Botanic Expedition in Sichuan

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We had a wonderful time in Tibet. We have learned a lot about this unique destination because of the wonderful guide Degyi who is so knowledge and always available towards our tours. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, and we would never imagine a Tibet travel could be so nice and amazing without the help of Degyi.

Also, thanks a lot to our Tibetan driver Mr.Wongdun for his safe driving and a good sense of service along the way.

We shall return Tibet in the near future!

P.B. and A. A - Europe
Tibet Travel

June 2018 (Private Tibet Journey from Kathmandu)

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	Tour Name: Botanic Expedition in Sichuan Tour Code: M71D348 Duration: 19 Days & 18 Nights Destination: Chengdu, Baoxing, Mt.Four Sisters, Danba, Hongyuan, Tangke, Ruo'ergai, Jiuzhaigou, Songpan, Munigou, Huanglong, Wanglang, Sanxingdui Features: An adventurous voyage to a botanists' paradise, in the mountains and valleys of Western Sichuan following the footprints of the intrepid plant hunters such as Henry Ernest Wilson in the late 19th to early 20th century. The Western Sichuan made up parts of the Tibetan Kham and Amdo regions. The Tibetan people and their culture form the background of this botanic expedition. This trip is an introduction to a botanical paradise of China and to some of the most spectacular and diverse country in the world still barely traveled by western people. Departure Date: From June to August Tour Price: From $ P.P

Trip Summary

Detailed Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Tour Dates	Destinations	Tours & Services	Meals	Accommodation
Day01	Chengdu	Arrive in Chengdu, be met and transferred to hotel.	N/A	Buddha Zen Hotel
Day02	Baoxing	Morning visit Giant Panda at Chengdu Base, transferred to Baoxing, panda's natural habitat.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day03	Rilong	Morning excursion to Puji Valley for flower hunting, drive via Fengtong Zhai Nature Reserve to Rilong below the Mt.Four Sisters.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day04	Rilong	One day flower tour at the Double Bridge Valley (Shuangqiao Gou).	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day05	Rilong	Hike in Haizi Valley for wild flowers.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day06	Danba	Drive to Danba, viewing Tibetan Towers at Suopo Village and homestay at Jiaju Tibetan village, peachblossom, pear flowers and wild flowers can be viewed in the villages.	B, L, D	Village homestay
Day07	Hongyuan	Head north along Big Jinchuan River and alpine meadows to Hongyuan.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day08	Rui'ergou	Drive on grasslands to Rui'ergou and make botanic stops, excursion at the Yellow River Bend at Tangke Village.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day09	Rui'ergou	One day trip for alpine plants at the Flower Lake and the grassland nearby.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day10	Jiuzhaigou	Drive to Baxi Village to find Fritillaria, Primula Meconopsis etc. Transfer to Jiuzhaigou along the backroad via Lingjiang.	B, L, D	New Jiuzhai Hotel
Day11	Jiuzhaigou	Full day tour in Jiuzhaigou National Forest Park for flowers and enjoy natural sceneries of mountains, waters and Tibetan village array.	B, L, D	New Jiuzhai Hotel
Day12	Songpan	Make ascending to Gonggangling, source of the Minjiang River for flowers and eco observations, driven to Songpan Old Town later of the day.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day13	Songpan	You have a day trip to Munigou to see Ligularia and Primula, enjoy waterfalls and limestone pools. Back to Songpan after the trip.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day14	Huanglong	Driven to Huanglong Valley and en route explore alpine plants at Xuebaoding massif.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day15	Huanglong	One day excursion at Huanglong Park to find orchids in the woodlands.	B, L, D	Local Hotel
Day16	Wanglang	Morning explore orchids and driven to Wanglong Natural Reserve.	B, L, D	Local Lodge
Day17	Wanglang	One day trip in Wanglong NR for plants hunting and seeing animals.	B, L, D	Local Lodge
Day18	Chengdu	Driven back Chengdu and en route visit Sanxingdui Museum.	B, L, D	Buddha Zen Hotel
Day19	Chengdu	Transferred to airport for your departure flight. Trip ends.	B	N/A


	Day01 Arrival Chengdu Today you arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Greeted and received by your local guide and escorted to your hotel in downtown Chengdu. The rest of day is at your own disposal.


	Day02 Chengdu - Baoxing (B, L, D) You will first of all be transferred to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Then you will leave for Baoxing. After two hours drive on the flat Chengdu Agriculture Plain the terrain shifted to higher mountainous and altitude will gradually rise up. There are photo opportunities at the mountain valley along the green Qing Yi River. Later of the day you will reach Baoxing, a mountainous town in Giant Panda's natural habitat.


	Day03 Baoxing - Rilong (B, L, D) This morning you take a drive on a dirt road northwestwards to Puji Valley that is approx.60km away. Upon arrival you will enjoy by the clean streams, winding gorges and beautiful forests with wildflowers and other endemic plants. Flowers here can found such as Cypripedium tibeticum and Primula Dryadifolia etc. In the afternoon you will drive via Fengtong Zhai Nature Reserve to Rilong below the Mt.Four Sisters. Fengtong Zhai is the natural habitat for the Giant Pandas.


	Day04 Rilong (B, L, D) Standing on the borderline of Xiaojin and Wenchuan in Western China's Sichuan Province, Mt.Four Sisters (Siguniang Shan) offers some of China's most pristine and less visited mountain sceneries. The highest peak of Four Sisters Mountain is the 6,250 meters Yaomei Feng (peak of the youngest sister). Today you will take eco-friendly green bus into the Double Bridge Valley (ShuangQiaoGou) for a day botanic trip. You may find flowers such as Gentiana pseudosquarrosa H. Smith, Lilium davidii Duchartre ex Elwes, Pedicularis streptorhyncha and Pedicularis davidii etc. Highland Rhododendron can also be found today. You will have a picnic lunch today. Later of the day you will be transferred back your hotel.


	Day05 Rilong (B, L, D) Continue the botanic trip at Four Sisters Mountain. You will hike in the Haizi Valley (Valley of Lakes), the only valley that can only be access on foot or horsebacks. Walk through forests and meadows to HuaHaiZi (colorful Lake), a beautiful alpine lake nestled in the mountain gorges. You have tons of botanical stops during the walking. You will find species of Pedicularis davidii, Polygonum, Rumex acetosella Linn, Ranunculus brotherusii Freyn, Paeonia veitchii Lynch, and several Rhododendron. Later of the day we return back our hotel.


	Day06 Rilong - Danba (B, L, D) This day is a leisure day. You drive along the Dadu River to Danba, which is 1900 m locates at the east end of the Tibet Plateau. The local people are called Jiarong (Gyarong) Tibetans. It is said that they are the descendants of the people of the ancient Xixia Kingdom, who merged with the local people after they fled from Gansu and settled here. Danba has long been acclaimed as the Kingdom of Thousands of Ancient Blockhouses. Upon arrival Danba you will take photos at Suopo Village. They were made of clay and block and look fine from outside with solid thick walls. This night you will stay at a local Tibetan's home at Jiaju Village. Peach blossom, pear flowers and a few of other wild flowers such as Potentilla fruticosa Linn can also be viewed in the village.


	Day07 Danba - Hongyuan (B, L, D) Today we will enter the great grassland of the East Edge of Tibet Plateau. We start in the morning for Hongyuan. The drive is along Big Jinchuan River and botanical stops will be made at some alpine meadows and river valleys. Hongyuan is on a vast pasture in Northwest Sichuan.


	Day08 Hongtyuan - Rui'ergou (B, L, D) Drive on grasslands to Rui'ergou and make botanic stops, excursion at the Yellow River Bend at Tangke Village. Averaging 3500m the plains are home to herds of yaks and horses and also great meadows full of beautiful wildflowers.


	Day09 Rui'ergou (B, L, D) One day trip for alpine plants at the Flower Lake and the grassland nearby. We will make stops to find Fritillaria, Lilium, Meconopsis and Pediularis, and watch the yaks wandering through Aster, Ajuga and Cremanthodium brunneopilosum.


	Day10 Rui'ergou - Jiuzhaigou (B, L, D) Today we will carry on to Baxi Village to find Fritillaria, Primula Meconopsis etc. Transfer to Jiuzhaigou along the backroad via Lingjiang. Along the way, both the approaches and summit ridge are rich with alpine plants as well as having wonderful views of the surrounding sparsely populated country. Walking away from the busy road we will roam the slopes to find Fritillaria, Primula Meconopsis and even Pinguicula and much more. Later in the day we reach Jiuzhaigou, check in hotel and enjoy a fine dinner.


	Day11 Jiuzhaigou (B, L, D) Full day tour in Jiuzhaigou National Forest Park for flowers and enjoy natural sceneries of mountains, waters and Tibetan village array. More than just spectacular scenery, Jiuzhaigou National Park is home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plants and animal species, including the giant panda, Sichuan golden monkey, the Sichuan takin and numerous orchids and rhododendrons. Walk on less busy trails for botanical observation.


	Day12 Jiuzhaigou - Songpan (B, L, D) We proceed to Songpan through the 9 Bends up to Gonggangling where we will stop for alpine plants. We can find Meconopsis sinomaculata, and different kinds of Asters and Gentianaceae. Gonggangling is the origin of Minjing River which is longest branch of upper Yangtz River. In the afternoon we arrive Songpan and have a walking in the old town.


	Day13 Songpan (B, L, D) You have a day trip to Munigou to see Ligularia and Pyrola Rugosa, enjoy waterfalls and limestone pools. At around 3000m the woodland around the spectacular waterfalls and pools are rich in meadow, and woodland, while the villages around represent the furthest east Tibetan people have settled. We walk the Erdao Lake sequence in Munigou Park. The delightful multicolored series of limestone lakes rival Huanglong but remain relatively peaceful. Beautiful stands of Ligularia and Primula adorn the lakes each with a distinctive colour. Later of the day we back Songpan.


	Day14 Songpan - Huanglong (B, L, D) Driven to Huanglong Valley and en route explore alpine plants at Xuebaoding massif. The road runs over the flanks of the 5000m Xuebaoding massif and gives us access to huge areas of alpine habitat. With fine weather there will be spectacular views over the mountains around, but even if the weather is less favourable we should be able to roam and come across lots of plant treasures, Meconopsis in profusion of course but if we're lucky Paraqualegias and Orchidacaea.


	Day15 Huanglong (B, L, D) Today we will enter Huanglong Park which encloses the spectacular limestone pools. There are always lots of people in the park but the great positive is that the woodlands remain ungrazed allowing species to flourish that would otherwise be hard pressed, particularly orchids such as Phaius delavayi and Cypripedium spp etc.


	Day16 Huanglong - Wanglang (B, L, D) This morning we will explore several orchids at Red Star Cliff Gorge and later of the day we shall drive to Wanglong Natural Reserve. Wanglang Nature Reserve, established in 1963 by the Sichuan Forestry Bureau, is located in the Minshan Mountains in some of China's most important panda habitat. Wanglang, whose purpose is to protect the giant panda and its habitat, and the 10 other nearby reserves in remote areas of northern Sichuan are critical to the continued survival of the giant panda.


	Day17 Wanglang (B, L, D) One day trip in Wanglong NR for plants hunting and seeing animals. Wanglang, with its subalpine forest of conifer and birch, is very scenic. Trees characteristic of these upper elevations include spruce, fir, juniper, and larch with an understory of rhododendron and arrow bamboo. At this elevation (10,000-11,000 feet), it will still be early spring. The rhododendron will be flowering, and if we are fortunate, we will encounter such early season wildflowers as Primula, Anemone, Gentiana and the beautiful buttercup Oxygraphis glacialis etc.


	Day18 Wanglang - Chengdu (B, L, D) We leave in the morning for Chengdu and on the way we make a culture visit at Sanxingdui Museum. Sanxingdui is the name of an archaeological site and its deduced culture in China, now believed to be the site of an ancient Chinese city. The Sanxingdui Ruins, lying at Nanxing Town, Guanghan City in the north of the Chengdu plains, Sichuan is 8 kilometers to the west part of Guanghan proper. Sanxingdui archaeological site has gained much renown throughout the world as the center of a prehistoric culture with a sophisticated bronze technology. These people shared the Sichuan Basin with elephants and rhinoceros 3,500 years ago. The bronze masks, golden bird images and jade artifacts which they crafted and buried in the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui are enigmatic and unique. Later of the day you will be transferred back Chengdu, and on arrival you can enjoy a hotpot dinner in Chengdu.


	Day19 Depart Chengdu (B) Transferred to airport for your departure flight. End of the Botanic Expedition in Sichuan.

Tour costing varies upon group size, travel season and hotel accommodation levels etc. For price details please email us at info@splendidchinatours.com.

Price inclusions:
01). All accommodations based on two persons sharing one room (single occupancy is subject to supplement);
02). China internal flights with airport tax or train as stated in the program;
03). Round-trip transfers between airports or railway stations, hotels, and scenic spots in each city by private air- conditioned vehicles with experienced licensed drivers;
04). All admission fees and activity expenses as listed in the itinerary;
05). Botanical trips as stated in the itinerary
06). Daily meals as specified in the itinerary: B denotes breakfast, L denotes lunch, and D denotes dinner (SD signifies special dinner);
07). Services of a local English speaking guide throughout (other languages can be arranged upon request, supplement may apply);
08). Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour;
09). Governmental taxes and fees.

Price excluded:
01). International airfare to/from China;
02). Chinese Visa fees;
03). Expenses of personal natural such as laundry, telephone, drinks, mini bar etc;
04). Personal shopping, optional activities and excess baggage charges;
05). Gratuities for local tour guides, drivers and hotel bellboy etc;
06). International travel insurance;
07). Services and activities that are not mentioned in the itinerary.