Chengdu's teahouses to the Potala Palace — driven the gentle way, for relaxed travellers. Your own vehicle, your own guide, and a route planned so the altitude never outruns you.
Altitude is the first question everyone asks. The air in Lhasa holds about 70% of the oxygen you are used to — so this route sleeps low at first, crosses the highest pass in the middle of the trip, then rests three nights in Lhasa before you fly home. The highest point of the road, Dongda Pass at 5,130 m, is a short photo stop on Day 4, not a place you sleep.
A private road journey for your own group — your dates, your pace. Best from April to October. Tibet permits need at least 20 days; we handle all the paperwork for you.
Every day, every stay and every date can be tailored around the way you want to travel — a slower morning, an extra valley, a different hotel.
Distances and drive times are approximate. We shorten any day that feels long — your comfort sets the pace. Not included: flights or trains to Chengdu and from Lhasa; shuttle buses inside some scenic areas; tips (about US$6 per guest per day); single-room supplement and personal expenses; extra costs from weather or delays; international travel insurance (required).
| At a glance | What you get |
|---|---|
| Hotels | 10 nights — 7 × 4-star, 3 × 3-star, all approved for foreign guests, twin share |
| Meals | All breakfasts + main meals |
| Crew | Bilingual guide (Chinese & English) + licensed Tibetan-plate driver |
| Tickets & permits | First-entry tickets to all listed sights; Tibet permits and paperwork handled |
| Comfort | Airport pickup in Chengdu, drop-off in Lhasa, gifts & oxygen on board |
| Not included | Long-distance transport to Chengdu / from Lhasa, scenic-area shuttle buses, tips (≈US$6/day), single supplement, travel insurance (required) |
Days 1–3 leave the basin gently and climb to the plateau's edge. Days 4–6 cross into Tibet — the highest pass, the famous 72 bends, a glacier. Days 7–10 bring the forests of Nyingchi, the holy lake, and Lhasa itself.
Arrive in Chengdu and meet your guide at the airport. A free afternoon for the slow side of the city — Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li or Jinli. Welcome dinner and a short trip briefing in the evening.
Up the Dadu River valley, over Zheduo Pass (4,298 m — your first real mountain), through the old town of Kangding, and on to Xinduqiao, the photographer's paradise. A relaxed first driving day — about 6.5 hours with stops for tea and photos.
Litang — the "Sky City", birthplace of the 7th Dalai Lama — then the Yalong River canyon and Haizi Pass (4,700 m) down to Batang, the last town in Sichuan. Sleeping low again tonight, on purpose.
Cross the Lancang River and enter Tibet. Then the highest point of the journey: Dongda Pass at 5,130 m — a short stop for the view, no exertion — before the descent to Zogang.
Bangda Grassland and its nomad camps, over Yela Pass (4,839 m), then down the famous Nujiang 72 Bends — a staircase of asphalt, more than a kilometre of switchbacks into the gorge. Sit back, breathe, and take the photograph everyone takes home. The day ends at Ranwu Lake, the largest lake in eastern Tibet.
Laigu Glacier — a maritime glacier, the lowest-altitude glacier in China, its main peak 6,800 m and as pure as jade. In the afternoon we follow the Parlung Zangbo canyon down to Bomi, and the night drops to 2,720 m: a restful stop by design.
Gangyun Forest — a gentle, mostly flat walk that can be shortened or skipped entirely; your guide walks at your pace — then Guxiang Lake and Lulang. From Sejila Pass (4,720 m) we look for Mt. Namcha Barwa (7,782 m), the most beautiful peak in China.
Basum Tso — a national 5A scenic area, "green water" in Tibetan and a sacred lake of the Nyingma school: snow peaks, forests, waterfalls and pastures in one place. Then the road runs on to Lhasa.
The Potala Palace — a World Heritage site begun in the 7th century — with a group photo from Medicine Mountain, the viewpoint on the back of the ¥50 note. Then the Jokhang Temple (647 AD), home of the 12-year-old Shakyamuni statue, and a gentle walk around the Barkhor circuit.
Over Gampa La Pass (4,798 m) to Yamdrok Lake — 675 km² of turquoise water at 4,441 m, one of the three holy lakes of Tibet. Return to Lhasa for a farewell evening in the city.
Your guide and driver see you to the airport or the railway station — with a last check of belongings, and a road's worth of photographs.
Distances and drive times are approximate. We shorten any day that feels long — your comfort sets the pace. The order of sights may adjust for weather, road conditions and permit time slots; safety always outranks the schedule.
Yes — it is built for a gentle pace. You sleep low at first, cross the highest pass in the middle of the trip, and rest three nights in Lhasa at the end. Walking is optional almost everywhere, oxygen is on board, and we shorten any day that feels long — your comfort sets the pace.
Lhasa, your highest night, sits at 3,650 m, where the air holds about 70% of the oxygen you are used to — mild breathlessness is normal and passes. We send simple habits with your booking: go gently on day one, skip alcohol and cigarettes for the first days, drink water often, and consider remedies like rhodiola. If you have heart or lung conditions, please check with your doctor before booking.
Very little is compulsory. The one notable walk — Gangyun Forest on Day 7 — is gentle and mostly flat, can be shortened or skipped entirely, and your guide walks at your pace. Viewpoints, lakes and monasteries are all reached within a few minutes' walk of the vehicle.
Yes — foreign travellers need a Tibet Travel Permit and supporting documents, which must be issued through a licensed agency. We handle all the paperwork for you as part of the journey. Permits need at least 20 days, so it is best to enquire a month or more ahead of your preferred dates.
Best from April to October. Spring and autumn give the clearest mountain views; summer is greener but wetter in the afternoons. The high passes can hold snow outside the season, so we do not operate the route in winter.
Flights or trains to Chengdu and from Lhasa; shuttle buses inside some scenic areas; tips — about US$6 per guest per day; single-room supplement and personal expenses; extra costs from weather or delays; and international travel insurance, which is required. We are happy to suggest flight routings from Vancouver or Toronto.
Yes — every day, every stay and every date can be tailored around the way you want to travel. Tell us what you would change and we will re-plan the route around it.
No automated sales sequence — just a reply from a person who runs this road. We usually answer within one working day, with the permits timeline for your dates.