SICHUAN TRAVEL KHAM - SELF TOUR HELP!!

SICHUAN TRAVEL KHAM - SELF TOUR HELP!!
May 11, 2026 18:39
guest23766	Hi everyone, My partner and I will be going on holiday to Sichuan for 14 days to visit Tibetan Kham independently, renting a car. I have already completed all the steps for the temporary driving permit, and I speak basic Chinese, around HSK 3–4 level. We arrive in Chengdu on August 1 at 6:00 AM and depart from Chengdu on August 15 at 1:40 AM. After doing some research on forums and websites, we found a nice itinerary, which I then “fine-tuned” by including some stops I really wanted to make and optimizing it a bit with GPT’s help. However, the trip still feels very packed. I am therefore asking for advice from those with more experience on how to optimize the itinerary better, and where it might be worth spending an extra night in order to have more time for visits. If Yarchen Gar is definitely not visitable — where can I get reliable information about this? — I would choose a different route and save some time. I know Yading is “out of the way,” but I really care about visiting it, although I am not sure whether it is recommended in August. Thank you all for your valuable help. Chengdu –> Dujiangyan –> Wolong –> Siguniang Shan –> Danba –> Tagong –> Luhuo -> Garze -> Manigango -> Yilhun Lhatso –> Dege –> Pelyul -> Yarchen Gar Garze -> Xinlong -> Litang -> Daocheng -> Yading -> Yajiang -> Xinduqiao -> Kangding -> Yaan -> Chengdu Day Route Plan August 1 Chengdu Arrival at 6:00 AM. Pick up the car, check the temporary driving permit, SIM/eSIM, Chinese apps, rest. Do not head to the plateau after an intercontinental flight. August 2 Chengdu → Dujiangyan → Wolong → Siguniangshan Town Quick visit to Dujiangyan only. Wolong only if you want to see pandas. Sleep in Siguniangshan/Rilong. August 3 Siguniangshan Full day. Easy choice: Shuangqiao Valley. More hiking-oriented choice: partial Changping Valley. Sleep again in Siguniangshan. The official site lists Shuangqiao, Changping, and Haizi as the main valleys, with separate tickets and different activities. August 4 Siguniangshan → Xiaojin → Danba → Zhonglu Tibetan Village, 中路藏寨 Shorter day, useful for acclimatization. Sleep in Zhonglu or Danba. If you have time: Suopo watchtowers. August 5 Danba/Zhonglu → Bamei → Tagong Scenic road. In the afternoon: Tagong Monastery, grassland, Muya Monastery, 木雅大寺, and possibly Gunong/Balang Shengdu if the sky is clear. Sleep in Tagong. August 6 Tagong → Bamei → Longdeng Grassland, 龙灯草原 → Daofu → Luhuo → Kasa Lake → Garze. August 7 Garze → Dargye Monastery → Manigango → Yilhun Lhatso → Dege August 8 Dege → Dege Parkhang → Garze Morning at Dege Parkhang and Gonchen. August 9 Garze → Xinlong → Tsoka Lake → Litang August 10 Litang → Daocheng → Shangri-La Town / Riwa August 11 Shangri-La Town → Yading → Shangri-La Town August 12 Yading short route → Litang August 13 Litang → Yajiang → Xinduqiao → Kangding August 14 Kangding → Luding → Ya’an → Shangli Ancient Town → Chengdu/airpor

May 11, 2026 18:39

guest23766

Hi everyone,

My partner and I will be going on holiday to Sichuan for 14 days to visit Tibetan Kham independently, renting a car. I have already completed all the steps for the temporary driving permit, and I speak basic Chinese, around HSK 3–4 level.
We arrive in Chengdu on August 1 at 6:00 AM and depart from Chengdu on August 15 at 1:40 AM.
After doing some research on forums and websites, we found a nice itinerary, which I then “fine-tuned” by including some stops I really wanted to make and optimizing it a bit with GPT’s help. However, the trip still feels very packed.

I am therefore asking for advice from those with more experience on how to optimize the itinerary better, and where it might be worth spending an extra night in order to have more time for visits.

If Yarchen Gar is definitely not visitable — where can I get reliable information about this? — I would choose a different route and save some time. I know Yading is “out of the way,” but I really care about visiting it, although I am not sure whether it is recommended in August.

Thank you all for your valuable help.

Chengdu –> Dujiangyan –> Wolong –> Siguniang Shan –> Danba –> Tagong –> Luhuo -> Garze -> Manigango -> Yilhun Lhatso –> Dege –> Pelyul -> Yarchen Gar Garze -> Xinlong -> Litang -> Daocheng -> Yading -> Yajiang -> Xinduqiao -> Kangding -> Yaan -> Chengdu

Day Route Plan
August 1 Chengdu Arrival at 6:00 AM. Pick up the car, check the temporary driving permit, SIM/eSIM, Chinese apps, rest. Do not head to the plateau after an intercontinental flight.

August 2 Chengdu → Dujiangyan → Wolong → Siguniangshan Town Quick visit to Dujiangyan only. Wolong only if you want to see pandas. Sleep in Siguniangshan/Rilong.

August 3 Siguniangshan Full day. Easy choice: Shuangqiao Valley. More hiking-oriented choice: partial Changping Valley. Sleep again in Siguniangshan. The official site lists Shuangqiao, Changping, and Haizi as the main valleys, with separate tickets and different activities.

August 4 Siguniangshan → Xiaojin → Danba → Zhonglu Tibetan Village, 中路藏寨 Shorter day, useful for acclimatization. Sleep in Zhonglu or Danba. If you have time: Suopo watchtowers.

August 5 Danba/Zhonglu → Bamei → Tagong Scenic road. In the afternoon: Tagong Monastery, grassland, Muya Monastery, 木雅大寺, and possibly Gunong/Balang Shengdu if the sky is clear. Sleep in Tagong.

August 6 Tagong → Bamei → Longdeng Grassland, 龙灯草原 → Daofu → Luhuo → Kasa Lake → Garze.

August 7 Garze → Dargye Monastery → Manigango → Yilhun Lhatso → Dege

August 8 Dege → Dege Parkhang → Garze Morning at Dege Parkhang and Gonchen.

August 9 Garze → Xinlong → Tsoka Lake → Litang

August 10 Litang → Daocheng → Shangri-La Town / Riwa

August 11 Shangri-La Town → Yading → Shangri-La Town

August 12 Yading short route → Litang

August 13 Litang → Yajiang → Xinduqiao → Kangding

August 14 Kangding → Luding → Ya’an → Shangli Ancient Town → Chengdu/airpor

Sep 10, 2026 16:55	#1
KENNYOMGGA Points: Join Date: Sep 10, 2026 Status: Offline	Yarchen Gar has been tricky to enter lately. You might need a local guide or updated permit info. For Yading in August, rain is common but the scenery is green. I'd add extra nights around Tagong or Litang to ease the drive. What's your backup plan if Yarchen Gar says no?

Sep 10, 2026 16:56	#2
KENNYOMGGA Points: Join Date: Sep 10, 2026 Status: Offline	anyway, you can check recent entries on travel forums; it’s often restricted.
KENNYOMGGA Points: Join Date: Sep 10, 2026 Status: Offline	Last edited by KENNYOMGGA: Sep 10, 2026 01:58

Nov 1, 2026 15:44

GUEST96210

Hi, your route looks wonderful, but it is also very full, so it is worth checking distance and travel time leg by leg before you lock in hotels and driving days.

A straight-line distance can be misleading in western Sichuan. Two places can look close on a map, yet the driving distance can be much longer because of mountain roads, passes, valleys, road works and August weather. The same applies to train travel: check the actual route, the station location, the departure time and the total door-to-door time, not just the distance between two city names.

I would check each day separately, especially August 2, August 6 and August 13. A long drive plus sightseeing, a high pass, lunch and fuel stops can easily fill a whole day. If a leg is shown as five or six hours of driving, allow extra time for transfers, traffic, photo stops and checking in, and try not to plan a major visit after a long drive.

It can also help to keep one night flexible, arrive earlier on your first day after the 6:00 AM arrival, and leave a buffer before your early departure on August 15. That way a slower day does not push every later stop back.

Have a great trip!

— Arnaldo

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