Overland China Group Tour: From Kyrgyzstan to China, Tibet & Laos2020-12-16T13:42:01+01:00

Overland China group tour Kyrgyzstan – China – Tibet – Laos with your own vehicle

This spectacular journey takes you along the Silk Road from Sary Tash in Kyrgyzstan to Kashgar, Tibet, Yunnan and to the border of Laos. Visit the highlights of Tibet: Mount Kailash, the Tibetans’ holiest mountain, lake Manasarovar and the Everest Base Camp. The trip continues to Lhasa where you visit the Potala Palace. From here, the route continues through eastern Tibet and Yunnan. The highlights of Yunnan are Shangri-La, one of the deepest gorges on earth: the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Lijiang and the historic old town of Dali.
The journey ends at the border of Laos in Xishuangbanna.

Beautiful tour days

Simply 5 stars

Reiner G.

The days were …

… very well coordinated. We all enjoyed the tour. Thanks a lot!

Hendrik L.

On Request

On Request

26 days / 25 nights

Guided open group motorbike and car Overland tour with overnight stays in mid-range hotels, guest houses and simple accommodation. It’s possible to stay in your own vehicle on hotel parking lots overnight.

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From Kyrgyzstan to China, Tibet & Laos Tour – Itinerary

Day 1: Meeting in Sary Tash (Kyrgyzstan)

Meeting in a designated guesthouse in Sary Tash in the morning. Its best to arrive in Sary Tash the previous day (SEP 16).

The journey goes to Torugarts Pass (Kyrgyzstan / China) and on to Kashgar. Meet the guide at the Torugart Port. Customs paperwork. Onward to Kashgar.

Day 2: Sary Tash – Kashgar

On the way to our first stop: Kashgar.

Day 3: Kashgar

Customs paperwork at the Office of Traffic Administration outside of Kashgar. Exhibition temp. Driver’s license, temp. license plate, vehicle inspection, etc. Afterwards free time.

Day 4: Kashgar – Yengisar – Yarkant – Kargilik

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.

Day 5: Kargilik – Mazha

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.

Day 6: Mazha – Duomaxiang

A long day driving across the Tibetan plateau.

Day 7: Duomaxiang – Ali

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.

Day 8: Ali – Manasarovar Lake

Today’s journey ends on the shores of Lake Manasarovar, in which the area most sacred to both Tibetans and Hindus is found: at the foot of Mount Kailash.

Day 9: Lake Manasarovar – Mt. Kailash

The sunrise at Manasarovar is one of the fantastic nature experiences on the Tibetan plateau! Around the lake, there are various monasteries that can be visited. We recommend driving to Darchen at the foot of Kailash and taking a pleasant walk down some of the pilgrimage paths. Here it is possible to take some lovely fotos.

Day 10: Mt. Kailash (Darchen) – Saga

Driving to Saga.

Day 11: Saga – EBC

Riding to the EBC.

Day 12: Everest base camp – Lhatse

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.

Day 13: Lhatse – Shigatse – Gyangze

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.

Day 14: Gyangze – Lhasa

We drive to Lhasa along the Yamdrok Lake and across Kharo-La Pass (4800m).

Day 15: Lhasa

A day visiting Lhasa. In Lhasa, we experience one of the highlights of this China Overland Tour: 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.

Day 16: Lhasa – Ganden – Nyingchi

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.

Day 17: Nyingchi – Ranwuzhen

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.

Day 18: Ranwuzhen – Zogang

The route takes us via Markham along the Yangtze, and the beautiful views are, once more, impressive.

Day 19: Zogang – Deqin (overnight stay at a Tibetan farmer’s home)

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.

Day 20: Deqin – Shangri-la

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.

Day 21: Shangri-La – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Lijiang

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.

Day 22: The day in Lijiang

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.

Day 23: Lijiang – Dali

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 Tibetmoto 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.

Day 24: Dali – Lincang

On the way to Lincang, we arrive in tropical areas. Tea plantations and banana groves replace the forests of northern Yunnan.

Day 25: Lincang – Xishuangbanna (Jinhong)

Journey to the capital city of Xishuangbanna – Jinhong. Here we will experience the lifestyle and architecture of Southeast Asia.

Day 26: Jinhong – Mohanzhen – departure to Laos

The last day of travel in China leads us to the Sino-Laotian border. Customs paperwork. We recommend making the drive to Luang Namtha.

Questions & Answers

Included Services2020-11-17T11:52:42+01:00

Included Services

  • Chinese driving license (temporary)
  • Chinese number plate(temporary)
  • Customs deposit bond
  • Customs clearance
  • 3rd party vehicle insurance
  • All China / Tibet permits
  • All necessary official translations
  • English speaking Tibetmoto guide
  • Expenses for guide traveling to / from borders
  • Meals and accommodation for guide
  • Optional supply vehicle (at additional costs)
  • Advice concerning roads and itineraries
  • Tibetmoto service: Costumer support while on the road from Monday to Sunday, 8 am to 9 pm China time
  • Letter of invitation (LOI) for applying a Chinese visa

Tour Concept by RC Hendrik

About RC Hendrik
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