Day 1. Xining – Kumbum Monastery – Qinghai Lake – Tri’ka / Gui’de County [2205m]
Drive to Kumbum, a famous monastery located 25km southwest of Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province. Kumbum is home to over 600 monks and has some great hills around the monastery to hike. Kumbum is also famous being the birth place of Je Tsongkapa, who founded Geluk pa sect which is the most influential sect in Tibet. From Kumbum, head to Qinghai Lake, the biggest lake in China. If you wishes to ride a horse, you can hire a horse and ride along the shore from local Tibetans with paying small tip. Afterward, drive east to the sand dunes and then down to the small town of Trika or Gui’de Xian in Chinese. If you are happen to be there for sunset at the old yellow river bridge is an amazing bonus for this day.
Day 2. Tri’ka – Kamra / Kanbula National Park – Rebkong / Tongren [2480m]
Trika is one of the lowest town in Qinghai Province in the northwest of China. It is also known as the most clean part of Yellow River. Yellow River is greener than Yellow in this part of stream. Visit Jokhang Temple in the morning, a small temple named after the the Buddha’s statue inside in main temple. Then drive along a tributary of Yellow River and you will reach a forest and now you are already inside the Kanbula Park. Before continue drive up on the mountain, you have an option to visit a hidden nunnery by turning left down to the narrow valley, the nunnery called Achung Namdzong Nunnery which once became one of the most important meditation center in Amdo Tibet. It is surrounded by steep high red clay mountains which also called Danxia styel earth formation. Afterwards, continue drive up on the mountain to have a panoramic view of Kanbula Park, Danxia Red clay mountains and Artificial lake formed by Yellow River Hydropower Station. Then drive downwards to Jantsa and continuing drive to Rebkong along the Yellow River.
Day 3. Rebkong – labrang / Xiahe [2900m]
Visit the Rongwu Gonchen monastery, upper and lower Sangeshong monastery and Artist villages and families. You will have the opportunity to see Tibetan artists painting traditional scroll thangka in this village. Then continue drive along a narrow valley, past small villages and temples to a vast grassland called Gangya Grassland. Once you arrive in Labrang. Explore the town of Xiahe.
Day 4. Labrang /Xiahe [2900m]
Today, a monk will give you a tour of one of the most famous monasteries in Amdo – Labrang Monastery. Afternoon, you can either hike around the monastery or make a circumambulation along the pilgrimage route around the monastery following by local pilgrims.
Day 5. Labrang – Xunhua – Dongri Lhatso Lake/Menda Tianchi Lake – Xining [2270m]
Drive to Xunhua, visit the hometown of 10th Panchen Lama, the second high rank of Tibet after Dalai Lama. Then drive up to Dongri Lhatso Lake. After drive about 12km, you will reach a car park, from where it will take some 40mins to hike steeply uphill to the shores of the Dongri Lhatso Lake within in the Menda Reserve. Afterwards, drive back to Xining and get a good rest and good food.
Day 6. Depart Xining
Say goodbye to Amdo and your Amdo team
Itineraries are subject to change without prior notice.
