invited in their homes
you simply can't refuse the infamous Tibetan yak milk tea and barley
"tsampa". The grasslands are also a beautiful area for hiking. In
summertime the flowers are like a carpet on the meadows.
Day04 DRIVE TO SONGKOK GRASSLAND
First we will visit Hezuo to admire the nine floor Milarepa temple. Inside are beautifully hand painted decorations of Tibetan Buddhist gods and deities. We will arrive in Langmusi at the end of the afternoon.
Day05 DRIVE TO LHAMOSI (LHAMO MONASTERY) AND GORGE
In Langmusi the ancient Tibetan custom of sky burials is still practiced. Sky burials are now limited only to a very small area in Tibet and are a rare sight nowadays. The town of Langmusi is situated partly in Gansu province, and partly in Sichuan province, divided only by a small river. Therefore this small town has two monasteries, one in each province. We will first visit the sky burial site and from there go to the Daceng Lhamo monastery on the Gansu side of town. In the afternoon we go hiking through a beautiful gorge where you can see many eagles and vultures soaring above your head.
Day06 DRIVE TO SONGPAN
Drive from Langmusi to Songpan. On the way you will stop several times for some short hiking trips and other scenic stops.
Day07 EXCURSION
Whole day horse riding trip in the beautiful mountains surrounding Songpan.The horses are tame but the slopes are sometimes quite steep. You will get special horse guides to help you. Today a lunch usually consisting of noodle soup is included.
Day08 DRIVE TO CHENGDU
Drive from Songpan to Chengdu airport or train station.
* Land Transfer by TOYOTA Landcruiser.
* Tibet travel permit.
* Tibetan English speaking guide during the tour
* Twin sharing accommodation as per tour program
* Staff insurance
* Monasteries entrance fees and Grassland fee/Pax and Vehicles,Kailash Kora fee.
* Lunch & dinner (besides camping section),
* Travel insurance,
* Tips for guide and driver,
* Airfare or Train ticket.