Self-driving Tour to Tibet - Highways with Beautiful Sceneries

Currently, there are four highways heading to Tibet, including the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Yunnan-Tibet Highway. A large number of tourists planning a self-driving tour to Tibet would like to enter into Tibet along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway or the Yunnan-Tibet Highway, and out of Tibet along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. While planning a self-driving trip to Tibet, tourists are strongly suggested to take your preference, physical condition, travel time and budget into your consideration.

Highways with Beautiful Sceneries - Sichuan-Tibet Highway

Sichuan-Tibet Highway is widely regarded as the most beautiful highway among the four highways to Tibet. To enjoy the breathtaking natural landscapes, a large amount of tourists making a self-driving tour would like to enter into Tibet along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Starts from Chnegdu, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway has a total a length of more than 2400 meters. The beautiful and magnificent natural view along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway attracts a large number of tourists enthusiastic in adventure.

From the east to the west, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway stretches across the high mountains and gorges in eastern Tibet. It would also run across the Jinsha River, Lancang River and the world famous Hengduan Mountains. The changeable and complicated topography form an amazing natural picture composed of snow-capped mountains, endless grassland, and glaciers. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway has been the paradise for tourists have strong interest in exploitation and photography.

Highways with Beautiful Sceneries - Yunnan-Tibet Highway

The Yunnan-Tibet Highway has a total length of 1930 kilometers, among which 39 kilometers stretches in the region with an altitude higher than 4000 meters, and 239 kilometers stretches in the region between 3000 and 4000 meters above the sea level. These sections with high altitude have severe environment characterized by cold climate and thin air. Actually, the history of the current Yunnan-Tibet Highway could be dated back to the Ancient Tea-horse Road. The towns along the Yunan-Tibet Highway attracts a lot of tourists making a self-driving tour to Tibet.

Compared to the other highways to Tibet, the natural scenery on both sides of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and the Yunnan-Tibet Highway are much more beautiful and impressive, but the road condition is more challenging. Tourist who's driven to Tibet along these two highways might had found that several sections of the highways were covered by gravels. The road condition would become even more dangerous in the rainy season, in which the debris flow and landslide happen frequently. In the winter season, the sections in the high altitude regions might be covered with snow, and it is very dangerous to drive on it. Therefore, tourists making a self-driving tour to Tibet along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Yunnan-Tibet Highway are strongly suggested to avoid the winter season.

The board & lodging condition along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Yunnan-Tibet Highway is pretty limited. Tourists need to prepare enough solid food and beverage for this challenging driving journey. It is also necessary to prepare oxygen bottle and some first-aid medicines in case of need. Besides, tourists are strongly suggested to avoid long stay at the places with high altitude.