Tourist access situation of Larung Gar

We(SichuanFun) verified different sources. According to our understanding of the message from several hotels in Serar Larung Gar, local public security bureau and local immigration office we strongly recommend foreign travelers change your tour plan, if you want to visit sertar larung gar in June and July, 2016.

We will also cancel our groups to Sertar Larung Gar ‌in August because of the uncertain situation. We will refund all deposits.

Update: It’s still impossible for foreigners to visit larung gar. We recommend you joining in a group to yarchen gar and katok monastery during katok tibetan festival. More information: https://www.adventuretourchina.com/tour/katok-kathok-kathog-festival/

Tourist access situation of Yarchen Gar

We are very very pretty sure, foreign travelers can visit Yarchen Gar with valid passport and China Visa.

Update: It’s still impossible for foreigners to visit larung gar. We recommend you joining in a group to yarchen gar and katok monastery during katok tibetan festival. More information: https://www.adventuretourchina.com/tour/katok-kathok-kathog-festival/

Transportation to Sertar(Serthar or Seda)

Getting There

The public transportation is not developed in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) County, so you can only take bus, charter a van or drive your own car to get there. Tourists always arrive at Chengdu, then take bus from Chadianzi to get there. If they cannot reach the bus, they can also charter a van at Wuhou Temple, because there are many tourists, about 200 to 300 Yuan per person. If there is no problem, it only takes 1 day from Chengdu to Sertar(Serthar or Seda); if you meet into bad weather or traffic jam, you should stay in Maerkang or Kangding for a night, and arrive at Sertar(Serthar or Seda) on next day.

Bus: There are usually 2 routes from Chengdu to Sertar, one is to arrive at Sertar(Serthar or Seda) through Maerkang, and the other is to arrive at Sertar through Kangding and Luhuo.

Chengdu to Sertar bus
Now there are three bus shifts at Chadianzi Bus Station from Chengdu to Sertar(Serthar or Seda), starting time of 6:10, 6:15 and 6:20 respectively, tickets of 209 Yuan and 231 Yuan based on the size of bus, about 14 hours of driving. Maybe you cannot buy the tickets when you get the station, so you’d better book the tickets in advance. Or you can book it online http://www.scqcp.com/. In winter there may be weather or road problems, so perhaps you need to stay in Maerkang for a night, and arrive at Sertar(Serthar or Seda) on next day. If you want to go to Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, you can tell the driver in advance, so that you don’t have to arrive at the county first then back to Buddhist Academy.

Maerkang to Sertar bus
If you can not reach the bus from Chengdu to Sertar(Serthar or Seda), you can transfer in Maerkang. However, the bus shifts from Maerkang to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) are very flexible, so we don’t suggest this way if you have no particular reasons.
There are five bus shifts at Chadianzi Station from Chengdu to Maerkang, starting time of 6:30, 8:30, 10:00, 12:00, 13:30 respectively, tickets of 118 Yuan, about 6 hours of driving. You should stay in Maerkang at night and go to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) on next day. The bus from Maerkang to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) usually starts at 7: 20 in the morning, tickets of 71 Yuan, about 6 hours of driving. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the trip.
Tips:
There are two coach stations in Maerkang which is far from each other. The bus go to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) starts in Sanjiazai Coach Station, but the terminal station from Chengdu to Maerkang is Maerkang Coach Station. Local people call it as Up Station and Down Station respectively, so don’t mix them up. Now the internet is available between two stations, and you can buy tickets of the same shift, though the bus of two stations pull over at different places.

Kangding to Sertar Bus
Bus shift from Kangding to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) is also flexible. For example, only on dates ending with number 3, 6, and 9, there are buses to Sertar(Serthar or Seda), starting from Zhou Coach Station, at 6 AM in the morning every day, about 100 Yuan of tickets. If you go to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) by bus, it takes you 2 days and stay in Luhuo for a night. Due to the long time waiting for another shift of bus, plus bad weather and road condition, it is not a good option for you to take bus from Kangding to Sertar(Serthar or Seda).

Luhuo to Sertar Bus
Bus starts at 6 AM every day, but not fixed. You should get on the bus at Luhuo Coach Station, about 300 KM from Sertar(Serthar or Seda), 8 hours of driving usually. If there are empty seats on the bus, maybe it will not go to Sertar(Serthar or Seda), based on actual facts. So pay much attention to this if you start from Luhuo.

From Sertar(Serthar or Seda) back to Chengdu
Sertar to Chengdu bus
There are bus directly from Sertar(Serthar or Seda) to Chengdu, but only one shift every day, starting at 6: 30 AM, so you should book tickets in advance. It will be quicker going back from Sertar(Serthar or Seda) to Chengdu because the back trip is on downward slope. You maybe arrive at Chadianzi Coach Station at around 8 PM, tickets of 230 Yuan per person.

Sertar to Maerkang then to Chengdu
If you cannot reach the bus back Chengdu directly, you can transfer in Maerkang. There are buses form Sertar(Serthar or Seda) to Maerkang at 6: 30 AM every morning, tickets of 68 Yuan, about 7 hours of driving, but you need book tickets n advance. The starting time of bus from Maerkang to Chengdu is at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:30, and 12:40 respectively, tickets of about 80 Yuan according to different size of bus. Usually if you return back from Sertar(Serthar or Seda) to Maerkang, you can not reach the bus from Maerkang to Chengdu, so you should book a hotel for stay for a night in advance.

Sertar to Kangding Bus
There are bus shifts from Sertar(Serthar or Seda) Coach Station to Kangding, tickets of 153 Yuan, about 9 or 10 hours of driving.

Sertar to Luhuo Bus
There is only one bus shift from Sertar(Serthar or Seda) to Luhuo, starting at 6: 30 AM, tickets of 53 Yuan, about 5 hours of driving.

Bus Stations Information for this Route

Chadianzi Coach Station
Bus shifts of this station are usually to west and north in Sichuan Province, covering main cities of western Sichuan.
Address: at Yangxi Overpass on North Sanhuan Road in Jinniu District in Chengdu
Contact: 028-87506610 / 87507768 / 87507760

Sertar(Serthar or Seda) Coach Station
There are bus shifts at this station to Kangding, Luhuo and Chengdu, starting at around 6: 30 AM, but you’d better buy tickets of return trip when you arrive at Sertar(Serthar or Seda).
Address: near East Jiefang Road in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) County in Ganzi Prefecture
Contact: 0836-8522115

Sanjiazai Bus Station in Maerkang
Bus of this station is from Maerkang to Sertar(Serthar or Seda).
Address: No. 584 on Dasa Street in Maerkang County
Contact: 0837-2823318

Maerkang Long-distance Bus Station
Bus of this station is from Chengdu to Maerkang.
Address: NO. 213 on Meigu Street in Maerkang County
Contact: 0837-2825802

Kangding Bus Station
Bus of this station is to counties or cities in Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture.
Address: at right side of Ram Linka Hotel in Kangding
Contact: 0836-2822211; 0836-2828842

Luhuo Bus Station
There is 317 State Road through Luhuo County. It is convenient to go toward Kangding, but difficult toward Sertar(Serthar or Seda) County.
Address: No. 15 on Tuanjie Road in Luhuo County
Contact: 0836-2822211

Self-Driving

Self-driving to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) is a good option if you have a driver license of China, but the road condition from Maerkang to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) is bad, and even worse closer to the road section of Sertar(Serthar or Seda). We suggest you driving a SUV.
The road section from Wengda to Sertar(Serthar or Seda) is repairing and there now is traffic control, like that sometimes you can drive on unilateral passage. The road condition is bad, about 9 hours of driving.

Getting Around

There are vans to Buddha School at 6 AM to 7 PM at Jinma Square in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) County, tickets of 7 Yuan per person, 50 Yuan per van from Buddha School back Celestial Burial Spot, or 10 to 15 Yuan per person.
Drivers of vans are almost Tibetan people, so they charge much more money than before if they see tourists are Han people. We suggest you can bargain friendly with them but avoid conflicts.

=============Once In A Lifetime Trip!================

5 Days Group Tour to Sertar Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world.

Why this route:

1. It’s a circle route, Not turning back.
2. Not only monastery, but also Geopark. Cultural and natural experience!
3. Langyi monastery, the largest Monastery of Bon religion!
4. Wu Ming Buddhist Institute, the biggest Buddhist academy in the world!
5. Nianbaoyuze National Geopark of China, beautiful but rarely known by people.
6. This route is totally different from other agency, and no doubt the BEST Route to Sertar for 5 days tour!
7. You have 1 whole day in Sertar Larung Gar!

Dates & Prices:

Click here to book now!