Tibet, Sichuan and Xinjiang. Not all of China, not Southeast Asia — just these three, done to the standard we'd hold for our own parents.
Altitude, season and physical demand differ completely between the three. Read the itineraries, or just tell us your dates and budget.
Potala Palace at dawn, Mount Kailash kora, Everest Base Camp, the far-west Ngari plateau. Groups of 2–8 only. Medical oxygen in every vehicle.
from ¥16,800 (approx. US$2,330) / person · 4 itineraries
Yading, Mount Siguniang, Seda and the western Sichuan loop. The gentlest altitude gain of the three — right for a first time on the plateau.
from ¥6,800 (approx. US$945) / person · 5 itineraries
Kanas in autumn colour, the Pamir plateau, the Duku Highway and Kashgar's old town. The longest driving of the three — we run two drivers and a satellite phone.
from ¥12,600 (approx. US$1,750) / person · 3 itinerariesIf you get a headache at 4,700 metres at midnight, the person who answers the phone can be at your door in twenty minutes. Whether that sentence is true depends on whether the vehicles are actually ours.
Eleven 4WD vehicles we own — not rented in for peak season. We handle maintenance, insurance and drivers in-house.
Seven certified high-altitude guides who live in the region year-round. The road you're asking about, he drove last month.
Medical-grade oxygen and a pulse oximeter in every vehicle, plus a fast-track referral arrangement with the regional people's hospital.
What's included and what isn't, itemised in a list. Nothing gets added after you sign.
Travelling here as a foreign passport holder is different from travelling domestically. Here is the honest version — including the parts that need your paperwork.
Independent travel is not permitted in Tibet — you must be booked with a registered agency, and we apply for the permit on your behalf. Send passport scans at least 20 working days ahead; longer for Ngari (Ali) routes.
You arrange your own visa. Once the itinerary is confirmed we issue a booking confirmation letter and hotel list to support your application.
Your lead advisor and at least one guide on every trip speak working English. Our co-founder Drolma Yangzom speaks Tibetan, Mandarin and English and has walked the Kailash kora 27 times.
Prices are quoted in RMB; the USD figure is an approximation at current rates. We take a deposit by bank transfer to confirm, balance on arrival. Cards are accepted in cities — carry some cash for remote stretches.
Translated from the original Chinese reviews left by past travellers.
"On the second day at Drolma La I couldn't go on. The guide didn't push me — he took my pack and carried it himself for three hours. You can't write that into a contract. You only find out when it happens."
"I took my parents to western Sichuan; my mother is 62. Before we left, they told us exactly how many metres we'd gain each day and which hotel we'd sleep in. Five days in, she never needed oxygen."
"The Duku Highway closed without warning. By that evening we had a rerouted plan, and they added a canyon that wasn't in the original itinerary. That kind of response is what you're actually paying for."
Within 4 hours, an advisor who has actually walked this route contacts you