Arrive at Chengdu

Chengdu - We will welcome you at the airport and take you to your hotel. You are free to refresh and relax before we hold a briefing about the trip later in the afternoon.

With your guides, you will go through the itinerary and learn about local road safety and cultural considerations, and also have the opportunity to ask us any questions you may have.

Chengdu-Panda Valley-Jiezi Ancient Town, hike Mount Fengqi

Panda Valley - Cycling Distance: 20km
Hiking Distance: 6km

We will start the day by taking a short drive to Dujiangyan Panda Valley and visiting the adorable giant pandas and cubs at this research base dedicated to rehabilitating pandas back into the wild. Panda Valley, although having fewer pandas, is much quieter than the research base in Chengdu city, allowing for a more intimate experience.

From Panda Valley you will begin your ride on a calm country road which provides views of the mountains marking the beginning of the Tibetan Plateau on your right. We will pass the foot of the religiously important Qingcheng Mountain and then ride on to Jiezi Ancient Town, historically one of the last towns before the Tibetan Plateau on the Tea Horse Road. You will spend some time exploring the alleyways and learning about the history of this important riverside town, before sitting down to some traditional local food.

Jiezi Ancient Town - In the afternoon hike Fengqi Mountain near Jiezi, and Fengqi Mountain is not as famous as Qingcheng Mountain in the nearby area, and therefore there are less tourists here. But its natural scenery is also quite beautiful. You will slowly walk in the trails winding in the bamboos and woods of the mountain, and you will also pass local houses along the way. When getting to the top, you will arrive at a Buddhism Monastery that is not so well-known, but quite worth a visit.

Jiezi-Chongqing Road-Anren Ancient Town

Anren Ancient Town - Cycling Distance: 50km
No hiking today, but you may walk around in the town to visit the museums.

Today our ride continues along one of Sichuan’s most beautiful, and less-explored country roads, Chongqing Road. It will take you through beautiful countryside and villages, before we finish the ride on the outskirts of Anren, dubbed ‘China’s Museum Town’. We will drive the final 10km to Anren’s Ancient Town, where we will spend the night. With a more modern history than other Ancient Towns we will visit on this trip, being formed in the early 1900s, it is unique for having more of a focus on culture and education, with plenty of boutique shops, cafes, restaurants and workshops to explore and enjoy in the evening.

In the afternoon explore the unique museums at Anren Ancient Town, such as Jianchuan Museum and Liu’s Mansion Museum. At the first museum you will not only learn about the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake and Sichuan people’s contributions to the anti-Japanese war in 1930s and 1940s, but also the traditional lifestyle of the Chinese, such as traditional Chinese furnitures, medicine, and articles of daily use. While at the second museum you will see the traditional house and courtyard of Liu Wencai’s family. Liu was the richest man in Sichuan province in 1930s and 1940s.

Hike the less-traveled countryside and visit the villages nearby

Cycle from Pingle to Shangli, explore Shangli Ancient Town

Hike Bifengxia Valley in the morning, drive to Kangding in the afternoon

Kangding to Xinduqiao, adapt to the altitude at Xinduqiao

Xinduqiao Town - It takes about 2 hours to drive from Kangding to Xinduqiao, and in the afternoon you may first take a rest. Then depends on how well you adapt to the high altitude, you may ride for a a few kilometers to enjoy the natural scenery along the road. Known as ‘photographer’s paradise’, the scenery and lighting here are fantastic. Firmly upon the ‘roof of the world’, you can expect beautiful rolling hills, mountains, streams, pastures and Tibetan architecture.

Cycle Xinduqiao-Tagong-Bamei

Bamei-Huiyuan Monastery-Danba

Danba-Ya’an, explore the tea plantations in Ya’an

Cycle Ya’an to Liujiang, overnight at middle part of Mount Emei

Mount Emei (Emeishan) - We will have lunch near Liujiang Ancient Town, and after lunch take a visit of this beautiful riverside town. Then we will drive to the middle part of Mount Emei and stay overnight at a hot-spring hotel. At night you may enjoy the hot spring and relax.

Visit Mount Emei in the morning, cycle to Leshan in the afternoon

Mount Emei (Emeishan) - Hiking Distance: 9km

In the morning we will take the sightseeing bus of Mount Emei to Leidongping. Then we will start hiking up to Golden Summit, which is the top of the mountain. The hiking distance going up is about 7.5km, and the altitudes are between 2,200 to 3,000 meters. Mount Emei is one of the four most famous and sacred Buddhism mountains in China. After reaching Golden Summit, walk around, and if the sky is clear, you might be able to see the sea of clouds and the snow-capped Mount Gongga (about 150km away), the peak of which is the highest point of Sichuan province, with an altitude of 7,556 meters above sea level. There is also a magnificent 48-meter-high Buddha statue near near Golden Summit.

After the visit, take the cable car down and then walk about 1.5km to Leidongping bus station where you will take a bus to go down the mountain. The bus journey takes around 2 hours, and along the way you will see the changes of vegetation when gradually arriving at the lower areas.

Leshan Giant Buddha (Da Fo) - Cycling Distance: 32km
When getting down to the foot of the mountain, ride about 32 to the suburb of Leshan. Depends on what time you arrive, you may decide either today or the next day to take a boat to visit Leshan Giant Buddha, which was built over 1200 years ago to watch over the quick rapids of the river below. The best way to see the Giant Buddha is from the river itself. We will take a short cruise to visit the site and appreciate the 71m carving calmly and majestically towering and watching out over above us.

Besides the Giant Buddha, Leshan is also famous for its food. Before retiring for the evening, we will sample some of its best, including such dishes as Sweet Skin Roast Duck and tasty Bo Bo Chicken.

Cycle Leshan to Meishan, explore Huanglongxi Ancient Town

Leshan - Cycling Distance: 42km
Hiking Distance: 5km

The day begins with a 30-minute drive taking us to Guanmiao Town and the biking begins on a single lane road that quickly begins to take you through farmlands, with mountains on your left. After a few kilometers, the Mingjiang River appears, which flows from the day’s destination, Huanglongxi Ancient Town.

We will ride through a valley following the river with some gentle climbs and at 9km we will come to a beautiful descent which leads us towards some terraced paddy fields. The countryside continues until we reach Zhongyan Temple, which is inside a large park holding Buddhist carvings with over 1500 years of history. It is renowned for being a place of beauty and tranquillity and over the centuries scholars, Buddhists and poets would pay homage to the site, leaving the inscriptions and carvings that we can still see to this day.

Huanglongxi Ancient Town - After taking a small hike inside the gardens to a natural spring inside, we will continue our ride through a bamboo lined road, with the river and its broad low-lying banks, accompanying us on the left, until we reach Baijiachi Village to finish the day’s ride. From Baijiachi it is about an hour’s drive to Huanglongxi, where we will spend the night.

Huanglongxi is another famous Ancient town with history reaching back 1,700 years. Set beside the river, with three temples and winding alleyways it provides a particularly quintessential example of an old town and, as such, is often chosen by producers as a film location. Whilst a little more touristy than other Ancient towns we visit on this trip, it is beautiful and the riverside teahouses are perfect for winding down after a day’s ride. The streets are lined with shops and local snacks, including the famous ‘one noodle noodles’; a bowl of noodles which contain a single long thick noodle pulled by vendors who put on elaborate dances, and shows, to entice customers to their restaurants.

Transfer to Chengdu airport, tour ends

Chengdu - The guide and the driver will send you guys to Chengdu airport, and it takes about one hour to get to the airport from Huanglongxi Ancient Town. Then you will fly back home with beautiful memories of this unique trip.

• 13 nights’ accommodation in a shared room
• Bike and helmet rental included
• Entry to itinerary-listed tourist attractions
• Daily lunch and dinner provided
• Air-conditioned transport
• Breakfast included
• Complimentary water, snacks, and local fruits
• English-speaking guide service

• Your international or domestic flights
• Your visa fee, if there is any
• Activities not mentioned in the itinerary
• Extra charge for single room option if you would like to stay in a room alone
• Your other personal expenses

This tour combines cycling and hiking in the beautifully tranquil rural area around Chengdu Plain as well as Sichuan’s spectacular Tibetan area such as Kham Tibet and Gyalrong Tibet. During this trip, you will not only visit the well-known tourist attractions such as the panda base, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Xinduqiao, Tagong and Danba, but also you will cycle and hike some less-traveled places such as Fengqi Mountain, Chongqing Road, Wugen Mountain and Baita Lake, the countryside along the Qingyi and Minjiang rivers, etc. You will see the different lifestyles, such as the laidback Han Chinese around Chengdu Plain, the nomadic Kham Tibetans around Tagong Grassland, and the semi-agriculture and semi-nomad Gyalrong Tibetans at Danba. And yes, this tour is a good mix of authentic culture and unique landscapes in one of southwestern China’s most beautiful provinces: Sichuan

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.