West Sichuan · NW Yunnan · Tibet · Three Parallel Rivers
The grand crossing - eighteen days from Chengdu’s teahouses through Wolong’s pandas, the three holy mountains of Yading, the golden face of Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan, and the Three Parallel Rivers, all the way to Lhasa.
The ride
The G318 is China's Route 66 - except it climbs from the Sichuan basin to the roof of the world. You start among teahouses and bamboo at 500 m, and twelve days later ride into Lhasa at 3,650 m, having crossed some of the highest driveable passes on Earth.
Between them: the hairpins of Zheduo Shan, the grasslands of Litang - one of the highest towns anywhere - the deep gorges of the Nu, Lancang and Jinsha rivers, the forests of Nyingchi, and the turquoise of Basum Tso. It is sealed tarmac the whole way, which makes it the perfect first plateau ride: hard enough to mean something, safe enough to enjoy.
We ride it as a private tour with a local travel guide, a road captain, a mechanic, and a support vehicle carrying your luggage, spare fuel, tools, and oxygen. We've run it more than forty times.
Where it goes, and how high you sleep
The blue line is the road as actually ridden. Click a stop to open its day.
Arrive Chengdu
Arrive in Chengdu. The Kuanzhai lanes in the afternoon, then a covered-bowl tea in the People’s Park - the way Chengdu has always done it.
Medical · motorcycle license
A short physical examination at the hospital in the morning, and your temporary Chinese driving license issued.
Chengdu → Wolong → Balang Shan → Siguniang
The Wolong panda base - some fifty giant pandas - then over the Balang Shan tunnel to the Four Sisters Mountain (Yaomei Feng, 6,250 m) at sunset.
Siguniang → Shuangqiao Valley → Danba
Sunrise on the Four Sisters, then down to Danba and the Jiaju village - red-white-and-black Gyarong Tibetan houses tiered up the valley, one of the most beautiful villages in China.
Danba → Bamei → Tagong → Yajiang
Through Tagong: Lhagang Monastery, the Gyergo Nunnery and the grand mani wall, with Zhara Lhatse (5,820 m) on the skyline. Deep Khampa country.
Yajiang → Litang → Daocheng → Yading
Over Litang and Mt Haizi to Yading - home of three sacred mountains: Chenresig (6,032 m), Jambeyang and Chanadorje (5,958 m). Scenery to rival any national park on earth.
Chonggu → Luorong → the holy mountains
A full day on foot among the three peaks - Chonggu Monastery, the Pearl (Dumu) Lake beneath Chenresig, and the Luorong pasture ringed by all three sacred summits.
Yading → Qingde → Xiangcheng → Derong
South through the white-house villages of Xiangcheng to Derong, the land quietly shifting toward Yunnan.
Derong → first bend of Jinsha → Dechen → Feilai Si
Into Yunnan along the Jinsha to its famous first bend, past Dong Trubling Monastery to Feilai Si - and, if the sky clears, sunset on Meili Snow Mountain.
Meili sunrise → Mingyong Glacier
Kawakarpo (6,740 m), the highest peak in Yunnan, gold at sunrise - the mountain of ‘Lost Horizon.’ A hike up to the Mingyong Glacier through forest to the Lotus Temple viewpoint.
Dechen → Markam → Joba → Lawu → Dongda → Zuogong
Into Tibet at Markam, where the Sichuan and Yunnan highways meet, and across the Three Parallel Rivers over three passes - Joba (3,880 m), Lawu (4,358 m) and Dongda (5,130 m), the roof of the ride.
Zuogong → Yela → 72-turn → Ranwu
Over Yela Mountain (4,618 m) and down the famous 72-turn to the crystal-blue Ranwu Lake, ringed with snow peaks.
Ranwu → Midui Glacier → Bome → Lulang
Past Midui Glacier and along the Parlung Tsangpo through primeval forest - the most beautiful stretch - to the oxygen-rich meadows of Lulang.
Lulang → Seji La → Linzhi → Basum Tso
Over Seji La (4,515 m) with Gyala Pelri (7,150 m) and Namcha Barwa (7,782 m) on show, past the Buchu and Lamaling temples and the ancient cypress forest to the holy island lake of Basum Tso.
Basum Tso → Mi La Pass → Gandan → Lhasa
Over the Mi La Pass (4,865 m) and down to Lhasa, visiting Gandan Monastery (1409) on the way. Return the bikes - the great crossing complete.
Potala · Jokhang · Barkhor
The Potala Palace and the Jokhang, and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit among prostrating pilgrims.
Parla Lupu · Norbulingka · Sera debate
A Potala panorama from Parla Lupu, the Norbulingka summer palace, and the monks’ debate at Sera.
The fine print, in plain words
See it to believe it
Photography by Liu Bin, Wang Lei, Min Zhao · Greatway field archive
Dates & enquiry
Private departures on your dates, roughly April to October. Tell us when you're free and how many are riding - our motorbike travel consultant will get back to you within 24 hours.
Free itinerary design · Customized for your group
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