Kham is graced with rugged mountains, deep forested gorges, eroded ravines, and the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze rivers. Super beautiful! July is the best!

Day 1: Drive from Chengdu to Barkham City, Kham. Your guide will come to your Chengdu hotel. Barkham is embedded in a long, narrow valley stretching 200 km. With a population of 50,000, this is an excellent place to acclimatize and enjoy comfortable lodgings.

Day 2: Drive to Kardze/Gardze City, the capital of Kham. 4-star hotel. 

Day 3: Today is a very scenic drive to Dzongsar, a Sakya institution founded in the 13th century. It was a home base for Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and his rebirth, Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, who combined the Sakya, Nyingma, and Kagyu traditions. Dzongsar became one of the most prominent colleges in Tibet, but was razed to the ground in the 1960s. Sponsored by the current Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, the college has been re-established. Two retreat centers house a few hundred monks and nuns. Enjoy a retreat-like room at the Dzongsar Monastery Guest House.

Day 4: Visit Dzongsar in the morning. After lunch, drive most of the way to Rongme Karmo Taktsang, White Tigress's Nest (4,430 m), then take an easy walk. Consecrated by Padmasambhava in the form of Dorje Drollo, it is also a treasure site of Chogyur Dechen Lingpa and a home office for Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and Jamyang Khentse Wangpo. Mipham Rinpoche stayed in retreat here for thirteen years. Return to Dzongsar Monastery Guest House. 

Day 5: Easy hike to Pema Shelpuk, Crystal Cave (4,510 m), hermitage and treasure site opened by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chogyur Dechen Lingpa; one of the twenty-five most important sacred sites in Eastern Tibet, representing enlightened speech. It has been blessed by the four masters—Garab Dorje, Shri Singha, Guru Rinpoche and Vairotsana. This is where Chogyur Dechen Lingpa discovered the "Three Classes of the Great Perfection," and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo placed a precious statue of Guru Dewachenpo in a cave. Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodro would often stay here in the summer. The cave contains many naturally appearing images and letters. Yeshe Tsogyal's small cave is to the left. The caves of Vairotsana and Shri Singha are at the top of the rock. My favorite place in Kham. Hasn't much changed over the centuries. Return to Dzongsar Monastery Guest House. 

Day 6: Drive to Dzogchen, with a short stop in Derge, the county of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s birth, for lunch. Dzogchen, one of the six great monasteries of the Nyingma tradition, lies in the hidden valley of Rudam Kyitram against the backdrop of the jagged snow peaks of Mount Dorje Ziltrom (5816 m.) Founded in the late 17th century, it expanded to have over 200 satellites in Kham, Amdo and Central Tibet. Today, there are several temples and buildings, all newly constructed. The hillside is covered with monastic cabins. It is renowned for its college, Shri Singha Sehdra. The 4th Dzogchen Rinpoche was the master of Paltrul Rinpoche and Mipham Rinpoche. Dzogchen is equally renowned for its retreat centers and ritual traditions, especially lama dancing. Today, it is the seat of Dzogchen Ponlop, Dzogchen Kongtrul, and others. Simple hotel in the small village of Dzogchen. 

Day 7: Explore the Dzogchen complex—temples, Bodhgaya stupa replica, college. Return to the small village of Dzogchen.  

Day 8: Returning to Dzogchen, hike up the valley toward the Dorje Ziltrom glacier, where there are several hermitage ruins, including those of Do Khyentse Yeshe (Tseringma Cave), as well as caves of Padmasambhava, Paltrul Rinpoche, and Mipham Rinpoche. Beyond, there are sacred lakes, probably out of reach for today. Return to a simple hotel in the village of Dzogchen.  

Day 9: Very scenic, easy driving today as you ascend and descend a few passes to reach the city of Yushu. On the way, visit Shechen associated with Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, and later, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,

Arrive in Yushu in the late evening. Inhabited mainly by Tibetans, Yushu (or Yulshul), also known as Jyekundo (4,000 m), is well known for the devastating 2010 earthquake. The city is now well-reconstructed in an urban way, and the heart of Buddhism is more vibrant than ever, with beautiful stupas and a stream of residents continually circumambulating and making smoke offerings accompanied by Dharma teachings broadcast over loudspeakers!

Yushu hotel can be a 4-star in the city or something simple in the Tibetan quarter—your choice. 

Day 10:
Visit the Tibetan quarter and take an afternoon flight to Chengdu.