Half-Day (Standard Option)

This tour begins at the Adventure Access Songpan Outdoor Center and includes information regarding Songpan’s history on the Horse Tea Road as well as its role in the old Han and Tibetan kingdoms timeline. The hike provides a pleasant view of the surrounding area, as well as being a nice opportunity for exposure to Tibetan life and monastery culture.

• Half-day guided, round-trip hike from Songpan to Shangniba Monastery.
• Cost: 60 USD per person.
• Total trek – 15km
• Average trek time is 5 hours.

Half-Day to 3/4 Day (Qiuzifeng/Watchtower Ruins Option)

This tour is a slight adaption of the standard half-day option. It also begins at the Adventure Access Songpan Outdoor Center and includes information regarding Songpan’s history. Once the ridge between Niri Valley and Songpan is reached, this hike goes further up the ridge for a greater physical challenge as well as the opportunity to see the ruins of an old watchtower and the offering site to the mountain deity on Qiuzifeng Mountain.

• Half-day to 3/4 Day guided, round-trip hike from Songpan to Shangniba Monastery
• Cost: 70 USD per person.
• Total trek – 18km
• Average trek time is 6 hours.
• Add tea in a Tibetan home for 5 USD more to deepen the cultural experience. (Tea includes light food such as bread and fruit. This will add about 1 hour to the experience.)

Overnight Niri Valley Trek

This tour can cover the same ground as either of the half-day options but it also includes an overnight stay in one of the Tibetan homes in Shangniba Village. This allows for deeper cultural immersion as you have the opportunity to experience the hospitality of the local hosts in Niri Valley. It includes dinner on day one, breakfast on day two, and all the tea you can drink.

A typical experience looks like this: Depart Songpan after lunch and hike over the ridge to Niri Valley. Stop by your host home for a cup of Tibetan tea and drop your belongings off for a lighter hike up to the monastery in the afternoon. Once the tour of the monastery has concluded, return to the homestay for a relaxed evening and meal with your host family. Go for a short walk after dinner to take in the fresh village air. On day two, join the host and any other guests for breakfast and tea before packing up and hiking back to Songpan to arrive before lunch-time on the second day.

• Guided round trip hike from Songpan to Shangniba Monastery
• Cost: 125 USD per person.
• Total trek – 18km
• Download the full tour information here with insight into levels of cultural immersion, altitudes, and photos