Most visitors to Sichuan stop at Jiuzhaigou and turn back. This itinerary goes further - into the high grasslands of Aba Prefecture, where Tibetan monasteries sit above treelines, nomadic families still move with the seasons, and the landscape shifts from alpine forest to open plateau in the space of an afternoon's drive. It is one of the least-visited corners of a province most people think they already know, and one of the most rewarding.
This eight-day journey begins in Chengdu, climbs into the mountains of Bipenggou, crosses the Aba plateau through monastery towns and nomadic grasslands, and descends through Huanglong before ending at Jiuzhaigou - returning to Chengdu by bullet train. It requires a genuine appetite for long drives and high altitudes. What it gives back is proportionate.
Arrive in Chengdu and drive west into Aba Province (3.5h) as the city gives way to river valleys and rising forest. The road climbs steadily into the Qionglai range, arriving in Bipenggou, a high alpine valley of wildflower meadows, glacial streams, and forested ridgelines beneath the snow peaks above. Settle in for the evening as the altitude makes itself known.
A long morning drive north (4h) across the plateau, crossing open grasslands and forested passes as the landscape opens into the wide skies of Aba County. In the afternoon, visit Gemo Temple, a significant Tibetan Buddhist monastery set above the county town, where monks continue an unbroken tradition of practice in one of the most remote monastic communities in Sichuan.
Spend the day in Lianbaoyeze, a remote high-altitude nature reserve of glacial lakes, wetlands, and alpine meadows rarely visited by travellers from outside the region. The scale and silence of the landscape here is unlike anything encountered on the standard Sichuan circuit. In the afternoon, visit a local Tibetan family at their home - sharing tea, learning about daily life on the plateau, and gaining a sense of the rhythms that govern life at this altitude.
Continue north to Hongyuan (3h), where the Aba grasslands reach their widest and most open expression, a sea of grass stretching to every horizon, dotted with nomadic tents and grazing yaks. Spend the afternoon on horseback, riding across the plateau with a local guide and covering ground that few travellers ever see from anything other than a passing vehicle.
Rise early to join a nomadic family for a morning on the grasslands - milking cows in the cool highland air and tasting fresh yak yogurt, one of the defining flavours of the Tibetan plateau. A quietly memorable experience before the drive south to Songpan (3h), a captivating ancient town that once served as an essential stop on the trade routes connecting China and Tibet.
Visit Huanglong National Park - the Yellow Dragon Pools - a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary travertine terraces and coloured mineral pools. Take a cable car to the highest point for panoramic views across the high plateau before walking down through the terraced formations, each pool a slightly different shade of turquoise, amber, or jade. Continue to Jiuzhaigou in the late afternoon, arriving at one of China's most celebrated landscapes.
A full day inside Jiuzhaigou, the valley named for its nine Tibetan villages. Explore the park's coloured lakes, multi-tiered waterfalls, and snow-capped peaks, pausing at its most celebrated viewpoints - Nuorilang Falls, Five Flower Lake, and the Mirror Lake among them. After the remoteness of the preceding days, the scale and colour of Jiuzhaigou feels almost excessive - and entirely earned.
Transfer to the station for the bullet train back to Chengdu, descending from the plateau as the landscape shifts from alpine to lowland and the city reappears. Transfer to the airport for your onward connection. Tour concludes.
A Route Less Taken
Aba Prefecture rewards those willing to move slowly and cover ground that most itineraries skip entirely. The combination of monastery culture, nomadic encounters, and landscapes that shift almost by the hour makes this one of the most varied and genuinely immersive journeys available in western China. For travellers who have already seen the highlights - or who simply want something that feels further from the road - this is where to go next.
