Red Panda, Wawushan by Tang Jun

Tour Dates: Saturday 18th March- Thursday 6th April 2028 (Chengdu to Chengdu)
Tour Price: £5,399pp plus flights
Estimated International Flight Price: London to Chengdu approx. £800 return
Estimated Internal Flight Price: Xining to Chengdu approx. £200
Deposit: £600 per per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £250 – £300 
Minimum Number: 8 people
Maximum Group Size: 8 people

Target Mammals:
Chinese Mountain Cat, Snow Leopard, Eurasian Lynx, Pallas’s Cat, Mainland Leopard Cat, Chinese Red Panda, Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Asian Black Bear & possibly Tibetan Brown Bear, Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiang), Tibetan Gazelle, Przewalski’s Gazelle, Tibetan Grey Wolf, Tibetan Fox, Chinese Goral, Woolly Hare and more!

Target Birds:
Tibetan Partridge, Tibetan Snowcock, Black-necked Crane, Ground Tit, White-browed Tit-warbler, Tibetan Lark, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Emei Shan Liocichla, Sichuan Treecreeper, Great Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Brown Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrotbill,  Wallcreeper, Tibetan Snowfinch, Black-winged Snowfinch, Tibetan Rosefinch, Great Rosefinch, Black-headed Mountain-Finch, Grey-headed Bullfinch and many more!

Typical Sichuan mountain scenery for this tour

Tour Summary
This exciting itinerary takes us deep into some of China’s most remote and spectacular mountain landscapes in search of a fantastic selection of Asian mammals, as well as a good selection of birds.
The tour has been designed primarily around some of the most sought-after mammals, including Chinese Mountain Cat, Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat, Eurasian Lynx and Mainland Leopard Cat, together with Red Panda, Asian Black Bear, Wild Yak and Golden Snub-nosed Monkey.
Travelling from the forests of Sichuan to the high-altitude grasslands and valleys of the Tibetan Plateau, we will use a combination of local guide’s knowledge and strategic viewpoints to scan from and night drives to maximise our chances of encountering these elusive species.

Pallas’s Cat by Tang Jun

ACCOMMODATION: 19 nights in China in comfortable hotels
1 night Wawushan, 2 nights Labahe, 2 nights Tangjiahe, 1 night Baihe, 2 nights Ruoergai, 1 night Maduo, 1 night Qumalai, 1 night Budongquan, 1 night Golmud, 6 nights Xiangride, 1 night Chengdu
Inclusive Meals: Full board from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 19.

KEY SITES:
Wawushan Mountain is typically a very wet, steep mountain forest at around 3,000 metres with an exceptionally dense understory. However, the good news is there is a cable car which can take you up to a network of boardwalks where Red Pandas are often found in trees immediately beside or above the walkways! The birding here is also excellent along the same paths, so there will be plenty of avian distractions too!
Labahe is a nature reserve in the mountains of western edge of Sichuan. It is located in a forested landscape with steep valleys and for a mammal watcher, its particular attraction is thea single road through the reserve which provides very good night-driving opportunities.
Tangjiahe is at another forested reserve, though at a lower altitude with steep wooded mountains, streams and a mix of broadleaf forest. It is particularly good for larger forest mammals such as Chinese Takin, Tufted Deer, Chinese Goral, Serow, Reeve’s Muntjac, Macaques and Mainland Leopard Cat. Some of the best sightings are from roads during night drives.
Ruoergai sits on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, at roughly 3,000–3,600+ metres in vast open alpine grassland, wet meadows, rocky slopes and alpine scrub. It is one of the key areas for seeing one of the key target species of the trip, Chinese Mountain Cat.
Maduo & Quamalai are very different from Wawushan and Tangjiahe as they are both high altitude sites on the Qinghai – Tibetan Plateau.
Maduo is located at around 4,000–4,500 m metres in an area of enormous open alpine steppe and grassland with a mix of wet meadows, rivers and rolling mountains. There is essentially no forest.
The big attraction here is the exceptionally wild landscape around the Yellow River where Tibetan Wild Ass , Tibetan Gazelle, Tibetan Fox and Tibetan Wolf can all be found. There are also chances for Pallas’s Cat. Much of the mammal watching can be done from a vehicle, driving slowly across the plateau and scanning so there is no need to hike up mountains to find the animals.
Qumalai is further SW on the plateau and is located in some of the most remote, high-altitude wildlife country in China and holds many exciting mammals similar to Maduo..
The Gouli Valley
The Gouli Valley is at around 4,000–4,500 metres  and consists primarily of open alpine grassland and Steppe with broad high-altitude valleys, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It has become very well known in recent years for its strong reputation for regular sightings of three cat species, Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat and Eurasian Lynx. We will head up into the valley systems each day in 4×4 vehicles from our hotel based at a lower altitude of around 3,00o metres.

DAY 1: Arrival in Chengdu – Wawushan
We arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, where we meet our local team and then begin our journey into the mountains. We head to Wawushan, arriving in time to settle into our accommodation and prepare for our wildlife adventure ahead. Overnight Wawushan

Day 2: Wawushan – Red Panda – Labahе
This morning we will make an early start and head uphill into the forests of Wawushan, one of the best areas in this region to see Chinese Red Panda. We will spend the morning exploring the forest, watching carefully among the bamboo and temperate woodland for these fantastic mammals. The birding here is also very good, so here are sure to be plenty of avian distractions whilst waiting for the main target species. Some of the more sought after birds might include Darjeeling Woodpecker, Rufous-vented Tit, up to five Parrotbill species, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Elliott’s Laughingthrush, Grey-headed Bullfinch and much more!
Later, we continue by road to Labahe and then after dinner we will take our first night drive, searching the forest margins and mountain roads for nocturnal mammals. Our principal target will be the Mainland Leopard Cat, but there are plenty of other special mammals that we could get lucky with here. Overnight Labahe

Tibetan Fox by Tang Jun

Day 3: Full day at Labahe
We will spend the daylight hours searching the forest reserve and surrounding habitats for mammals and birds. Labahe is an excellent area to find  mixed-species flocks, so we will be looking out for species such as White-collared Yuhina, White-browed Fulvetta, Black-throated Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Yellow-browed Tit, Rufous-vented Tit and White-tailed Nuthatch. The beauty of Labahe is that a single road passes through the forest reserve and it is therefore ideal for spotlighting opportunities. As evening approaches, we will head out for more spotlighting to maximise our chances with Mainland Leopard Cat as well as other species such as Northern Hog Badger and Chinese Serow. Overnight Labahe

Day 4: Labahe – Tangjiahe
We have a final morning at Labahe to continue our search for mammals and birds before setting off towards Tangjiahe.
This journey takes us into another  area of Sichuan, where we will start the next exciting phase our trip. Overnight Tangjiahe

Day 5: Tangjiahe – Mainland Leopard Cat and Black Bear
We have a full day to explore Tangjiahe, concentrating our efforts on the forest habitat. Our main mammal targets today will be Asian Black Bear and more chances for Mainland Leopard Cat if we still have not been successful. This area supports a varied selection of wildlife and there is plenty to keep us busy. Overnight Tangjiahe

Day 6: Tangjiahe – Baihe
We spend much of the morning continuing our wildlife watching around Tangjiahe before beginning the approximately three-hour drive to Baihe.
As we travel, the landscape gradually changes as we gain altitude and move towards the Tibetan Plateau. Overnight Baihe

Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys by Tang Jun

Day 7: Baihe – Golden Snub-nosed Monkey – Ruoergai
This morning we begin the day with a search for the spectacular Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, perhaps one of the most iconic mammals of the mountain forests of Sichuan.
After a full morning enjoying the primates, we will continue by road for approximately four to five hours towards Ruoergai. After dinner we will head straight out for more night drives and spotlighting. This is the best site for us to search for the  Chinese Mountain Cat. Overnight Ruoergai

Day 8: Ruoergai – Chinese Mountain Cat
We have a full day exploring the Ruoergai area. The open alpine grasslands and surrounding valleys provide ideal habitat for a range of high-altitude mammals and birds. Our principal objective will be to focus on Chinese Mountain Cat, with a chance of a daytime encounter and further opportunities to search for other mammals of the plateau. We will then return to spotlighting in the evening. Overnight Ruoergai

Chinese Mountain Cat by Tang Jun

Day 9: Ruoergai – Maduo
Today is mostly a travel day as we head towards Maduo. The journey is sure to be an adventure as we move deeper into the high-altitude landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau. We will keep watch along the route for wildlife and make adhoc stops en route if we see anything of interest. Large herbivores in this area are relatively frequent with Tibetan Red Deer and Blue Sheep and smaller mammals such as  Woolly Hare and Plateau Pika should be common. Overnight Maduo

Day 10: Maduo – Qumalai
We will spend the morning exploring the Maduo are, searching the vast plateau for mammals and birds. Maduo is particularly interesting for Tibetan Plateau wetland and grassland birds, including Black-necked Crane, Bar-headed Goose, Tibetan Snowcock, White-winged Snowfinch whilst Bearded Vultures soar overhead.
We then continue our journey towards Qumalai, travelling through increasingly remote and quite spectacular landscapes. The high-altitude terrain here offers excellent potential for a variety of Tibetan Plateau mammals and we will always be keeping our eyes peeled for Tibetan Grey Wolves and Pallas’s Cats! Overnight Qumalai

Day 11: Qumalai – Budongquan
We have the morning to search for wildlife around Qumalai, exploring suitable habitats for the species of the high plateau.
Later, we drive onwards to Budongquan, where we spend one night to break our journey, before continuing towards the wildlife-rich valleys ahead. Overnight Budongquan

Day 12: Wild Yak Valley – Golmud
Today takes us into Wild Yak Valley, where we will spend much of the day exploring the plateau searching for Wild Yak and other high-altitude mammals.
Later, we continue towards Gomuld for our overnight stop. Once again, our journey today takes us through spectacular scenery and some of the most remote of the entire trip. Overnight Golmud

Day 13: Golmud – Xiangride – Gou Li Valley
Today we drive towards Xiangride, a small town located at around 3,000 metres altitude which will serve as our base for the next few days as we explore the now famous Gouli Valley.
The Gouli Valley is one of the key destinations of the whole tour and a fabulous are to see the Tibetan Plateau’s most elusive cats. Overnight Xiangride

Snow Leopard by Tang Jun

Eurasian Lynx by Tang Jun

Day 14 – 18: Gou Li Valley – Snow Leopard, Lynx and Pallas’s Cat
During the next five days we will get in to the routine of heading into the Gouli Valley each day where we will spend many hours scanning for cats!
This should be one of the highlights of the tour, with the principal targets being Snow Leopard, Eurasian Lynx and Pallas’s Cat. 
Although we will be focused on mammals, we will of course keep our eyes peeled for birds too. At this altitude, bird numbers are at low density but we have chances for species such as Tibetan Snowcock, Tibetan Partridge, Przevalski’s Partridge and a number of Snowfinch species. Overnight Xiangride

Day 19: Return to Chengdu
Today we take the 6 hour drive to Xining to take a short domestic flight of 1hr 45 minutes to Chengdu. Overnight Chengdu

Day 20: Departure from Chengdu
After breakfast, we transfer to Chengdu airport for our international flight back home.

Important: This is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides

Leaders: Wise Birding leader and local guides throughout
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms. All meals, bottled water, all entrance fees to reserves and national parks, ground transport and services of leaders.
Not included in cost: International airfare and domestic flight from Xining to Chengdu. Travel insurance, drinks other than water and any airport/visa fees.
Single Supplement: £550
Transport: Three 4×4 Vehicles throughout.
Difficulty: Medium Most of our time will be spent scanning from viewpoints in the mountains or watching from vehicles or at roadside stops. However, we will be at over 3,000 metres for much of the tour and although there will be not a great deal of walking required, the terrain will be steep and undulating, so a good general level of fitness is required.
Climate: Generally very cold. Day temperatures struggling to reach 5°C – 10°C  and night lows plunge well below freezing -10°C to -20°C.
Tour Start Point: Chengdu, China
Tour End Point: Chengdu, China
Suggested Airlines: Air China direct from London to Chengdu.

Asian Brown Bear by Tang Jun