Overland Route 6: Kyrgyzstan – China – Tibet – Laos
Duration: 30 days
Distance: ca. 6.300 km
Highlights: 3 day Mt. Kailash hike
Best travel time: May, June, September, October
Tourbeschreibung
| Dauer | Beschreibung |
|---|---|
| Tag 01 |
Meet the guide at Irkeshtam border. Customs paperwork. Onward to Kashgar Tagesetappe: ca. 170 km |
| Tag 02 |
Customs paperwork at the Office of Traffic Administration outside of Kashgar. Exhibition temp. Driver’s license, temp. license plate, vehicle inspection, etc. Tagesetappe: ca. 100 km |
| Tag 03 |
Free day (weekend). Visit to the historic old town of Kashgar. Day of rest |
| Tag 04 |
Visit to the Sunday market in Kashgar. Tagesetappe: ca. 50 km |
| Tag 05 |
Stopovers in Yengisar and Yarkant on the way to Kargilik. Yengisar is famous for its traditional knife production. Yarkant is known for its historic old town, the Ammanisaham Mausoleum, and the Altun Mosque. All three places are important oasis stops on the Silk Road. Google Maps for the first 5 days: Tagesetappe: ca. 250 km |
| Tag 06 |
On this day, we ride from the “deep” of the Tarim Basin and the desert-like areas on the Silk Road up into the Tibetan mountain world with the first mountain pass on our journey that is higher than 4000 meters. Tagesetappe: ca. 250 km |
| Tag 07 |
A long day driving across the Tibetan plateau. Tagesetappe: ca. 500 km |
| Tag 08 |
Ali is the administrative capital of western Tibet. Between Ali and Lake Manasarovar, we visit the areas around Tholing with their spectacular views of the Himalayas. Tagesetappe: ca. 230 km |
| Tag 09 |
Today´s destination is lake Manasarovar – a holy lake on the foot of the holiest mountain for Buddhists and Hinuists alike – Mt. Kailash. Tagesetappe: ca. 250 km |
| Tag 10 |
First hiking day around Mt. Kailash. The first days brings you to Chöku manstery and into the valley of Indus river on the north-east face of the mountain. The day´s destination is Dirapuk monastery (5000m) which offers excellent views on the east face of Mt. Kailash. |
| Tag 11 |
On the second day you will cross 5650 meter high Drölma La pass. Hiking to the pass takes around 3 – 5 hours, depending on you physical strength. Often, the pass is snow covered. Tibetans believe that they symbolically experience birth, death and reincarnation by surrounding the mountain clockwise. You will stay overnight at Dzutrulphuk monastery (4800m). After Drölma La its another 9 km to there. |
| Tag 12 |
The last part of circumbulation leads you back to Darchen. This is only a half day walk and rather relaxing than challenging. |
| Tag 13 |
Google Maps: Tagesetappe: ca. 480 km |
| Tag 14 |
We drive along Lake Pelkhu Tso, which is located directly on the Himalayan backbone. During the day’s journey, we drive on the Friendship Highway to Tingri. From there, the journey follows a spectacular byway leading to Rongbuk (5000 m), the famous monastery at the foot of Mount Everest. Tagesetappe: ca. 300 km |
| Tag 15 |
We visit the base camp in the morning at sunrise. The traveling time to the camp is about 1.5 hours. After that, we drive to Lhatse. Tagesetappe: ca. 200 km |
| Tag 16 |
We visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, one of the largest monasteries in Tibet. It was formerly the seat of His Holiness the Panchen Lama. During the two-hour walking tour through the monastery, we will be able to see the huge, gilded grave monuments of the Panchen Lamas and visit the impressive central meeting hall. The journey continues to Gyangze. Tagesetappe: ca. 245 km |
| Tag 17 |
We drive to Lhasa along the Yamdrok Lake. Attention: This day marks the begiining of the October holidays in China. You should pre-arrange hotel bookings through your guide. Tagesetappe: ca. 280 km |
| Tag 18 |
A day visiting Lhasa. In Lhasa, we experience one of the high points of our Tibetan journey: the Potala Palace. We take a walk through the old city and visit the temple that is most important to the Tibetans, the Jokhang temple. Google Maps for days 14-18: |
| Tag 19 |
From Lhasa, the route leads to the Ganden Monastery, another spectacular monastery. It is built at an elevation of over 4,000 metres, overlooking a wide gorge. After a short visit to the monastery, we continue to Nyingchi. Tagesetappe: ca. 410 km |
| Tag 20 |
The next two days we travel down from the Tibetan plateau along mountains and woods that are often covered with snow. The landscape is changing, and the regions are increasingly forested. Tagesetappe: ca. 290 km |
| Tag 21 |
The route takes us via Markham along the Yangtze, and the beautiful views are, once more, impressive. Tagesetappe: ca. 290 km |
| Tag 22 |
We have arranged something special for this day, one of the last days in the Tibetan area: spending the night with a Tibetan family in a traditional Tibetan farm on the banks of the Mekong near Deqen. Here you can experience life in a small Tibetan village. Our Tibetan family likes to cook the local, traditional dishes for our guests. This trip is optional. You also have the possibility to stay overnight in Deqen. Tagesetappe: ca. 380 km |
| Tag 23 |
The journey to Shangri-la. In the historic old town of Shangri-la, we visit the largest prayer wheel in the world. There are two routes to Shangri-la: The longer route along the Mekong and another across the main road G214. Google Maps for days 19-23: Tagesetappe: ca. 200 km |
| Tag 24 |
We drive to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Lijiang. Along the way, we drive through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. It is possible to do a hiking tour in the gorge (2.5 hrs. hiking time), hiking to the Tiger Leaping Stone. In the town of Lijiang, there is the possibility of taking a walk through the historic old town and visiting the Black Dragon Pools. This is the day when we finally leave the world of the Tibetans. The Naxi and other minorities live in Lijiang. Tagesetappe: ca. 320 km |
| Tag 25 |
Lijiang and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer the traveller. Baisha and Shuhe are old towns at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains, and it is worthwhile to take a break and relax here. The day in Basha and Shuhe can also serve as a flex day if it turns out that the trip schedule cannot be kept. |
| Tag 26 |
A short drive to Dali via the new highway. We visit the Three Pagodas in Dali and the old town. In Dali, there will be an opportunity to get to know the Tibet Moto team personally. We will be pleased to invite you to drink a beer or a cup of coffee with us. On the way to Dali, we can also visit the old town of Shaxi on the Tea Road. Tagesetappe: ca. 190 km |
| Tag 27 |
Half a day for rest and relaxation. In the afternoon, we take a short drive to Weishan. Weishan has one of the most beautiful historic, “untouristy” old towns of Yunnan. There is also the option of spending another night in Dali. The day in Basha and Shuhe can also serve as a flex day if it turns out that the trip schedule cannot be kept. Tagesetappe: ca. 100 km |
| Tag 28 |
On the way to Lincang, we arrive in tropical areas. Tea plantations and banana groves replace the forests of northern Yunnan. Tagesetappe: ca. 230 km |
| Tag 29 |
Journey to the capital city of Xishuangbanna – Jinhong. Here we will experience the lifestyle and architecture of Southeast Asia. Tagesetappe: ca. 400 km |
| Tag 30 |
The last day of travel in China leads us to the Sino-Laotian border. Customs paperwork. We recommend making the drive to Luang Namtha. Google Maps for the days 24 – 30: Tagesetappe: ca. 190 km (in China) |
Google Maps for the entire trip: https://goo.gl/maps/Knm66FG3RTP2