Shaman Festival – Option #2
Shaman Festival – Option #2
Trip Details
- Trip Duration
- 1 day
- Group Size
- 2-8
- Trip Type
- Cultural Trips
- Trip Location
- Amdo Tibet
Trip Details
- Trip Duration
- 1 day
- Group Size
- 2-8
- Trip Type
- Cultural Trips
- Trip Location
- Amdo Tibet
No trip content available.
Day 1 - July 22, 2027
In the mid-morning, we will meet you at Xining XNN Airport after baggage claim and transfer you about one hour to our hotel in Xining. Xining is located at 2,280 meters above sea level, and we will begin gradually acclimatizing here before continuing to Rebkong.
1:00 pm – Lunch in Xining, followed by a visit to the Tibetan History Museum to see the world’s longest thangka painting, measuring over 600 meters in length. This remarkable thangka tells the story of the Tibetan people and was painted by 400 local artists over four years.
4:00 pm – Rest at the hotel and relax after your long flight.
5:30 pm – Enjoy an authentic Tibetan dinner in Xining while discussing the itinerary for the week.
8:00 pm – Settle into your hotel in Xining for a good night’s rest.
Day 2 - July 23, 2027
8:30 am – Meet your guide at your hotel in Xining and depart for Qinghai Lake. Drive approximately 2.5 hours (150 km) to Qinghai Lake. At 3,260 meters above sea level, it is China’s largest saltwater lake and one of the holiest lakes in Tibet.
Stop along the way to admire the high grasslands and Tibetan prayer flags overlooking the blue shores of the lake near Tangbo Monastery.
1:30 pm – Enjoy the turquoise shores of Qinghai Lake and relax by the water.
2:30 pm – Drive to Laji Shan to visit the Mountain God Temple and the latse (Tibetan prayer mound), then continue to Guide, a beautiful Tibetan town on the banks of the Yellow River. Visit the Waterwheel Park on the Yellow River.
6:30 pm – Dinner in Guide.
8:00 pm – Overnight at a hotel in Guide.
Day 3 - July 24, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at your hotel in Guide.
8:30 am – Drive about one hour to the entrance of Kanbula National Park, a beautiful park filled with red-rock canyons and dramatic cliffs.
10:00 am – Continue driving through the park’s beautiful canyons and rugged mountains. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way.
1:00 pm – Spend the afternoon hiking through the spectacular red-rock canyons of Kanbula National Park.
3:30 pm – Drive to Rebkong.
7:00 pm – Arrive in Rebkong and enjoy dinner.
8:00 pm – Overnight at a hotel in Rebkong (2,500 meters).
Day 4 - July 25, 2027
7:30 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Rebkong.
8:00 am – Drive about 10 minutes to Longwu Monastery, Qinghai’s largest monastery. Explore its back alleys to gain insight into daily monastic life and discover the origins of Tibetan thangka art, as many of the thangkas found throughout Tibet are produced here.
1:00 pm – Lunch in Rebkong.
2:30 pm – Visit a local village outside Rebkong to experience the Shaman Festival.
6:30 pm – Dinner in Rebkong.
8:30 pm – Overnight at the hotel in Rebkong.
Day 5 - July 26, 2027
7:30 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Rebkong.
8:00 am – Spend the full day viewing and photographing the unique Shaman Festival. Each local village hosts its own version of this festival, which has its origins in the pre-Buddhist traditions of the Bon religion. The village shaman performs unique rituals and dances to honor the local mountain gods while praying for the health of the villagers and a successful harvest.
At the height of the celebration, long needles are placed through the cheeks and into the backs of dancers to the beat of a goatskin drum. This ritual is believed to release evil spirits from within the dancers.
1:00 pm – Lunch near Rebkong.
2:30 pm – Continue experiencing the Shaman Festival. Across all of Tibet, this festival is celebrated only in the Rebkong region.
6:30 pm – Dinner in Rebkong.
8:30 pm – Overnight at the hotel in Rebkong.
Day 6 - July 27, 2027
8:30 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Rebkong.
9:30 am – Continue experiencing the Shaman Festival in different villages around Rebkong.
12:30 pm – Lunch in Rebkong.
1:30 pm – Drive through the high Tibetan grasslands to Ganjia Gorge (3,200 meters).
3:30 pm – Enjoy an afternoon hike through the grasslands, rocky gorges, and past a Buddhist meditation cave.
5:30 pm – Drive about 45 minutes to Labrang.
6:30 pm – Check into your hotel in Labrang (2,900 meters).
7:00 pm – Dinner in Labrang.
Day 7 - July 28, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Labrang.
9:00 am – Walk to the Labrang Thangka Wall to watch Tibetan pilgrims performing prostrations around the monastery.
9:30 am – Enjoy a short 1.5-hour hike in the hills surrounding Labrang Monastery, reaching approximately 3,100 meters. This is an excellent opportunity for acclimatization.
12:30 pm – Lunch in Labrang.
2:30 pm – Set off from the hotel to explore Labrang Monastery, home to more than 1,500 monks and one of the most influential Gelug monasteries on the Tibetan Plateau.
6:00 pm – Dinner in Labrang before returning to the hotel to rest.
Day 8 - July 29, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Labrang.
9:00 am – Drive about three hours to Langmusi, a town on the Gansu–Sichuan border at 3,200 meters.
11:00 am – Stop in the high grasslands to look for black-necked cranes nesting in the wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau near Gyanthan Lake, a high-altitude alpine lake.
12:00 pm – Lunch in Langmusi.
1:00 pm – Check into your hotel in Langmusi.
2:00 pm – Walk to the Thangka Wall for panoramic views and visit Sirti Monastery.
Overnight: Langmusi
Day 9 - July 30, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Langmusi.
9:00 am – Drive to Kirti Monastery on the Sichuan side and spend time exploring the monastery before hiking through Taktsang Lhamo Gorge. The first three kilometers of the trail follow the White Dragon River to its source and provide an easy riverside walk.
12:00 pm – Lunch in Langmusi.
1:00 pm – Drive to Hezuo.
3:30 pm – Arrive in Hezuo and check into the hotel.
4:00 pm – If you wish, visit the Nine-Story Milarepa Temple, which tells the story of one of Tibetan Buddhism’s greatest saints.
6:30 pm – Enjoy a traditional Tibetan dinner in Hezuo.
8:00 pm – Overnight at the hotel in Hezuo.
Day 10 - July 31, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Hezuo.
9:00 am – Drive about 1 hour 40 minutes to the reservoir and take a 30-minute boat ride to the Bingling Temple Grottoes.
11:30 am – Explore the cave grottoes.
1:00 pm – Return by boat across the reservoir.
1:30 pm – Lunch near Bingling Matou.
2:30 pm – Drive to Lanzhou.
5:00 pm – Check into your hotel in Lanzhou.
6:30 pm – Enjoy a farewell dinner in Lanzhou.
8:00 pm – Overnight at the hotel in Lanzhou.
Day 11 - August 1, 2027
8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel in Lanzhou.
Free time until check-out before transferring to Lanzhou Airport or Lanzhou Railway Station for your departure.
Today we say goodbye to the beautiful people and landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau as your journey comes to an end.
Tour ends upon drop-off at Lanzhou Airport or Lanzhou Railway Station.
Price Includes
Your Tibetan Trails journey is designed to provide a seamless and authentic travel experience across the Tibetan Plateau. The tour price includes:
- Accommodation in carefully selected Tibetan boutique hotels, guesthouses, or luxury lodges throughout the itinerary.
- For trekking and backpacking expeditions, all camping arrangements including tents, cooking equipment, pack animals (horses or yaks where required), and support staff. Guests are welcome to bring their own sleeping bag and sleeping pad, though these can also be provided upon request.
- Cultural experiences and nomadic activities as outlined in the itinerary.
- All meals during the tour, typically beginning with lunch or dinner on the first day and continuing through the conclusion of the trip. (Many other travel agencies cut out lunch and dinner for guests to make the prices seem lower, but we believe every traveler should experience the true culinary richness of Tibet and include a generous food budget inside our tours).
- One professional English-speaking Tibetan guide throughout the journey. Our guides have over 15 years of experience with foreigners.
- Private transportation in a comfortable van, SUV, or bus, including all ground transportation specified in the itinerary.
- All entrance fees and permits for attractions, monasteries, parks, and sites included in the itinerary.
- Accommodation and meals for guides, drivers, and support staff.
- Local mountain guides where required for specific trekking routes.
- All required travel permits, legal paperwork, and group insurance required for travel within Tibetan regions.
- Unlimited bottled drinking water throughout the tour.
Price Excludes
The following items are not included in the tour price:
- International or domestic flights and train tickets.
- Personal travel insurance. We require all travelers to obtain their own travel insurance for the duration of their trip. We recommend purchasing coverage through World Nomads or a comparable provider.
- Visa fees, passport fees, and any related travel documentation costs.
- Optional activities or excursions not specifically listed in the itinerary.
- Alcoholic beverages, specialty drinks, and personal snacks.
- Gratuities for guides, drivers, and support staff (recommended for excellent service).
- Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, and telephone charges.
- Costs resulting from itinerary changes, flight delays, weather conditions, altitude-related issues, government restrictions, natural disasters, or other force majeure events beyond our control.
Trip Highlights
- Experience the unique Shaman Festival of Rebkong, one of Tibet’s oldest surviving pre-Buddhist traditions.
- Explore the spectacular red-rock canyons and scenic hiking trails of Kanbula National Park.
- Visit Qinghai Lake, China’s largest saltwater lake and one of Tibet’s most sacred natural sites.
- Discover the artistic heart of Tibet in Rebkong, home to the renowned Longwu Monastery and the birthplace of traditional Tibetan thangka painting.
- Hike through the beautiful Ganjia Grasslands and dramatic mountain gorges on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.
- Explore Labrang Monastery, one of the Six Great Gelug monasteries and one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhist learning.
- Visit Langmusi (Taktsang Lhamo), often called the “Little Switzerland of Tibet,” and hike the picturesque White Dragon River Gorge.
- Cruise across the reservoir to the magnificent Bingling Temple Grottoes, one of China’s finest collections of ancient Buddhist cave art.
- Enjoy authentic Tibetan cuisine, warm local hospitality, and breathtaking landscapes throughout Qinghai, Gansu, and the Tibetan Plateau.