Yushu to Ganzi: Road Trip through the Heart of Kham

Discover an offbeat 6-day road trip from Yushu to Ganzi via Dege, exploring sacred sites, remote monasteries, and incredible landscapes deep in the Kham Region.

As more and more foreigners visit China and plan to return for a second or third trip, I’m starting to receive numerous requests from people looking to discover authentic, less crowded places that haven’t been turned into an “amusement park” yet.

This is why I’ve recently spent considerable time exploring the Tibetan Plateau, a vast region I believe holds immense potential for authentic experiences.

The first area I often recommend is Western Sichuan, particularly the locations along the famous Route 318 (I’ve written an extensive travel guide that you can read here). Unfortunately, even many Chinese tourists are starting to explore these areas, and although it’s still relatively less touristy (especially compared to places such as Zhangjiajie and Xijiang in Guizhou), it’s no longer as isolated, especially in the summer.

The other area I recommend is Tibet, particularly the places I discuss in this article. Tibet has many restrictions, though, and many of the most beautiful places are still off-limits to foreigners.

This is why I recommend travelling to another province that very few foreigners are aware of: Qinghai. Unfortunately, this area is not without challenges, as I clearly explained in this article about my road trip from Xining to Yushu. I highly recommend reading it to gain a deeper understanding of some of the reasons why traveling there can be challenging.

I concluded the previous article writing about Yushu (玉树), one of the main cities in the province. However, another very interesting itinerary (and the topic of this article) begins exactly in Yushu and crosses into Western Sichuan, passing through the historic town of Dege and eventually reaching Ganzi (Garzê). Believe me when I say that if you decide to explore this route, you won’t be disappointed.

Route Overview and Best Time to Visit

You’ll spend most of the time exploring this itinerary, you’ll need approximately 4 to 5 days, from Yushu to Ganzi (Garze), primarily on high-altitude roads that zigzag through the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Expect to spend most nights above 3,500 meters, with several mountain passes reaching over 4,500 meters. This is a crucial detail, as some people can become seriously ill from high altitude. Don’t underestimate it.

There is an alternative route departing from Chengdu and ending in Yushu, lasting approximately 6 to 7 days. You’ll see all the places listed in this guide, plus some more.

The advantage of the Chengdu-Yushu route is that it allows you more time to acclimate to the high elevation, but it clearly takes longer. The Yushu to Ganzi route is faster, but remember that Yushu lies at over 3,600 m, and it can be quite challenging for some people, since you’ll be flying from a much lower elevation.

The best time to visit is late May to early October when roads are open, and the weather is stable. From June to September, the grasslands are at their greenest, especially after July, and you’ll see many nomadic tents along the way and possibly a few local festivals. In October, the landscape starts to shift into golden autumn tones, but some higher roads may become risky after early snowfalls. Avoid Winter since heavy snow and icy roads can cut off parts of the route entirely, unless you want to photograph the Snow Leopard (check this article if interested). But in this case, you’ll follow an entirely different itinerary.

DIY vs Local Agency

I’m sure there are some local minivans running from one city to the next, but for this kind of trip, I don’t recommend public transportation: you’ll waste a lot of time and miss out on the most important places. Additionally, you won’t be able to stop when you see something cool to photograph, such as the location above.

There are relatively few Chinese travel agencies in this area, and I was lucky enough to find one of the best. I traveled with them a few times already on the Tibetan Plateau, and I definitely recommend it. You can contact them to request a custom itinerary and use the coupon code FABIO to get a discount.

The other option would be self-driving. Send me a DM on Instagram, and I’ll help you figure out how to obtain a Chinese Driving License (the International one is NOT valid in China).

As always, when booking flights, hotels, or trains, use Trip, which is much better than Booking in China.

Yushu (玉树) and surroundings

In my previous article, I discussed some things to do and see in Yushu. The city itself is not particularly interesting, as it was unfortunately almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in 2010. There are, however, a few monasteries that are worth visiting. The main one is Gajie (嘎结寺), a Kagyu School monastery famous for its tantric practices.

The other area I recommend visiting is the Yushu Mani Stone City (玉树新寨嘉那嘛呢石堆), which will be totally worth it. It holds more than 2.5 billion carved stones, some dating back hundreds of years. Pilgrims keep adding new ones, walking around the mound while chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum” and spinning their prayer wheels. I’ve seen many Mani Stone piles before, but none quite like this.

This place is quite amazing, especially for photography enthusiasts. There are surprisingly few tourists, and most people are locals or pilgrims. You can easily spend hours walking clockwise, observing the faith of the Tibetans. Some of whom, despite serious physical limitations due to poor health or advanced age, walk for several kilometres every day, regardless of the weather.

Serxu Monastery (色须寺)

After about 130Km (two hours’ drive), you’ll get to Serxu Town (色须镇), located in Sêrxü County (also called Shiqu in Chinese), within the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. This place is already within Sichuan Province.

There you’ll find the Serxu Monastery (色须寺), a very important Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) Buddhist monastic complex in this prefecture. This monastery is significant for housing precious artefacts, including a 19-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha statue and a revered tooth relic of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school.

The town serves as a hub for Tibetan Buddhist scholarship, being one of only two monasteries in the Kham region authorised to grant the Geshe (equivalent to a doctoral degree in Buddhist philosophy).

You can stop for lunch in the nearby city and maybe try some of the best Yak Yoghurt in the whole region. Alternatively, you can also spend more time and even one night in the monastery.

Bage Mani Stone Wall (巴格嘛呢)

Only about a 20-minute drive from the Serxu Monastery, you’ll find another unique place: Bage Mani (巴格嘛呢).

While the Yushu Mani Stone is the largest in the world, Bage, which spans over 1.6 kilometers, is the longest. Nearby stands the Bage Mani Stupa, a central religious structure. Historically, the site is associated with the legendary King Gesar. Take your time to walk around it and proceed slowly, as this place lies at an elevation of over 4,200 meters.

Dzogchen Monastery (佐钦寺 or 竹庆寺)

Dzogchen Monastery is your next stop. This is one of the six great “Mother Monasteries” of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in 1684. Renowned for its Buddhist college, the monastery became a leading centre for Dzogchen (“Great Perfection”) teachings, attracting many important masters. At its peak, it housed 500 monks, 13 retreat centres, and 280 branch monasteries, hosting elaborate rituals and sacred dance performances.

The original monastery suffered destruction twice, first in an earthquake in 1842 and later in 1959. Rebuilt in the 1980s, the Tibetan complex now comprises 300 registered monks, a nunnery, and a traditional medicine school.

The location is quite spectacular, tucked away from the main village and nestled between a hill and a snowy mountain.

Yulong Lhatso (玉龙拉措)

On your way to Dege, it’s worth making a stop at Yulong Lhatso, a sacred glacial lake just off the G317 road near Manigango. A well-marked path circles the lake, offering wide-open views of the surrounding peaks and glaciers flowing down from Chola Mountain (6,168 m).

If you’re following my itinerary, you’ll probably get there around sunset, and, if the weather is good, you’ll see the mountains glow red in the warm light.

Dege (德格): the hidden gem

I’ll be honest with you: before visiting Dege, I didn’t do any research, and I wasn’t expecting much. How wrong I was. This small town has been, without a doubt, the highlight of this entire trip.

Let’s start with the architecture of the ancient town. Like most places in China with a similar long history, the new city surrounds the ancient town, and it’s nice to see that the original wooden architecture is still intact and absolutely beautiful.

But what makes this place incredibly special is Dege Parkhang (德格印经院): the ancient printing house.

Dege Parkhang: Where Ancient Wisdom Lives in Ink and Wood

This 18th-century printing temple isn’t a museum but a place where the sacred texts of Tibetan Buddhism are still printed using methods unchanged for nearly three centuries (it was founded in 1729 by Denba Tsering).

What makes this place extraordinary is its sheer devotion to preservation. While similar printing houses across Tibet have vanished, Dege’s artisans still carefully press each page by hand, using woodblocks carved from birch that’s been cured in yak dung for durability. These aren’t reproductions: many of the 300,000 blocks stored here are considered the definitive versions of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, painstakingly edited and perfected over generations. The process itself feels sacred: you’ll see workers chanting mantras as they work.

Visiting this ancient printing house is like stepping into a medieval scriptorium that somehow survived into the 21st century, and I don’t say this lightly. The best time is in the morning when sunlight filters through the small windows and illuminates the dust in the air. It will give you the chance to capture some unique pictures.

My recommendation is not to rush, but to watch how the printers’ hands move with precision, how the lokta paper (made from toxic Himalayan bark that naturally repels insects) absorbs the rich red and black ink, and how the carvers squint as they repair centuries-old blocks with the same reverence as monks performing a ritual.

Beyond its role as a printing house, Parkhang serves as a cultural ark. Its archives contain not just religious texts but works on Tibetan medicine, astronomy, and philosophy that have survived here when they disappeared elsewhere (during the Cultural Revolution).

The surrounding town of Derge feels like an extension of this incredible place, and you’ll see monks still debating scriptures in the courtyards and pilgrims circling the building in quiet devotion.

Come with patience and respect. This isn’t really a tourist attraction but a working temple of knowledge. The printers will often let you watch, but remember: you’re not witnessing a demonstration, but the continuation of a tradition that has outlasted empires. Last but not least, cameras are not allowed, but smartphones are, so you will be able to take pictures with your phone only (yeah, I know it doesn’t make any sense).

Gatuo Monastery (噶陀寺), also called Ghatar, Kathok, or Gautok

Besides the printing house, the Gautok Monastery was the other place that left me completely speechless. I’ve seen countless monasteries on the Tibetan Plateau. And it’s quite hard to get impressed by them, but this, well, I was absolutely stunned.

This is one of the oldest and most prestigious Nyingma Buddhist monasteries on the Plateau. It was founded in 1159 by the great master Kadampa Desheg, and it’s renowned as one of the “Six Great Seats of the Nyingma School”. It’s also particularly famous for its strict monastic discipline. What makes this place special to people like me, who are not really experts, is the surroundings and the wooden architecture. It seems like a place that came straight out of a movie.

Over the centuries, Ghatar Monastery has faced periods of destruction and revival (as you can clearly see from the new buildings on one side of the complex), yet it has consistently maintained its spiritual significance. Today, it includes numerous temples, stupas, and monastic colleges, with interesting rituals and festivals held throughout the year. This place won’t disappoint you.

Baiyu Monastery (白玉寺)

This is probably the last monastery you’ll visit if you follow this route. Baiyu it’s also another of the six major monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s not as beautiful as some of the other monasteries I listed in this travel guide, but since it’s on the way to Ganzi, it’s still worth stopping for a while.

This monastery is also known for its global influence, with branches established in India, Nepal (here my travel guide), and the West, ensuring the transmission of its teachings to future generations.

After this stop, you can finally head to Ganzi and fly back to Chengdu (here’s my travel guide) or continue on to your next destination. However, if you want to extend your stay on the Tibetan Plateau, consider continuing your journey to Litang, which is not too far away. I talked about this incredible place in my Western Sichuan travel guide.

Bonus place: Yarchen Gar (亚青寺)

I’d start by saying that, unfortunately, foreigners are currently unable to visit this place.

Just like Sertar (色达寺), Yaqing has been closed for a while, and only Chinese citizens are allowed to visit the area. I included it in the itinerary anyway, because you never know; maybe one day it will reopen. It’s conveniently located only a couple of hours from Ganzi, making logistical sense to add this nunnery.

This is one of the largest centers for Tibetan Buddhism in the world. Nestled at over 4,000 meters, the site is home to thousands of nuns and monks (who live in a different area), many of whom live in small wooden huts spread across the grasslands and along the riverside. Yaqing is particularly renowned for its large population of nuns, who outnumber the monks and follow a rigorous schedule of study and meditation.

The view of the island in the middle of the river from the nearby hill is absolutely insane, and it looks like this place came straight out of a movie.

Every winter, dozens of ordained nuns embark on a 108‑day solitary meditation retreat, one of the most austere in Tibetan Buddhism. Beginning each November, eligible nuns enter self‑built “match‑box” huts (small wooden cabins just large enough to sit in), where they remain in complete isolation, observing strict silence and avoiding all contact with others. You can see these tiny buildings in the bottom right corner of the first picture of this article.

During the retreat, nuns receive minimal sustenance; some are limited to water and tea, while a few are given only a bite of barley, and some even choose voluntary fasting beyond the minimal provisions throughout the days of practice. They endure harsh conditions: 4,000 m altitude, sub-zero temperatures, and limited shelter, often without even a simple blanket for warmth.

Most retreatants drop out, with fewer than 1% succeeding in completing the full 108 days. Those rare individuals who complete the entire course are publicly recognized and blessed by Achuk Rinpoche, signifying the attainment of remarkable mental discipline and depth of practice.

Final Thoughts

I make no secret of my strong bias for the Tibetan Plateau: it’s my favourite part of China. It’s still relatively unexplored, the landscapes are among the best in the country, and the region’s deep spirituality makes this place absolutely authentic.

There are quite a few challenges in visiting this area: fewer infrastructures (hotels are pretty basic in most towns), high altitude, long drives, it’s way more expensive than the rest of China, since you’ll need a driver, and there are only a few months of the year when it’s recommended to travel.

All these factors are also what make the Tibetan Plateau unique. You’ll really feel like you are exploring the roof of the world, and the hordes of tourists that are notoriously famous in China will not be found here.

This place is clearly not for everyone, but if you have the chance to travel there at least once in your lifetime, I can promise you you will not regret your choice.

As always, don’t forget to get a VPN or an eSIM before heading to China. If you need Travel Insurance, I recommend this one.

Don’t miss my travel guide to Jingmaishan in Yunnan; you can also find my Western Yunnan travel guide here. Here’s another interesting area to explore: the ancient Silk Road route in Gansu.

Here are some more pictures I took during my trip.