Short Treks and Cultural Tours in Eastern Tibet (Yunnan)

Duration: 7-10 days
Months offered: Year round
Costs: From $1,500

NW Yunnan province is ethnically Tibetan. The mountains, rivers and forests of this region are so beautiful and rich in biodiversity that the Nature Conservancy has set up a permanent office in the region in order to bring about the creation of a massive nature reserve. Three of Asia 's greatest rivers the Salween , Mekong and Yangtze pass within 40 miles of each other in this area. Each river is separated by mountain peaks that rise well over 20,000 ft. Most famous of these is the holy peak Kawa Karpo (6,741 meters) which we will visit. Living in this Shangri-la are Tibetans and other minority groups practicing traditional ways of life largely unaltered by the arrival of the 21 st century. Evidence of their Buddhist culture is apparent everywhere. Our tours and treks in and around the two largest towns in the region, Gyalthang and Dechen, enable one to immerse in the Tibetan mountain landscape and culture, hike to a sacred mountain, ride horses with Tibetan gauchos, drink tea with Buddhist monks and feast on gourmet matsutake mushrooms in the cavernous living rooms of traditional Khampa homes. Tours can be combined with treks or focus solely on the many cultural sites of the region. We often schedule these treks and tours to coincide with the Gyalthang horse festival, which is one of the liveliest cultural events in all of Tibet . Please contact us for more information.