| Day 1 |
Arrival in Chengdu, Sichuan. Airport pick-up and transfer to our hotel. |
| Day 2 |
Sightseeing in Chengdu and a visit to the Panda breeding center. We get our Tibet permits and drivers' licences. |
| Day 3 |
On the way to China´s tea capitol Yaan we stop in an old Chinese village for Lunch and a little stroll. |
| Day 4 |
We leave the plains behind and ride our Zipstars up to an altitude of 2.600 m / 8.530 ft. Kangding, our stay for the night, used to be a trading post between China and Tibet for centuries. |
| Day 5 |
On our way from Kangding to Yajiang we reach almost 5.000 m / 16.400 ft. Deep gorges and the first yaks. |
| Day 6 |
Further along the ridge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau we dive deeper into Tibetan culture towards Litang at an altitude of 4.100 m / 13.450 ft. The short ride gives us enough time to visit the Chöde monastery built during the reign of the 3rd Dalai Lama. |
| Day 7 |
There is a chance that some of us had problems with the altitude, therefore the night in Batang at 2.490 m / 8.170 ft will give us time to recover. |
| Day 8 |
Along wild gorges and across 5.000 m / 16.400 ft passes we ride up to Dzogang (3.800 m / 12.470 ft) |
| Day 9 |
Picturesque villages and Chorten which reminds us of Ladakh and, of course, a few passes await us today. |
| Day 10 |
Pine forests, the spectacular Sundzom valley flanked by snow covered, rugged mountains which could make you feel like you're in Utah or Arizona... without Buddhist monasteries. |
| Day 11 |
Passes, forests, monasteries and a holy "Bon" mountain as well as a few 7.000 m / 22.965 ft mountain giants delight us today. |
| Day 12 |
We reach the Brahmaputra (Yarlung) – valley and, with it, the oldest Tibetan settlements. |
| Day 13 |
Good road conditions provided we turn off the Lhamo - Latso Oracle Lake today, on our way to Tsetang. |
| Day 14 |
We leave the Yarlung-valley after about 100 km / 62 mi and wind our way up the road to Kamba La (4.794 m / 15.720 ft). After a lunch stop we travel on to Karo La Pass (5.010 m / 16.430 ft). A glacier almost touches the road here. Along the turqouise waters of the holy Yamdrok-Tso we ride to Gyantse. |
| Day 15 |
Before leaving Gyantse today we visit the Pelkor Chöde monastery and the Kumbum Chorten, the only walk-in Stupa in Tibet. We have lunch in Shigatse and get a first impression of Tibet's second largest city before we head on to Sakya. |
| Day 16 |
From Sakya back to highway 318 and across the Gyatso La Pass (5.220 m / 17.125 ft) to Shegar. |
| Day 17 |
A few kilometers after Shegar we turn off the Friendship highway and wind up to the Pang-pass (5.120 m / 16.797 ft). Weather provided we can enjoy a great Himalayan panorama from Kanzendonga to Xishpangma including Mt. Everest! We stay at the Rongphu monastery guest house at 4.980 m / 16.340 ft. |
| Day 18 |
We get up early in the morning and, depending on the regulations, ride our bikes or get driven up to the Everest Base Camp. Be sure to have enough memory-cards and fresh batteries for your camera! Later on we head back to Shegar. |
| Day 19 |
Again we cross the Gyatso-La but this time we turn north after Lhatse to take a less traveled road back to Shigatse where we will stay for the next 2 nights. |
| Day 20 |
The 1447 built Tashilunpo monastery is the home of the Panchen Lama. It is without doubt one of the most impressive of all Tibetan monasteries; not just for its gold covered roofs and the giant Buddha gilded with 250 kg / 551 lbs of gold. |
| Day 21 |
We head back to Lhasa on the northern leg of the Friendship Highway. Time to say goodbye to our Yamahas. |
| Day 22 |
A day to visit one of the famous monasteries, explore the ancient center of Lhasa or visit the Potala Palace. |
| Day 23 |
After Breakfast it is time to say farewell Tibet. Airport transfer and flight back home. |
