10 Days in Ganzi County: G317 Deep Loop
Ten days from Ganzi County town (3,390 m) along the G317: the 1662 monastery and Yalong flats, Gesar quarter, Nailong peaks, a Luhuo-Daofu day and a two-day Dege run to the 1729 printing house.
Quick Answer
Is 10 days enough for Garze?
10 days lets you go beyond Garze's core into neighborhoods, food markets, and one or two day trips at a relaxed pace.
Source: NihaoVisit Garze guide
10-day Garze itinerary at a glance
Use our full Garze travel guide as the base and adapt it to 10 days. Keep the city's three signature attractions as the backbone; fill the rest with neighborhood walks, food markets, and an easy day trip.
Arrival, monastery & altitude pace
In by the 2019 Gesar Airport (near 4,068 m) or the highway from Kangding, about 380 km. House rule: this is Ganzi County town at roughly 3,390 m — not the prefecture seat Kangding, not Daocheng-Yading — so keep day one to the monastery founded in 1662.
- ganzi ganzi monastery
Gesar King City & river flats
The quarter retells an epic said to run past a million verse lines; evening on the flats of a river that runs about 1,571 km before joining the Yangtze.
- ganzi gesar king city
- ganzi baita park
- ganzi yalong river valley
Nailong sacred mountain
Half a day on the short pilgrim circuit in the county's high hills; keep the afternoon free — altitude writes its own agenda.
- ganzi nailong sacred mountain
Grassland day on the Yalong flats
A slow river-plain day north of town among the braided channels and yak camps; the evening star deck over the plateau is the point of the day.
- ganzi county grasslands
Kasa Lake & Daofu houses (neighbor day, Luhuo and Daofu counties)
An honest day east, about an hour and a half each way on the G317 — the roadside lake in Luhuo County, then Daofu's painted timber houses, famous across Kham.
- ganzi kasa lake
- ganzi daofu timber houses
Baili Temple & the Geda memorial
The countryside temple has been the seat of the Geda line for centuries; the town memorial records the 1936 meeting between Zhu De and the fifth Geda Lama when the Red Army passed through.
- ganzi baili monastery
- ganzi zhude geda memorial
Toward Dege — Manigango & Xinluhai (multi-county day, overnight out)
First of two days honestly spent outside the county: west on the G317 to the horse-trail town of Manigango and Xinluhai lake at the foot of the Chola range, near 4,000 m; overnight in Dege county for tomorrow's printing house.
- ganzi manigango town
- ganzi xinluhai lake
Dege Parkhang & return
The Parkhang printing house has carved and printed Tibetan texts since 1729 — its woodblocks are still pulled by hand; return east through the Chola tunnel, opened in 2017 and over 7 km long near 4,300 m.
- ganzi dege parkhang
Recovery, monastery morning & stars
A deliberate slow day after the Dege run — the monastery's morning, noodle shops, an early night; the star deck over the flats is the evening program.
- ganzi ganzi monastery
- ganzi yalong river valley
Departure
Last walk by the water, breakfast, then the 2019 airport — Chengdu about an hour by air — or the highway east toward Kangding, about 380 km.
- ganzi yalong river valley
Budget for 10 days in Garze
| Tier | Per day | 10 days total |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | USD $50–$80 | USD $500–$800 |
| Mid-range | USD $100–$200 | USD $1,000–$2,000 |
| Luxury | USD $300+ | USD $3,000+ |
Useful tools
Book your Garze trip
We may earn a commission when you book through these links. This does not affect our editorial recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the daily budget for Garze?
Do I need a visa to visit Garze?
How do I get from the airport to the center of Garze?
Can I use 10 days for both Garze and a side trip?
Is Garze safe for tourists?
See also: Garze travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.