Sichuan Travel Itinerary Recommendations: Detailed Introduction and Scenery Appreciation of Top-Rated Western Sichuan Routes!
In autumn, if you want to take a top-tier scenic route in Western Sichuan, then this route basically contains the essence of Western Sichuan in autumn. From the very first day, it will blow you away with its stunning beauty. This is a challenging route, and to capture great photographs, we’ve extended the time. This allows everyone to have a truly in-depth journey through Western Sichuan.
On this route in Western Sichuan, you’ll feel like you’re walking through a painting every day with its colorful forests
Western Sichuan has many beautiful landscapes, and each season is completely different. If you want to see colorful forests in autumn, then Miyaluo, the 80-li gallery of Naizigou in Heishui, Bipeng Valley, Daocheng Yading, the 10-li colorful forest of Xinduqiao, and the hundreds of li along the route from Jiagenba to Moon Lake are all filled with colorful forests. When you find yourself in the midst of it all, you feel that every step reveals absolutely stunning scenery.
Of course, having just colorful forests isn’t enough; the charm of Western Sichuan lies in its snow mountains, and the colorful forests are just the icing on the cake. On this route, we focus on the three snow mountains of Daocheng as our photography subjects. Colorful forests + snow mountains will enrich your photography, allowing you to capture stunning shots every day.
The autumn scenery of Daocheng Yading combined with the three sacred mountains is a unique landscape on this planet, just like a fairyland.
Below is the itinerary arrangement for this photoshoot.
This is an in-depth route designed for photography creation. To ensure everyone’s photography experience, capture satisfactory photos, not miss the essential attractions, and have more停留 time during the journey, we have comprehensively considered and set the duration to 12 days. This better ensures accurate times for sunrise and sunset each day, providing a better travel experience.
Itinerary Brief
D1: Chengdu Gathering
D2: Chengdu—Heishui Colorful Forest (Naizigou)—Heishui County
D3: Heishui—Miyaluo—Bipenggou
D4: Bipenggou—Guanqiao
D5: Guanyin Bridge—Seda
D6: Seda—Ganzi County
D7: Ganzi County—Cuoka Lake
D8: Cuoka Lake—Baiyu County
D9: Baiyu County—Shangri-La Town
D10: Shangri-La Town—Daocheng
D11: Daocheng—Yajiang
D12: Yajiang—Chengdu [End of Trip]
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Chengdu Gathering
Accommodation: High-end business hotel near the airport (close to Pengzhen Old Tea House, and convenient for early departure the next day).
The first day is the gathering day, welcoming friends from all over the country to gather in Chengdu. Chengdu is a city of leisure, and the most representative of this is the old teahouses. On this day, we have arranged a photography task: Pengzhen Old Teahouse (near Shuangliu Airport), taking photos, drinking tea, and chatting.
TIPS:Peng Town Old Teahouse is a century-old teahouse, a well-known photography destination that has attracted countless domestic and international photographers. This is an excellent photography subject, and it’s recommended to arrive before 2 PM.
Accommodation: High-end business hotel near the airport (close to Peng Town Old Teahouse and convenient for early departure the next day).
Day 2: Chengdu—Heishui Colorful Forest (Naizigou)—Heishui County
Departing from Chengdu in the morning, passing through Maoxian to reach Heishui County. Today’s highlight is Naizigou in Heishui, a place that many people don’t know about. But when it comes to the most spectacular colorful forests in western Sichuan, this is definitely the top choice. The eighty miles of colorful forest are vibrant and dreamlike.
“Naizigou” in Tibetan means beautiful, abundant, peaceful, and happy.
The entire Naizigou stretches spectacularly for 80 li. Due to its large area and rich colors, the Naizigou colorful forest enjoys the reputation of “the best in Asia”.
Naizigou has various trees such as birch, pine, cypress, and maple, as well as coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests, secondary forests, and abundant vegetation in different colors. In autumn, the color layers here are rich, and any casual photo taken here turns out beautiful.
Naizigou is very close to Dagu Glacier, but this time we didn’t include Dagu Glacier in our itinerary for two reasons. First, we didn’t have enough time, as we kept more time for the journey to Bipeng Valley. Second, Dagu Glacier has a relatively high altitude, so we gave up on Dagu Glacier to ensure everyone would have better energy later on.
Day 3: Heishui — Miyaluo — Bipeng Valley
In the morning, depart from Heishui and head to the Miyaluo area. Miyaluo, translated from Tibetan as “fun flatland”, is a large region without a fixed scenic spot. It includes Heishui, Bipenggou, and Guergou, all of which belong to the Miyaluo area.
Today we took photos along the way, with continuous mountains, crisscrossing rivers, and vast forests. The scenery was very beautiful. In the afternoon, we arrived at Bipenggou, checked into the hotel to rest, and prepared for tomorrow’s visit to the Bipenggou scenic area.
Day 4: Bipenggou—Bipenggou Scenic Area—Guanyin Bridge
In the morning, depart from the hotel to Bipeng Valley, known as the “Little Switzerland of Western Sichuan”. From late October to mid-November each year, after the frost, maple trees, acers, birch trees, duck-foot pines, and larches have their leaves dyed into brilliant reds and golds, as if entering a dreamlike colorful world.
Author: Li Bin
Entering the scenic area, you can take a sightseeing bus through the primeval forest to reach White Dragon Waterfall, Zhuoma Lake, Three Trees, Moon Bay and other attractions. You can enjoy the spectacular views of the primeval forests, wild flowers and red leaves, majestic snow mountains, towering peaks, and waterfalls in the canyon. Here, the lush green trees, deep red leaves, blue lakes, azure sky, and pure white snow form a colorful world.
Author: Li Bin
Bipenggou has a large elevation difference, naturally forming the unique landscape of “one layer of elevation, one layer of scenery”. From the foot of the mountain to the summit, colorful forests stretch for miles. There are many types of red leaves and colorful forests covering a large area, allowing people to enjoy the scenery to their heart’s content.
Author: Li Bin
The autumn in Bipeng Valley features colorful forests in various forms: colorful forests reflected in lakes, colorful forests with dappled sunlight, colorful forests beneath snow mountains, colorful forests shrouded in clouds and mist…
Author: Li Bin
After visiting Bipenggou, I headed to Guanyin Bridge. Along the way to Guanyin Bridge, the scenery was very beautiful. We would stop at suitable places along the route for everyone to take photos, depending on the time.
Day 5: Guanyin Bridge – Seda
After breakfast in the morning, we drove to Seda. The entire journey was filled with scenic views. The yaks under the light and shadow created beautiful pictures, which would greatly excite photographers and spark their creative inspiration.
The scenery on the way to Seda
Why go to Seda, everyone has different purposes and ideas. I believe only when you arrive in Seda, approach that red ocean, will you feel what is truly breathtaking.
When tens of thousands of red meditation houses densely cover the entire valley, sparkling between heaven and earth. You will marvel that the ‘Western Paradise Buddhist Kingdom’ really exists, and this may be the true charm of Seda.
On the way there, you will encounter Tibetan pilgrims. They go from standing to kneeling on their knees, and then to prostrating themselves on the ground… Unafraid of the gazes of outsiders, the determination and devotion in their eyes command respect.
Here is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist institutes in the world – ‘Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy’, its reputation has long been known, a place that everyone yearns for in their hearts.
Tagore said: ‘The closer the place is to you, the farther the journey’, Seda is this place.
Day 6: Seda – Ganzi County Town
Depart at 6:30 AM, photograph the sunrise in the morning. After the sunrise, shoot at the Seda Buddhist Academy. At 2:30 PM, drive to Ganzi County Town, arriving at the Ganzi County Town sunset viewing platform by 5:30 PM to photograph the sunset.
Many people ask me about the most recommended places in Western Sichuan, and Ganzi is definitely worth experiencing in depth. Some describe Ganzi as a condensed version of “Little Tibet + Little Xinjiang.” In reality, the beautiful scenery of Ganzi has its own unique style and charm.
Garzê County town is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and in the morning you can climb to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise.
Garzê County town is a treasure trove for photography, surrounded by mountains on all sides with unlimited shooting positions. On a mountaintop behind Garzê Monastery, you can overlook the entire county town surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The originally quiet town becomes magical the moment the sun rises. The light and shadows are like an art master, painting the mountains, rivers, and houses into magnificent pictures.
Author: Lao Lang
Author: Walking and Wind
I have visited Ganzi county town many times, but each time I felt it was too rushed. This is a seriously underestimated treasure for photography. Both the landscapes and cultural scenes are excellent places.
Day 7: Ganzi——Cuoka Lake
Depart at 6:30 AM to the viewing platform in Ganzi County to photograph the sunrise. After the sunrise, we will head to the famous scenic spot, Cuoka Lake. Cuoka Lake is a captivating destination along this route, acclaimed as “a fairyland on earth, a celestial pool in the heavens.” This time, we will stay here for one night, awaiting the sunset and chasing the sunrise.
Cuoka Lake is not very large, but it is beautifully ever-changing and rich in layers. The jade-like lake water is crystal clear
It collects reflections like a kaleidoscope: blue sky, white clouds, green trees, green mountains, and red temples. Surrounded by green mountains with white clouds lingering around, it makes one feel as if they are in a fairyland.
Day 8: Cuoka Lake — Baiyu County
After shooting the sunrise at Cuoka Lake, we drove to Baiyu County, taking photos along the way. The famous Yarchen Monastery is on this route, and we would also visit it if we have time.
Baiyu is a small county town, which means “auspicious and happy” in Tibetan. It is located in the transition zone from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. This small county town has very distinctive construction, and among the Tibetan county towns, it is the cleanest and best-planned one I have ever seen.
Here, 90% of the population are indigenous residents, and walking on the streets gives you a sense of exotic scenery. Baiyu County has rich and colorful tourism resources, among which the most famous Nyingma sect temple [Yarchen Monastery] is located in Baiyu County. It is also an attraction that we will be visiting on this trip.
Baiyu, this county town, is not well-known, but the scenery here can be called a hidden gem in western Sichuan. Whether it’s the plateau scenery or the canyons, the entire journey is filled with beautiful scenery. Even sitting in the car is a pleasure.
Baiyu County is not well-known, but the scenery is extremely beautiful, so there are very few tourists here.
Although the altitude here has been over 4,000 meters, after the buffer of the previous days’ journey, I had already fully adapted upon arrival.
Not far from Baiyu County, there is Yarchen Monastery, which is as famous as Seda. Yarchen Monastery has undergone significant changes due to some reasons in the past. Generally, photography is prohibited here, so Yarchen Monastery was not the focus of our trip, just a brief stop to look around.
Day 9: Baiyu – Litang – Shangri-La Town
Today’s journey was quite long. We set off at 6:30 AM, and after taking photos of the sunrise, we drove to Litang. Around 9 AM, we reached the Litang viewing platform to capture the ‘Sky City’ of Litang. After lunch, we continued our journey, taking photos along the way. At 6 PM, we arrived in Shangri-La Town in Daocheng, where we will rest for the night before entering the Daocheng scenic area tomorrow.
Because Litang is very close to the sky, and Litang County has the reputation of being the ‘World’s Highest City’, it is called the ‘Sky City’.
On a plateau over 4,000 meters high, the sky is truly pure. The azure sky and snow-white clouds are just like cotton candy.
Litang is also Ding Zhen’s hometown. Although the scenery here is absolutely beautiful, this time it was just a checkpoint on our journey. We made a brief stop here, and today we still need to hurry to the next place, Shangri-La Town. The altitude here is only 2800 meters, so we can get a good night’s sleep here.
Stop 10: Daocheng Yading Scenic Area
Today, we finally arrived at the long-awaited [Daocheng Yading Scenic Area].
Scenery along the way
Autumn Colors on the Journey
Along the way, enjoy the charming scenery of the Red Soil Valley and Tibetan villages that seem like a paradise, then arrive at the Yading Scenic Area. We have reserved two days in the Yading Scenic Area, so everyone will have ample time for photography within the area. In the Daocheng Scenic Area, we will focus on several key locations.
1. Chonggu Temple
The ancient temple seems to be hidden in a colorful dream. The colorful forest appears to have dressed the temple in autumn splendor, with layers of red, yellow, and orange leaves embracing the ancient temple, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and mystery.
The location of Chonggu Temple is excellent. There is a stream in front that can serve as a foreground, and the temple is surrounded by colorful forests, making it very photogenic.
Last year we encountered heavy snow, and the Chonggu Temple in the snow was also a unique scenery.
Author: Pingdan
Going inside Chonggu Temple is also to have a look
2. Luorong Pasture
The route from Chonggu Temple to Luorong Pasture is the essence of the Daocheng scenic area. For those who enjoy photography, this section should be the main focus.
Author: Lin Yin
In this tranquil and vast fairyland pasture, horses leisurely wander among the meadows, occasionally lowering their heads to nibble on autumn grass, with Mount Chenrezig (Yangmaiyong) in the background. Such a scene could only exist in dreams, but you can see the real scene here.
At Mount Yangmaiyong, there are large animals below.
3. Three Sacred Mountains
The most beautiful scenery in Daocheng consists of three snow mountains: Xianari (5998.5m), Yangmaiyong (6033.0m), and Xiannuoduoji (5951.3m). They are like three silent sages, sitting among the vast mountains to the east. They quietly watch the passage of time and guard the quiet changes of seasons.
Author: LYC
Author: LYC
The three snow mountains surrounded by colorful forests in autumn undoubtedly make Daocheng one of the top scenic destinations in the country. Many people visit Daocheng multiple times, just to catch a glimpse of the magnificent appearance of these three sacred mountains.
Author: SUNNY SUN
Throughout the Daocheng scenic area, there are beautiful views all along the way. Everyone can enjoy watching wildlife, alpine flowers, snow mountains, forests, glaciers, lakes, and rivers along the route, experiencing the natural wonder of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. After the tour, return the same way to Yading Village for accommodation.
Day 11: Daocheng—Yajiang County
In the morning, we will continue shooting in the Daocheng scenic area. At 11:30, we will exit the scenic area and begin our journey back. Today is mainly for travel, and we will rest and recuperate in Yajiang County town. The altitude here is only 2,400 meters, so everyone can relax a bit.
Day 12: Yajiang County — Chengdu
Today we started our return journey, from Yajiang County to Xinduqiao, and after more than 30 minutes of travel, we can reach Sidingcuo. Here you can capture the sunrise over many snow mountains, and you can also see Mount Gongga. If you’re lucky, you might even see a beautiful sea of clouds.
Author: Lin Liangping
Author: Chen Weisheng
Sidingcuo is located next to Gongga Airport. Enter from behind the airport, there is a lake. When the weather is good, you can photograph the reflection of the snow mountains. When it snows, the scenery from Sidingcuo to Honghaizi along the way is very beautiful.
Author: Zhong Jin
This day was the return journey, but we still had to wake up early. The scenery along the way was very beautiful, and with good weather, it was perfect for taking photos.
After finishing shooting at Sitin Co, we concluded our trip to Western Sichuan. Today’s journey was quite long, and we arrived in Chengdu around 7 PM.
Note: Our itinerary was designed for 12 days. Due to the longer duration, our photography arrangements were quite flexible, and adjustments were made during the trip based on the shooting conditions.
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