Drive: 45 min

Arrive at Xining Railway Station or Xining Airport, where you will be met by our Tibetan guide and driver, who will accompany us throughout our journey in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces. Transfer to your hotel.

Xining is the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau and the capital of Qinghai Province in northwest China. Visit the Tibetan Medical Museum and see the largest thangka in Tibet. After dinner, we will walk through the city to enjoy the Tibetan New Year lights.

Overnight: Xining (L/D)

Drive: 4 hrs

Drive to Rebkong, home to several large Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and a Bon monastery. Rebkong is also famous throughout Tibet for its traditional artists.

On the way, visit Shachung Monastery, located on a mountaintop with spectacular views of the Yellow River Valley.

In the afternoon, visit Sanggeshong Mago (Wutun) Monastery. Today’s highlight is the grand thangka display ceremony on a hillside, where the sacred thangka is unveiled to bestow blessings upon all living beings.

Overnight: Rebkong (B/L/D)

Drive: 45 min

After breakfast, drive to Bongya, home to one of the Bon monasteries near Rebkong. Attend Bon religious ceremonies.

In the afternoon, we will adjust the program as needed to experience as many village ceremonies and Shaman Festival activities as possible.

Overnight: Rebkong (B/L/D)

In the morning, drive about 10 km to Gomar Monastery to witness the remarkable gathering of local villagers sharing breakfast together at the monastery. This may well be the largest communal breakfast in the world. Local Tibetans bring milk tea and breakfast to the monastery, share stories from the past year, and express their hopes for the coming year.

Afterwards, drive to Sanggeshong Mago to enjoy the Cham Dance. This sacred masked dance tradition dates back more than 500 years. According to tradition, the Fourth Panchen Lama experienced the dances of Shambhala during meditation, inspiring the Cham tradition, while the Fifth Dalai Lama later formalized the dances in the Cham Yig. Over the centuries, each monastery has developed its own distinctive interpretations.

Cham performances feature sacred masked dances, ritual music, healing chants, and richly ornamented, multicolored costumes. The dancers use symbolic hand gestures known as mudras to transmit the blessings of the deities. Together with narration and a demonstration of monastic debate, the performance offers a fascinating glimpse into both ancient and contemporary Tibetan culture.

Overnight: Rebkong (B/L/D)

Drive: 4 hrs

After breakfast, drive about two hours to Labrang.

Labrang Monastery is one of the Six Great Gelug (Yellow Hat) monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded in 1709, it is home to more than 2,000 monks and is one of the most important centers for Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Thousands of Tibetan pilgrims visit each year.

After exploring the monastery and having lunch, continue to Machu County for the night.

“Machu” means Yellow River in Tibetan. Located on the northern bank of the upper Yellow River, the area is well known for its vast grasslands and yak herds.

Overnight: Machu

Drive: 5 hrs, approximately 300 km to Aba.

“Aba” means the drummer in Tibetan. According to local tradition, it was here that King Songtsen Gampo honored his warriors during the 7th century.

For centuries, Aba has been one of the largest nomadic regions in eastern Tibet and an important center of Tibetan culture, religion, trade, and communication. During the festival season, visitors experience an exceptionally authentic atmosphere, as local traditions have remained largely untouched by outside influences.

Overnight: Aba

As in Rebkong, different monasteries in Aba hold different festival events each day. We will remain flexible and attend as many ceremonies as possible.

Highlights include visits to Jonang and Bonpo monasteries, masked dances, traditional prayers, the great offering and destruction of torma (ritual sculptures representing evil spirits), and colorful horseback processions by local villagers at Kirti Gonpa and Nangshock Gonpa.

Today’s highlight is the grand hillside thangka display ceremony at Gormer Monastery in the morning, followed by a visit to Jonang Monastery after lunch.

Overnight: Aba

After breakfast, drive to Gormer Monastery to enjoy masked dances, traditional prayers, the ceremonial offering and destruction of torma, and the colorful horse parade.

Overnight: Aba

After breakfast, drive to Jonang Gonpa to attend the Thangka Festival.

In the afternoon, visit Bonpo monasteries.

In the evening, visit Kirti Monastery to admire the famous exhibition of illuminated yak butter sculptures.

Overnight: Aba

After breakfast, drive to Nangshock Gonpa to enjoy the Bonpo Cham Dance (ritual dance).

Overnight: Aba

Drive: 7 hrs

After breakfast, drive approximately seven hours to Chengdu, enjoying beautiful scenery along the way with a stop for lunch.

Overnight: Chengdu

After breakfast, enjoy a full-day tour of Chengdu, including the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Wenshu Temple (founded during the Tang Dynasty), and People’s Park.

In the evening, enjoy a farewell banquet featuring authentic Chengdu hotpot.

Overnight: Chengdu

Free time until hotel check-out, followed by a transfer to Chengdu Airport for your departure flight.

Meals: B/L