The legendary Sichuan-Tibet Highway in Western Sichuan is a 2,400km-plus highway that traverses lofty terrain from Chengdu to Lhasa in Tibet. The road passes striking scenery but can only be traversed for part of the year.
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway passes major mountains over 4,000m and is classified by a Southern Route and a Northern Route. The northern part is slightly higher and longer at 4,916m and 2,412kms, with the southern section going up to altitudes of 4,700m and covering 2,149kms.
The section of Sichuan-Tibet Highway from Chengdu to Kangding is the most traveled, yet it takes off from here proper to encompass the most impressive part of its journey into Tibet. The total journey takes a couple of weeks and traverses massive rivers, dense forests, and ancient tribal villages.
Important spots along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway include the town of Kangding, with its Ancient Tea-horse Road; Mount Zeduoshan and the impossibly deep Brahmaputra Gorge; and the sacred mountains around Chamdo in Tibet.
Getting There & Away
Chengdu is the gateway to the Chinese side of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and the provincial capital of Sichuan. It has an airport and is a major rail hub. Flight time from Beijing to Chengdu Suhangliu International Airport is 3 hours. The north-south Xi’an-Kunming Expressway takes in Chengdu.