Tribal and Sacred China: A Journey through Laos, Yunnan and Tibet

8 - 30 October, 2025

Destination:
Yunnan Laos China Tibet

Trip Dates:
8 - 30 October, 2025

Trip Length:
23 days

Trip Price: £6460

China is made up of 55 minority groups covering 9% of the population whom over the last few generations have been marginalised into mountain and border regions.

The journey begins in a small backwater in the heart of Laos, at a confluence of the mighty Mekong River where the royal town of Luang Prabang remains one of Asia’s last unspoilt havens. Luang Prabang is described by UNESCO as the best preserved town in Southeast Asia. This magical place, the former royal capital was once part of the kingdom known as Lane Xang, Land of a Million Elephants, it is the cultural and spiritual heart of Laos. With its gentle pace and population of monks, Luang Prabang is a treasure trove of 33 glittering Buddhist temples dating from the 16th century, exquisitely gilded and frescoed, with multi-tiered roofs sweeping to the ground.

Take the beautiful northern road, through endless rice paddies and lush jungle to the misty mountains of the Hmong hill tribes whose settlements are perched precariously on high cliff faces. Here the party will enter China through a ‘back door’ border crossing with the Himalayan foothills beyond. Yunnan Province (literally translated as ‘South of the Clouds’), is home to some of China’s most diverse variations in flora, fauna and ethnicity. The sleepy town of Jinghong resides on the banks of the Mekong and serves as a useful base from which to explore outlying Dai minority villages, ancient temples and botanical gardens. From Jinghong take a short flight direct to Dali which lies at the base of the Cangshan Mountains and is the historic home of the Bai minority. Enjoy a cruise on Erhai lake and visit the Three Pagodas of Sacred Worship. From here enjoy a wonderful drive through rolling emerald rice paddies to the village of Shaxi, which lies at the foot of Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain), an area which receives few visitors. Continue north to the beautiful town of Lijiang on the edge of the Tibetan plateau where the dominant Nakhi tribe have developed a distinctive cultural tradition centred on life in the isolated but spectacularly beautiful Lijiang Valley.

Fly to the medieval capital city of Lhasa where the sumptuous Potala Palace dominates the town and where every facet of Tibetan ritual is practised. From Lhasa begin an awe inspiring journey crossing the spectacular mountains of the Himalayas dotted with beautiful palaces and ancient monasteries to Gyantse and en route cross two giddying Himalayan Passes. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the shores of the beautiful deep blue green Yamdrok Lake. Gyantse is a town of walls within walls. Walk through the Pelkor Chode and the Kumbum, whose protective eyes look beneficently down on the pilgrims and townspeople. At Shigatse explore the huge Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama, and once home to over 4000 monks. Here, tiers of white-washed buildings lift the eye to the red halls with their gold-sheathed roofs. Return to Lhasa before taking one of the world’s most dramatic train journeys from the Tibetan plateau across the vast country of China to Xining on the Qinghai – Tibet railway; a quite miraculous feat of engineering and one of the world’s great train journeys. 

TThe journey has been organised for the Alumni of Cambridge University but is also open to Alumni of Oxford University and their friends and family. Please note that Distant Horizons has sole responsibility for the operation of this tour. The Universities have no direct control over the operation of any tours.

Maximum Party Size: 20

Trip Leader: Professor Charles Ramble

The journey will be accompanied by Professor Ramble who is a former lecturer in Himalayan Studies at the Oriental Institute of Oxford University. He lived in the Himalayas for fifteen years, working as an anthropologist and a naturalist, and has travelled and researched extensively in the region. He is the author of some fifty articles and several books on the culture and history of the Himalayan countries and has accompanied five very successful journeys for the alumni since 2014.

Tribal and Sacred China: A Journey through Laos, Yunnan and Tibet . Trip Comments:

‘Professor Ramble’s lectures and his insights were the glue that held it together and the gem of the experience. His willingness to be with the party, relax and do impromptu mini-lectures along the way were a highlight.’

‘It was a tour first of all very imaginatively conceived, the omission of any one of the three areas visited would have reduced the interest considerably. Many thanks for my second excellent tour with Distant Horizons. You are to be congratulated on organising such marvellous adventures.’

‘Just to say thanks very much for setting up such a wonderful journey from Luang Prabang, via Yunnan and Tibet, to Beijing. We really enjoyed ourselves. All the complex logistics went very smoothly, including for our extra days in Beijing.’

'We were captivated by Dr Ramble's knowledge and passion for his subject. I think we were extraordinarily fortunate to be accompanied by someone who is surely one of the pre-eminent scholars in this field of study. He was an excellent travelling companion and central to the group's cohesiveness and good humour. His unflappable approach, local knowledge ensured that difficult situations were resolved and the trip always ran smoothly; the star of the trip!'

‘This was an enticingly thought out and imaginative trip. First going from one extreme to the other - the lush jungle of Laos to the dizzy snow heights of Tibet was very appealing with the prospect of an exciting train journey at the end – a brilliant feature. Second going from Himayana to Mahayana Buddhism was also intriguing and informative. Third it addressed altitude acclimatisation very well in that it was gradual - so nobody to our knowledge suffered badly. Third it was good to spend two nights or so in the better places ( Luang Prabang, Dali, Lijang, and of course Lhasa) – more restful, time to get laundry done, and explore a little on one’s own.’

‘Professor Ramble was an absolute star. Apart from his erudition, encyclopaedic knowledge, he was warm, witty, friendly and very good company. We felt very privileged to have such an expert accompany us on our travels.’