Ganbai Road is believed to be a hidden gem of a road trip that connects Ganzi County and Baiyu County, with a total length of approximately 220 kilometers. It has been hyped as one of "China's most beautiful self-drive county roads." This road starts from Ganzi county and drive into Zhuodala mountain then on to the higher grassland and alpine lakes—making it a landscape avenue of remarkably rich and diverse scenery.
Ganbai Road
Ganbai Road Views
Ganbai Road Views
Ganbai Road Views
The beauty of Ganbai Road is highly varied and can generally be divided into two distinct sections:
Garzê County to Yarchen Monastery (The Highlight Section): This section averages an elevation of over 4,000 meters, featuring magnificent and almost "fantastical" scenery. Shortly after leaving Ganzi county, you enter a canyon beneath Mount Zhuodala, flanked by rugged, jagged rock formations that feel like stepping into a "World of Warcraft" landscape. After passing through the Zhuodala Tunnel, you are met with remnants of glacial boulders left behind from tens of thousands of years ago, resembling an "alien planet." Along the way, you'll pass through the Lalongcuo National Wetland Park, and yend by Yarchen Gar (Yarchen Nunnery).
Yarchen Monastery to Baiyü County (The Vast Grassland Section): After leaving Yarchen Gar, the scenery opens up dramatically as you enter the Changtai Grassland, an ideal spot for taking sweeping road-trip photos. The elevation climbs higher before descending all the way through river valleys and forests to reach the endpoint, Baiyu County.
The road conditions are with good with paved all the way, accessible to both sedans and electric vehicles. The road remains at high elevations throughout, mostly between 3,000 and 4,600 meters. Be sure to take precautions against altitude sickness in advance.i
Nearby places include Kasa Lake and Luoge Liangzi, as well as Xinlong Hongshan (Red Mountain), Baiyu(Payul) Monastery, and Katok Monastery, etc.
Recommended time of visit: 204h
Ticket Information: Free of charge
Business Hour: all day
