English
Price from: $559
Highlights: Zhangjiajie Nationa l Forest Park | Grand CanyonBaofeng Lake | Glass SkywalkCliff
Destinations: Hunan, International
- Country: China
EnglishEnglish
8 Days Amdo Tibetan New Year Monlam Festival
Tour highlights: Rebong arts | Charm dance | Lower Wutun Monastery | Gomar Gompa | Giant Thangka Display | Xiahe | Labrang Monastery | Liujiaxia Dam | Binglingsi Grottoes
English‑speaking local guide
Small Groups or Private Tours
Price of tour: $819*
* (Price can be 10% lower or higher depending on the season.)
Book directly with a local operator – no middlemen, no hidden fees.
Why choose a local tour operator for your trip?
When you book directly with a local tour agency, you get personal service, real local expertise and support on the ground throughout your trip – not just a booking number in another country.
Our team is based here, we operate our own tours, and we’re available to help you before and during your journey.
8 Days Amdo Tibetan New Year Monlam Festival
Tour summary
Experience the magic of Tibetan New Year with this 8-day Monlam Festival tour in the Amdo region. Dive into deep-rooted cultural traditions, sacred rituals, and colorful celebrations that only take place once a year.
Start your journey in Xining, then travel to the heart of Rebgong, home of renowned Tibetan arts and the vibrant Cham dance at Lower Wutun Monastery. Join local worshippers at Gomar Gompa, and witness breathtaking giant Thangka displays at Nianduhu and Labrang Monasteries, where monks unfurl massive sacred paintings at sunrise.
In Labrang, feel the energy as thousands of pilgrims gather for spiritual ceremonies, chanting, and mask dances performed by monks in dazzling costumes. Walk the prayer circuits and take in the bustling festival atmosphere.
On your way to Lanzhou, enjoy a scenic stop at Liujiaxia Dam and take a boat to reach the stunning Binglingsi Grottoes, home to centuries-old Buddhist caves set into orange cliffs by the Yellow River.
All along the way, relax in comfortable hotels, savor local breakfasts, and travel with an experienced English-speaking guide who will help you get the most out of this unique cultural event. This trip is perfect for anyone wanting to experience the real spirit of Tibetan New Year and see a side of China few travelers ever witness.
Tour Itinerary
Tour Table of Contents
Day 1: Xining Arrival
Picked up at airport or train station, and drive to hotel.
Day 2: Xining-Tongren 160km, 2.5hr
Drive to Tongren, it’s known to Rebgong to Tibetans. Rebong arts are famous such as in Thangka painting, sculpture, engraving, architecture, and embroidery. Upon arrival, drive to lower Wutun Monastery, watch the Cham dance. In the afternoon, go to Gomar Gompa to join the circumambulation of future Buddha.
Day 3: Tongren
In the morning go to Gomar Gompa to watch their Cham dance. The monastery is 400 years old, charming and also mysterious which looks like a medieval.
Day 4: Tongren-Xiahe 110km, 2.5hrs
After breakfast, watch Giant Thangka Display in Nianduhu Monastery. In the afternoon, drive to Xiahe.
Day 5: Labrang
Today thousands of Tibetan pilgrims flock to Labrang Monastery for its biggest annual draw. In the early morning, Tibetan monks carry the giant Thangka depicting Buddha to the ceremonial site. They then carefully unroll to reveal a 400 square meter thangka painting. People trek up to the mountain to see the rays of sunlight hit the Thangka to pray for a good year.
Day 6: Labrang
In the morning, walk the inner Kora with locals. Later watch the Cham Dance, well trained monks wear colorful costumes and masks, dance to the music played by traditional instruments.
Day 7: Labrang-Lanzhou
Drive back to Lanzhou, on the way, stop at Liujiaxia Dam, take speed boat to visit Binglingsi Grottoes, Bingling in Tibetan means “thousand buddha”. This amazing cultural heritage consists of more than 100 caves with 694 figures of Buddha sculptures and 900 square meters mural, it dates to 420AD of Western Qin.
Day 8: Lanzhou Departure
Airport and train station transfer service, trip finishes.
Included in the price
- airport and train station pickup and drop service
- experienced, knowledgable english-speaking guide
- transportation whilst on tour
- comfortable hotels, based on double occupancy
- breakfast
- entrance fee
- bottle water
- lots of fun people
Excluded from the price
- flights or trains to Xining and out of Lanzhou
- other meals
- tips for guide and driver (30rmb-50rmb per person per day for each)
- single room supplement fee 1400rmb (If you are alone and willing to share, we shall put another solo taveler with you in same room. We can’t guarantee the roommate)
Book directly with a local operator – no middlemen, no hidden fees.
Traditional travel agency service – real people, not bots.
Personalized planning – every tour can be adapted to your needs.
Direct communication with our local team before and during your trip.
Enquiry & Booking
Price from: $3394
Highlights: Cherry blossom viewing | Senso-ji Temple | Meiji Shrine | Shibuya & Shinjuku | Bullet train | Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) | Fushimi Inari Shrine | Arashiyama Bamboo Grove | Philosopher’s Path | Gion district | Nara Deer Park | Todaiji Temple | Osaka Castle | Dotonbori Street
- Country: Japan
Reviews from Our Travelers
These reviews are the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What Makes Us the Best Travel Agency for Asia?
Meet Our Expert Local Team
Our multilingual team’s passion ensures you receive personal, attentive, and friendly guidance—from planning to the last day of your trip.
Talk directly to real travel experts based in the country – no automated call centers, no chatbots. We tailor each tour to your interests and support you every step of the way.
Certified local guides for a deeper cultural experience.
Authentic experiences led by local experts – not generic sightseeing.
Travel like a local, with guides who truly know the region.
Jessie | Founder
10 years experience in organizing expat tours in China.
Jessie first worked as travel consultant for many years, her excellent organizing skills and great travel route planning have won the trust of many customers. In 2018 she founded experiencetibet.org, an agency offering tours in Tibet autonomous region and other Tibetan areas in China such as Gansu, Yunnan and Sichuan. In 2020 she started yellowbirdtour.com, with destinations all over China.
Penny | China travel consultant
Penny has rich experience in organizing foreigners tours to many places in China, such as Tibet, Gansu, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Zhangjiajie. She is very responsive, always quick and patient. Customers like her, they always come back for more tours, and also recommend many of their friends to join.
Dawei | Tour guide / operator
Dawei is a Tibetan Buddhist, and comes from the most north edge of the Tibetan plateau in Qinghai province, Western China. He has travelled as a tour leader to many South Asian countries such as India, Bhutan and also nearly the entire country of China. He focuse especially on guiding in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Ningxia provinces and Tibetan regions. The activities of these various tour groups have included adopting family, horse racing, hiking, bird watching, cycling, camping, overseas students, cultural and religious sightseeing.
Andrew | Touir guide / operator
Andrew was born and grew up in a small village of Zhangjiajie, Hunan. From 2009-2012 he works for royal Caribbean International cruise as an onboard guest services officer. After that, he dedicates his life/time to guiding and operating tours in Zhangjiajie and around. As a native person, he knows all the corner of the scenic area, such as good restaurants, souvenir shops and cultures. He is very experienced and super flexible, he knows how to avoid the crowds and take advantage of the weather and offer the best travel experience to customers, all you need to do is just relax and enjoy!
