Day 1 |
Arrival in Chengdu and health check to get our drivers licence. |
Day 2 |
We leave Chengdu and head towards the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. |
Day 3 |
On our way we make our first stop at an old Chinese settlement and later on we visit our fist Tibetan village. Night at Markang. |
Day 4 |
Awesome scenery on the way to Danba. We stay at the lovely Tibetan village, Jiaju. |
Day 5 |
We follow the Yak River Gorge towards the Tagong grasslands and Mt. Yala to Xinduqiao (3.460 m / 11.350 ft) |
Day 6 |
The worlds highest city Litang (4.020 m / 13.188 ft) and Choede gompa are on our menu today. |
Day 7 |
We have to climb the Tuer pass (4.700 m / 15.420 ft) to reach Sichuans "Shangri-La" and the Yading Nature Reserve. |
Day 8 |
A day at the Yading park and its breathtaking scenery and some hours spent walking or on horseback instead of riding bikes... |
Day 9 |
Via Daocheng and the NoName mountain to Xiangcheng. |
Day 10 |
Diverse scenery and villages line our way to Derong. |
Day 11 |
Soon after leaving Derong we enter Yunnan province. We follow Jinsha river before we start our ascent towards Shangri-La County and Zhongdian (3.200 m / 10.500 ft). |
Day 12 |
A backroad brings us to Bashutai winter terraces before we reach Jangtse Kiang river. We cross the "Tiger Leaping Gorge" before we reach Lijiang. |
Day 13 |
A day in and around Lijiang, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its marvellous Old City and the culture of the Naxi people. |
Day 14 |
An up and down ride brings us up to 2.700 m / 8.860 ft and Lugu-Lake. |
Day 15 |
A day to relax at the lake and get in touch with the Mosu minority people. |
Day 16 |
At the western end of the lake we reach Sichuan province again. At night we stay at Xichang, center of the Yi minority. |
Day 17 |
At the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau we still have to conquer a few valleys and passes before reaching Shimian. |
Day 18 |
We reach one of the China's tea centers, Yaan. |
Day 19 |
On our last day's ride we stop at the old Chinese city of Shangli before reaching Chengdu. |
Day 20 |
Leaving Chengdu today... |