Tibet Tour – Sichuan-Tibet Highway

Sichuan-Tibet Highway is one of the most important passages for tourists making an overland Tibet tour.

Sichuan-Tibet Highway is one of the most projects in the road construction history of China. It starts from the capital city of Sichuan Province – Chengdu and fall into two routes at Xinduqiao via Ya'an and Kangding.

The Northern Route (part of No.317 State Highway) stretches toward Qamdo and Bangda in Tibet via Gantse and Dege in Sichuan Province. The Southern Route (part of No.318 State Highway) stretches toward Mangkang in Tibet via Yajiang, Litang and Batang in Sichuan Province. Then the two routes meet at Bangda and stretches toward Lhasa through Basu, Bome and Nyingchi.

The Northern Route of Sichuan-Tibet Highway is 2412 kilometers long and the highest point along the route is Chola Mountain with an altitude of 4916 meters. The Southern Route of Sichuan-Tibet Highway is 2149 kilometers long and the highest point is Litang with an altitude of 4700 meters. The two routes are connected by the highway between Qamdo and Bangda. Most of the tourists would like to enter into Tibet through the Southern Route since it is shorter and lower above the sea level compared to the Northern Route.

Magnificent natural landscapes are available if you make a Tibet tour through Sichuan-Tibet Highway. It will lead you climb over 14 mountains with an altitude of more than 4000 meters. You will also cross over the Dadu River, Jinsha River, Nu River and Lancang River with rushing flows. The road condition is pretty poor and dangerous along the way, but you could enjoy the rarely magnificent natural landscapes of snow-covered mountains, primitive forests, grasslands, glaciers and canyons.

There are several long-distance buses between Chengdu and Lhasa and the there would be more buses between the two cities in summer. There are also long-distance buses between Chengdu and Qamdo. Tourists should inquire details of the departure time of the buses in advance.