Sichuan Genyen (Mount Genie) Travel Guide - Attractions, Transfer, Hiking

Genyen Travel Guide and Tour Packages

Genyen is called Holy Mountain Genyen or Genie in Tibetan. It is one of the 24 holy mountains in Tibet. It is home to over dozens of high mountains. Genyen also indicates the massif itself. The highest peak of Genyen is also named Mt. Genie or Mt. Genyen, with an altitude of 6204 meters. Mt. Genyen is ranked the 3rd highest mountain in Sichuan Province. Mt. Genyen is the highest mountain in Shaluli Range. It is a holy place for many Tibetan people. Genyen Massif is located south to Litang and 800km west to Chengdu. Genyen is one of the most wild and unexplored parts of China that few people have explored. It is home to many kinds of species, plants, and highland turquoises lakes, unsummited peaks, hot springs, hidden monasteries and the original nomads people. This is the most useful and informative Genyen travel guide listed here.

Genyen Nigong Monastery

Genyen Massif

Genyen or Genie is located in western Sichuan Province next to the border with TAR. It is home to over 60 peaks with most of them unsummited. This mountain range harbors many wild animals and untouched sceneries. Genyen massif can be accessed from south side from Litang, west side from Batang and north side from Maoya Prairie. It is the most unexplored part in Sichuan due to its difficult access and remoteness.

Lenggu (Nigong) Monastery

The old Lenggu Monastery locates in the deep valley by the foot of Mt. Genyen on the hill side. This Nigong Monastery is one of the oldest Karmapa Monasteries in Tibetan regions. It was first built in 1164AD and was worshiped by many Tibetans. It is located at the heart of Mount Genyen in the Gamula Valley east to the peak of Genyen. It is a small monastery with grey walls and red roof standing on the rock. At the elevation of 4150 meters, Nigong Monastery is rarely known by the outside and it is a meditation place for Tibetan monks and a pilgrimage destination of Mount Genyen. One can have great views in front of this monastery.

Maoya Prairie

Maoya Grassland is one of the major known attractions near Litang. It is a giant patch of green meadow on the road side of G318(National Highway 318 in China). We can see the wraggling streams flow through the pasturing yaks and blooming wild flowers. At its surroundings are 4000+ snow mountains, making it more vast and good for picture-taking.

Litang

Litang, or Lithang, is small town in western Sichuan in the Tibetan Kham region. It boasts for its high altitude which is over 4000 meters, making it one of the highest towns in the world. It is a beautiful place and home to many Tibetan Buddhists. It is reputed as "Pearl on the Grassland", "Shrine of the Snowland" and "Highest city in China". Litang is often used as a stopover place for travelers going to Genyen.

Recommended length of visiting: 3-4 hours to 7-10 days;

Explore Genyen – Uncharted Land

Genyen is the largest mountain massif in Sichuan and in eastern Tibetan Plateau. This place is an unexplored gem of China, home to dozens of unsummited mountains and unexplored lakes. Genyen is the wild part of the wild Sichuan.
Hiking and Trekking

Hiking and Trekking is the best way to see Genyen in general. The popular hiking trips include the Genyen Outer Kora and the Genyen Middle Kora. Both treks involve long days of walking and camping at high altitude but beautiful places.
Climbing

Available to foreign climbers, Genyen massif is one of the best options for foreign climbers in China. It is home to over dozens of unsummited peaks with different difficulty level. The big mountains include Mt. Genie itself, Mt. Kaimailong, Mt. Xiazha and Mt. Hutsa.
Tsopu Lake

The turquoise lake located northwest to the main range of Genyen and a 150km west to Litang Xian by driving. Tsopu Lake, or Cuopu Lake is also one of the less explored places around here. It is one of most beautiful places in Sichuan.

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Getting There and Around

Go to Genyen By Bus

To get to Genyen one needs to get to Litang first. There is a direct bus departing from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station everyday by 6am, cost about 260 yuan. The bus will arrive in Litang by around 8pm the same day. From Litang one needs to hire a local taxi to get in to Genyen, the local taxi usually costs between 800 to 1000 yuan. Or you can try share one taxi. One can also get to Kangding first from Chengdu and from Kangding there are 2 buses departing to Litang everyday at 6am and 7am costing about 100 yuan for the ticket. Coming back from Genyen you can always find a car in one of the villages there and use the bus at Litang Bus Station with also one departure in the morning at 6am and arrives in Chengdu by around 8pm.Getting to Genyen from Chengdu by Bus>>

Travel Tips

Gathered below is the most useful travel guide to Genyen. Important travel information of Genyen includes travel season and climate, detailed and useful Genyen travelers maps and advice, tips on accommodation and food issues about traveling to Genyen. Listed below are also the first-time confirmed of different peaks and lcoations of Genyen.

Travel Season

The best season to travel to Genyen is from May to November when it’s not so cold. Weather is normally good here. In winter time it is too cold but weather is stable and good. In winter it gets below -15C at night if you travel in winter time. Summer is August and July when the mountains are greenest but during this season you may encounter the monsoon rain. May, September October and November are colder but generally have stable weather.more>>

Accommodation and Food

There is only basic accommodation available at Genyen. The guesthouses are available in the villages. Most of the guesthouses are very simple, some only have a floored room. All of them don’t have attached bathroom nor hot water for shower. If you are looking for comfortable accommodations, you need to drive back to Litang Xian to use the relative better hotels in the town which is 70km away. Food is very limited a couple of simple shops are available usually in the villages.more>>

Travel Maps

Detailed travel maps of Genyen including the navigate map to Genyen from Chengdu, map of the other traveler interests places around Genyen, and a map of Genyen Massif for hikers. Genyen is a fairly easy place to get to. But inside Genyen there are not much modern facilities available such as electricity or internet. It is 70km southwest to the town of Litang and 800km west to Chengdu.more>>

Planning Ideas

A trip to Genyen will require a minimum of 5 days from and back to Chengdu. Its distance between Chengdu is over 800km, either by driving or using public transfer it will need at leat 2 to 2.5 half days. S simple Genyen visit is normally recommended to be combined with your other visits along the way. A long hiking trip will require at least a week’s time and even 2 weeks. more>>

Genyen (Genie) Tour Packages

At present we provide only two standard tour packages to Genyen. One is a private customizable hiking tour of Inner Kora Trek and the other is a Chinese Group tour that you can join. Both treks involve hard trekking and take 9 days from Chengdu. The best way to see Genyen is also to walk into its heartland.

Genyen Inner Kora Trek – 9 days

To explore the wilderness of the world by going to the heartland of the uncharted realm of Tibet in Genyen. A long expedition only for the explorers. You will see mountains and glaciers and wild animals that are not known to this world. This is a hard trek yet you will be rewarded by its stunning views and its sheer remoteness.

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Genyen Outter Kora Trek – 9 days Join in Chinese Group

Genyen is believed to be the forgotten wild land of Tibet. It is a massif of unknown mountains and unexplored valleys. Tibetan people live here for centuries and keep their own way of living. This adventure is the traditional outter kora trek that is also conducted by local people.

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