China Serendipity - 2025 Roadtrip

Itinerary

Itinerary
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DAY
1

Arrive in Chengdu

You travel on your own to Chengdu. We will pick you up at the airport and wait at the gate. We drive together to the hotel in the city center. Five stars, in the middle of the temple district, surrounded by the delicious Chengdu noodle shops and cool coffee shops that Berlin-Mitte or Williamsburg would lick its fingers for.
In the evening we go out for hot pot dinner and we'll tell you the trick on how to enjoy the super spicy taste instead of just taking it with you as a test of courage.

Overnight stay in a 5-star luxury hotel in the city center

DAY
2

City and BaiJiu

The pandas have to wait until we get back. First we take a look around the city and slowly get a feel for modern Chinese life. And for Chinese tradition, because we visit the factory of the famous BaiJiu in the city center. After that, we are already a bit prepared for the deep-dive China in the coming days.
In the evening, we have dinner in the first-class restaurant in the hotel, either Western or Chinese for the last time.

Overnight stay in a 5-star luxury hotel in the city center

Breakfast

DAY
3

On the Route 318 - Kangding

After a great breakfast at the hotel, we set off in a relaxed manner towards the west. Route 318 is now a well-known route for young Chinese people as a tour from Chengdu to Lhasa, out of the confines of the megacities and into the incredible vastness of the Tibetan highlands.
We drive to Kangding and sleep with a view of snow-covered, unclimbed mountains after the yaks have passed us by in the evening.

Travel time: approx. 4 hours
Overnight stay in a 3-star homestay in the highlands

Breakfast

DAY
4

Litang - the city under heaven

We reach Litang, one of the highest cities in the world, at just over 4,000 meters. Our hotel has oxygen supply in the rooms for those who have not yet acclimatized.
From here it is almost 1,500 kilometers to Lhasa, which shows us the dimensions of this region. The highland grassland stretches to the horizon, grassy green in summer, flowering in spring, and rather dry brown in autumn and winter. But no matter what time of year it is super impressive in size. With a bit of luck we will see eagles above the grassland. If we travel at the beginning of August, the Tibetan Equestrian Festival is taking place, a unique spectacle, not for tourists, but the “Olympics” of the Tibetan natives here.

Travel time: approx. 5.5 hours
Overnight stay in a 4-star homestay in the highlands

Breakfast

DAY
5

Xiangcheng - how beautiful a city can be?

We drive over various passes up to around 4,800 meters. The landscape changes as does the architecture. From the grassland we move back into the high mountains with sacred lakes and breathtaking serpentines. The architecture also changes, the building style changes several times, but always remains very specifically Tibetan, like something out of a picture book. We keep passing stupas and monasteries. Some of them are open to visitors.
At the end of the day we reach Xiangcheng. We stay in a unique hotel that is unparalleled in this location and with these facilities. The next day we will better understand why there is such a first-class hotel here.

Travel time: approx. 3.5 hours
Overnight stay in a 4-star homestay in the highlands

Breakfast

DAY
6

Shaxi - Marketplace of the Tea-Horse-Route

We continue south with Shangri-La as our intermediate destination. We pass through canyons and are embedded in hundred meter high rocky gorges. Until we come across a stupa, a viewing platform or a dry gorge. We reach Shangri-La, which we inspect from above during a stop at the coffee truck above the town.
However, we avoid the tourist crowds and the clichés in Shangri-La and Lijiang and instead drive through to Shaxi.
Shaxi is home to the only remaining old marketplace on the historic Cha-Ma-GuDao, the Horse Tea Road where tea and other goods were traded between India and ancient China. Today, Shaxi is home to a lot of dropouts who prefer to live a life away from the conventions of modern China in the west of the country. It's up to you to decide whether you prefer one of the hip coffee shops or traditional tea houses.
If anyone has an idea of which city in the world is more beautiful than Shaxi while enjoying a local mushroom hot pot in the evening, you'll get an extra bonus. We sleep in a 5-star homestay in a classic design in the middle of the city, with an inner courtyard and verandas running around the inside.

Travel time: approx. 6 hours
Overnight stay in a 4-star homestay

Breakfast

DAY
7

Liangshan - Relax

We have to slowly turn north again. On the way back to Chengdu we split the route into two parts. We stop in Liangshan, where the Old Town and Qionghai Lake offer opportunities to relax and explore. In the evening we fortify ourselves with local delicacies for the last longer stage the next day.

Travel time: approx. 6 hours
Overnight stay in a 5-star hotel

Breakfast

DAY
8

LeShan - the Old Buddha and the new Whisky

On the way into Chengdu, we stop at the Grand Buddha in Leshan. It has been sitting there for 1,200 years and still looks very fresh.
In the evening, we spend the night next to the newly opened Pernod Richards whisky distillery in Emeishan. After a guided tour of the highly acclaimed, unique architecture, we dine in the distillery's restaurant after the whisky tasting.

Travel time: approx. 6 hours
Overnight stay in a 5-star hotel

Breakfast

DAY
9

no Chengdu without pandas

Since it is forbidden to travel to Chengdu without visiting the pandas, we are not taking any risks and are following the guidelines today. The remarkable thing about Chengdu is that the city really loves its pandas. The panda base is so nicely laid out and the giant and red pandas are so cute that you can't help but be happy about them.
In the afternoon everyone can do whatever they want in Chengdu.
We meet in the evening in the bar on the 61st floor in the highest building in the city and review the journey together with the help of a good drink.

Travel time: approx. 1.5 hours
Overnight stay in a 5-star luxury hotel

Breakfast

DAY
10

departure

After a great breakfast we will take you back to the airport. Enjoy the return flight with great memories.

Breakfast

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This trip can also be tailor-made, please let us know your travel idea: travel date, duration, number of travelers, child (2 - 12 years old), baby (0 - 2 years old), other travel destinations, meals, accommodation category, boutique hotel, special interest ...

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