Gannan & Longnan – 6-Day Guane Gou Private Tour

The route for travellers who want both sides of the region. The first four days cover the full Gannan sequence – Labrang, Sangke, Guomang, Langmusi, Awangcang, Lianbao Yeze, the First Bend and Zhagana – then instead of returning over the Rock Road you continue south through the Lazikou gorge into Longnan, overnight in Dangchang and give a proper morning to Guane Gou, a green valley of cliffs, waterfalls and turquoise pools. It is a different exit from the plateau and a noticeably different landscape at the end.

Why this trip

• A genuinely private journey: your own vehicle and driver, your own English-speaking guide, no shared group and no shopping stops
• A comfortable private MPV on the paved stages; on the seasonal Joseph Rock Road section we arrange a suitable high-clearance vehicle so the rough track is driven safely
• Hand-picked four-star hotels with breakfast where available; in small towns such as Langmusi, Tangke, Aba, Dangchang and Zhagana we book the best locally available property and confirm it with you before departure
• A private meet-and-greet at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport (LHW) or Lanzhou West railway station, with flexible arrival and departure times
• A pre-departure route briefing covering altitude, road conditions, monastery etiquette and the seasonal road sections
• Guane Gou, the limestone-and-waterfall valley that no pure Gannan loop reaches
• An overnight in Dangchang, so the valley gets a full morning instead of a rushed afternoon
• The Lazikou gorge crossing – a completely different exit from the plateau than the Rock Road

Route at a glance

Lanzhou – Labrang – Sangke – Guomang – Langmusi – Awangcang – Aba – Lianbao Yeze – First Bend – Tangke – Zhagana – Lazikou – Dangchang – Guane Gou – Lanzhou. Lanzhou in, Lanzhou out – a continuous loop through Gannan and Longnan with no repeated road. Travel is by private vehicle with your own driver and English-speaking guide throughout.

Day by day

Day 1 – Lanzhou – Labrang – Sangke – Guomang – Langmusi

Overnight: Langmusi Town

• Drive south from Lanzhou to Xiahe for Labrang Monastery and its prayer-wheel corridor.
• Cross the Sangke Grassland and walk the Guomang Wetland boardwalks.
• Overnight in Langmusi.

Good to know: Around 400 km with three stops – an early start is essential.

Day 2 – Langmusi – Awangcang Wetland – the great prayer wheel – Aba

Overnight: Aba (Ngawa)

• Head west across the upper Yellow River pasture country to the Awangcang Wetland, a broad mosaic of water channels and grazing land.
• Visit the colossal gilded prayer wheel at the nearby monastery and watch pilgrims turning it.
• Cross into Sichuan and overnight in Aba County.

Good to know: Around 270 km. This is a high, open stage with few services; water and lunch stops are planned in advance.

Day 3 – Aba – Lianbao Yeze – First Bend of the Yellow River – Tangke

Overnight: Tangke

• An early start for the Lianbao Yeze stone peaks, where dark granite spires rise above glacial tarns at around 4,000 m.
• Short walks at the lake viewpoints rather than a long hike, given the altitude and the afternoon drive ahead.
• Continue to Tangke and climb the sunset viewpoint over the First Bend of the Yellow River.

Good to know: Around 320 km. The stone-peak area is the highest point of these itineraries; a warm layer and sun protection are essential.

Day 4 – Tangke – Zhagana – Fairy Meadow

Overnight: Zhagana

• Drive north into the stone walls of Zhagana and settle into the village beneath the cliffs.
• A short late-afternoon walk up to Fairy Meadow for the classic view of the limestone ring above the wooden houses.
• Dinner in the village and a quiet night at altitude.

Good to know: Around 260 km. Zhagana guesthouses are simple but well located; we book the best available rooms and confirm them before departure.

Day 5 – Zhagana – Dari viewpoint – Lazikou memorial – Dangchang

Overnight: Dangchang

• An early climb to the Dari viewpoint for the morning light on the stone village and its terraced fields.
• Drive south through the wooded Lazikou gorge and stop at the memorial.
• Continue to Dangchang, the base for Guane Gou, and overnight there so the valley gets a proper morning.

Good to know: Around 300 km. This route replaces the Rock Road with the Lazikou crossing into Longnan – a completely different exit from the plateau.

Day 6 – Dangchang – Guane Gou valley – Lanzhou

Overnight: Onward travel (no overnight)

• A morning in Guane Gou: limestone cliffs, waterfalls, turquoise pools and Tibetan villages, using the park shuttle between sections.
• Lunch in Dangchang, then the long drive north back to Lanzhou.
• Arrive in Lanzhou in the evening for your onward flight.

Good to know: Around 500 km after the valley visit. Book a flight after 21:00, or add a Lanzhou night on request.

The places you will see

Labrang Monastery. One of the six great Gelug monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism, famous for its three-kilometre circumambulation corridor of prayer wheels and for the valley view from the hill behind the prayer hall.

Sangke Grassland. Open alpine pasture just outside Xiahe, greenest in July and August, with nomad tents, horse herds and low hills.

Guomang Wetland. A boardwalk wetland of tufted grass, pools and birdlife on the plateau drive south towards Langmusi.

Langmusi. A monastery town split between Gansu and Sichuan, with white monastery walls, golden roofs, a narrow gorge and a small, walkable old street. The Sichuan-side temple sits above the town; the Gansu-side temple faces the gorge.

Awangcang Wetland. One of the largest high-altitude wetland pastures on the upper Yellow River, a broad mosaic of water channels and grazing land near Maqu.

Lianbao Yeze stone peaks. A jagged granite landscape of dark spires, glacial tarns and scree at around 4,000 m, often compared with a miniature Patagonia. The walking is short but the air is thin.

First Bend of the Yellow River. Near Tangke the river loops back on itself across a huge flat floodplain. The sunset viewpoint is the classic place to watch the water turn gold.

Zhagana stone village. A Tibetan village enclosed by a ring of grey limestone walls, with wooden houses terraced up the slope and fields below. It is the most photographed place on the whole Gannan route.

Fairy Meadow at Zhagana. An open alpine meadow above the village, reached by a short walk, with the stone walls rising directly behind it. Late afternoon is the best light.

Dari viewpoint. The lookout above Zhagana used for the classic morning shot of the village, its terraced fields and the stone ring, often with low cloud drifting between the peaks.

Lazikou Pass memorial. A narrow wooded gorge on the old route into Longnan, marked by a memorial to the Red Army’s passage. It is a short, worthwhile stop on the way south.

Dangchang. A small county town in the mountains of southern Gansu, the base for visiting Guane Gou and a sensible overnight before the long run back towards Lanzhou.

Guane Gou valley. A long green valley of limestone cliffs, waterfalls, turquoise pools and Tibetan villages, often called the ‘little Jiuzhaigou’ of Longnan. Shuttle buses connect the main scenic sections.

Complimentary experiences

A private pre-departure route briefing with a printed day-by-day plan, bottled water and a first-aid kit in the vehicle, flexible photo stops whenever the light turns good, and a guide who helps with ticket reservations, monastery etiquette and ordering in local restaurants.

What is included

• A private vehicle and professional driver for the whole itinerary, plus fuel, highway tolls and parking, and a high-clearance vehicle for the Rock Road section where applicable
• A private English-speaking guide throughout and all airport or railway-station transfers
• All hotel accommodation with daily breakfast, in the towns shown in the day-by-day plan
• All entrance tickets and shuttle buses for the sights listed in the itinerary, including Guane Gou, Maijishan and the monasteries
• Bottled water in the vehicle, a first-aid kit and flexible photo stops
• Full pre-trip planning by a real consultant: several rounds of itinerary changes are included before you confirm

Good to know

• Gannan is high country. Xiahe is around 2,900 m, Langmusi around 3,300 m and the Lianbao Yeze viewpoints close to 4,000 m. Walk slowly on the first two days, drink water and tell your guide at once if you feel unwell. Travellers with serious heart or respiratory conditions should consult a doctor before booking.
• The Joseph Rock Road is an unsealed seasonal mountain track. If weather or road works close it, your guide reroutes via the paved highway through Lintan and Hezuo so the trip still ends in Lanzhou on time.
• This is a Lanzhou-in, Lanzhou-out loop, so a round-trip ticket into LHW is all you need. Carry your passport for hotel check-ins and ticketed sites.
• Inside monastery halls, photography is often restricted, and visitors should walk clockwise around prayer wheels and stupas. Your guide will explain the local etiquette before each visit.
• The itinerary is private, so timings can be adjusted on the ground. Road works, weather and seasonal closures may move a stage by a few hours; your guide will always propose the best available alternative.
• Prices are per person in USD, based on two travellers sharing a room. International flights, visas, personal expenses, gratuities and meals other than breakfast are not included.

Local flavours

Lanzhou’s clear beef noodle soup, Tibetan butter tea and tsampa, Xiahe’s yak-meat dumplings, hearty noodle pots in Langmusi, slow-roasted lamb in Aba, and the river fish and walnut dishes of Longnan and Tianshui. Highland towns eat early, so your guide plans dinner stops around each driving day; vegetarian and halal meals can be arranged.